SPECTRE Production Timeline

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  • Posts: 7,653
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Are Bond fans getting more tiring than Doctor Who fans? I think they might be.

    Well both are very bitchy and call people with different views trolls, so I say they actually are quite similar.

    The main difference is that EON does not give a sh&t about the "fans" or do not show it, as the DW community has had its nutters striking out in a most horrific way against one of the writers if I recall correctly. But perhaps that is one of the downfalls from the internet that people feel they can be horrible in some sort of anonimity.

  • edited May 2014 Posts: 15,115
    You and Ludovico try to teach us that you know how these things would happen in the "real world" as if you were expert in real word espionage... So much arrogance to try to "prove" that Skyfall's chain of events is realistic !? It's as much wishful thinking as saying that going from a 2-movie story arc to a standalone movie is a minor change :)


    That's a straw man. We never said we were experts. But I did learn a few things about real espionage in general and SIS in particular, because I find it a fascinating subject. And if C is a high ranking civil servant, he is not protected to the level of the Queen or the PM. If he was, he'd have an official residence too. Now after a terrorist attack against MI6 I am sure he gets more coverup, but security breaches and cock ups can happen in any organization and at any time.

    As for how big a change it is between a two movies arc and a standalone movie, with the little information we have it is difficult to assess it. It really depends on what the two arcs were, doesn't it? Can plot A be completed without plot B, can plot B be understandable without plot A? CR stands very well on its own, QOS not nearly as much (and I like QOS), because it was constructed as a followup. In the novels, TB, OHMSS and YOLT are sometimes considered a trilogy, but they are all independent from one another. Until we have more information, we cannot really how big the change was, or if it was a good thing or on the contrary ill advised.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 12,837
    This goes for both sides now, those who love SF and those who hate it: please shut up. Please. I'm tired of seeing loads of new posts in this thread and then finding out it's the same people dragging out the same arguments.

    I think Skyfall DOES have plot holes (like most films) and gaps in logic in the script, and its supporters should accept that instead of trying to make the film out to be perfect and coming up with really convulted explanations for every little thing. But on the other hand some people are just grasping at straws, looking for new ways to slag off the film. Why does Bond breaking into M's flat matter? It's a film about a suave one liner cracking secret agent with a gadget filled Aston Martin fighing a bisexual, flamboyant psychopath with mummy issues. It's all fantasy anyway.

    You're not going to change eachothers minds so just stop arguing. I think the whole debate is just boring now.
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Are Bond fans getting more tiring than Doctor Who fans? I think they might be.

    I think so too.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 908
    Ludovico wrote:
    You and Ludovico try to teach us that you know how these things would happen in the "real world" as if you were expert in real word espionage... So much arrogance to try to "prove" that Skyfall's chain of events is realistic !? It's as much wishful thinking as saying that going from a 2-movie story arc to a standalone movie is a minor change :)


    That's a straw man. We never said we were experts. But I did learn a few things about real espionage in general and SIS in particular, because I find it a fascinating subject. And if C is a high ranking civil servant, he is not protected to the level of the Queen or the PM. If he was, he'd have an official residence too. Now after a terrorist attack against MI6 I am sure he gets more coverup, but security breaches and cock ups can happen in any organization and at any time.
    .

    Do you and so many others here realize what it means to be the head of the British secret service? Most of all it means that your head is full with secrets and knowledge that would constitute a terrible blow to your country, if they fall in the hands of the enemy (btw the main reason why it was such a laughable and ridiculous idea that Bond would take M to Scotland, where she was helpless and exposed. Another point that was seen as plain logic by so many of yours)
    Most certainly the head of the Secret Service (of just about any country )is always protected at quite the highest level,let alone right after an attack on MI6. Already in CR it was an annoying part of storytelling, that Bond just could break into Ms flat and use her password all over the world to his liking. In anything resembling the real world he would have been arrested from the moment on they knew about his knowledge of it, while in the movie and never even bothers to even ask him.
    You see @Suivez_ce_parachute
    is one of those, who back up their theories and opinions with solid reasoning or even facts and he deserves much better,than just get ridiculed by so many of yours in the "for crying out loud" fashion.
  • Posts: 6,396
    It's official:

    LL
  • Posts: 3,333
    By the way, good to see you back @bondsum :) Hadn't heard from you for a while.

    Thank you, @thelivingroyale. Always the gent. ;) And a big thanks to @Germanlady for understanding what I was trying to convey. And sorry I didn't get back to you on your questions about DC, I've been away for a long time and will address your question and thoughts on DC when I have more time on my hands.
  • Posts: 15,115
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll. There are many Skyfall threads where we can move the "M's flat being broken in by Bond."

    So... The new M in Bond 24, any idea how they can use it?
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 6,396
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll. There are many Skyfall threads where we can move the "M's flat being broken in by Bond."

