Bond titles crowbarred into the script
crawfordboon
Posts: 126MI6 Agent
One of the things I always look out for in the Bonds is how they attempt to get the film's title into the script or dialogue somehow, and the results seem to vary in their effectiveness:
"For your eyes only, darling" by Melina at the end of FYEO was acceptable enough, since she was about to skinnydipping with Bond, though like mostl people I was moer amused by the Mrs Thatcher sequence.
"You only live twice, Mr Bond!" again was OK when uttered by Blofeld in YOLT, though like the above it did feel a bit unnatural. It made sebse because Bond had somehow faked his own death in the teaser.
"So you live to die another day" - Bond to Graves/Moon in DAD. At least it makes some sense, since Moon did live another day when he inexplicably survived the hovercraft crash in the teaser (though his father was being a bit presumptative when he takes one look at the actually not too spectacular crash and declares his son dead on the spot). This one was stretching things a little.
"That's my little octopussy" - always makes me laugh, and it's kinky without being illogical.
"You could have had the world" - Elektra
"The World is not enough" - Bond
"Foolish sentiment" - E
"Family motto" - JB
It was nice to find some way of using the rather unsual title, as well as having a rare bit of continuity (with OHMSS), and though it did sound a bit forced and illogical, the pun at the end made it acceptable.
"Whoever she was, I must have scared the living daylights out of her" - sounds OK in principle but I think this was the one line that Dalton delivered poorly, it just sounded wrong and unconvincing, more than the dialogue alone would warrant.
"Ssaaayyy Live and Let die" - in the cabaret act - I love this scene, it was so well done, and nice to hear an alternative version than the McCartney song. Unsual way of incorporating the film title, and certainly a memorable moment.
Then there's the all time worst, perhaps not only the worst "title crowbar attempt" in Bond, but also the worst dialogue exchange in the history of the cinema (or spoken language):
Zorin and MayDay flying over SF Bay in the blimp, looking out over the Golden Gate:
MD: (breathlessly) "Wow! What a view!"
MZ: (leering over he shoulder" "...to a Kill!"
I smile every tiem I think of that, what were they thinking???
"For your eyes only, darling" by Melina at the end of FYEO was acceptable enough, since she was about to skinnydipping with Bond, though like mostl people I was moer amused by the Mrs Thatcher sequence.
"You only live twice, Mr Bond!" again was OK when uttered by Blofeld in YOLT, though like the above it did feel a bit unnatural. It made sebse because Bond had somehow faked his own death in the teaser.
"So you live to die another day" - Bond to Graves/Moon in DAD. At least it makes some sense, since Moon did live another day when he inexplicably survived the hovercraft crash in the teaser (though his father was being a bit presumptative when he takes one look at the actually not too spectacular crash and declares his son dead on the spot). This one was stretching things a little.
"That's my little octopussy" - always makes me laugh, and it's kinky without being illogical.
"You could have had the world" - Elektra
"The World is not enough" - Bond
"Foolish sentiment" - E
"Family motto" - JB
It was nice to find some way of using the rather unsual title, as well as having a rare bit of continuity (with OHMSS), and though it did sound a bit forced and illogical, the pun at the end made it acceptable.
"Whoever she was, I must have scared the living daylights out of her" - sounds OK in principle but I think this was the one line that Dalton delivered poorly, it just sounded wrong and unconvincing, more than the dialogue alone would warrant.
"Ssaaayyy Live and Let die" - in the cabaret act - I love this scene, it was so well done, and nice to hear an alternative version than the McCartney song. Unsual way of incorporating the film title, and certainly a memorable moment.
Then there's the all time worst, perhaps not only the worst "title crowbar attempt" in Bond, but also the worst dialogue exchange in the history of the cinema (or spoken language):
Zorin and MayDay flying over SF Bay in the blimp, looking out over the Golden Gate:
MD: (breathlessly) "Wow! What a view!"
MZ: (leering over he shoulder" "...to a Kill!"
I smile every tiem I think of that, what were they thinking???
Comments
M to the gathered 00 agents: "Code name... Thunderball."
Scaramanga just after he blows up Bond's plane:
"You must admit, Mr Bond, I am now undeniably The Man With The Golden Gun."
Probably the only one I'll let them off with as it's from the book.
Haha!
MD: "Er... what?"
MZ: "Shush- it's the title! Roger bet me £50 I couldn't fit it in."
I actually felt this line was delivered excellently. Since the scene (and the line) were picked up directly from Fleming, it was a bit of a payoff to any literary Bond fan. I thought it would have been better line to introduce the title sequence, but that would have meant moving the sniper scene to the PTS which, by itself, isn't really PTS material.
Agreed, the AVTAK title was a stretch. It merely reminded me that, other than the French setting, EON was pretty much scraping at that point.
