Was The Other Bondless Anniversary Better?
Sadanoyama
Posts: 35MI6 Agent
I'm talking 1992. The Bond franchise in legal limbo. No new film for three years. LTK hadn't set the world on fire. No one really sure if Tim still was Bond. A time of darkness across the kingdom.
But I remember some good stuff coming out. The two-disc Best of James Bond with the unreleased Thunderball suite was mind blowing back then. There were the first release of some Bond VHS titles in widescreen, despite the fact that no one had widescreen TVs. Was there anything else released back then?
Comments
I can't remember much else being released that year as part of the anniversary. Probably some special features in Starburst, Empire, GQ. The odd republished book? The series was certainly in an hiatus during that period.
I would definitely have liked to have seen more for the 60th Anniversary this year, but if you'd given us then, what we've been given this year, I think we would have been blown away by it, and given where the series was at the time, it probably would have seemed a bit overwhelming, dare I say it, even OTT.
Times have moved on, and we're much more expectant and demanding of specials, promotions, events, products to coincide with a release or anniversary, than we were back then.
I remember it completely passing me by - or perhaps I mean I don't remember it at all. After LTK, which I wasnt enthusiastic about and no Bond in 1991, my feelings were he'd bitten the dust. And here we are 9 films and 30 years later...
... And he has actually bitten the dust.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Being a 10-year kid in 1992, I had the James Bond Jr cartoon series (in reruns now since it did not catch on with viewers and get renewed for another season) to enjoy along with the toy line, comic books and novelizations of six key episodes. From what I have read in various books, adult fans still had the John Gardner novels, comic books from Dark Horse comics and the various video and computer games that had come out up to this point. In hindsight, I would think that some fans and the general public at large were not sure where the franchise stood after LTK underperformed and all of the legal stuff at United Artists/MGM halted the planned 1991 release of another movie.
i didn’t feel particularly well-catered for as a fan in ‘92, whereas as this year I’ve been to see the old films in cinemas and just seen Dame Shirley belt out Diamonds and Goldfinger this week, as well as all of the films being available at my fingertips, seeing some of the cars in person and a load of merch just a click away. So: no, not really.
Is it as good as the 50th, on the other hand, with a new Bond film that was one of the best ever and the U.K. actually feeling like the best place to be, with Bond firmly at the centre of that? No, not really. This anniversary has perhaps come at the wrong time.
I was used to getting excited when the new year started and it was an odd-numbered year as that meant a new Bond would be in theaters that summer. With no Bond in '91 and no internet to investigate, I remember my father and I actually wondering if they just stopped making Bond movies? I don't recall any fanfare for the 30th anniversary whatsoever.
The compilation CD mentioned in the first post was actually pretty cool with a few nuggets you don't even really hear of much any more, including the unused YOLT song and the radio ads.
So to divide 1992 into pros and cons:
Pros:
Cons:
Good points.
Number one, made me feel quite sad. Feels like an age away now. At least we have the memories and all their great work available on tap.
Certainly true about the Rolex. I still remember looking for my first Bond inspired semi luxury watch in 1995. My budget was around £400 max. That was still a fair few quid back in those days, especially to someone in their first poorly paid job. The Goldeneye Seamaster was £750 and sadly out of reach, but what really caught my eye were the Rolex Submariners, in the window of high street authorised dealers, available there and then to purchase off the shelf. £1800. If I knew then what I know now...
Yes! The Goldeneye Seamaster good call mate. I didn't realise it back then, but that really was the start of the semi-luxury branding that interests or infects the Bond "community" in modern times. Before that it was all Corgi Toys and sweet cigarette cards.
I used to be an amateur watch trader back in the early 90s and had many nice watches pass through my hands. Rolex were big but back then rich dudes wanted gold watches or were very snooty about secondhand stuff. I sold stuff that I wish I'd kept but I've still got my 62 Sub 5513. It's faded and battered but whenever I wear it out it always gets compliments. It wasn't designed by a brand team to synergise with a movie tie-in promotional opportunity. Like the original Bond crew it's the real deal.
30 Years of James Bond doc on ITV. One of the few times Connery talked about Bond in an Eon-sponsored (I'm guessing) TV doc. Maybe the 2008 Southbank Show was the only other time he discussed Bond in an Eon shill show???
Was that the Jonathan Ross one? I remember watching that many times! Although I might be thinking of a later one, as I'm sure that had Brosnan in it. Yeah I think it was on the back of GoldenEye.
I don't know if Eon would have had anything to do with it other than a 'thanks to' credit though, although I guess it may have been done through that 'Special Treats' production company which seemed to do bits for them; the later South Bank Show certainly wouldn't have been any sort of 'shill' thing.
That was the interview of Connery on the set of Rising Sun, wasn't it? I think they did use that interview for the DVD making-ofs as well, is that right?
Yes Connery was on the set of the Rising Sun. It's 30 Years of James Bond. Before the DVD "making ofs" it was pretty amazing. It's here:
I guess you're right about the South Bank being non-Eon shillage. But I think it was done to tie-in with the release of QoS. Which was the last time that the old school Bond-marketing cycle in Britain really worked.
Oh the paintings intro! Yes I remember that one now, must have it on a dusty VHS still somewhere! 😁