    So... The new M in Bond 24, any idea how they can use it?

    I imagine if you're paying good money for an actor the calibre of Fiennes, you're not going to relegate him back behind a desk for 2 minutes of screentime. I'm guessing he'll have a key role to play.
  • Posts: 15,115
    This is my thought too. Not in the same way as Judi Dench was, they will tailor M to his personality and character background. Interestingly enough Mallory is a former military, just like Messervy in the novels. He is also relatively neophyte to the world of espionage. It could bring something interesting.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 7,507
    I think it would be great with a huge role for Fiennes as long as he is not too directly involved in the action scenes. I don't want him firing anymore guns.

    Needless to say I don't want him to follow Bond around averywhere either...
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 4,408
    I really don't understand the dislike of Dench's M or for her increased role in SF. The broad consensus from fans seems to be something approaching either apathy or disdain, meanwhile the critics couldn't get enough of Dench and she won the film's most plaudits.

    I think a lot has to do with stubborn fans unhappy about change. The M role has traditionally been a very minor character who typically only performs a few scenes in the first act to set up the plot of the movie. Dench performed a similar role in her early Bond films. However, the truth is she was wasted in those films, Dench is the best thing in GE and TND (alas she's typically the best thing in any movie she's in) and the prods where far from quick to capitalise on that. For me SF corrected the balance and finally placed Dench in the leading lady bracket, it was far more enjoyable and satisfactory seeing M play the 'Bond girl' opposed to having another faceless Halle Berry/Olga Kurylenko-type sapping the energy from the screen. Dench is a marvellous actress and the producers really put her through her paces in the Craig era to great effect. SF is Dench's Bond movie and hardly by coincidence also the best Bond film ever made.

    I'm all for a larger Mallory role if it can be as perfectly integrated as Dench's M character. I don't think Mallory will (or should) ever go into the field with Bond. Bond does not have male partners on his missions, it seems to be an unwritten law of the Bond films and if he does they are typically older men who are either incompetent or die. Bond never has a 'Batman & Robin' relationship with anyone, Leiter has come close but he has never really stuck around long enough. I think Mallory should be given his own subplot back in London while Bond is out on his mission and of course not to mention Fiennes and Craig need some meaty scenes together.

    Who else suspects that Rory Kinnear will get a bigger role in Bond 24? Mendes explicitly mentioned that he apparently 'cast Tanner' but just looking at recent award shows in the UK, Kinnear is consistently nominated for everything. Maybe Mendes has plans for Tanner the next time out.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 15,115
    jobo wrote:
    I think it would be great with a huge role for Fiennes as long as he is not too directly involved in the action scenes. I don't want him firing anymore guns.

    Needless to say I don't want him to follow Bond around averywhere either...

    Would make for a few interesting scenes if he was trying to go on the field, for whatever reason, giving his military background.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 15,115
    I really don't understand the dislike of Dench's M or for her increased role in SF. The broad consensus from fans seems to be something approaching either apathy or disdain, meanwhile the critics couldn't get enough of Dench and she won the film's most plaudits.

    I think a lot has to do with stubborn fans unhappy about change. The M role has traditionally been a very minor character who typically only performs a few scenes in the first act to set up the plot of the movie. Dench performed a similar role in her early Bond films. However, the truth is she was wasted in those films, Dench is the best thing in GE and TND (alas she's typically the best thing in any movie she's in) and the prods where far from quick to capitalise on that. For me SF corrected the balance and finally placed Dench in the leading lady bracket, it was far more enjoyable and satisfactory seeing M play the 'Bond girl' opposed to having another faceless Halle Berry/Olga Kurylenko-type sapping the energy from the screen. Dench is a marvellous actress and the producers really put her through her paces in the Craig era to great effect. SF is Dench's Bond movie and hardly by coincidence also the best Bond film ever made.

    I'm all for a larger Mallory role if it can be as perfectly integrated as Dench's M character.

    I don't think Judi Dench was always used to the best, that said using M more was and is a good idea. Of course how to do this is debatable. I mentioned it earlier on this thread, before it got derailed, that M was maybe underused and underdeveloped in previous movies. Imagine Bernard Lee being given some of the material M had in the novels MR, TB or TMWTGG. Too often I think he was wasted as someone giving exposition and giving a few orders.

    Actually, thinking about it, M was the only M who received a proper send off.
  • Posts: 908
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll.

    Ooohh ... the bad, bad Matt Helm troll - Daring to use logic and reason. How utterly unfair of him!
    Tell me, is smug ignorance as satisfying a substitute for intellect as it seems in your case?
    (To Willy boy, don't bother replying. In your case I already know the answer.)
  • Posts: 6,396
    Matt_Helm wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll.