We would be saying the exact same thing if "I expect you to die!" was the name of Goldfinger, but its just a line.
But I believe that TWINE has the best one. Its good continuity and yes the worst is AVTAK i mean come on lol
"Better make that two."
Still, "Licence to Kill"'s general title made it hard to actually find a clever way to insert it into the script.
The way M says the line "Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked" seems perfectly natural to me- and it encompasses the film's original title as well.
I was also disappointed in the way it was done in TWINE. Given that it was Bond's family motto, they could have done it in a better way -- perhaps as a way to have Bond understand Elektra's complicated family (which mixes ambition and treachery). Instead, Bond uses it as a wisecrack in a situation that doesn't call for one.
"Her Majesty's Secret Service" is said twice in OHMSS, with mixed results. I love when Draco says it, slightly sarcastically when telling Bond he wouldn't share Blofeld's whereabouts with the British government. Less successful is when Bond says "Her Majesty's secret service is still my job" to Tracy -- it just seems a little unnatural.
Finally, one of my favorites is in FRWL when Bond writes on the photo of Tatiana. I especially love how he first writes "With Love" and then writes "From Russia" above it. Very cool.
The Living Daylights always makes me laugh; I half expect Timothy Dalton to turn to the camera and say, "You see? It makes sense now!"
And AVTAK isn't just clumsy. It's nonsensical. It means absolutely nothing, and it's the single most ridiculous piece of dialogue in the series (yes, even more ridiculous than the General pointing at Denise Richards and saying "That's our IDA physicist."). It's not helped by May Day's unconvincing "wow!" at the start of it - Grace Jones strikes me as the kind of woman who would not be easily impressed.
@merseytart
Seriously, IMO, the two worst example of this were AVTAK and DAD. AVTAK was simply horrible, while watching Brosnan say 'So you lived to die another day' in DAD makes me wish that the word die will never again appear in a James Bond title. Although Brosnan handles himself well, I also get the sense that perhaps he would have preferred not to have said that line. I can't blame him as I consider it to be among the worst of the lines in the film. There is no specific reason other than that it doesn't really make much sense, is an obvious ploy to insert the title into the film and is simply incredibly stupid.
I'm so glad that TB, LALD, TSWLM, and TND didn't try to do this. Can you imagine how awful this would have been?
It's especially strange since Fleming himself has Bond say "live and let die" in the novel. And yes, it's just as clunky as you would imagine it would be.
@merseytart
I can picture it but I'm not too sure it happens now
"Better make that two."
It is also not unusual for confidential documents to feature the words For Your Eyes Only.
I don' think that the film received the title solely due to it being Bond's family motto. I think that a major reason for the film being named TWINE is that as well as referring to Bond's family motto, it also refers to his recognition that there are some things that he's fighting for which are more important than his own pleasure. Bond's killing of Electra, a woman who could have made him extremely happy, reflects this. Therefore regarding the exchange Bond has with Electra in which he mentions the title, I think it shows that Bond believes that there are certain values which are more important than even his own happiness. These values which may be honour, loyalty, duty and a sense of justice, surpass the things that Electra can offer him, 'the world,' and so the world is not enough. A great title IMO and a brilliant way of inserting it into the film.
Nobody said that in the movie. And, to the best of my recollection "Diamonds Are Forever" and "The Spy Who Loved Me" are never uttered in their respective movies either; although Gustav Graves did say "Diamonds Are For Everyone" in DAD, most likely a thinly veiled reference to the earlier film (not to mention the fact that he basically ripped off Blofeld's scam from that movie as well).
The best thing about the title "A View to a Kill" is that it was actually changed from the Fleming version, which was "From a View to a Kill." So they dropped the "From" to make that dialogue sound more natural.
After figuring out what Quantum of Solace means, I do like it, still not great.
I think Skyfall is fine, not especially good. The how they put it in the wordgame at the
underground MI6 felt too obtrusive IMO.
AVTAK's title was so forced. That's when you know you've strayed so far from Fleming.
Also, naming Craig's residence Skyfall was a little bit of a stretch (but I'm not saying that's a bad thing)
I think in TLD, they said the title twice to give it extra emphasis.
In TSWLM, Carly Simon kinda shoehorns it in.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Skyfall was a very natural title to mention in the film since it actually is something in the film, similar to the way the meaning of Moonraker was adapted for the film. Skyfall was made up for the film, so it really could have been called anything.
Carly Simon didn't write the lyrics to Nobody Does it Better, Carole Bayer Sager did. Blame her.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Only once in the dialogue, but repeatedly in the title song.
"Maybe I'll live to die another day...."
Ouch. Shoehorn! Ouch!
"Those are nice shoes, Mr. Bond".
"Thanks, they're Lobbs".
Seriously I too loved that line along with " Yes, I got the message" -{