AJB's Recommended "New James Bond 'To Do' List" for #25

124

Comments

  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,330MI6 Agent
    Women aren't a box of chocolates Number24 ! :p

    In my case, I take what I can get. Seriously, Bond in Europe gets European ladies, in S.America
    He gets a S.American type lady, same in Asia etc and like Me French birds are very sophisticated. ;)

    True ..... just like Marie le Pen, you're the picture of class :D
    And women ARE a box of chocolate! Sadly, I'm a diabetic :#
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,656MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    superado wrote:
    It's a simple matter of logistics; the average number of locations per film multiplied by the number of films and with four, there's just a finite number of destinations that a Bond actor could "claim" during his tenure. Based on those averages, the number of locations outside of the UK that Craig's Bond had visited would be at par with almost any combination of four other Bond movies. Poor George Lazenby, on the other hand, has only been to two other countries outside of the UK and on a per movie Basis, Connery's Bond visited only one, Jamaica, in DN and Moore, only two, Jamaica (which kind of includes the fictional San Monique) and the USA, in LALD.

    IMO, Daniel Craig had the privilege of prime destinations in his installments, including a more extensive and unprecedented foray into London. Venice, Rome and the assorted exotic locales in Italy, to me, were all icing on the cake, or is it just a case of me sharing a love for these regions with whomever the EON location scouts were? Even in what's considered the "dog" of his tenure, QoS, DC put on quite a bit of mileage, at least in the locations of the narrative if not actual locations.

    I didn't comment on the number of locations in Craig's movies, but the lack of variation in all four of them in total. OHMSS is one of my favoirite Bonds, the number of locations in a single movie isn't the issuie at all.

    There is nothing wrong with Craig's Bond's many locations in the Alp/Mediteranian regions as such, it just shows some lack of variation. It can be compared to his fondness of French actresses (usually brunettes) playing Bond girls. They are all very fine Bond girls, but more variation would be nice. :)

    Well...if not evaluating the locales on a numerical basis, I think collectively there's still a great variety of destinations in the Craig movies, let alone on an individual basis. My litmus test is the desert locale and as mentioned with the globe trotting QoS, one was included in that one. SP was a bonus, because not only is there a featured desert, but also a snow setting, touching on the extreme locale standard set by TSWLM and TWINE!

    On the Bond girls, sadly I agree that there is less and less variation in that area and the "main" Bond girls that have been selected for the past 3 movies seem so cookie-cutter. It's a paradox with the assertion that the modern Bond girls are more independent and no longer 2-dimensional, though it's usually the case of using "hot" or fashion-model-like candidates merely being written as independently minded, etc.
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    superado wrote:
    Number24 wrote:
    superado wrote:
    It's a simple matter of logistics; the average number of locations per film multiplied by the number of films and with four, there's just a finite number of destinations that a Bond actor could "claim" during his tenure. Based on those averages, the number of locations outside of the UK that Craig's Bond had visited would be at par with almost any combination of four other Bond movies. Poor George Lazenby, on the other hand, has only been to two other countries outside of the UK and on a per movie Basis, Connery's Bond visited only one, Jamaica, in DN and Moore, only two, Jamaica (which kind of includes the fictional San Monique) and the USA, in LALD.

    IMO, Daniel Craig had the privilege of prime destinations in his installments, including a more extensive and unprecedented foray into London. Venice, Rome and the assorted exotic locales in Italy, to me, were all icing on the cake, or is it just a case of me sharing a love for these regions with whomever the EON location scouts were? Even in what's considered the "dog" of his tenure, QoS, DC put on quite a bit of mileage, at least in the locations of the narrative if not actual locations.

    I didn't comment on the number of locations in Craig's movies, but the lack of variation in all four of them in total. OHMSS is one of my favoirite Bonds, the number of locations in a single movie isn't the issuie at all.

    There is nothing wrong with Craig's Bond's many locations in the Alp/Mediteranian regions as such, it just shows some lack of variation. It can be compared to his fondness of French actresses (usually brunettes) playing Bond girls. They are all very fine Bond girls, but more variation would be nice. :)

    Well...if not evaluating the locales on a numerical basis, I think collectively there's still a great variety of destinations in the Craig movies, let alone on an individual basis. My litmus test is the desert locale and as mentioned with the globe trotting QoS, one was included in that one. SP was a bonus, because not only is there a featured desert, but also a snow setting, touching on the extreme locale standard set by TSWLM and TWINE!

    On the Bond girls, sadly I agree that there is less and less variation in that area and the "main" Bond girls that have been selected for the past 3 movies seem so cookie-cutter. It's a paradox with the assertion that the modern Bond girls are more independent and no longer 2-dimensional, though it's usually the case of using "hot" or fashion-model-like candidates merely being written as independently minded, etc.

