343 replies to this topic

[Peter T Chattaway]

Ryan H. wrote:
: It seems David Arnold, who has scored every Bond film since 1997's TOMORROW NEVER DIES, will be sitting SKYFALL out. Thomas Newman is writing the score for SKYFALL.

Bummer. I've come to like Arnold's scores, and I can't think of anything in Newman's repertoire that leads me to think that he can "do" Bond.

Didn't Marc Forster replace a lot of the Bond production team with his own regular accomplices when he made Quantum of Solace? I'm not a fan of this quasi-auteurist approach to the franchise.

[morgan1098]

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

Ryan H. wrote:
: It seems David Arnold, who has scored every Bond film since 1997's TOMORROW NEVER DIES, will be sitting SKYFALL out. Thomas Newman is writing the score for SKYFALL.

Bummer. I've come to like Arnold's scores, and I can't think of anything in Newman's repertoire that leads me to think that he can "do" Bond.

Didn't Marc Forster replace a lot of the Bond production team with his own regular accomplices when he made Quantum of Solace? I'm not a fan of this quasi-auteurist approach to the franchise.

I love Thomas Newman, but I agree that he doesn't seem like a good fit for the Bond franchise--unless this new movie features James Bond spending half his life in Shawshank Prison pondering his existence.

I wonder who's going to do the big opening song?

[Ryan H.]

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

Bummer. I've come to like Arnold's scores . . .

I haven't. Not really. They could do worse, but he's far from the best they could find. His scores tend to equate noise with music, leaving behind the elegant simplicity of Barry's orchestrations for cacophony, and he has a very poor sense of how to structure a cue effectively. Even at his best, all he really manages is a not-so-great pastiche of Barry and other, stronger composers like Goldsmith and Williams.

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

I can't think of anything in Newman's repertoire that leads me to think that he can "do" Bond.

THE GOOD GERMAN, perhaps? I'm sure if Newman wants to do a Barry pastiche, he'll manage just fine. But I hope he doesn't and gives SKYFALL a new, distinct musical personality. As far as I'm concerned, the most interesting Bond score since Barry left was Serra's work on GOLDENEYE. The score is ultimately a mixed bag (Serra is not really any good with action cues), but it has moments that are far more striking than anything Arnold gave us (particularly when it comes to the more lyrical material), and it fits GOLDENEYE like a glove, bringing a heavy dose of Cold War atmosphere to the proceedings.

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

Didn't Marc Forster replace a lot of the Bond production team with his own regular accomplices when he made Quantum of Solace? I'm not a fan of this quasi-auteurist approach to the franchise.

This is what the producers have been trying to do with Bond ever since Albert Broccoli died. They're after prestige.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Ryan H. wrote:
: His scores tend to equate noise with music, leaving behind the elegant simplicity of Barry's orchestrations for cacophony . . .

Before Tomorrow Never Dies, I would have agreed. My review of Stargate -- the film, not the soundtrack -- began with a full paragraph devoted to the opening credits and the bombastic music playing over them. But I was surprised to find how much I actually liked his style once it was applied to the Bond films -- or once he applied the Bond films to his style, as the case may be. I especially liked the way he leavened the techno in there (e.g. the 'Backseat Driver' track in TND). (Oh, heh, look, here is a skeptical comment I wrote about Arnold being hired for TND about a year before the film itself came out and won me over. I found it while searching for my review of the GoldenEye CD, which I haven't been able to find online yet.)

: THE GOOD GERMAN, perhaps?

I don't even remember the music to that one. When I think Thomas Newman, I think of his scores for Lemony Snicket, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, American Beauty, etc., etc.

: As far as I'm concerned, the most interesting Bond score since Barry left was Serra's work on GOLDENEYE.

Oh wow. I *HATED* that one. (Though I did like the percussion-only version of the Bond theme that we hear in at least one track.)

: This is what the producers have been trying to do with Bond ever since Albert Broccoli died. They're after prestige.

Hmmm. Although they did go back to Martin Campbell for Casino Royale, which is kind of ironic, given that he's arguably the least auteurish of the directors they've hired in the last 15 years and his film is probably the most highly-regarded of the lot.

[Ryan H.]

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

Before Tomorrow Never Dies, I would have agreed.

TOMORROW NEVER DIES is the least cacophonous of his Bond scores, making strong use of thematic material during the action cues, but by the time we get to the action cues of CASINO ROYALE, though, Arnold's just churning out blaring noise. Arnold should have stepped away from the franchise after DIE ANOTHER DAY.

