Conference bookie::movies

    
    
    wasn't Q the gadget man ...and i'm sure the name bernard lee 
    belonged to one of them....
    
    giles
    
    

Yeah, we got that far too but can't get the rest... it's driving us potty !

    Bernard Lee played the head of the Secret Service, M.
    
    Desmond Llewelyn (sp?) played the equipment expert, Q.
    
    DL has appeared in more Bond films than any other actor, BTW.
    
    -- Bill

Thanks for the quick response.

I seem to remember that there is some sort of dispute going on at the moment which 
stops new Bond movies aren't being made, anyone have any updates on this ?

Mark

Yeah, I heard this too. Didn't it start when S.Connery made "Never say 
Never again"

Is it something to do with it being xx years after I. Flemings death ?

Steve.

    I heard that a new Bond flick is in pre-production for a Summer
    '94 release (I think...Could be wrong on the date).
    
    As to who plays Bond, that was still being discussed. Apparently,
    Timothy Dalton was interested but the producers were toying with a
    new star. Too bad...I like TD as JB.
    
    I think the delay had more to do with contention amongst possible
    producers than anything else. 
    
    -- Bill

    Dalton was interesting as Bond, I thought Moore had more style, and
    Connery was more like the origional novel's Bond...
    
    IMHO...
    
    Michael
    

    
    I have heard a rumour that the producers were even considering making
    the new Bond female! There justification is that 007 and James Bond is
    not a name but a code. This scenario lets them do whatever they like
    with the character, but I do hope that they don't go too overboard. An
    aggressive woman could make the part acceptable, but they could ruin
    the name if they're not careful...
    
    Graham.

  In the books, James Bond was a person, not a code. He had been a commander in
the British navy before joining the secret service. 

  Also the various double O numbers seemed to have unique relationships to
individuals. They would frequently make remarks of the sort "006 was killed on
that mission" as apposed to "the last 006 was killed on that mission". 

  Of course they have deviated from the books before so it would not be a first
if they did it again.

  George

    There was also speculation that all the previous bonds would make a
    guest appearance in the anniversary movie...
    
    Tyrone
    

    Well, if they wanted to make a new character 001, or something, a
    female, I think it was a good idea.  Making "James Bond" or "Bond"
    a lady for the sake of changing things would stink.  James Bond is
    a person, not a moniker.  One could argue that every different actor
    was a different person playing code named "Bond".
    
    Bad idea, IMO.

    I would be real disappointed in that tactic...

    Chip

    
    I have also heard that Eddie Murphy has been approached...
    
    It gets worse IMHO...  :*(
    
    Graham.

    I like Timothy Dalton as Bond.  I think he makes Bond somewhat of a
    rebel IMO, of course Sean Connery is my favorite.
    
    Wasn't there a rumor that the producers approached Mel Gibson at one
    time?
    
    Kelli

  I liked the early James Bond movies staring Sean Connery the best. The 1st
two, "Dr. No" and "From Russia with Love", followed the story and style of the
book very closely. The 3rd Bond movie, "Goldfinger", was the best. For the most
part they followed the book but they spiced it up a little which made it
better. 

  After that they went down hill. The movies deviated more and more from the
books going far more into high tech gismos and relying less on character
development. 

  Connery was replaced by Roger Moor and they got worse. Connery came back to
do one more, "Thunderball" I believe, but it wasn't the same. 

  By the time they did "The Spy who loved me" there was no relation to the
original story at all. In the book, the story is basically about a bunch of
thugs who take over a motel and hold the inn keeper and guests (including the
woman "loved" by the spy) hostage. James Bond shows up by coincidence and the
story centers on him dealing with the thugs. In the book there are space ships,
submarines, H-bombs, man eating fish and gosh knows what else. It was terrible.

  They should have quit after Goldfinger, or at least they should have kept to
the original style and story lines. 

  George

    I never liked the Bond movies until Roger Moore took over.  My
    ex-husband used to drag me to the Sean Connery ones and I was horribly
    bored by them.  (I like now Sean Connery as an older man, but couldn't
    stand him when he was young.  He seemed like such a macho pig to me
    back then.  Old age has made him appear more charming.)
    
    Anyway, I used to hate going to the James Bond movies until I saw the
    first one with Roger Moore.  When I saw him on the screen, I sort've
    sat up in my seat and thought, "Hmmm....maybe I *could* get to like
    James Bond movies."  :-)  Roger Moore made them funny.
    
    My favorite was The Spy Who Loved Me, which was actually a very nice,
    romantic love story (featuring Ringo's wife).
    
    Lorna
    

    
    Sean Connery is the only way to go for Bond fans!  I can tollerate
    Tim Dalton, but it's still not the same.  I would of liked to see
    Pierce Bronson in the role.

     Seen Canaries Bond movies were the best,The only thing that lets them
    down a bit is the Special Effects.Roger Moores have been the best for
    FX but Moores let them down a bit.Tim Dalton is Ok as 007.

     
    SCott

    P.S Connery got the nickname Seen Canaries from a Scottish TV comedy 
    show called Naked Video.
    
    

    Did anyone know that Timothy Dalton was chosen to star in the new Gone
    With The Wind movie? Starts filming this week.
    
    Michael
    
    BTW, I would have loved to see Brosnan as Bond....he would have carried
    it sooooooo well....
    
