It Seems There Are More QoS Appreciators Than Thought Before

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  • Posts: 4,139
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.
  • 007HallY wrote: »
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.

    Somehow NTTD does not seem to have Cary's personal touch. It seems more like a movie that was directed by all the producers and set designer. Cary wanted to direct "It" but his version was scrapped. Ironically he turned around and overtook a rejected project. Seems like he knew and agreed to work well with the producers including DC closely and do his best to flesh out their vision especially because it is Craig's swan song.

    Daniel Craig was always the kind of Bond you'd welcome another movie with. Sure, his age shows but even that didn't let his performance get compromised, in fact his facial expressions have more character over the years. If that song Still Holding On was still allowed to be part of his middle to late Bond movies, it would make a lot of sense. I could even see it being played in that exercising scene in SF...instead we got the Sam Mendes treatment. It's so similarly shot and executed like his movie American Beauty with the exercise scenes there. He likes silence and plain shots showing the character with simplistic minimal music to it. Still Holding On would have taken the audience for the ride along with Bond's inner struggle journey to compliment Craig's acting.
  • 007HallY wrote: »
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.

    And the best ones work closely with everyone including the musical composer.
  • 007HallY wrote: »
    Venutius wrote: »
    Boyle said 'I work in partnership with writers and I am not prepared to break it up...We were working very, very well, but they didn’t want to go down that route with us. So we decided to part company.' The implication being that EON didn't like the script that John Hodge was writing and wanted to keep Boyle but ditch Hodge - whereupon Boyle and Hodge jumped ship together. He also said that Hodge's script wasn't finished. Anyone know what happens in scenarios like this? Will EON own the unfinished script or will Boyle and Hodge be able to repurpose it for a film of their own?

    I didn't realise the script wasn't finished. Ah well, I've said it many times, I don't think we'll ever know 100% what went down. For what it's worth Boyle is a very impressionistic director (lots of scenes in Trainspotting, 127 Hours, Trance etc. blur the lines between reality and fantasy, especially from the point of view of certain characters). It's not what you want when it comes to Bond. I said it myself when he was first announced, he wasn't the right fit. I doubt he'll be back or they'll use anything from his script.

    Me too.
  • Posts: 4,139
    007HallY wrote: »
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.

    And the best ones work closely with everyone including the musical composer.

    Yeah, I think the best ones have a strong hand in everything. I'm not saying they write the music with the composer - actually often they'll give the composers a lot of space to write the music - but they'll discuss beforehand their ideas and what they want for this element of the film.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited May 2022 Posts: 3,152
    Indeed, that's exactly what Forster did with Arnold for QOS. It paid off really well too, IMO.
  • Venutius wrote: »
    Indeed, that's exactly what Forster did with Arnold for QOS. It paid off really well too, IMO.

    Really did. It helped with the emotional aspect. The scene where Bond and Camille walk through the desert with the water shortage pipe dripping screams of the desperation in suffering if the human condition brought upon both main characters and the village folks although their issues are completely different.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    I think Arnold's score of QOS was great and I think him carrying over from Casino was inspired. It really helped carry over that this was another chapter within the same story
  • 007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.

    And the best ones work closely with everyone including the musical composer.

    Yeah, I think the best ones have a strong hand in everything. I'm not saying they write the music with the composer - actually often they'll give the composers a lot of space to write the music - but they'll discuss beforehand their ideas and what they want for this element of the film.

    Do you think the producers were right to reject Still Holding On, not as a Bond theme but as part of the Craig story arc in one of his movies?
  • Jordo007 wrote: »
    I think Arnold's score of QOS was great and I think him carrying over from Casino was inspired. It really helped carry over that this was another chapter within the same story

    Please explain.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    edited May 2022 Posts: 2,641
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    I think Arnold's score of QOS was great and I think him carrying over from Casino was inspired. It really helped carry over that this was another chapter within the same story

    Please explain.

    Well it sounded similar to Casino, the lighter moments sounded familiar yet refreshed and the same with the action cues, similar if not expanded upon what was in Casino.

    It might have been jarring had a different composer came aboard and tried to put their stamp on the score. Maybe it wouldn't have felt like Quantum picks up an hour after were Casino ended.