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

I especially liked the way he leavened the techno in there (e.g. the 'Backseat Driver' track in TND).

I think Arnold's use of techno is a mixed bag at best. With THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and DIE ANOTHER DAY, it's a serious detriment, layered so heavily that it drowns out the orchestra. (Admittedly, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE use the techno stuff a bit better.)

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

I don't even remember the music to that one.

It's a pastiche of grand, Old Hollywood. Nothing too special, but it's not the usual Thomas Newman material.

Peter T Chattaway, on 05 January 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

Oh wow. I *HATED* that one. (Though I did like the percussion-only version of the Bond theme that we hear in at least one track.)

As I say, it's a half-success, but it's more interesting than anything Arnold's come up with. Though, admittedly, it's had to grow on me. There was a time where I hated it.

Edited by Ryan H., 05 January 2012 - 11:11 PM.

[Ryan H.]

We have our first publicity still from SKYFALL.

[David Smedberg]

Ryan H., on 13 January 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:

We have our first publicity still from SKYFALL.

Aw geez. I'm tempted to make a crack about that, butt I'll hold it in.

[NBooth]

ComingSoon has set pics.

[Ryan H.]

So it appears that SKYFALL, after shooting a bit in London and Shanghai, has moved on to shooting in Scotland.

The interesting feature is that where they're shooting in Scotland is Dalness Lodge, in Glen Etive, which once belonged to Ian Fleming's family:



Where the spoilers come in, is that the film's climax is apparently set here, and the locals working on the set allege that it's being used as Bond's ancestral home (source is this broadcast here, skip to 14:30 for the report on Bond).

Edited by Ryan H., 12 February 2012 - 09:04 AM.

[Tyler]

Judi Dench talks about acting and going blind.

[Ryan H.]

[Tyler]

No more martinis for James. The movie has a $45 million product placement deal with Heineken.

[Ryan H.]

Tyler, on 02 April 2012 - 05:53 PM, said:

No more martinis for James. The movie has a $45 million product placement deal with Heineken.

Heineken has been a pretty consistent partner with Bond over the past few years.

[Ryan H.]

Some groovy new photos:











They come from a French magazine article, which was awkwardly translated by fan on another forum into the following semi-comprehensible bullet points:

- The costume designer Jany Temine wants to modernize James Bond while retaining him an old school side -- The film will go in Scotland, in Shanghai, Turkey and Macau
- A scene of "crash" would be expected for the sequence of the subway.
- The journalist witnessed the shooting of a scene: the arrival of James Bond in a floating casino in Macao (I think the dragons we saw on the picture of Pinewood come from this set)
- For the scene in the set with the glasses and the neon lights that we saw in the videos and the first official image, the idea is to multiply Bond's reflect. The designer wanted that decor reflected both the spirit of James Bond and what he saw. And here, Bond must appear as a character back from the dead.
- Sam Mendes promises they never pushed the character in such limits
- The scene of Macau: Bond leaves his hotel room and goes to the casino by boat (he is standing on the boat, dressed in a tuxedo). The boat passes between the two dragon heads and a firework is fired. The scene has a certain gravity and Mendes put a mysterious depth in it. The journalist said that the casino "looks like a kingdom of the dead"
- Jany Temine said that Berenice's character would be a "bad girl" so she wanted to dress her like a "femme fatale". But Berenice does not answer clearly to the question of which side belongs her character (she must be ambiguous, not completely bad)
- Sam Mendes loves CASINO ROYALE and Daniel Craig, because for the first time since Connery, the character of Bond was no longer outside the action and the film wasn't ironic about the hero. He also learned the codes of the series and wants to bring things that has never been seen before.
- Mendes confirms the return of some iconic characters of the saga (so Q is not the only one). He also confirms he wants to bring more humor than in the last two movies. He wants to explore the roots of the MI6, as to make a loop with DR NO (probably for the 50th anniversary)
- And finally, Mendes reveals some thematics of SKYFALL: what changed in fifty years? Should the MI6 evolve or stay as it was fifty years ago? Who are the new enemies of the XXI century? Who is Q : an inventor of gadgets that have become increasingly importants or a man who invents new ways to kill people?
- "Daniel Craig was the first one to think about Sam Mendes for being the director of this James Bond movie. They are good friends since the shooting of ROAD TO PERDITION, and when he was offered the job, Sam agreed, to our surprise."

I wonder how this talk of SKYFALL being more humorous is going to blend with the rumors of M dying in SKYFALL and the on-set photographs and footage that has been released of Bond's ancestral home and family chapel, the location of his parent's graves, going up in flame.