    Michael
    

Roger Moore played Bond far too foppishly.
The style of the Moore Bond movies was too campy, silly.
"007, license to kill" and he (through Moore) never normally carried a gun.
The definitive scene of the original mold was in (I think) "Dr. No,"
when Bond (Connery) drives to the far side of the island to interrogate
a suspect spy, then kills him in cold blood at the end of the "interview."
Contrast that with the buffoonery of Moore slapsticking it with Jaws
in Moonraker (still after all these years the worst movie I have ever paid 
money to see).

But times changed.  The original Bond WAS misogynist and somewhat sociopathic.
That's what 00-agents were.  Fleming wrote the books in the '50s, right?

The other aspect of the early-vs.-late Bond movies is that the gadgetry
in the early movies was, for the most part, real, while in the later
movies it was fatuous.
Goldfinger's laser was somewhat of an extrapolation, perhaps, but the
Aston-Martin was outfitted as in the movie.  (I read a report about the car
in an auto magazine.  The review noted that it didn't perform well
because it was so heavily loaded with all that stuff (oil tank, bulletproof
screen, guns, rocket launchers, etc.).)

As an '80s Bond, Dalton is okay.
For a '90s Bond, I don't know.  Bond has to be 32-35 years old by my thinking.
Old enough to have been a serious Navy man (he was a Commander before
shifting to intelligence), time to work up the ranks as a regular agent
to reach 00-grade, but young enough to still be alive.
In the books, Bond admits that he never expects to live to be 40.

Who fits the bill and maintains the darkness and the suaveness 
of the original in a '90s version?
I don't know - perhaps it has to be another newcomer, as Connery was (to the 
masses, anyway) at the time.

- tom]

    re .19, I think Daniel Day-Lewis could do it, but why would an actor of
    his status waste his time playing James Bond.
    
    I liked the campiness and silliness of the Roger Moore Bond movies.  
    
    Lorna
    

If you wanted to see the 'Goldfinger' Aston Martin DB5 its on display, in all its
glory, at the UK National Motor Museum at Beaulieu (sp).

TKS

    I certainly hope they resolve this Bond issue in the courts because I'd
    like to see a new 007 movie released.    
    
    Pierce Bronson would be a good James Bond, I also thought Dalton was
    good.  I think he made a good James Bond in License to Kill - some
    parts of the movie were kind of hoakey, but TD gave the character an
    "out of control" style.
    
    Kelli

re .18

Yes, Timothy Dalton is playing Rhett Butler in "Scarlett".

I thought Dalton made the best Bond since Connery, far better than Moore.


Randy

    Good news!  I read in the newspaper the other day that there will be a
    Bond movie out in 1995 and then two more to follow that one!  Although,
    Timothy Dalton won't be playing the infamous 007.
    
    I read in the paper today that they might consider Markey Mark -
    whoever he is.
    
    Kelli

    Markey Mark!?!?!?!?
    
    Tell me this is an overdue April Foll's joke.....
    
    
    Marilyn
    
    

    Oops
    
    That last should have read April Fool's joke....
    
    Marilyn

    
    Possibles to play Bond since Dalton has hung up his Walther:
    
    Pierce Brosnan
    Denzel Washington
    Kenneth Branagh
    Emma Thompson
    Lenny Hendry
    Jason Connery
    
    Names (those that I can remember) taken from British newspaper
    article.  Anyone have their own favorites/predictions?
    
    Another article in another paper expressed the viewpoint that 007 was
    no longer a practical character (if ever he was) for the post cold-war 
    era, and that he should be killed off.  I think that 'Licence to Kill' 
    might lend some support to this opinion, after all one dosen't need a 
    secret agent with gadgets galore to battle drug lords (anyone can do
    that nowadays).  And, I must admit, the likes of SMERSH or SPECTRE
    would be as comical today as KAOS was, back in the 60's.  Heroes must
    change and alter along with the times or face cultural obsolescence and
    discredibility, and I think that is what Bond now faces in his present
    guise.  A change is required.  Maybe he could go after ruthless
    villainous multinationals who are polluting the environment.  Just keep
    Steven Segal away from the above list...
     

    
    I reckon Pierce Brosnan should get the part......
    
    (the paper I read also suggested Rowan Atkinson.....oh dear!)
    
    
    
    
    Ian

    Re "the next Bond": Gee, I kinda like the Rowan Atkinson suggestion.
    "The name's Blackadder. James Blackadder."
    
    Entertainment Tonight posted some dial-in vote numbers for their top
    four picks, which included Brosnan, Mel Gibson, somebody whose name
    escapes me at the moment - and _Liam Neeson_. (As Bond??? I don't think
    so. But he'd make a dandy Bondian villain...) 
    
    Rafe Fines (pronounced "Ralph Fiennes") wasn't among the suggestions
    for Bond, but I did hear a rumor that he's being wooed to play the
    Saint in an upcoming movie. Roger Moore, take _that_. ;-)
    
    -b

    I think they should bring back Woody Allen.  
    
    He's the only Connery substitute that I've enjoyed.
    

    Who is Rowan Atkinson?  What has he been in?  Sorry, I'm not up on a
    lot of current movies these days.
    
    My vote would be Pierce Brosnon to play Bond.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Kelli

    My vote is for Pierce Brosnan, though years ago I felt him to be too
    effete for the role. He's aged well.
    
    As for the Cold War being over, the Middle East is a hot spot, and there's 
    still the Irish issue.....
    
