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Which Science Fiction Films and TV Shows etc. inspired Moonraker (1979)?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited May 2016 in Bond Movies Posts: 18,281
I created this thread as I was interested to know which Science Fiction films or TV shows (and I suppose even novels and short stories too) in particular would members here consider to have influenced the outer space content in Moonraker (1979)?

We know that Cubby Broccoli famously called Moonraker "science fact" but the truth is that it was influenced by science fiction films.

Two of these such influences that I'm aware of are the Mothership theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) being played as the code to Drax's Venetian laboratory and the fact that the Space Station in the film is like the Death Star being revealed in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).

Obviously very little (shamefully!) came from the original Bond novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, apart from the villain name and rocket name and the scene where Bond and Dr Holly Goodhead are trapped below the thruster rockets of the Moonraker 5 Space Shuttle.

However I'm sure that there are many more that members here can come up with besides those! :)

Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I always got a 2001 vibe with the Space Station in MR.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,023
    It was the producers simply riding the Star Wars wave.

    I believe FYEO was to be the next Bond after TSWLM.

    As Moonraker was the only 'space' title they had it was put into production.

    Shame, as the original novel deserved better.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Derek Medding's worked on Thunderbirds and Moonraker. I'm sure he used a few tricks for MR that he gleaned on Thunderbirds.
  • bondsumbondsum
    edited May 2016 Posts: 3,333
    Without wanting to state the obvious and say that MR was just a rehashed TSWLM which was a rehashed YOLT, I'd like to point out the similarities to another Jack Whittingham 1939 scripted movie called Q Planes. YOLT and especially TSWLM all seem to be inspired by this 1939 movie which involved a British secret service man trying to find out who's using a secret weapon to steal experimental planes over the sea.

    q_planes_poster.jpg
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Kiss the girls and make them die, is an old 60s movie with a very similar script
    idea as Moonraker. I think you can still see it on YouTube.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,023
    Moonraker was proof that Bond was 'following the pack' instead of leading it as it always had done.

    In terms of what Moonraker sets out to do it succeeds very well. It's a big, lavish spectacular that is very enjoyable.

    Take out the more silly stuff (Hovercraft gondola, Jaws girlfriend, Bond dressed as Clint Eastwood etc..) and it's a good very far fetched Bond film (probably no more far fetched than YOLT)

    would have loved to have seen the novel adapted properly as it's my favourite book.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I also think the special effects of Moonraker still look good and have
    Aged better than some other big special effects movies of the time.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    bondsum wrote: »
    Without wanting to state the obvious and say that MR was just a rehashed TSWLM which was a rehashed YOLT, I'd like to point out the similarities to another Jack Whittingham 1939 scripted movie called Q Planes. YOLT and especially TSWLM all seem to be inspired by this 1939 movie which involved a British secret service man trying to find out who's using a secret weapon to steal experimental planes over the sea.

    q_planes_poster.jpg

    Thanks for pointing this out @bondsum no one remembers this 1939 thriller starring Lawrence Olivier. In addition to TSWLM the film , the Olivier character had a sidekick whom Patrick McNee based his John Steed character of "The Avengers" on.

    That being said, the first Roger Moore films were either following a trend or copying earlier material. LALD was cashing in on the Blaxploitation, TMWTGG followed the Kung Fu craze and TSWLM (Q Planes and YOLT) and MR was so blatant...

    I'd like to add about MR and how Bond was committed to "falling in line with present trends". First 1977 at the end of TSWLM the credits stated that FYEO would be the next film. Then after seeing the success of Star Wars and Close Encounters, Cubby decided to postpone FYEO in favor of cashing in on the space craze.
    I for one was very shocked to learn that MR would be the title of the latest film after expecting FYEO to be the next film.
  • GerardGerard
    edited May 2016 Posts: 5,997
    Moonraker was proof that Bond was 'following the pack' instead of leading it as it always had done.

    I hate to break it to you, but Bond had stopped leading the pack a long time ago. LALD was pure Blaxploitation, while TMWTGG had a Chopsaki scene. The only time Bond led the pack was in the sixties, when it birthed the "Super-Spy" genre.

    EDIT : Oops, I hadn't seen your post, OHMSS69. Sorry about that.
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 3,333
    I'm not sure I quite agree that LALD was pure Blaxploitation. Firstly, LALD was announced as the next Bond movie as far back as 1971 when Tom Mankiewicz thought it would be daring to use black villains, as the Black Panthers and other racial movements were active at this time in the early 70's. It was what was deemed culturally relevant that made them choose LALD and not the success of Gordon Parks' movie. I think by the time LALD was released it was right in the middle of what was to be called Blaxploitation cinema, having started with Shaft in 71, though it wasn't called Blaxploitation back in 71. Also, with the exception of Shaft, these Blaxploitation movies weren't exactly lighting up the box office so I think it was purely coincidental and perhaps astute foresight on Mankiewicz and the producer's part to head in this direction. For once, they were slightly ahead of the curve.

    However, Moonraker was a total Star Wars cash-in. As @OHMSS69 pointed out after TSWLM Cubby wanted to make FYEO but changed it once Star Wars lit up the box office.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,023
    Gerard wrote: »
    Moonraker was proof that Bond was 'following the pack' instead of leading it as it always had done.

    I hate to break it to you, but Bond had stopped leading the pack a long time ago. LALD was pure Blaxploitation, while TMWTGG had a Chopsaki scene. The only time Bond led the pack was in the sixties, when it birthed the "Super-Spy" genre.

    EDIT : Oops, I hadn't seen your post, OHMSS69. Sorry about that.

    I agree to a certain extent with LALD and TMWTGG, but don't forget TSWLM blew it's competition out of the water. It was a spectacular fantasy film that proved the Bond films were far from finished.

    It was a shame Cubby jumped on the Star Wars bandwagon as shamelessly as he did.
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