James Bond: The Ultimate Collection (1962-2012) + Volume Collections

[Nada]

To think that these movies aren't making money is absurd. They're making back substantial portions of the budget just in tax incentives, promotional tie-ins, and PPV and home video. The box office is almost the cherry on top anymore.

[misterweiss]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I also never heard this. At the time when Dalton was signed, it was clear that he was going to be the next Bond in the SERIES, not as a stopgap measure while waiting for Brosnan. Perhaps after the fact, when Brosnan was ultimately cast, someone wrote that, but as far as I know there is no confirmation of it anywhere that it occurred during Dalton's tenure.

Dalton was among the suspects unfairly blamed for the lackluster box office of LICENCE TO KILL, rather than where blame should have been placed, i.e. opening and competing during a high ticket action movie summer on too few available screens and with one of the worst marketing campaigns ever done. During the long spell between that and GOLDENEYE, they decided to retain the seriousness of Dalton's intent for the character, but went back to Brosnan because Dalton still had that stigma of failure to him.

Dalton remains the only classically trained actor to play the role and the one who is most faithful to Fleming's conception. He knew the novels fluently and had high hopes of turning the film series into what Craig eventually was able to do. LICENCE TO KILL had A LOT of Dalton's ideas in it and is brilliant because of it.

No it wasn't after the fact. I have been a Bond fan for 50 years, and I read and remember most everything Bond related. I can't remember what publication it was in, it was 30 years ago. Just because YOU never heard or read something doesn't make it untrue.

I agree that Dalton was a great Bond, one of the best. He and Craig are the two toughest, manliest Bonds of the lot. Dalton was great after watching 12 years worth of Moore films, in real time, one by one, watching him get older and less ballsy.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by misterweiss

No it wasn't after the fact. I have been a Bond fan for 50 years, and I read and remember most everything Bond related. I can't remember what publication it was in, it was 30 years ago. Just because YOU never heard or read something doesn't make it untrue.

Nether does repeatedly insisting like a child without any proof make something true.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Nada

To think that these movies aren't making money is absurd. They're making back substantial portions of the budget just in tax incentives, promotional tie-ins, and PPV and home video. The box office is almost the cherry on top anymore.

OHMSS and LTK were considered financial failures by the producers at the time.

[misterweiss]

I've made a set of Bond BD covers for owners of the Bond 50 set or the new set. I'll post them in the cover section, when I've got all the previews done and the pics uploaded, but I wanted to feel out Bond fans on something.

I had started to do a set with the gun barrel from the opening titles, but changed my mind. that's been done a lot. Here is the original design I settled on:



Here's the whole set, I used the original title treatments for the spines and covers. I didn't number them in case people only want certain ones:



So is there any interest? And let me know if you would like a 14mm spine for Europe/UK, because I've only done the 11mm US ones so far. The covers are all the same except for the title. The backs are all the same except for the Bond pic and the villain's name. This should please any OCD people like myself.

I make covers for another site that sells them, so I can't post them on there if I post them on here, that's the agreement.

I'd rather let Bond fans have them for free. Let me know what you think.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by misterweiss

I've made a set of Bond BD covers for owners of the Bond 50 set or the new set. I'll post them in the cover section, when I've got all the previews done and the pics uploaded, but I wanted to feel out Bond fans on something.

I like it. It reminds me of some of the original hardcover dust jackets for the books when they were first released.

[Dreamliner330]

Just finished The Living Daylights. Certainly better than anything in the Moore series. I was surprised at how much cheeky jokey-joke stuff there was in this. I didn't like it as much as OHMSS, but it's up there. I do think it felt a bit long though...and the 80's is bleeding through. Ack!

I just wonder how much more I'd like the Moore series with the 'humor' edited out.

[misterweiss]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I like it. It reminds me of some of the original hardcover dust jackets for the books when they were first released.

Thanks. I did have them in mind when I pictured this in my head, and also the banner pic from the 007 dossier site.

It would have been cool to have 25 different ones, but there isn't enough Bond stuff or Bond villain stuff to fill them all. I envisioned the front cover being Bond's desk (not that he'd ever be at it) and the back cover belongs to the villains. It's different, anyway. I make them for me, but if anyone else likes them too, all the better.

[misterweiss]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner330

Just finished The Living Daylights. Certainly better than anything in the Moore series. I was surprised at how much cheeky jokey-joke stuff there was in this. I didn't like it as much as OHMSS, but it's up there. I do think it felt a bit long though...and the 80's is bleeding through. Ack!

I just wonder how much more I'd like the Moore series with the 'humor' edited out.

I liked Moore at first, but by Moonraker that tongue in cheek stuff got old. When Moore took over it was the tail end of the Vietnam war and the hippie era. (Check out the size of the Afro hair on the black guys in the funerals in LALD) I think they were trying to be hip. And Moore lost the hat in the opening credits...they could have lost that a few films sooner. The Dalton films were great...just the right blend of action and very little humor. Bond HAS to drop the odd funny insult after he does a bad guy in though.

I liked the first two Brosnan films, but not the 3rd and 4th. GoldenEye is one of the three best Bond movies, I think anyway. Although him jumping off that cliff to catch that airplane was a bit OTT. He had about 4 or 5 bits of luck to pull that off.

