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Comments
I believe John Glen had to persuade Cubby and Wilson to use the cello scene! Cubby should have stood his ground and said No!
This is why I don't consider Glen an "under-appreciated" director in the Bond series. He has his moments, but he's essentially a light-weight director. Outside of Bond I can't think of anything of note he's done as a director.
Glens background was in Television and second unit work, and maybe this showed. But I do think he dids a fine job with his 5 movies, particularly the ones with Dalton!
I feel he would have done okay with GE, I don't think Campbells work is particularly outstanding on GE (He did far superior work on CR, but then he had better material to work with!)
I think had Glen directed GE the film would have been faster paced and a bit more stunt oriented. Although many may pooh- pooh Glen's work, all 5 of his films are extremely watchable. He's one of my favorite 007 directors, really. In a way I prefer directors that are "Bond directors" like Glen, Guy Hamilton, and Terence Young to the more prestigious names like Mendes, Michael Apted, etc. On ANY given day I'd rather watch FYEO, and TLD over TWINE or SP.
The GE Monte Carlo chase scene or the following casino scene for example are very stylish in a pure Bondian manner. Compare that with the casino scenes in FYEO, LTK or even the sad one in TWINE (realize this is Apted). There's a coolness factor there that Glen didn't quite capture.
Yep
This may sound a bit harsh against Glen but I think his style would look more outdated against the big contemporary directors in the 90s (namely the likes of James Cameron, Renny Harlin, John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, Danny Boyle etc).
Glen did some solid work in Bond but I think, like Mathis1 said, his films all had that slightly "TV-like" feel to them (soft lighting, slightly cheap sets etc). I understand Campbell was originally a TV director too, but the faster pacing he had (particularly with the action) worked for the 90s era of filmmaking.
Glen was an action specialist and he always filmed those with a keen eye. And he did know how to tell a story, other than say Michael Apted, a more experienced film Director (who also worked in TV) on the rather drab TWINE!
He has more of a "cinematic" look later on when they are in the desert and you see the shots of the landscape.
I'd say some of Glen's best unsung work is the most cinematic in the series: the ski jump in TSWLM for instance.
Also he could direct light hearted Bonds OP and AVTAK, then later completely change tone with LTK.
I agree, it's a stunning transfer.
I would have to agree, but at the same time part of me, despite ranking LTK and TLD at #1 and #3 respectively, kind of wishes that someone else had gotten to take a crack at a Dalton Bond film. An overhaul of the creative team behind the films could have maybe given the franchise the jumpstart it needed after it began to lag with audiences a bit during the 80s. For instance, a Brian De Palma-directed LTK could have been really interesting.
That said, I like all of Glen's entries in the franchise. Even though the 80s generally aren't looked at as the best decade of the franchise, there wasn't, IMO, a dud among those films and, if my memory serves correctly, I believe all but AVTAK is in my top 10, and even that film isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be.
I admire how Glen most of the time managed to use believable "backing screens". For years I did not notice that the tracks under the train in OP, when Bond is fighting Gobinda, where in fact fake.
The way the entire train scene is made is absolutely great.
I would say Campbell's direction was fairly workmanlike but sometimes that's what you need!
Glen did five, four of which are excellent and one of which is okay.
Sadly I have to agree.
I wouldn't call CR appalling, that's a bit harsh.
GE is excellent, agreed.
;)
Makes me wonder why, once the court case was settled, Eon didn't just resume the film they were going to do? Starting from scratch added another 2 years to that gap.
I'd like to think things are developing behind the scenes for B25 as we speak.
Mendes says he is out, so there's nothing to stop EON from broaching the subject of Bond with potential director candidates.
Although would Waltz and Mendes work together again? Doesn't sound like they were best mates on set
Maybe (in the words of Hudson in Aliens) I haven't been keeping up with current events - but I never heard they didn't get on. Might actually explain waltz' performance a little for me. So what's the gossip?