SirHenryLeeChaChing's For Original Fans - Favorite Moments In NTTD (spoilers)

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  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited April 2019 Posts: 12,459
    Quality is something we can agree on most of the time. Probably.
    Yet ... I keep in mind that making Bond films is a coordinated effort by a group of people, headed by Cubby's family still but in an even crazier, perhaps more contentious and difficult time for making seamless films within a 2 year frame (squeezing in actors' schedules and writers and God knows what else) compared to past decades. I don't know; I just think that may be so. As I've mentioned, I'd be quite happy with only a 3 year gap. I think EON would be, too (don't scream at me now ...) ;)

    Also, I bear in mind that some of my favorite Bond films were followed immediately by ones I was disappointed in (at that time, in the theater and also for today):
    The Spy Who Loved Me - superb; followed by Moonraker (some love it, sure; but for me a definite drop down)

    Live and Let Die - great intro to Moore's Bond, score that rocks, I love it; followed by The Man With The Golden Gun (a definite disappointment for me)

    Casino Royale - stunningly good, I was thrilled, it was lauded universally; followed by the uneven Quantum of Solace (has its moments, for sure; overall, I was disappointed)

    The Living Daylights - lovely intro to Dalton's Bond, I still enjoy it; followed by License To Kill (I disliked a lot of it, quite a bit, though I enjoyed Dalton's intensity; a real disappointment for me over all).

    Your lists will vary. That's natural. My point is: quality is important, yet so darn hard to get consistently and consecutively in filmmaking and not everyone will agree on what makes a film "quality" entertainment. Did EON try too hard with Spectre? Overreact to the leaks? Make a mess from a bad original script (I really disliked it) - I have no definitive answers and honestly never got into the arguments on it. I just watch the film and take my gut reaction from it, in spite of all the back story. This film is divided in fans' opinions. I enjoyed Spectre overall but do not revisit it or consider it a great Bond film. The general public made it a hit. Longtime Bond fans are not the general public.

    I do think EON wants quality every time. They want to hit it out of the ballpark. I don't think they take their legacy for granted. I do have a very good feeling about Bond 25, and so I remain in that frame of mind. B-)
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,992
    This longtime Bond fan likes Spectre a lot, I rewatch it frequently. A lot to enjoy there.

    Looking forward to BOND 25.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    It's a mixture of reactions from fans on this forum. No problem with that. I know @thelivingroyale enjoyed it tremendously, and others also like it quite a bit. But it does seem to have strong negative reactions from other members, too. C'est la vie in the Bond fandom world.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    I do hope we can all still look forward to Bond 25 - a big YES to that. We simply don't know enough yet (and I'm trying to stay unaware of spoilers except I do want to know cast and locations, but not details) ... I understand the frustration of the long wait, though. I don't want that frustration putting up a bad feeling about Bond 25 already.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Well, I don't see how they can top CR & QOS... if they equal SP I'll be happy. If it's better, I'll be ecstatic.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    It should be in its thing, with a conclusion of sorts to Craig's era. I'm really intrigued. It cannot top CR for me; but that film has an entirely different purpose. I hope we get some of the great visual storytelling from Cary that he showed in True Detective. A Bond film is a coordinated effort; not just the director. But I'm really looking forward to this one.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    @EverBonded, it occurs to me that you disliked LTK for the same reason I disliked SF... neither of us had any problem with Bond, but with the circumstances the film-makers saddled him with. I didn't like that they had Severine get killed right in front of Bond with no way to save her (and other less distressing junk I could have found a way to deal with if not for that), and you felt that the sheer brutality of the many deaths in LTK were unnecessary in the telling of a Bond story... am I close? Correct me if I'm inaccurate here please.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,962
    I'm very picky when it comes to literary Bond. For years I;d even deny there wer continuation novels. I've red DMC (dreadful) Carte Blanche (terrible) Col. Sun (mwah, entertaining but fundamentally flawed) and Trigger Mortis (interesting). Bought the lates one but it's at my friends' place (already for 6 months) and haven't gotten around to picking it up. It comes with The Diamond Smugglers and Thrilling Cities, the two IF titles I haven't read yet.