    
    Marilyn

  During the late '60's and early 70's when the U.S. was losing the Vietnam
war, it because very unfashionable to take the western side in the cold war and
James Bond movies moved away from the traditional East v. West spy stories of
the books and early films. That's when they started having Bond fight against
all of those secret organizations mentioned in the previous note. 

  If you were to change one of those old movies so that those organizations
concentrated less on world conquest and more on drugs and terrorism, it would
involve less than 5 minutes of changed dialogue and probably no change at
all with what was on screen.

  For the most part the stories involve Bond sneaking into some giant complex,
making off with the head guy's girl friend, getting caught, getting away, then
leading a commando raid against the guards while being surrounded by whiz bang
gadgets and explosions.

  A very simple 200 line BASIC program run on an old 286 could generate the
plots. The change in world politics shouldn't slow them down at all.

  George

    
    Re. Rowan Atkinosn
    
    He's an British comedian who started off in Not the Nine O'Clock News
    in the early 80s before playing the lead role in the 4 series of the
    comedy Blackadder. Lately he has been doing Mr.Bean for British TV
    (don't know if Mr.Bean has hit the other side of the pond yet, but
    Blackadder definately has).
    
    As for films, the only film that I am aware of him doing is The Tall
    Guy with Jeff Goldbum and Emma Thompson. He played the showbiz guy that
    was Goldbum's boss...
           
    He would actually make a good James Bond if he acted it out with his
    Blackadder sense of humour. Ian Fleming would probably turn inhis grave
    and Bond purists would stick pins into efidgies of his body, but it
    would spark a freshness into the plot.
    
    As for plots, they'll find something, don't worry. It's not as if James
    Bond plots would stretch a script writers ability...
    
    Graham.

Rowan Atkinson also had a Cameo role as the british consul in
"Never Say Never Again"

If they did a spoof film al� the Barclaycard comercials He's been doing yes 
it would work

But I don't think he would do for a *real* bond movie

And re: Casino Royale wasn't it David Niven who played Bond?

re: .35
>    (don't know if Mr.Bean has hit the other side of the pond yet, but
>    Blackadder definately has).

    Mr. Bean has made it to Canada.  I'll never forget the visit to the
    dentist, it was hilarious stuff!

    I caught the ad for Four Weddings and a Funeral the other day on the
    tube, and Rowan Atkinson was playing a priest/minister.

    Shawn

    
    
    I saw somewhere that the London bookmakers had Peirce Brosnan as the
    favorite. Yes you can actually place money on it. Rowan A. is funny
    as hell. I saw a skit in which he was making a turkey dinner and
    lost his watch in the turkey. He stuck his head in to look for it
    and got it stuck inside the turkey etc....
    
    

    Wesley Snipes is very sexy.  He gets my vote for the new James Bond.
    
    
    kim

>    Wesley Snipes is very sexy.  He gets my vote for the new James Bond.

Um... no WAY! Bond is NOT black. Just as those who'd like to see a female
Bond... Bond isn't female either.

I don't even think Snipes could get the accent down right. It's gotta be
a white male, 30ish. Pierce Bronsan(sp?) could be OK, but I think he'd
only be able to make a few movies then he'd be too old. If I had to pick
anyone (BTW, I likes Dalton as Bond A LOT - much closer to the book Bond)
I'd have to pick Huge Grant if he changed his hair and built up a few more
muscles. But he might be a wee bit short...

The rumors of Mel Gibson made me sick!

/Scott

    Well, my first choice is and always has been Pierce Brosnan 
    as Bond but since Scott brought up the Hugh Grant, I'd have 
    to agree.  After all, the first thing I said to my movie 
    partner after seeing Grant in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" 
    was, "gee, Grant sure  reminds me of Pierce Brosnan."
    
    I just wish they'd make a decision and get another Bond 
    movie into the theaters. 
    
    If you want to see both Hugh Grant and Rowan Atkinson (two
    'unofficial' Bond contenders), go see "Four Weddings and a Funeral".
    Lots of laughs and tears.
    
    Jodi-
    

    
    i think snipes- with a british accent- would be just great.
    

> Rowan Atkinson

He'd be good in a spoof of Bond films. But that's about it. He's not
strong enough, or good looking enough, to play a serious Bond.

With some of the suggested bonds (gibson, snipes) I'm surprised nobody
as nominated Harrison Ford - or Costner (maybe Bond films would finally
make him speak w/ an english accent!)

The new Bond has to be english (or speak w/ an english accent) and white.
Dark hair. Strong, but not all muscles. Tall. Cold mean eyes. Good looking,
but doesn't have to be a 10.

Possible ones I could live with:

	Pierce Bronsan
	Hugh Grant
	Sean Connery (Only if they were to make a final Bond film, with
	  	      Bond dying at the end...)
	Timothy Dalton (still 1 or 2 good movies left in him...)

There could be other british actors who could play the role, but I don't
know 'em off hand...

/Scott	

    Does anybody know why Timothy Dalton won't be playing the role?  I,
    too, think he has a couple of good films left in him.
    
    I also heard a rumor they were trying to get Roger Moore back - Yuck!
    
    Kelli
    

    
    i don't understand why some folks feel that bond has to be white.
    

    I think Wesley Snipes would be fascinating as Bond. 
    
    And so would Chow Yun-fat, the Hong Kong star of several John Woo movies 
    (The Killer, Hard Boiled, Once A Thief).  The man has poise, charm,
    immaculate dress sense and moves as gracefully as a dancer. He's as
    convincing with a gun in his hand as he is helping a woman on with her
    coat or pouring a glass of wine. In short: class.
    