    Ooohh ... the bad, bad Matt Helm troll - Daring to use logic and reason. How utterly unfair of him!
    Tell me, is smug ignorance as satisfying a substitute for intellect as it seems in your case?
    (To Willy boy, don't bother replying. In your case I already know the answer.)

    =))
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 15,115
    Matt_Helm wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll.

    Ooohh ... the bad, bad Matt Helm troll - Daring to use logic and reason. How utterly unfair of him!
    Tell me, is smug ignorance as satisfying a substitute for intellect as it seems in your case?
    (To Willy boy, don't bother replying. In your case I already know the answer.)

    The thing is, in every debate you end up blowing your own trumpet and it gets tiresome. I am all for using logic and reason, but boasting that you are using them is not the same as actually using them. This is a debate about Bond 24, not SF, which you seem to be obsessing about far more than its admirers. I think your desire to go back to slag off SF in a thread where SF is only peripheral to the main topic clearly shows your dishonesty and yes, shows you are a troll. N'enculons pas les mouches. (And that's rude, but that's from Fleming).

    And yes, I am answering the troll, guilty as charged.
  • Posts: 908
    Matt_Helm wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll.

    Ooohh ... the bad, bad Matt Helm troll - Daring to use logic and reason. How utterly unfair of him!
    Tell me, is smug ignorance as satisfying a substitute for intellect as it seems in your case?
    (To Willy boy, don't bother replying. In your case I already know the answer.)

    =))

    See ...
  • Posts: 908
    Ludovico wrote:
    Matt_Helm wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    It's official:

    LL

    Agreed and thus I will not reply to the troll.

    Ooohh ... the bad, bad Matt Helm troll - Daring to use logic and reason. How utterly unfair of him!
    Tell me, is smug ignorance as satisfying a substitute for intellect as it seems in your case?
    (To Willy boy, don't bother replying. In your case I already know the answer.)

    The thing is, in every debate you end up blowing your own trumpet and it gets tiresome. I am all for using logic and reason, but boasting that you are using them is not the same as actually using them. This is a debate about Bond 24, not SF, which you seem to be obsessing about far more than its admirers. I think your desire to go back to slag off SF in a thread where SF is only peripheral to the main topic clearly shows your dishonesty and yes, shows you are a troll. N'enculons pas les mouches. (And that's rude, but that's from Fleming).

    And yes, I am answering the troll, guilty as charged.

    Wasn't it you,who ( based on some supposed knowledge )accused Suivez of clutching at straws,when he pointed out the weaknesses of your arguments?
    I merely tried to show you the futility of your arguments ( and please don't hesitate to point out where I am wrong, BUT please base your opinion on some common sense and not on gut feeling.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,134
    Derailing
    Arguing
    Bickering
    This can be locked for a few hours.

    For the parties who seem not to be able to conduct themselves in a manner suitable for the rules of this forum. Please think of your fellow posters, who do not wish to constantly read these posts.
    If any mod feels like reopening this, please do so. Or I will reopen it in the morning.
    Hopefully that will give everyone time to cool off. And grow up!
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 2,015
    Ludovico wrote:
    So... The new M in Bond 24, any idea how they can use it?
    [/quote]

    About the new M in Bond 24 : one question, do you think the writers will dare to show him as incompetent as her since the reboot ? "M's flat being broken in by Bond" happened not only in SF but also in CR, M's code were stolen by Silva in SF and Bond in CR, etc... It seems everyone knows what she plans next. Only Tanner seems to be impressed by her, I think her biggest act of movie cleverness is in QOS when she "explains" that Greene is the one to look at, despite the US spies claiming the contrary. Well, they had to show something "clever" to the viewers, after having revealed she was the one who had chosen to bring an agent from Quantum when going to see Mr White :) Even her big scene in SF is quoting a poem, and not an "epic" creation for her by the writers.

    (PS : talking about what would happen in the "real word of espionage that I know very well and that you don't" is irrelevant here, we're talking about movie logic and movie characters...)

    Well, I feel they won't dare to make Ralph Fiennes play someone as incompetent. Already in SF, the female M is killed by a kind of lost bullet during an escape, the future male M can survive a bullet he deliberately jumped at to save someone else... We also have already more "heroic background" for the male M in one movie (the IRA backstory), than for the female M in half a dozen (she's just described as someone who mostly worked on Excel, it seems !).
    Who else suspects that Rory Kinnear will get a bigger role in Bond 24? Mendes explicitly mentioned that he apparently 'cast Tanner' but just looking at recent award shows in the UK, Kinnear is consistently nominated for everything. Maybe Mendes has plans for Tanner the next time out.