    Sometimes the score can establish the world being built, almost as much as the cinematography
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,032
    Agreed! Bringing back Arnold was a crucial part of why the continuity from CR to QOS works so well. It very much conveys the logical and tragic evolution of Bond’s character. Not only does it tastefully recycle the best cues from Casino, but also introduces a few motifs that Arnold was planning to continue with beyond QOS. That is, until Skyfall happened. Overall, I hold it to be Arnold’s best Bond score.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Agreed! Bringing back Arnold was a crucial part of why the continuity from CR to QOS works so well. It very much conveys the logical and tragic evolution of Bond’s character. Not only does it tastefully recycle the best cues from Casino, but also introduces a few motifs that Arnold was planning to continue with beyond QOS. That is, until Skyfall happened. Overall, I hold it to be Arnold’s best Bond score.

    As do I. It gets me every time.
  • edited May 2022 Posts: 1,282
    Agreed! Bringing back Arnold was a crucial part of why the continuity from CR to QOS works so well. It very much conveys the logical and tragic evolution of Bond’s character. Not only does it tastefully recycle the best cues from Casino, but also introduces a few motifs that Arnold was planning to continue with beyond QOS. That is, until Skyfall happened. Overall, I hold it to be Arnold’s best Bond score.

    Yes, QoS established motifs that were timeless and able to continue if allowed....until SF happened. Arnold even created a nee twist on the 007 theme you can hear throughout the movie as Bond moves. Remember the one played at the end of the train station drop off as Bond ends up in to Kazan? That's the theme he can easily bring back without it having been deemed "aged" in any way....unlike SF, that movie hasn't aged well.

    It was a journey of emotional progress. You can see that maybe Arnold contributed to Still Holding On in that there was supposed to be a more connected trilogy.
  • https://screenrant.com/james-bond-quantum-solace-great-misunderstood-good-why/

    The mere fact that people are still writing about this film speaks volumes.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    I've been in love with it since I walked out of the first opening night showing back in 2008 and my opinion on it has only strengthened since. It could honestly sit as my #1 favorite if not for the nostalgia and childhood bias connected to GE and how it kickstarted my fandom of the series and love of film in general.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,255
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I've been in love with it since I walked out of the first opening night showing back in 2008 and my opinion on it has only strengthened since. It could honestly sit as my #1 favorite if not for the nostalgia and childhood bias connected to GE and how it kickstarted my fandom of the series and love of film in general.

    For me it has always been TB that took the cake, but recently I've gravitated more to QoS. It may be a short film, but its storytelling really stands out to me. I like the subtleness and grit. This is Bond as Fleming intended him to be. Indeed enhanced by NTTD. That film retrospectfully helped make QoS more clear in its intentions.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited May 2022 Posts: 40,968
    Totally agreed. I think the shorter runtime is perfect; it helps make it the easiest installment to rewatch in the series and it uses its time (and the countless action beats) wisely and perfectly. I'm tired of the last few installments (and blockbusters as a whole) feeling the need to last three hours when it's not justified. I'm glad NTTD didn't feel overlong but SP (and countless other non-Bond films of late) have.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,255
    SP in fact was the first Bondfilm I ever saw that got me going: 'wait, isn't the film over yet? Come on!' In the cinema. At first viewing. That's pretty bad in my book.
  • edited May 2022 Posts: 2,161
    SP in fact was the first Bondfilm I ever saw that got me going: 'wait, isn't the film over yet? Come on!' In the cinema. At first viewing. That's pretty bad in my book.

    Aside from TB when I was around seven years old, SP and NTTD (less so, but it happened) were the first Bond films where I found myself getting bored and impatient at points during my first viewing. Yes, pretty bad sign.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,032
    While I do think QOS’s brisk 106min runtime works in its favor, I believe just maybe 4-5 minutes of editing polish would go a LONG WAY in allowing the film to reach a wider fanbase.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    I've come to really appreciate QOS over the years. It's definitely a grower, I do think some of the action scenes would benefit from a bit more clear editing but the feeling of the film is great.

    If there hadn't been a writers strike it would be top tier Bond for me
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    The fact that it was all done with the writers strike makes it all the more impressive to me. I can't believe that they managed to pull it off with so much against them at the time.
  • Just watched FRWL and I noticed just how original in terms of style and story this movie was. It has a lot of parallels to QoS with originality and not following formula. Each film was followed by the same Bond actors returning to the role but in a completely different movie that followed more cliches one way or another.