But as I said before, I like something different about all six Bonds. And at some point, three of them wore out their welcome, really. Connery, Moore and Brosnan that is.

[Dreamliner330]

I just learned that TLD was written for Brosnan. Thinking back, makes a lot of sense.

Dalton plays Bond as if he's agitated all the time. Not super personable. I wonder if his undies were a size too small the whole time. Lol.

[misterweiss]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner330

I just learned that TLD was written for Brosnan. Thinking back, makes a lot of sense.

Dalton plays Bond as if he's agitated all the time. Not super personable. I wonder if his undies were a size too small the whole time. Lol.

Yes but he plays him closer to the Bond in Fleming's books. Connery at first was probably second to that image. I haven't read any of the new Bond books by other authors though. Can't bring myself to.

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

OHMSS and LTK were considered financial failures by the producers at the time.

In terms of OHMSS, that's simply not true, the movie was successful financially.
Cubby wanted George to return for DAF, but George had no interest in another Bond film.

[Dreamliner330]

Originally Posted by misterweiss

Yes but he plays him closer to the Bond in Fleming's books. Connery at first was probably second to that image. I haven't read any of the new Bond books by other authors though. Can't bring myself to.

Read!?!? Like books?

I don't read as often as I should, but when I do it's non-fiction.

I've been watching through these Bond films at a pretty good clip. With the bonus features, I've been averaging 6 hours a day to get through 2 films a day. (I watch bonus content at 1.5x on my PS3)

The more movies I watch, the more I feel I'm wasting time. My bar to keep films have been increasing and I've been trying to thin out my collection. I think Moore's time on my shelf is running out...but I do like having a complete set.

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Nope, GoldenEye was written for Dalton
That's why it's the only good film he was in

You're correct Goldeneye was written for Dalton.
Though by the time MGM got restructured yet again, Dalton felt he was to old and had decided to move on.

[Dunemoon]

Originally Posted by misterweiss

Yes but he plays him closer to the Bond in Fleming's books. Connery at first was probably second to that image. I haven't read any of the new Bond books by other authors though. Can't bring myself to.

Try Colonel Sun & Trigger Mortis. Both have the Fleming spirit.

[misterweiss]

Originally Posted by WJWS Channel 13:Amity

In terms of OHMSS, that's simply not true, the movie was successful financially.
Cubby wanted George to return for DAF, but George had no interest in another Bond film.

Lazenby also pissed off Eon and Diana Rigg to no end. The guy had never acted before, yet was trying to tell the director and producer how it should be. Diana Rigg tried to clue him in, telling him to shut up, pay his dues and do what he was told. But he wasn't having it...he thought he knew better. They gave him a hard time right back, and he spit his pacifier out of the playpen and took his ball and went home, after the wrap. He could have played Bond in a bunch more films, but they really weren't too sad when he said no. Then they waved big bucks at Connery and he came back for DAF. Lazenby never did anything to speak of after that. He was only 29 or 30 at the time, I wonder if he ever regretted his decision later in life.

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by misterweiss

Lazenby also pissed off Eon and Diana Rigg to no end. The guy had never acted before, yet was trying to tell the director and producer how it should be. Diana Rigg tried to clue him in, telling him to shut up, pay his dues and do what he was told. But he wasn't having it...he thought he knew better. They gave him a hard time right back, and he spit his pacifier out of the playpen and took his ball and went home, after the wrap. He could have played Bond in a bunch more films, but they really weren't too sad when he said no. Then they waved big bucks at Connery and he came back for DAF. Lazenby never did anything to speak of after that. He was only 29 or 30 at the time, I wonder if he ever regretted his decision later in life.

I moderated a OHMSS Q&A a few years back, and he said he didn't have any regrets for leaving the role. He said had he had a lot of respect and love for Cubby.

[StingingVelvet]

Pretty sure he expresses some regret in the OHMSS documentary, but he basically says "I was a kid, what can ya do."

[Dreamliner330]

Originally Posted by WJWS Channel 13:Amity

I moderated a OHMSS Q&A a few years back, and he said he didn't have any regrets for leaving the role. He said had he had a lot of respect and love for Cubby.

Is there a recording of that somewhere?

As it stands OHMSS is my favorite Bond film after Goldfinger. Likely pushed down by Craig films when I get there.

Watching in order and ranking after watching. I'll post up my list through when I finish with Dalton later this week. A final list will come after Spectre.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by WJWS Channel 13:Amity

In terms of OHMSS, that's simply not true, the movie was successful financially.
Cubby wanted George to return for DAF, but George had no interest in another Bond film.

I first read about it being a financial disappointment in John Brosnan's book, JAMES BOND IN THE CINEMA from the early 70's, wherein it was stated: "Two years after its release it was only beginning to break even." So it was considered a disappointment compared to the previous films in that it wasn't as immediately successful, but you're right that it shouldn't be considered a failure either.

As for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS having been written for Brosnan, it's my understanding that it was originally intended for Moore, but he bowed out of returning. The ill advised humor, such as sliding down the snow covered hill on a cello case and escaping on a "flying" carpet (which was subsequently cut from the final film), were clearly set pieces in the Moore style.