    I agree on the Bond girls. There are fewer Bond girls in Craig's films, with QOS and SF having the throwaway Bond girl and not really a main Bond girl. Camille is so independent that she's not really a Bond girl at all, just a female character. I don't count M as a Bond girl in SF either. I think it's great that modern Bond girls are more independent women, but I think they can also be more like Amasova and Goodhead, the first two independent Bond girls (even though they Bond needed Bond to rescue them).
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  • ShadowfallShadowfall Posts: 42MI6 Agent
    I'd like to see a bit more espionage going forward. Little bit more brains before brawn with bond from this point. This makes Bond seem cleverer for foiling whatever dastedly plot concocted for him and helps the violence pack more of a ounch when it does arise.

    A new ally for Bond on mission in the style of Kerim or Quarrell (without the slightly racial stereotypical undertones)

    Location wise it would be nice to see jamaca again. Take Bond 'home' as it were, maybe even just for Pre Titles / opening.

    Bond girl is a tricky one as i havent taken to any during craigs tebure with the exception of Vesper. Although the rule of Bond Girl always seems to be which european actress had a film with a reportable sex or nude scene come out around the time of casting. (Exception being Dame Judi obviously)
  • CarsonDyleCarsonDyle AustraliaPosts: 153MI6 Agent
    I envision an introductory scene inspired by the Conference Room scene in TB, 9 chairs in a row, shown from behind, the seventh is vacant. Everybody is waiting for Bond. A distance shot shows the door open, Bond enters but you cant see who is playing the character, and Moneypenny informs M that 007 has arrived. The camera tracks Bond from the chest down walking towards the empty chair, as he passes each chair, the face of that "00" is revealed. Each is giving Bond a dirty look. As a joke each "00" would be an actor mentioned as a possible contender for the role in the press: Tom Hardy, Gillian Anderson, David Oyelowo, Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Damien Lewis, Michael Fassbender etc... As Bond takes his seat, his face is revealed...(Daniel Craig) M "well now that you've decided to show up..." consider how many names signed up for extra roles in Star Wars and I'm sure many actors have a sense of humour.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :)) I'd love to see that, brilliant idea ! {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    + 1, that would be a great scene! :)) :)) :))
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • ellipsis manellipsis man Posts: 9MI6 Agent
    Amazing!!!!!! Awesomw idea!!!!! -{ :007)
  • HardyboyHardyboy Posts: 5,906Chief of Staff
    We need a thumb's-up icon here. Well, this will have to do: {[]
    Vox clamantis in deserto
  • Gala BrandGala Brand Posts: 1,172MI6 Agent
    I do think that geographically, Craig's Bonds were very limiting.

    I may be wrong, but he never went to the USA did he? Not the East Coast glam of New York City, nor New Orleans nor Frisco, which of course Moore did in his Bonds.

    Never went to Russia, though Brozzer did this (sort of) in GE.

    Nor China, nor the Middle East really.

    Nor France.

    Basically, it was the Adriatic in CR, Italy a bit in QoS, the UK in SF and an unconvincing Shangh-hai and back to Italy in SP. Plus a load of desert.

    I suppose that works thematically, but they didn't exactly put him about much did they.

    He went to Miami in CR.

    I think you're leaving out a lot of other places as well.
  • DisneyBuysJamesBindDisneyBuysJamesBind Welwyn Garden CityPosts: 5MI6 Agent
    I wonder if San Monique is a real-life Jamaican place.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,854Chief of Staff
    And I wonder if you're just trolling.
  • DEFIANT 74205DEFIANT 74205 Perth, AustraliaPosts: 1,881MI6 Agent
    I know I've rambled on about this before, but I'd like to see a PTS based on the second part of Ian Fleming's TSWLM novella, except from Bond's perspective - Bond driving down a dark unlit back road on a rainy night (preferably in his new Bentley, but I may have to settle for yet another Aston Martin ... ), stumbling onto a motel with a 'Vacancy' sign, pulls in, knocks on the door ... and so on. And then his face is first shown as the door opens.
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,467MI6 Agent
    Fair play Gala Brand I forgot about Miami airport in CR. Not really used so well in that the airport could be anywhere and I think it probably was, still it sort of counts yeah.