    Nick                                             

According to the bookmakers in London

Ralph Fienes is Favourite, followed by Pierce Brosnan.

IMHO

I think that Dave out of "Drop The Dead Donkey" (sorry can't remember the
actors name) who is also in "Between The Lines" might be Ok.

Yes it would have to be a Brit (or a Decent High class British accent), after
all he has the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy 

Micheal Keaton If he could do a convincing English accent may be ok.

I hope they ditch the "Action Man" style of the Timothy Dalton Bond.

And before anyone suggests Jason Connery, naw I don't think so, and I'd doubt
he'd do it.

    
    Jason Connery's too much of a nancy-boy to be the next Bond....
    
    
    
    
    Ian

    
    My cast for the next Bond:
    
    Bond:			Rowan Atkinson
    Q:				Leslie Nielsen
    M:				Billy Murray
    Moneypenny:			Roseanne
    Bond's girlfriend:		Christina Applegate
    Bad Guy:			John Godmann
    
    Director:			John Landis
    
    
    
    Christian
    

    Timothy Dalton was asked and refused the role for the next James Bond 
    movie. He said if he didn't get out now he would be doing bond for the 
    rest of his life. He didn't want that. I disagree.
       Sean Connery made a lot of James bond movies and made many other
    fine movies before, after and durring his run as James bond. 
                            Jeff Peters

    Sean Connery has a Scots accent, not an English one.  
    
    A Bond with a Scots accent (or an Irish one) would be fine with me.
    
    What about ... errr. what'shisname?  The gorgeous Irish guy in "Point
    of No Return", the CIA agent in charge of Bridgit Fonda?  He'd be great
    as Bond.  He's got acting talent too, which is more than I can say for
    Brosnan or Wesley Snipes (IMHO).
    
    Bonnie
    (Ahhh!  Someone tell me his name, quick!  I'll be thinking about it all
    day!)

    RE:
    Um... no WAY! Bond is NOT black. Just as those who'd like to see a female
    Bond... Bond isn't female either.
    
    
    Why does Bond have to be white.  Are you an expert on James Bond? 
    Isn't he a fictional character?
    
    What difference does it make if he is black, white, yellow, green or
    purple.
    
    Wesley Snipes is sexy, dashing, suave and very masculine.  Perfect for
    the role as James Bond.
    
    kim
    

    
    RE -2
    
    The guy you're thinking of is Gabriel Byrne, and I think he's Irish
    although most Americans can't tell the difference when the British,
    Scottish and Irish accents are "uppper class".
    
    In reading the previous, I'd have to revise my vote slightly. Although
    I still think Pierce Brosnan would make the best Bond, but I wouldn't
    be too unhappy with Hugh Grant, Gabriel Byrne, or for a "brainier"
    though less good looking Bond, Stephen Rea (of Crying Game fame).
    
    
    Marilyn

    
    First off, Bond doesn't need an English accent, he needs a British
    accent, but most think the two are the same anyway.
    
    As for colour, because of Bond's background, I think that he does have
    to be white. Britain is still a predominantly white country and I would
    be very surprised if there are many black commanders in the Royal Navy.
    It probably wouldn't spoil the film for non-British viewers, but I
    think that it would be harder over here.
    
    Graham.

    Siddig El Falil ("Doctor Bashir" on DS9) for Bond.
    
    Uma Thurman for the sexy villainess role. Or anything else :-)
    
    Rafe Fines (spelled "Ralph Fiennes") as a neo-Nazi arch villain
    who plans to start a war between Spain and Italy and get rich
    selling arms from his villa in the South of France. 
    
    Hire a temp to fill in the rest of the plot...
    
      John

>    i don't understand why some folks feel that bond has to be white.
    
Simple answer:  read the books.

/Scott

On a side note:  What about M, Q, and Moneypenny?

M:  Antony Hopkins (but it's too small a role, and I remember reading that
    he will play the next villan)

Q:  This role could be played by Rowian Aktinson(sp?)...

Monneypenny: one of the Benny Hill girls?   ;-)

    ARGH!
    
    Look, James Bond is *both* a fictional character (who has been rather
    thoroughly, if not always consistently, described in the series of
    books and movies in which he appears) and something of an archtype. I
    see nothing inconsistant in having movies featuring a canonical Bond
    (though some fans might insist that he resemble Sean Connery while
    others prefer Dalton, etc.) and at the same time having films about a
    black James Bond or a Korean James Bond or a female Persian cat James
    Bond. Everybody will know which is "from the book" and which isn't -
    and if they don't, you'll have some ready topics of conversation for
    use at parties. (Personally, if I had to choose between an actor who
    acted the way I thought a favorite character should act but didn't look
    like him, and one who looked the way I imagined but didn't act like
    him, I'd take the former.)
    
    This is not to say that I don't think one should ever gripe about a
    movie's departing from whatever material it was based on; I'm still mad
    about the changed ending of "Hunchback of Notre Dame". ;-) But while I
    might say that it isn't _the_ "Hunchback," I wouldn't deny that it's
    _a_ "Hunchback". Likewise, a Persian-cat-Bond movie might not be _the_
    James Bond, but there's nothing to say it can't be _a_ James Bond...
    
    "Tastes great." "Less filling." I think I'll go back to work now.
    
