"Dont blow it all at once ": Die Another Day Appreciation Thread

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  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited August 5 Posts: 8,236
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    McTiernan has been put forward by fans here, it's really been based on 'Diehard', the rest of his output hasn't been that great at all!

    That's not really true at all.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited August 5 Posts: 16,669
    Mathis1 wrote: »

    To be fair to Michael and Babs, those suggestions for Directors are not that great either. Ang Lee is considered a bit arty, his excursions into mainstream like 'The Hulk' and 'Gemini Man' were awful, Scorsese is just a daft idea, and though McTiernan has been put forward by fans here, it's really been based on 'Diehard', the rest of his output hasn't been that great at all!

    Yes, Scorsese is a daft idea, may as well have suggested Hitchcock. And I don't know if not going with his suggestions is the same as ignoring them, either.
    McTiernan is a very solid suggestion: on the basis of Thomas Crown he'd have likely produced something classier and more Bond-like than TWINE or DAD. I think it's fair to say he was variable though, and made his last film around that time anyway.

    I just don't see this idea that they treated Brosnan badly by employing him to star in four of their global blockbusters and paying him millions.
    I read somewhere that Barbara and Michael offered DAD to Apted. Apted accepted, but Barbara and Michael later ignored him and went after John Woo and Tony Scott. They all declined. It seems Barbara and Michael have a habit of going back on their word for some reason.

    Apparently it was more that they wanted Apted but MGM didn't, and they made the Brocs look at Brett Ratner, but they weren't convinced they wanted someone at that level. Apted said that they came back to him but he was committed to another project by then.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    edited August 5 Posts: 2,199
    Mathis1 wrote: »

    To be fair to Michael and Babs, those suggestions for Directors are not that great either. Ang Lee is considered a bit arty, his excursions into mainstream like 'The Hulk' and 'Gemini Man' were awful, Scorsese is just a daft idea, and though McTiernan has been put forward by fans here, it's really been based on 'Diehard', the rest of his output hasn't been that great at all!
    I can understand their hiring of Apted, but their choice of Tamahori was an odd one, if they just based it on 'Once Were Warriors'!!

    Scorsese and Lee aren't Bond material for me too. But I can't imagine them going that outlandish like Tamahori. The only bad thing would have happened is, a Scorsese and Lee Bond film would have felt not Bond... especially Scorsese's...or maybe they should have adapted DAF novel for Scorsese to suit him.
    But someone like McTiernan. First of all, he's a top action director, plus a good director. If he directed DAD, it would have felt more visceral.

    Oh, I didn't know that part of them coming back for Apted @mtm I think Brett Ratner would have been a terrible choice, though...thank goodness for Tamahori then B-)
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,199

    That's not really true at all.

    Yes. McTiernan is top-notch.
  • Posts: 7,632
    I'd actually forgotten about 'The Thomas Crown Affair', It was after that though he didn't seem to be on his game. 'The 13th Warrior', 'Basic', and the ill judged remake of 'Rollerball'!
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    edited August 5 Posts: 2,199
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    I'd actually forgotten about 'The Thomas Crown Affair', It was after that though he didn't seem to be on his game. 'The 13th Warrior', 'Basic', and the ill judged remake of 'Rollerball'!

    Yeah, I think it happens to even the best directors. Campbell who's one of the greatest Bond directors had his lows too. Even Hitchcock...his The Man Who Knew Too Much felt too long and lacked punch, compared to his other films.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,509
    Give Green Lantern a go if you want to see Martin Campbell at his lowest.

    Most directors have hits and misses. Sometimes for trying to stretch creatively, sometimes for things beyond their control. A Bond movie is a beast in many ways. There are traditions and tropes that the producers will only allow for so much tweaking. I don't think we will see the day of an R rated Bond movie for one example.

    Then there is the "Bond family" which brings with it a set group of behind the camera talent. While not as strong as back in the Harry and Cubby days it still exists. A recent example is the whole affair with Christopher Nolan as he would want to bring in his own writer, which I believe is his brother, and the thinking is EON wants control on the script writers.

    You end up with a shallow pool to draw directors from. Pierce was involved and had a voice, however that voice only went to far. Pierce was the loyal solider when it came to doing the job. Even with the results of DAD both creatively and commercially he wanted to return. The producers decided to "go in a different direction" and he was shown the door. It's a reminder that the fun of making films is a business. Sometimes a dirty one.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,669
    Sometimes, but I don't see anything dirty about that particular situation, as far as we know anyway.
    thedove wrote: »
    Most directors have hits and misses. Sometimes for trying to stretch creatively, sometimes for things beyond their control. A Bond movie is a beast in many ways. There are traditions and tropes that the producers will only allow for so much tweaking. I don't think we will see the day of an R rated Bond movie for one example.

    Then there is the "Bond family" which brings with it a set group of behind the camera talent.

    While I was reading earlier about MGM pushing for Ratner for B20, there was an interesting quote from an MGM official about how they're fairly happy to go with Eon on their more unknown director choices because they trust the Eon machine and producers to effectively back up the directors and make sure the end result is a quality film.
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