    Interesting. Why those thoughts on CS? For me it feels like a deliberate attempt to strip Bond back down to Fleming after the excesses of the mid-'60s films and general Bondmania...if anything, it anticipates OHMSS, FYEO, and TLD.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited April 2019 Posts: 12,459
    @chrisisall, it was not the level of violence really that bothered me the most about LTK, but the sadistic whipping of Lupe did make me ill. The story itself annoyed me a good deal in the theater (and still) because at that time this Bond film strongly felt like it was copying Miami Vice and other detective shows - I mean, drug lords were everywhere on tv and film then. It did not feel like a great Bond story (even with Leiter's being in it in such a sentimental and heart-tugging way). On top of which was the production quality to me seemed more suited to a tv show than a major film, let alone a Bond film. All of that was unsatisfying for me, even though I liked Dalton's Bond. Plus small things like having Pam cut her hair into some sort of super short helmet that I found to be a) unattractive and b) annoying to think this is how the filmmakers felt a strong, competent executive assistant would style herself. Also, frankly, the overall grimness did not carry for me the more satisfying seriousness of Casino Royale or a good deal of From Russia With Love. Again, too much like a poorly written, nothing fresh tv script with tv production value. I actually liked the violent, brutal ending with Bond killing Sanchez that way. In other scenes, small annoying things like Dalton's hair and tux seemed a bit off and I thought bringing Q in quite unceccesary (never mind the winking fish at the very end). So it was a mixed bag for me and not great. Dalton deserved another film so very much, with a good script.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,965
    echo wrote: »
    I'm very picky when it comes to literary Bond. For years I;d even deny there wer continuation novels. I've red DMC (dreadful) Carte Blanche (terrible) Col. Sun (mwah, entertaining but fundamentally flawed) and Trigger Mortis (interesting). Bought the lates one but it's at my friends' place (already for 6 months) and haven't gotten around to picking it up. It comes with The Diamond Smugglers and Thrilling Cities, the two IF titles I haven't read yet.

    Interesting. Why those thoughts on CS? For me it feels like a deliberate attempt to strip Bond back down to Fleming after the excesses of the mid-'60s films and general Bondmania...if anything, it anticipates OHMSS, FYEO, and TLD.

    I guess it is, but the premesis of M beeing kidnapped doesn't work for me. I find it increadable the head of MI6, supposedly one of the most secret and guarded figures in government, would be that easily kidnapped. It's another 'make it personal' angle we just don't need. Fleming never made such constructs, his stories stay close to what could be for real. And no Chinese Colonel woud be able to pull a stunt off like that without risking full war between China and the UK, which in those days the UK probably would've won.

    It's fanboy stuff, a cheap thriller trick (how many thrillers don't have somebody close kidnapped by a sadistic villain?). It's just not Bond.

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    It's fanboy stuff, a cheap thriller trick (how many thrillers don't have somebody close kidnapped by a sadistic villain?). It's just not Bond.
    Did you dislike TWINE & SF for this reason?
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,965
    chrisisall wrote: »
    It's fanboy stuff, a cheap thriller trick (how many thrillers don't have somebody close kidnapped by a sadistic villain?). It's just not Bond.
    Did you dislike TWINE & SF for this reason?

    To a point. I accept more from the movie universe than from the literary world. Allthough I prefer the more 'realistic' films, they're also 1,5 to 2,5 hours of visual entertainment. Films, by their own medium, are lightr and can't delve into the story too much. But TWINE is definately not one of my favorites and Skyfall, allthough very well executed, doesn't bring the thrill like QoS does for me. Still it's a coherent story and the nods to previous films aren't overdone.

    SP is worse, as the parts individually are better than the sum.

    The books however take far longer to read, take you deeper into the story and thus such a mistake in storytelling jars far more than it would in the cinematic world. I think it's Carte Blanche where Bond goes to IRan, hardly knowing anything about the country, and wondering about the Ekranoplan from the Russians. That's just plain stupid as any spy would kno exactly what was going on in the world and by the books time setting the Ekranoplan was well known to Western Intelligence. I can't accept those basic mistakes in a book, and probably wouldn't accept them in the film either.

    The M-abduction in TWINE at least is set-up in such a way (friend of the family) that it would make sense, sort of. But I don't like it and find the choice she makes there highly unprofessional.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited April 2019 Posts: 12,459
    Just popping in to say if you want to stay more spoiler free, including NOT knowing cast or title, then get off the internet NOW. Press conference soon will be giving info. TV off, radio silence ... do your best. The news will be everywhere. B-)
  • edited April 2019 Posts: 3,564
    I don't have a problem knowing that spoilerspoilerspoiler has been cast in the movie...

    Ah, just kiddin' with ya... Actually, I don't generally mind knowing that sort of thing. Or the title. But last time around, knowing who had been cast as Oberhauser DID kind of give away the Big Surprise Twist in the plot. Once bitten, twice shy. Oh, you say THAT'S the movie's title? Geeze, it's getting harder & harder to go spoiler-free these days...
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited April 2019 Posts: 40,459
    The only reason I would've tuned in was for the unveiling of the title. Was actually a bit excited to wake up and find out what it was, then nothing. I heard about one cast confirmation, which isn't the biggest deal overall, but still, the less I know, the better. I know of no plot details, which is great.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited April 2019 Posts: 12,459
    I'm rather glad title not revealed yet. I did have one person tell me they did not want the title either yet, but I cannot remember who said that. Anyway, title speculation will continue unabated for awhile. And honestly, you cannot avoid the title unless you go into hibernation. That will be everywhere.