    Totally agree about DEFIANT'S post on using that bit of TSWLM, you could even do an eerie first 20 mins after the pts which is all from the woman's pov, sort of like Psycho or almost Hostel where she gets into a scrape and then when the door opens it's Craig, he would have just the right look for that, where she instinctively thinks 'it's another one of them' i.e. a gangster. However, were it to be Hiddlestone forget it, she'd go oh b**** off will you the Avon lady would be more help... :D
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
    I've always liked the thought of the heart of the TSWLM novel as a great, different kind of extended PTS...it would be a genuinely interesting way to introduce Actor #7 as Bond. But sadly I don't think it will ever happen :#
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    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,330MI6 Agent
    I don't think they should have Bond as the agent who gets brainwashed. It would be too radical and people would associate it with Jason Bourne and not TMWTGG. Instead they should have Bond rescue another 00-agent in the PTS. Later the rescued 00-agents tries to kill M who is saved by Moneypenny (just like the book) or he springs Blofeld from jail.
  • HowardBHowardB USAPosts: 2,755MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    I don't think they should have Bond as the agent who gets brainwashed. It would be too radical and people would associate it with Jason Bourne and not TMWTGG. Instead they should have Bond rescue another 00-agent in the PTS. Later the rescued 00-agents tries to kill M who is saved by Moneypenny (just like the book) or he springs Blofeld from jail.

    I agree. I don't want to see the "Manchurian Bond".
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,843MI6 Agent
    HowardB wrote:
    Number24 wrote:
    I don't think they should have Bond as the agent who gets brainwashed. It would be too radical and people would associate it with Jason Bourne and not TMWTGG. Instead they should have Bond rescue another 00-agent in the PTS. Later the rescued 00-agents tries to kill M who is saved by Moneypenny (just like the book) or he springs Blofeld from jail.

    I agree. I don't want to see the "Manchurian Bond".

    Even though we did have this in The Man with the Golden Gun novel. I agree though that that was inspired by Richard Condon's 1959 novel.
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,854Chief of Staff
    Number24 wrote:
    they should have Bond rescue another 00-agent in the PTS. Later the rescued 00-agents tries to kill M who is saved by Moneypenny (just like the book)

    ?:) M isn't saved by Moneypenny in the book.
  • Miles MesservyMiles Messervy Posts: 1,772MI6 Agent
    One thing that's fascinating about the current situation is that there doesn't appear to be any clear path forward (unless Craig returns, which I doubt). Will they do a hard reboot? A soft reboot? No reboot? Do the same actors return to play M, Moneypenny, and Q? If yes, will they be inhabiting the same characters? What will the tone be? There's just so much up in the air.

    When Babs rebooted the franchise in 06, whether you loved the result or hated it, there's no disputing that there was a clear direction chosen and that it has been both a commercial and a critical success. It will be a difficult act to follow. That's why I think we'll be waiting until at least 2018, and possibly later, to see Bond return.
  • zaphod99zaphod99 Posts: 1,415MI6 Agent
    One thing that's fascinating about the current situation is that there doesn't appear to be any clear path forward (unless Craig returns, which I doubt). Will they do a hard reboot? A soft reboot? No reboot? Do the same actors return to play M, Moneypenny, and Q? If yes, will they be inhabiting the same characters? What will the tone be? There's just so much up in the air.

    When Babs rebooted the franchise in 06, whether you loved the result or hated it, there's no disputing that there was a clear direction chosen and that it has been both a commercial and a critical success. It will be a difficult act to follow. That's why I think we'll be waiting until at least 2018, and possibly later, to see Bond return.

    I think that's why any real speculation re who will play him is just too early. These are barren times for the Bond fan. If waiting = better then I'm all for it. From a business operations perspective if I could have forseen these problems/issues, and failed to mitigate with parallel planning I would expect to have been roundly and soundly fired, but I don't work in the family business. The sooner Bond is not run like a corner shop mom & pop the better in my view.
    Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,330MI6 Agent
    The tone of the Bond movies have always changed when the Bond actor changes, and that will happen next time too. EON will find the strengths and weaknesses of the next actor and act accordingly.
    There has been only one hard reboot in Bond history and that was only ten years ago. I hope they will do a soft reboot, just as they did for all the Bond actor other than Craig. The current MI6 team is good and only 1-2 movies old, so it would be a great waste to find new actors to play M, Q, Moneypenny and Tanner. I'm not so sure EON will continue the Craig storylines too. I would be surprised if the new Bond isn't the same on e who lost Vesper Lynd, but it's a bigger question if the SPECTRE/Blofeld story will continue. I hope it will, simply because Blofeld deserves more than one film.


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  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I agree, I don't expect any big changes. There's a good team in the office ( no need for any change IMHO ).
    I only wish they'd ease up on the comedy a little. I've come to love the "Harder edged " tone of the Craig
    Era. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,330MI6 Agent
    They shouldn't have more comedy in it then it was in SPECTRE - that's about the maximum amount for a modern Bond movie, I think.
  • Miles MesservyMiles Messervy Posts: 1,772MI6 Agent
    They really should've waited to introduce Blofeld until a new Bond actor was on board. By forcing it into the Craig era through an aggressive retcon, they've really wasted a golden opportunity.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,330MI6 Agent
    I've been thinking the same thing.
  • HowardBHowardB USAPosts: 2,755MI6 Agent
    They really should've waited to introduce Blofeld until a new Bond actor was on board. By forcing it into the Craig era through an aggressive retcon, they've really wasted a golden opportunity.