    Ok, so GF was a success and a favorite for many but it doesn't mean you have to copy its formula every other movie (in most cases each subsequent film).

    The ending of FRWL and QoS both make you either miss or wanting to see more of the Bibd girls and characters. There's a sense of mysterious charm. QoS truly nailed it with a metaphorical style in hiw Bond drops off Camille at a train station next to a cemetery. Sometimes I think if this scene when watching Bond and Madeleine waiting at the Moroccan desert train station in SP. Loved how the film took it's time waiting in the station to let the audience take the scenery and cinematography inward.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    The fact that it was all done with the writers strike makes it all the more impressive to me. I can't believe that they managed to pull it off with so much against them at the time.

    Yeah it does. Some of my favourite dialogue in the series is in QOS, which amazes me given how little time they had to work on it.
    If only they had an extra few months to iron out the plot
  • Jordo007 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    The fact that it was all done with the writers strike makes it all the more impressive to me. I can't believe that they managed to pull it off with so much against them at the time.

    Yeah it does. Some of my favourite dialogue in the series is in QOS, which amazes me given how little time they had to work on it.
    If only they had an extra few months to iron out the plot

    Many of us here would welcome an official extended re-edit with additional scenes to be released one day....

    The reason I keep mentioning the rejected theme, Still Holding On, is that it still haunts me how much of a story arc you can hear in the song. The background instrumental with two beats playing throughout much of the song demonstrates a determination in one's heart to serve Queen and Country despite the personal obstacles and events that happened. Bond may have changed into a cold person but the professional self of 007 uses that to his advantage to move on. I think that the eeriest/hauntingly good themes are the ones that connect to the character and story.
  • Posts: 4,139
    007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    No worries. Again, every Director is different, and it's worth noting I have never worked on anything like a Bond film. Generally speaking, however, a Director has a hand throughout all areas of production - pre, shooting and post. As do Producers.

    And the best ones work closely with everyone including the musical composer.

    Yeah, I think the best ones have a strong hand in everything. I'm not saying they write the music with the composer - actually often they'll give the composers a lot of space to write the music - but they'll discuss beforehand their ideas and what they want for this element of the film.

    Do you think the producers were right to reject Still Holding On, not as a Bond theme but as part of the Craig story arc in one of his movies?

    Never heard of it.
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    edited May 2022 Posts: 4,247
    Like Enigma & Era, Conjure One is great. But I think like Madonna's DAD theme, Conjure One's Still Holding On is a great song on its own, but I'm not sure it has the DNA of a Bond theme, though.
  • GadgetMan wrote: »
    Like Enigma & Era, Conjure One is great. But I think like Madonna's DAD theme, Conjure One's Still Holding On is a great song on its own, but I'm not sure it has the DNA of a Bond theme, though.

    While Madonna's song definitely has some 007 DNA chords in it, Still Holding On has the Daniel Craig kind fo stuff in it. It's got the perseverance vibe going on. Of course the song was a rough demo and it would have required edits to fit the film too as you see with most Bond songs sounding a little different on the title screen than in their album versions.

    But the beginning of the song is easily fits the bill of when Bond gets shot or he just threw someone off a helicopter and looks at the Spectre ring. It's got that emotional pull to it.
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    edited May 2022 Posts: 4,247
    GadgetMan wrote: »
    Like Enigma & Era, Conjure One is great. But I think like Madonna's DAD theme, Conjure One's Still Holding On is a great song on its own, but I'm not sure it has the DNA of a Bond theme, though.

    While Madonna's song definitely has some 007 DNA chords in it, Still Holding On has the Daniel Craig kind fo stuff in it. It's got the perseverance vibe going on. Of course the song was a rough demo and it would have required edits to fit the film too as you see with most Bond songs sounding a little different on the title screen than in their album versions.

    But the beginning of the song is easily fits the bill of when Bond gets shot or he just threw someone off a helicopter and looks at the Spectre ring. It's got that emotional pull to it.

    Yeah, I like the song, like all of Conjure One's songs. Maybe another version of it with a touch of Bondian Orchestra would have helped more though. Maybe if David Arnold had worked with them.
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