    -b

    
    re:.56
    
    what does that have to do with it?
    

    Actually, it has a lot to do with it if you see the movies because you
    liked to books. True, a lot of people who enjoy Bond movies have never
    picked up one of the books, but that doesn't matter to the purists.
    
    Another reason is that well-known characters chaging race, sex,
    whatever, tend to fall into parodies (Blackula, etc). While I have no
    problem with seeing a black/female/asian/hispanic/cat Bond-like character 
    developed into a movie series, for *me* Bond will always be male, white 
    and with a British accent, as well as suave, good-looking, tall,
    dark haired, etc.....
    
    For more compelling arguments on the undesirability of a character
    in a movie significantly different than the book, see the note on Lestat, 
    the Vampire.
    
    
    Marilyn

>                         -< 'read the books' so what? >-
>    re:.56
>    
>    what does that have to do with it?

Well - gee. The movies are based on the books. The Bond character is 
based on the books. I've read all of 'em, including the newer ones
except for the last 2 or 3 to come out (no time lately...)

Bond is, most definitly, white in the books. He's not black. Or female.
You'd just be messing up the formula which makes Bond movies great and
turning it into a typical action flick. No thanks. I don't want that.

Also - maybe Snipes as Bond would be popular in the U.S., but in
Europe and the rest of the world, where Bond movies make most of it's
money, it'd be a death sentence...

I'd also like to see the Bond movies stay on the more serious side, like
the last one or like some of Connery's or even the Lazenby one. Actually,
George Lazenby fits perfectly my image of Bond, and I thought he acted
well enough as well... the movie had flaws, but he played Bond well. I
wish he made a few more... Moore was the absolute pits...

Who is this Ralph Fines actor, anyway? What's he been in? The name rings
a bell but no face goes with it for me...

/Scott

    re .61
    
    Ralph Fiennes (as always, pronounced Rafe Fines) was Amon Goeth, the 
    sadistic (mad?) concentration camp head in Schindler's List.
    
    
    Marilyn 

    
    needless to say, i think it's silly to insist that *anything* in
    a movie be 'just like the book'. in the case of james bond, the
    essence of the character is his suavity and his britishness. as 
    we're all aware, there are plenty british folk of colour here in
    the waning years of the 20th century so it'd be perfectly reasonable
    to have a black man play the role. as for the person actually being
    british, well, need i remind people that that's why it's called
    *acting*? it doesn't matter who or what the actor is, it only matters
    what they're able to convince us they are. i happen to have a high
    enough opinion of mr. snipes that i think he could convince me he
    was a suave brit on her majesty's secret service.
    
    

>    needless to say, i think it's silly to insist that *anything* in
>    a movie be 'just like the book'. in the case of james bond, the

it's people like you who made Moore popular...   ;-)

Seriously thou. I just can't see a black Bond. I could see Snipes as a
spy, perhaps even a brit, but not Bond. Bond, as a character, does not
have the kind of background which enables him to be black. Trust me.
He can't be black or asian or anything...

BTW - Chow Yung Fat would make a pretty decent villian... And Red China
would be a good enemy for Bond to face in a movie. In fact, one little
known Bond book pits him against the Chinesse. It was written in the late
60's, and only one Bond book by this author was written. It's called
Colonel Sun. Pretty good. Much better then the newer Gardner books.

And no, if the actor could do the british accent, then I don't care if
he is american or whatever... but he's gotta be white... there is just 
no question about that.

/scott

     Hmmm, this is an interesting discussion.  I think Snipes has the range
to play a good Bond.  Certainly as well as Dalton did.  It would probably
do well in the box office, but that would depend more upon the screenplay
than the effect of a Black Bond.

     It would be good to shake-up those who try to build concrete icons.

                                    Greg

    
    re:.64
    
    >Trust me.
    
    not bloody likely.
    

> as for the person actually being
> british, well, need i remind people that that's why it's called
> *acting*? it doesn't matter who or what the actor is, it only matters
> what they're able to convince us they are.

	Wesley Snipes will have to act awefully hard to convince me
	he's white!  Movies roles aren't assigned only because an actor
	is capable of acting the part, the actor also has to fit the role
	(or character), which also may include physical characteristics.
	A obese actor, no matter how good they can act, could convince me
	they are James Bond, as an example.

	Do you think the 2nd Darren Stevens ("Bewitched") would of worked
	if he was black?  Maybe as the 1st Darren, but as has been said,
	new Bond movies are really sequels, not fresh movies, and you need
	some consistency in the character.

	Wesley Snipes would make a good villian or as a role as another
	agent (like for the CIA).

    
    
    ... Rowan Atkinson has already been in a Bond movie. The last one that
    Sean Canary was in (with Kim Basinger, I think) had Rowan as
    a bit of a goofy know-it-all civil servant from the Home Office (or
    some other qovernment quango)....
    
    Reargards,
    
    Stephen
    
    ps: Are you folks sure this Seen Conners bloke is Scottish ? I thought he
    was Australian ! ;-)
    

    Wesley Snipes, as engaging as he may be, strikes me as too "hip" to be
    the cultured sort of James Bond most people rather expect.  I tend to
    agree that since a pattern has been set as to what sort of person
    James Bond is, it would be jarring, save to Bond newbies, to stray too
    far from the mold.
    