    I don't think EON was anticipating Craig leaving after SPECTRE; I think they were anticipating Craig doing at least one more / possibly two.
    Hypothetically, if EON were to replace Craig with Charlie Hunnam or Michael Fassbender, they might be able to continue the SPECTER story. Hunnam has the look and Fassbender has the maturity and gravitas. With Hiddleston or Turner it would be possible to continue on with the SPECTRE story line in 25 but an unrelated mission might be better for a debut film and pick things back up with the SPECTRE story in Bond 26 or just forget about it and move on. My dream scenario is Craig returns for 25. 25 begins how OHMSS ended, Bond marrying or having married Madeleine Swann; Bond retired from MI6 but either working for a Private Contractor or still for the British Government but no longer an MI6 agent; Madeleine subsequently murdered by Hinx (in a neckbrace, ode to OHMSS) but made to look like an accident....Bond returns to MI6 and "OO" status and we move onto plot elements, etc from the YOLT novel and of course the title is "The Garden of Death". Another detail is Blofeld remains in jail through all of this...except it is not really Blofeld in jail but a double and the real Blofeld is out and about creating all this mayhem.
  • welshguy34welshguy34 Posts: 219MI6 Agent
    I don't think that there should be any major changes. A good plot with a lot of espionage and not too much comedy. Maybe a standalone story for the new Bond actor's debut instead of another SPECTRE organisation film.
  • HowardBHowardB USAPosts: 2,755MI6 Agent
    welshguy34 wrote:
    I don't think that there should be any major changes. A good plot with a lot of espionage and not too much comedy. Maybe a standalone story for the new Bond actor's debut instead of another SPECTRE organisation film.

    Agreed. Just because there may be a new actor doesn't mean Bond regresses back to a Roger Moore chucklefest or a CGI'ed fantasy ala Kingsmen. Hiddleston or Turner would have slightly different takes on the character but they both have what it takes to move forward in the more serious, grounded in reality mode of the Craig films. One of the advantages of Bond being a worldwide cultural icon is that when a Bond actor is changed there is no need for explanation, etc (the Craig reboot was for different purposes) you just get on with the mission, the world knows who Bond is already.
  • JarvioJarvio EnglandPosts: 4,241MI6 Agent
    HowardB wrote:
    They really should've waited to introduce Blofeld until a new Bond actor was on board. By forcing it into the Craig era through an aggressive retcon, they've really wasted a golden opportunity.

    I don't think EON was anticipating Craig leaving after SPECTRE; I think they were anticipating Craig doing at least one more / possibly two.
    Hypothetically, if EON were to replace Craig with Charlie Hunnam or Michael Fassbender, they might be able to continue the SPECTER story. Hunnam has the look and Fassbender has the maturity and gravitas. With Hiddleston or Turner it would be possible to continue on with the SPECTRE story line in 25 but an unrelated mission might be better for a debut film and pick things back up with the SPECTRE story in Bond 26 or just forget about it and move on. My dream scenario is Craig returns for 25. 25 begins how OHMSS ended, Bond marrying or having married Madeleine Swann; Bond retired from MI6 but either working for a Private Contractor or still for the British Government but no longer an MI6 agent; Madeleine subsequently murdered by Hinx (in a neckbrace, ode to OHMSS) but made to look like an accident....Bond returns to MI6 and "OO" status and we move onto plot elements, etc from the YOLT novel and of course the title is "The Garden of Death". Another detail is Blofeld remains in jail through all of this...except it is not really Blofeld in jail but a double and the real Blofeld is out and about creating all this mayhem.

    Pretty much my wish too. I've always wanted "The Garden Of Death" as a title.

    Unfortunately most people seem to prefer "The Death Collector" as a title. It's a decent title, but The Garden Of Death is still so much better IMO. Plus there's already a film called The Death Collector.
    1 - LALD, 2 - AVTAK, 3 - LTK, 4 - OP, 5 - NTTD, 6 - FYEO, 7 - SF, 8 - DN, 9 - DAF, 10 - TSWLM, 11 - OHMSS, 12 - TMWTGG, 13 - GE, 14 - MR, 15 - TLD, 16 - YOLT, 17 - GF, 18 - DAD, 19 - TWINE, 20 - SP, 21 - TND, 22 - FRWL, 23 - TB, 24 - CR, 25 - QOS

    1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
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