Thoughts and ideas for the Bond26 PTS
This thread may or may not be "inspired" by a thread in The Other Place. 😉
In my opinion the PTS for the next Bond movie should set itself apart from Craig's Bond, but at the same time make it very clear that this is the James Bond we know and love. Have Bond do something Craig never did, but is typical Bond. Skiing, snow mobiles, scuba diving, roulette for example.
Craig's Bond spent a lot of time in London, Turkey, Jamaica, Italy and the Alps. Then det the PTS somewhere CraigBond never was: Japan, the Arctic, Georgia (in the Caucasus), sub-Saharan Africa etc.
We never saw CraigBond in uniform, so seeing Commander Bond in uniform working with the military would be nice. Don't get me wrong. I want Bond to be 007 from the start, so Bond isn't still in the navy. CraigBond never took part in a raid (the only raid in his tenure was the villains raiding Bond's "lair"), so a raid would be nice. Raids are traditionally part of the movie finale, so a nice twist would be starting by having the raid in the PTS.
Last of all the last three title songs have been ballads, so an energetic and upbeat song would be great!
Your turn! 😃
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somehow, either subtle or explict, theyll have to acknowledge that he's not dead anymore. no way they can slip that past us, films are too selfaware these days.
a variation on Lazenby's "other fellow gag" might work, but not so literally codename-ish
it could just be something like Bond goes through such a rigmarole in the precredit adventure that another character asks "omigawd, are you alright? I thought you musta been dead after all those stunts and explosions?" and NewBond turns to the camera and says "I never felt better in my whole life", cuing the first note of the theme song
and I want that themesong to have a big brass section, a singer who can belt it out to the back row, and lots of hooks that reappear as leitmotifs in the films score
This is what has to be avoided at all cost!
Did Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves reference Robin Hood's death in Robin and Marion? Did The Batman (Robert Pattison) reference Batman quiting as the caped crusader and going to Italy with Selina Kyle?
No. If they reference NTTD they might as well go full CR'67.
I'm sorry for being so direct, CP. But if they do as you suggest that means turning NTTD and the future Bond movies into a joke.
EON has to start a new timeline for Bond, much like they did in CR. That's the only way that can work.
I'm quite sure you and I want to see very different versions of Bond26. At least you didnt tell me I'm not a "true fan", as another Agent did last week.
But I'm actually suggesting what I think theyll do as much as what I want. Every new Bond since Lazenby has had a precredits that focus on introducing the new face and demonstrating little ways in which he's different, so Bond26's precredits will have to fill that function too. and if theyre doing that. then theres the added challenge that when last seen this character was dead.
my requirements for a theme song are my own desire though, and I'm skeptical theyll do anything like what I want to hear
We disagree on a major point, but I never doubt you're a real Bond fan. We do agree that the PTS needs to highlight differences and strengths.
What type of title song would you like to hear?
twofour sez:
What type of title song would you like to hear?
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a big brass section, a singer who can belt it out to the back row, and lots of hooks that reappear as leitmotifs in the films score
Tina Turners death reminds me I liked the first three themesongs of the Brosnan-era. The production was uptodate, but they all wanted to capture that Barry sound. I dont think any of the themesongs since have done that
also, I've argues that as well as the precredits and the themesong, there is that moment of transition between the two, when the action resolves and pauses and the signature note appears beginning the song. when thats done well, thats a mighty satisfying moment. think Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, and Spy Who Loved Me did that transition best, the cat appearing with the diamond necklace being my favourite. whatever happens in the precredits, I want a moment-of-transition that good.
I can't argue against your wishes for a title song. I'd like an energetic, maybe even a rock song a bit like LALD and CR. The style you mentioned and what I hope for can be combined to a large extent, I think.
@caractacus potts if you refer to my comment about the "true fans", I really want to clarify this because you misunderstood ! I was making the link between Fleming's work and the codename theory and I was suprised to see someone who really knows Bond advocating for this concept that I find absolutely awful. How could you believe I don't consider someone who doesn't share my opinion as a true fan ? It would be silly from me, and I don't think I am, at least I try not to be....
Do you get my point now ?
What type of situation would you like Bond to be in at the start of the PTS? Relaxing, like at the start of TSWLM? Training, as in TLD? Gambling, like in DN? Or in the middle of a mission, like in so many movies?