    I liked Timothy Dalton as Bond and I think Pierce Brosnan or perhaps
    Adrian Paul (whom I'm never quite sure if he really has an accent or
    not, or sorta semi dons one at times for the "Highlander" series) would
    be good choices. Then again, I'm *sure* there's plenty of other lesser
    known actors who would fit the Bond mold.  
    
    
    My two cents,
    
    kim

>    >Trust me.
>    
>    not bloody likely.

have you read all the books?

/Scott

>    ps: Are you folks sure this Seen Conners bloke is Scottish ? I thought he
>    was Australian ! ;-)
    
Yes, he is... George Lazenby, who played Bond once, was Australian.

/Scott

    
    re:.70
    
    i think i read one once. my point is that it's irrelevent.
    

    I still think Daniel Day-Lewis would make the best James Bond.  He's
    British, he's classy, he's tall, handsome, the whole bit.
    
    I *love* Hugh Grant but I think he comes across as much too sweet for
    James Bond.  I've never seen him play anyone with remotely "cold mean
    eyes."
    
    Lorna
    

>    i think i read one once. my point is that it's irrelevent.
    
well gee. let's not even call him Bond then. And let's make him a CIA
agent instead. And let's give him a homosexual lover while we're at it...

You know - it's people like you who work in the movie business who ruin
movies based on books...

/Scott

>    I still think Daniel Day-Lewis would make the best James Bond.  He's
>    British, he's classy, he's tall, handsome, the whole bit.

handsome?

I've thought about him, but I think he face it too boney looking... In fact,
his whole body is too thin... Maybe if he bulked up a bit... maybe.
    
>    I *love* Hugh Grant but I think he comes across as much too sweet for
>    James Bond.  I've never seen him play anyone with remotely "cold mean
>    eyes."

yeah. This is true... but, then again, maybe it's just because he hasn't
been given that type of role to play. 

/Scott

    
    >let's make him a CIA
    >agent instead. And let's give him a homosexual lover while we're at
    >it...
     
    interesting ideas!
                                                    

    OK, folks, fun is fun, but this is getting to sound too much like
    rec.arts.movies. Please refrain from gratuitous insults - and if you
    must discuss whether so-and-so would make a good James Bond, or Dr.
    Who, or She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, or whoever, kindly *discuss* it, with
    reasons (and, one hopes, a bit of wit) rather than with the equivalent
    of "Oh, _yeah_???" 
    
    -b-the-moderator
    
    [Actually, I think it would make a *dandy* story if Mr. Bond found
    himself needing to seduce the villain's lovely young (male) lover,
    instead of the usual pulchritudinous females...]
    
    -b-not-the-moderator

Re: black and white Bonds

I agree Bond has to be white in the books. But, as somebody already pointed out,
in the films he's simply a suave Brit. The films ignore a lot of other
waning-of-empire era assumptions of the books as well. Why shouldn't they ignore
the idea that only white people can be heroes? It doesn't add anything.

FWIW, Bond is Scottish in the books, but he must be a Unionist. Sean Connery is
Scottish, but he's a Nationalist. In the terms of the assumptions of the books,
that's in the same league as a black actor playing Bond.

Helen

    re .beth
    
    >>...instead of the usual pulchritudinous females...]
    
    
    She said "pulchritudinous".  Cool.  Huh-huhuh. 
    
    
    
    cheers,
    
    kim
    
    

    
    I think Charles Dance would be great as Bond. He has the right aristo-
    cratic british attitude and he can make that mean staring with his
    eyes...
    
    Poul
    

    Now are you absolutely sure about this Seen Conners bloke... I mean, I
    heard that his first job was as a milkman in Musselburgh (which is of
    course near Edinburgh) which is of course in... Ah ! Now that would be
    in Scotland... 
    
    Jings and Michty Me ! Whit' hiv' ah' bin' haverin' oan' aboot' ?
    
    Now the Proclaimers.... They're definitely Australian... right?
    
    Reargards,
    
    Stephen

    The news on BBC radio said the producers of Bond will be looking for an
    unknown actor to play the part,and ruled out the likes of Pierce Brosnan
    (sp).
    
    Tyrone
    

    According to the May issue of "Cinema" new candidates are
    Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne.....
    
    Althoug I really like Neeson, I cannot see him as Bond. For me Bond
    will always be Roger Moore.
    
    A.

    Whoa.  I was thinking Gabriel Byrne and now he's being considered?
    I should place a bet.  I'm going to go buy a Lotto ticket today! :-)
    
    Bonnie

    Ooh, Gabriel Byrne would be interesting.  Those eyes, you know.

>    Ooh, Gabriel Byrne would be interesting.  Those eyes, you know.

Gabriel Byrne, the reincarnation of Robert Shaw.

Gabriel Byrne is one of the few established performers I can see as a new Bond.
(And I can't think of any others right now.)
As I've said before, the next Bond needs to be an unknown or little-known
actor.  Series actors need to build a persona from movie to movie without
tha baggage of prejudice of other roles.  
Like early Christopher Reeve and Superman.

- tom]

re: Gabriel Byrne.  If he's the reincarnation of Robert Shaw, he needs
to work for Spectre :-)  (From Russia with Love...)

    It was reported on BBC radio this morning that Pierce Brosnan will be
    the next James Bond.Good choice except he's not British,but he
    shouldn't find that too difficult to act...
    
    Tyrone
    
    

    Well, he's Irish, close enough I guess.
    
    I think he'll do a good job. I think he deserves it, too after the raw
    deal he got last time he was up for the role.
    