    I think that in every Mendes movie except his only comedy, a high member of the cast on the hero's side, and even the hero sometimes, dies... and SF followed that rule. Mendes also said Kinnear's talent was not fully used in the Bond movies so far. In the "risky bet" category, I choose : Tanner dies (and not : Bond 24 will be a comedy :) ).



  • edited May 2014 Posts: 11,425
    I like Dench. I think she's a very good actress, but I never particularly enjoyed her as M. I still maintain this was at least in part down to scripts, which mostly ranged from awful to mediocre throughout her tenure. People know my thoughts on SF, so needless to say, I don't see it as an exception.

    However, there is something about Fiennes that excites me a little. He is an excellent, edgy actor. And used well, with some good (within limits) exchanges between Bond and M, it could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

    I want to see M return as a reassuring and competent presence at the head of MI6. And I want to see the return of real trust between M and his top agent. No more following him around the world or ordering him to be shot mid-mission. Let the man do his bloody job!

    I liked @Suivez_ce_parachute 's comment from a few post back about how watching a lot of French cinema has given him immunity to seeing lots of pensive/serious dialogue as necessarily equating to quality or convincing drama. I do think as Bond fans we should actually expect more. Maiubaum's scripts were often witty, clever and funny. We haven't had a lot of that since his death. I don't know if Logan really measures up. On the evidence of his other films, I'd say probably not, but he is still a definite improvement on P+W and I'm confident that he'll deliver something decent for B24. I just hope Mendes hasn't messed things up by requesting too major a rewrite at the last minute, just so the film can be shoe-horned into his notions about what the 'themes' need to be.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Logan has yet to prove that he is an actual improvement on P&W, the next 007 movie will show us that.
  • Posts: 11,425
    SaintMark wrote:
    Logan has yet to prove that he is an actual improvement on P&W, the next 007 movie will show us that.

    I was thinking more of his other work - like Last Samurai and particularly Gladiator. It's derivative and highly unoriginal, but still a big improvement on P+W's writing, in my opinion.

    He can at least craft a pithy phrase and do entertaining dialogue. His stories/plots are weak, but he makes up for it to an extent with his dialogue. At least, that's my point of view.
  • Posts: 9,846
    Getafix wrote:
    SaintMark wrote:
    Logan has yet to prove that he is an actual improvement on P&W, the next 007 movie will show us that.

    I was thinking more of his other work - like Last Samurai and particularly Gladiator. It's derivative and highly unoriginal, but still a big improvement on P+W's writing, in my opinion.

    He can at least craft a pithy phrase and do entertaining dialogue. His stories/plots are weak, but he makes up for it to an extent with his dialogue. At least, that's my point of view.


    Then they should get a plot man like Wilson or Goyer
  • Posts: 11,425
    When I see the list of films that MGW contributed to as a writer, it makes me think he must have something to offer, but then when I see the films he and Babs have produced, I sometimes wonder where it all went wrong.

  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    Getafix wrote:
    I want to see M return as a reassuring and competent presence at the head of MI6. And I want to see the return of real trust between M and his top agent. No more following him around the world or ordering him to be shot mid-mission. Let the man do his bloody job!
    That would be absolutely fantastic. Hopefully we saw a preview of this when Mallory let Bond take M to Skyfall manor and trusted him to get the job done.
  • edited May 2014 Posts: 11,425
    pachazo wrote:
    Getafix wrote:
    I want to see M return as a reassuring and competent presence at the head of MI6. And I want to see the return of real trust between M and his top agent. No more following him around the world or ordering him to be shot mid-mission. Let the man do his bloody job!
    That would be absolutely fantastic. Hopefully we saw a preview of this when Mallory let Bond take M to Skyfall manor and trusted him to get the job done.

    Yes. Although... there is a difference between letting Bond do his job and encouraging him to act in a completely unbelievable and reckless fashion.

    They have to walk the line between depicting M as someone who is fundamentally a strict professional, but who recognises that rules sometimes need to be bent, and someone who is borderline incompetent (as Dench was so often portrayed).

    Having Mallory allow Bond to take M off to almost certain death in SF was (IMO) an example of failing to walk the line. Mallory, Bond, Q, Tanner, all looked like hopeless incompetents, well out of their depth.

    But I digress...

    Essentially, we agree that we are all sick of the trust issues and just want to see a return to a more mutually respectful and professional relationship between Bond and M. At least, I think that's what most of us agree on.
  • Posts: 12,526
    I am hoping for some official casting news over the next month?!!! And just some general information as well hopefully? [-O<
  • Posts: 11,425
    What do you think the chances are of a further delay in the production timeline?

  • Posts: 15,115
    @Suivez-I will not get in a debate with you about how Dench's M was competent or not, it is the same tired old song that got this thread locked in the first place.

    Regarding the new M, he was depicted as perfectly capable if unorthodox and I expect to see him to continue like this.
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