Edited by Ryan H., 11 April 2012 - 05:42 AM.

[Judo Chop]

Ryan H., on 11 April 2012 - 05:41 AM, said:

I wonder how this talk of SKYFALL being more humorous...

These kinds of 'clues' are maddening. They cause us to think everything yet tell us nothing.

More humorous than what, exactly?

Even if we can presume he means Quantum of Solace, what does he mean by 'humorous'? Does that mean simply more jokes per scene, or is it saying something about the overall tone of the film?

Finally, what is Mendes' idea of humor? In Bond we've had some terrific subtle zingers, good puns, bad puns, and everything from the personification of animals, to potty-mouthing, to cross-dressing (not that I have any real fear of seeing the latter examples).

If he'd just tell us that Skyfall will be humorous as often as, and in roughly the same way as, Casino Royale...

The last two of those photos are quite awesome. Great sillouette shot in the hallway, and then that final one which strikes me as very superheroish, perhaps specifically Batmanish.

Edited by Judo Chop, 19 April 2012 - 08:26 AM.

[Ryan H.]

Judo Chop, on 19 April 2012 - 08:25 AM, said:

More humorous than what, exactly?

They've stated in other interviews that it's meant to be "lighter" than both CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

[Judo Chop]

Ryan H., on 19 April 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Judo Chop, on 19 April 2012 - 08:25 AM, said:

More humorous than what, exactly?

They've stated in other interviews that it's meant to be "lighter" than both CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

Forgive me. I know close to nothing. Bascially a virgin to all Skyfall ongoings. (I did peek into your rumored spoilers.)

So it's to be a change in tone, then? "Lighter", yet we're pushing the character to uncharted limits. I see what you mean. Doesn't seem possible. Where do you figure the disconnect lies?

[Ryan H.]

Judo Chop, on 19 April 2012 - 09:46 AM, said:

So it's to be a change in tone, then? "Lighter", yet we're pushing the character to uncharted limits. I see what you mean. Doesn't seem possible. Where do you figure the disconnect lies?

I think they're stressing the comedy for the press because they know QUANTUM OF SOLACE didn't go over too well. They're also stressing the drama because they know there are a lot of folks who don't really want a return to "Bond as usual." So they're giving us contradictory messages in the hopes of pleasing everyone. (And really, they've done this sort of thing since GOLDENEYE.)

We don't know altogether that much about SKYFALL. We're starting to learn more, now as the press stuff is starting to heat up (lots of pictures leaking all over the place, descriptions of filming in magazines). From the little we know, the first section(s) of SKYFALL do seem to be packed with a lot of Classic Bond^TM stuff. So what I'm guessing is that those first sections puts a bit more emphasis on the banter than CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE does, plays it a bit lighter and breezier, until the film dips into the more dramatic waters during the final act of the film.

[Judo Chop]

Ryan H., on 19 April 2012 - 09:58 AM, said:

I think they're stressing the comedy for the press because they know QUANTUM OF SOLACE didn't go over too well. They're also stressing the drama because they know there are a lot of folks who don't really want a return to "Bond as usual." So they're giving us contradictory messages in the hopes of pleasing everyone.

As everyone knows, everyone loves contradiction.

Ryan H., on 19 April 2012 - 09:58 AM, said:

So what I'm guessing is that those first sections puts a bit more emphasis on the banter than CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE does, plays it a bit lighter and breezier, until the film dips into the more dramatic waters during the final act of the film.

So, you're suggesting no contradiction, but a combination of truths. I suppose that should work fine as long as they don't grind the transmission while they're shifting gears. How much faith do you put in the rumors, particularly that first one you mentioned?

Spoiler

I've heard that Dench's eyesight is quickly deteriorating. Might this be a deliberate send-off?

[Ryan H.]

Judo Chop, on 19 April 2012 - 10:26 AM, said:

How much faith do you put in the rumors, particularly that first one you mentioned?

Spoiler

I've heard that Dench's eyesight is quickly deteriorating. Might this be a deliberate send-off?

I put a lot of faith in that rumor. At any rate, it's pretty guaranteed that Ralph Fiennes will be the new M when we reach the end of SKYFALL.

It's also guaranteed that Bond's ancestral home complete with parent's gravesites[/black] is in the film, and that it [highlight=black]goes up in flames at the end. I've seen the photos and video footage.

Edited by Ryan H., 19 April 2012 - 10:30 AM.