    
    Marilyn

  What else has he done?

  The name sounds familiar but I can't place him.

  George

    Remington Steele and he was Sally Field's boyfriend in Mr Doubtfire.
    
    Good choice on the movie maker's part
    
    Jt

     Ah, he's a skinny li'l twerp.  I just can't respect a James Bond
who I can snap in two without breaking a sweat.  Can we clone Connery?

                                 Greg

    I wouldn't say skinny but rather tall and slim :^)
    
    They should have picked Pierce the first time around!  Looking
    forward to this movie.
    
    PChaplinsky

    
    		James Bond is Scottish, I believe. So Pierce's not being
    		British should pose no problem.
    
    		-Kevin
    

> Ah, he's a skinny li'l twerp.  I just can't respect a James Bond
> who I can snap in two without breaking a sweat.  Can we clone Connery?

	Connery wasn't any bigger when he was doing Bond.  Age has
	filled him out.

>     They should have picked Pierce the first time around!

	They did!  But at that time he had contractual obligations
	with the producers of Remington Steele that he couldn't get
	out of.

    
    		Oooops. My error. I've come to associate Sean Connery,
    		who is Scottish, so closely with James Bond, that I
    		mistook Bond for Scottish.
    
    		-Kevin	

> James Bond is Scottish, I believe. So Pierce's not being
> British should pose no problem.

	But Scottish folks are also British folks since Scotland is
	part of the UK (as are folks from England, Wales and Northern
	Ireland).

    He also starred in the Lawnmower Man and has done several
    action/adventure movies.  I think he will make a great Bond.  I didn't
    particularly care for Timothy Dalton.
    
    Donna

    He was in the "Fourth Protocal" with Michael Caine,playing the strong
    silent type.
    
    Tyrone
    

    He was also the main character in the TV series based on the novel
    "Noble House". Over here it was also called "Noble House".
                               
    A.

	Todays paper had more info on the next movie.  It's currently
	being called "Goldeneye", the leading lady will be Russion
	(not cast yet), it will take 20 (!) weeks to shoot, and they
	are hoping for a June 1995 release in the US.

RE Goldeneye

  I suppose next we will see "Dr. Maybe" and "From the Ukraine with a moderate
degree of affection".

  They made three good Bond movies, "Dr. No", "From Russia with Love", and
Goldfinger. Since then they have all been hype and watered down junk. Somehow I
don't hold out a lot of hope for this one. 

  George 

    FYI: "Goldeneye" was the title of a Bond short story written by Ian
    Fleming I believe. Wasn't it part of the "For Your Eyes Only" book?
    
    I think Brosnan will bring the fun back to Bond. Here's hoping.
    
    -- Bill

RE:               <<< Note 384.92 by 8475::BRUNO "Father Gregory" >>>
>>                            -< Pierce Brosnan??   >-

>>     Ah, he's a skinny li'l twerp.  I just can't respect a James Bond
>>who I can snap in two without breaking a sweat.  Can we clone Connery?

     After reading the article about how Ian Fleming thought Sean Connery
     was too brutish for the role of Bond, and how David Niven (!) was
     the actor who portrayed Bond the way he intended, I realize that the
     things I liked about Bond were probably accidental.

                                  Greg

David Niven as Bond?!?  A nancy?  bleh

Actually, now that I think about it, wasn't Niven the Bond in 
Woody Allen's 'Casino Royale?'

    RE: Note 384.106
    
    > Actually, now that I think about it, wasn't Niven 
    > the Bond in Woody Allen's 'Casino Royale?'
      ***
    
    David Niven was *a* Bond in `Casino Royale' ... there 
    were more than one... :-)
    

    July 2 TV Guide (Puget Sound)
    
    Title Of Article : I, Spy
    
    Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan. Yes, the former Remmington Steele star will be
    the next James Bond. So, what can 007 fans expect? "It's too soon to
    talk about," says Brosnan, "But Sean COnnery was the Bond I grew up
    with. He was a big hero of mine. In 1964, when I was a boy of 11 coming
    to America from Ireland, the first movie I ever saw was 'Goldfinger'
    and it left an indelible mark on my young psyche." Despite his budding
    movie career--the Bond deal arrives between roles in 'Mrs Doubtfire'
    and the upcoming 'Love Affair' with Warren Beatty and Annette
    Bening--Brosnan insists he won't turn his back on TV. In fact, he just
    filmed 'Robinson Crueso' for CBS in Papua, New Guinea. "God, it really
    is a primative place," he says. Like James Bond, however, Brosnan came
    prepared. "I packed the malaria tablets."

    
    Boring but true:
    
    Ian Fleming's house in the carribean is called 'Goldeneye'
    
    
    
    Good eh?

    re. all and some.
    
    Why not a black Bond. Sounds good to me. And while we are at it,
    a female Bond whould be nice. Picture the ending scene - with
    Jaws, back from the dead by some silly plot, or perhaps Black Adder.
    
    Now, the language, how about pidgeon english? You know: birrdy nam nam.
    And why Bond, lets call her Jaime Blond. (which she will not be...)
    
    The movie could be called "From outer space with confusion"
    
    JB fighting blue furr-rats from the planet of bialrae.
    But in the end they become friends and she brings them back to mother
    earth as pets, and they fight pollution, and then...bla, bla...
    
    Naeh...
    
    Lets give this Pierce Brosnan a chance, I like him.
    