    As I've mentioned before, I do like to know some things - but not the plot. I didn't watch the reveal; I was sleeping. I do want to know more about the cast; so I have a little info now and am happy. But I won't be putting any of that on this thread.
  • edited April 2019 Posts: 19,339
    The fact Bond is retired in Jamaica adds to the 007 number theory,that someone else has it.
    And I think Madeline snuffs it in the PTS as the actress hardly said Jack-shit in the reveal.

    MOD EDIT: Why would this be shared here with no spoiler tags? That didn't last long.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,459
    Yes, avoiding the title would be impossible. And thanks, @4Everbonded, as it seems most of us posting and sharing here are under the same mentality: the less we know, the happier we are. Hopefully that continues for the foreseeable future.

    I'm still trying to convince myself that I won't even watch the trailers before seeing the film, but I feel like I'll immediately cave when the time does come.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Thanks for the spoiler tag added (since I cannot do anything about posts here). I think Barry popped into the WRONG thread by accident? I have no other explanation. Part of what he wrote is not confirmed 100% by the way, but truly is the kind of thing we don't want on this particular thread. Plenty of other threads to chat about Bond 25 that allow everything to be discussed.

    So to all regular members who enjoy this Originals thread and come here to NOT have spoilers about Bond 25, please do not click into the spoiler tag for Barry's above comment. Thanks.

    Now onward we go.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,965
    I was confronted by a spoiler today, as the site (James Bond the Netherlands) opeed up with this plot detail in the first line..... I couldn't help reading it, my eyes were faster than my brain. Thanks a lot guys :-(

    Why would they give away parts of the story already anyway? I just don't get that. Are they afraid of hackers so much they just open up the doors?

    Anyway, it'll be very difficult from no on, that's for sure.

  • I couldn't even imagine not watching the officially released. trailers. Actually, the trailers for SF piqued my interest perfectly. Didn't give away too much. Just enough. The trailers for SP? To be honest I don't really remember them all that well... so I guess they didn't really do their job. Or maybe they just had a dud to work with.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    I will watch the first trailer, @BeatlesSansEarmuffs , but plenty of people don't even want to do that this time around.

    Folks, when we put a spoiler tag on THIS thread, it's best to ignore it, simply because it is the general consensus here not to chat about speculation or confirmed news on Bond 25.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    You are right, @CommanderRoss, it will be difficult to remain mostly spoiler free. Parts of the plot will be given away elsewhere, for sure. Even official to some extent, I think. So we find our way to enjoy Bond and keep the majority of Bond 25 unknown to us; a tricky path in murky waters. ;)
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    I have not seen the Peter Sellers Casino Royale in years, but is this from it? I think so, just wondering as I just saw it now on twitter ... ;)
  • edited April 2019 Posts: 17,272
    I have not seen the Peter Sellers Casino Royale in years, but is this from it? I think so, just wondering as I just saw it now on twitter ... ;)

    You can see the scene here (although this video is clips from several scenes):

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Yes, I thought maybe so; thanks! That is one more film for me to watch in the pre-Bond 25 months. I'm hitting all the novels and doing a film Bondathon at least twice, in two different ways. @Birdleson had good suggestions for different ways to approach the films. I'll throw in Peter Sellers Casino Royale and NSNA (which we normally don't discuss here as far as reviews go; but go fun, sure).
  • edited April 2019 Posts: 17,272
    Yes, I thought maybe so; thanks! That is one more film for me to watch in the pre-Bond 25 months. I'm hitting all the novels and doing a film Bondathon at least twice, in two different ways. @Birdleson had good suggestions for different ways to approach the films. I'll throw in Peter Sellers Casino Royale and NSNA (which we normally don't discuss here as far as reviews go; but go fun, sure).

    You welcome! Not an "Original Fan" myself, but dropped in to comment re. CR67. I watched the film earlier this year, and have a little bit of a soft spot it, despite its many flaws. I also recommend watching this interview with director Joseph McGrath, as you get to learn quite a bit about the (troubled) production:

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Great! Thanks, @Torgeirtrap. I'll glad watch that clip later when I have time, and I'll get the film probably this weekend.
  • edited April 2019 Posts: 17,272
    Great! Thanks, @Torgeirtrap. I'll glad watch that clip later when I have time, and I'll get the film probably this weekend.

    CR67 can be quite enjoyable if approached correctly, as @Birdleson put it. Worth the watch if you're in the mood for a David Niven/Peter Sellers comedy!
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    And you are welcome here to this spoiler free thread any time, @Torgeirtrap . It is a special place for older Bond fans (the "Originals") but we welcome all thoughtful contributors.
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