The Gibraltar part in TLD is a wonderful PTS. Introducing the new Bond in action, step by step, showing his skills and finishing with this "better make that two" line, just perfect !
And for the scenes just after the credits, some kind of TND/Fleming building: a mysterious enemy launching the first phase of his plot, then back to Chelsea, with Bond eating his scrambled eggs prepared by May who tells him about his last mission (the one in the PTS) before receiving a call from Tanner. Bond jumping into his Bentley (no more Aston please !) and going to Vauxhall Cross. Chatting with Moneypenny, then the usual briefing in M's office, making the link with geopolitics and the global context to understand the stakes of the mission, then introducing the clues leading to the main villain we've seen before. Bond possibly meeting Q (but not required) and then starting to investigate out of England.
I don't think Bond having a maid at home works today. Do you?
Doesn't Deaver bring a modern version of May in Carte Blanche ? If it's done properly, why not ?
Agreed, it would be a bit weird for a modern guy to have someone making his eggs for him in the morning. Also I don't really need a pause like that to see Bond getting up: the Bond films were famous for introducing a modern fast cutting style in the 60s with Peter Hunt and all that, and I don't now need to see him having a shave before wandering into the office. Maybe there would be a really important plot reason to have his landlady or whatever show up, but that for me is more important and I'd need the reason before I was okay with seeing her. Characters turning up for the sake of it is meaningless to me.
Likewise, when you asked which situation (training, relaxing, on a mission etc.) I'd prefer for the PTS... well, all can be good, as we've seen (and they can be bad too). I don't have any particular preference, it depends what the actual specific idea is. I'm not saying it's a bad question to ask and I can imagine some folk would have a preference, I just honestly don't think any of those make the or break the PTS in themselves for me.
I can imagine Bond is paying someone (who's wetted by MI6) to come in once or twice every week to wash and do the vacuming. If Bond was the type to entertain guests at his house he could have someone to make the food, but I don't think James Bond does that. Instead I imagine him making his own breakfast, lunch at or near the office and then he visits a restaurant to eat dinner.
I like cp's idea in #2.
How about a replay of the opening shots of the TB PTS? "The coffeenn... it 'as your initials." / "Yussssss, Jean Blonde... he murdered most of my mojo..."
Or perhaps a face-off with the principal villain...
"James Bond... I heard you were blown up on a World War II base in a disputed island between Russia and Japan..." / "Yussssss, this is my *next* life..." / "You only live [cough, cough], Mister Bond!"
Let's look more into my Robin Hood-comparison. These comparisons are never perfect, but I think it's useful.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Scene 23:
Will Scarlett: "Robin!!?? But you died years ago as an old man, and you were Scottish!"
Robin: (merry) "No, Will. Lady Marion only gave me some sleeping potion, I 'm fine. I only wore make-up to look old and I schpoke like thish for laughs. Now, is the sheriff of Nottingham still alive or has he died of old age ...?"
Would you like that solution over the one we got? Would it make Prince of Thieves better? How would watching Robin and Marion be like after having seen the scene above? Would it hurt or help that film?
Is there anyone who wants the Bond26 PTS to do something unusual? Examples from the past are not having 007 in it at all, setting it years in the past or ..... CR.
One option is showing Bond as an officer in the SBS in the PTS, then jumping years forward to current day after the title song and show Bond as a full 00-agent. I'm sure there are many options I haven't thought of.
This idea is based on a discussion in the Other Place. The PTS starts in a winter landscape (Finland, perhaps?) with a spectacular chase and stunt involving skis. After 007 wins we see him parking the Aston Martin outside a hotel/casino. Or the PTS takes place in northern Norway and Bond skis down to the entrance to an imaginary Hotel/Casino? Next he's in the casino wearing a tux. He meets a beautiful woman (perhaps she was involved in the action scene?). Bond introduces himself before he bets a large sum on the roulette table. The roulette table starts spinning and the title sequence begins. It can hardly get more Bondian than this. It also includes skiing, a truly spectacular stunt, luxury and casino in the PTS. This will set it apart from CraigBond.
I'm not sure this idea is best for a PTS, but I had an idea reading the news. Many of us knows about Bond's shower routine from the books where he shifts from very hot showers to very cold to toughen himself. A more visual version of this would be Bond bathing in an icy lake, getting out of the water when he starts shaking. Then he gets into a sauna on the ice to warm himself up before getting into the water again. Repeat.