    Hermann
    

    
    Pierce Brosnan?
    
    Looks ok for the part. Sounds ok. Doesn't seem to be able to act as far
    as I can tell from previous efforts.
    
    I'm a Connery man, but Dalton was the next best thing in my book.
    
    I hope Brosnan will be ok.
    
    Wesley Snipes as James Bond? Ummmm, I think the genre would suffer if that
    happened and not only because of a lack of consistency. It really would
    be very difficult to imagine Snipes as coming from the kind of public
    school/Naval officer/Secret Service background that Bond does - it's
    real old-school-tie stuff. Equally true of a female Bond.
    
    Now, _perhaps_ Denzel Washington could carry it off?
    
    Mark

This reminds me... I saw a piece about the new 007 movie on CNN headline
news... Pierce looks the part, and I think should be able to pull it off.
However, they are trying to do things a bit differently now, and if I 
heard the directory of the film correctly, he said that M is now FEMALE!!!

I myself have mixed feelings about it, and I just hope this movie doesn't
turn into some sort of PC flick... I can accept M as a woman, since I
could see whoever is in charge as being called M. i.e., one M dies, and
the new one still goes by the codename of M. I just hope they didn't do this
change for any PC reasons, being hollywood and all.

/scott

    
    Well the the current head of MI.6 (if I have the title right)
    IS a woman.  I assume that 'M' was always modeled after the MI.6 head.
     
    Her name has been published several times in the British press.  (Don't
    recall it off-hand)  The restrictions have been somewhat loosened in 
    recent years.
    
    So accuracy is more like it. 
    
    Marshall
    
    

    Tina Turner sings the new theme song for the movie "GOLDENEYE"
    
    Can anyone list all the singers/bands from the previous BOND movies.
    
    John.
    
    PS, My favourite BOND was CONNERY.

    
    Goldeneye= Tina Turner
    Goldfinger=Shirley Bassey
    The Man with the Golden Gun=Lulu ( she did either this or You only live
    twice)
    the Spy Who Loved me= Carly Simon
    Thunderball=Tom Jones
    Moonraker=Shirley Bassey
    Diamonds are Forever=Shirley Bassey
    You Only Live Twice =
    Live and Let Die = Paul McCartney and Wings
    Octopussy = Roberta Flack
    License to Kill = Gladys Knight
    A View to a Kill = Duran Duran
    For Your Eyes Only = Sheena Easton
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service= instrumental
    
    did I miss any?
    
    Chris
    :)

    I think...
    
    From Russia with Love - Matt Munro?
    You only live twice - Nancy Sinatra?
    Dr NO - Instrumental (dang a dang dang danggg danggg...)
    End theme of OHMSS - Louis Armstrong (we have all the time in the
    world).
    
    Mikef

    Also - Living Daylights - Aha.
    
    mikef

    
    
    
    ahh right....didn't see the Living Daylights.
    
    was that any good?
    
    Chris
    :)

    re-1
    
    I think it was ok, but a little tired.  I much prefered it to Licence to
    Kill, it had a good 'Russian disguised as Milkman attacks large country
    house' sequence, using The Pretenders (Where has everybody gone) as
    background music.
    
    Mikef
     

    Boy, Chris, you are good!!
    
    Sue

    He has them all noted down on the inside of his anorak....
    
    ;-)
    
    
    Mikef

    
    
    Just a movie soundtrack collector...plus I love Bond films! 
    
    Chris
    :)

    Was it Billy Strange who did the Dr. No guitar-based theme?
    
    
    							John

    I seem to recall there is some arguement over this?  The track was
    recorded by Monty Norman, but credited to John Barry, tho it was
    actually written by Monty.  Something like that anyway.  I have the
    original 7" at home somewhere, I'll try and dig it out of the box.
    
    Mikef

    You left out "Never say never again" (though that's actually a rehash
    of Thunderball). No idea on the soundtrack.
    			Jim
    

RE      <<< Note 970.50 by SALEM::PORTER "Mike Porter, 285-2125, NIO/A19" >>>

>         One of my favorite movies is DR NO. That, along with GOLDFINGER,
>    were the two best Bond films. I would't rate this too high but I hope
>    the series continues. Even a bad Bond is better than most of the movies 
>    out there.
    
  Actually "Dr No" and "From Russia With Love" were the two best. Those were
the only two that really followed the book. "Goldfinger" wasn't bad but it was
already beginning to get a little gimmicky. After that they just got worse and
worse (read farther and farther away from the original story) until finally
when they did "The Spy that loved me" the only thing left from the book was the
title. 

  George

    A report in a UK magazine stated that attempts were being made to have
    Sean Connery play the part of the chief baddie type person  in the next
    James Bond movie.
    
    Personally, I reckon the accent will be a dead giveaway.... He's no
    as versatile as Robbie Coltrane, 'cos he cannae' do a Russian accent. 
    
    You should also note that this story probably originated from teh
    people whose job it is, to keep James Bond in the public eye.
    
    Stephen

re .127

I think Sean Connery would make an excellent Bond villain. We all know he can't
do accents, but who said the baddie had to have a funny accent ?

Shimesh %^)

    
    	And who says that Bond's nemesis has to be non-British?
    

    Should have attached smiley at the end of paragraph 2 in .127. No
    racist remark was intended.
    
    The gag was meant to be that Sean Connery does the same accent in all
    his movies.
    
    Stephen