Skyfall (2012) - UK Oct 26th , US Nov 9th [SPOILERS]

Here's how I think the PTS will take place:

Bond is in Istanbul, posing as Patrice, a French mercenary and known associate of a man who was recently taken into MI6 custody. Patrice is going to try and break him out of his confinement, using information given to him by a local source. Bond attempts to beat Patrice to the source, but finds he is too late. He chases Patrice across the city to the train, which they both board and proceed to fight. Bond uses the excavator to tear a hole in one of the carraiges, separating it from the rest of the train. As the train itself is about to cross a bridge and enter a tunnel, Bond angles the excavator arm so that it will collide with the roof of the tunnel, jacknifing the train. He then climbs out onto the arm and drops down onto a Land Rover driven by Eve. The two speed into the tunnel moments before the train crashes. We then cut back to the torn-apart carraige, which has come to a halt in the middle of nowhere. It is surrounded by agents who enter to take its occupant back into custody, and we see that the occupant is Raoul Silva (though Bond never sees his face).

It sure does seem like an awful lot of this movie is being filmed by the second unit. Or perhaps we just don't know the true extent of what Mendes and the first unit are doing in Pinewood. Wait and see I guess, but so much of this is reminding me more and more of TWINE with each passing day.

You do realise that all of the stuff released in the past few days was actually done some time ago, right? The whole thing was under a press embargo until a few days ago, so by the time the reports were posted, production had already moved to Turkey.

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

That's some good looking video footage. It does remind a bit of QoS, being another chase through a rundown dusty section of town.

They're trying to get to the bar to get an icy cold Heiny....

In that climate, I can't blame them.

Speaking of heinies....that avatar...it brightens and lights every thread, it spreads its awesome cheekiness upon. Eat your heart out Mi6Book.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Here's how I think the PTS will take place:

Bond is in Istanbul, posing as Patrice, a French mercenary and known associate of a man who was recently taken into MI6 custody. Patrice is going to try and break him out of his confinement, using information given to him by a local source. Bond attempts to beat Patrice to the source, but finds he is too late. He chases Patrice across the city to the train, which they both board and proceed to fight. Bond uses the excavator to tear a hole in one of the carraiges, separating it from the rest of the train. As the train itself is about to cross a bridge and enter a tunnel, Bond angles the excavator arm so that it will collide with the roof of the tunnel, jacknifing the train. He then climbs out onto the arm and drops down onto a Land Rover driven by Eve. The two speed into the tunnel moments before the train crashes. We then cut back to the torn-apart carraige, which has come to a halt in the middle of nowhere. It is surrounded by agents who enter to take its occupant back into custody, and we see that the occupant is Raoul Silva (though Bond never sees his face).

Good work! I'm saving this. Will follow along when I see the movie.

Actually, I'm not that happy with it. I like the idea of Patrice trying to break Silva out of his prison on the train, but I don't like the ending. I now think Silva remains in custody, but never actually had any intention of escaping; he simply wanted to know who his jailers were. By the end of the sequence, Bond is identified, and so stages his death. The film then cuts to London, where Patrice carries out the attack on MI6 to break Silva out of custody (for real this time), and M sends for Bond - who is lying low in Turkey, relaxing on a yacht with the Greek model.

Or something. I don't like the double break-out.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Actually, I'm not that happy with it. I like the idea of Patrice trying to break Silva out of his prison on the train, but I don't like the ending. I now think Silva remains in custody, but never actually had any intention of escaping; he simply wanted to know who his jailers were. By the end of the sequence, Bond is identified, and so stages his death. The film then cuts to London, where Patrice carries out the attack on MI6 to break Silva out of custody (for real this time), and M sends for Bond - who is lying low in Turkey, relaxing on a yacht with the Greek model.

Or something. I don't like the double break-out.

More good work. It's all falling into place.

Because I'm bored, here's a write-up of how I imagine the opening scene will go:

Quote :

BOND is meeting with his contact, MARANGOZ, in an Istanbul apartment. They are sitting in a room that is taller than it is wide, the air dusty and slightly hazy. Marangoz offered Bond a cigarette from a silver case. Bond refuses.

MARANGOZ
A shame. I never could trust a man who does not smoke.

BOND
Tell me about the Frenchman.

MARANGOZ
What can I say? He is a Frenchman. Do you know why I cannot trust a man who does not smoke?

BOND
Enlighten me.

MARANGOZ
Because the cigarette a man smokes tell you everything you need to know about him. Everybody wants somebody else's tobacco. In Moscow, an American cigarette will get you further than a fistful of roubles ever could; in New York, a Cuban cigar is to be prized above all else. And as for the French (BEAT) the French, they jealously guard their own tobacco the way they would a lover. I think a Frenchman would rather die than smoke a cigarette from England or America. They taste like shit, but what do I know? I smoke coarse leaf from Erzurum.

BOND
And this Frenchman (BEAT) what cigarette does he smoke?

MARANGOZ
Everyone's. Anyone's. Whoever is offering.

BOND
He's a mercenary.

MARANGOZ
Are you looking to hire him?

BOND
Is he otherwise occupied?

MARAGOZ
You can't afford him.

BOND
Money is no object.

MARANGOZ.
Certainly not to him. He only works for those who can bring him the very best violence.

BOND
And that's all you you know about him?

MARANGOZ
When I was a schoolboy, Mr. Bond, I loved learning. History, mathematics, physics, language; it didn't matter what subject. I always wanted to know more. But with this Frenchman, I discovered something I never thought was possible - for once in my life, I don't want to know any more about him than I already do.

Bond gets up to leave.

MARANGOZ
(cont'd)
He will try and kill you when you meet him, Mr. Bond. But don't worry - that just means he likes you. It's when he succeeds that you need to start worrying about yourself.

Bond should never refuse a cigarette.

You obviously missed the subtext.

Twitter posting from yesterday: "So today, daniel craig saw me giving a topless lapdance. With the pleasure of Sam mendes directing."

And another one from today:

"skyfall james bond, rocket attack scenes in the bazaar has closed today, to avoid loss of life, the civil grand bazaar closed to visitors ..."

CNN's Turkish bureau is reporting that high winds in Istanbul damaged part of the set. Probably that high bridge we keep seeing in videos, the purpose of which I am yet to figure out.

As we all saw the other day, there was an accident during filming with a stunt rider going through a store front window.

Apparently this has happened again.

According to a few local reports, the new shop window was being moved into place when a dust storm kicked up and visibility dropped. Either the men moving the window or the stunt rider (I'm not sure if it was the same person) or quite possibly both got turned around in the storm ... and the rider went through the new window.

Bond is such a racist.

CJB wrote:

Bond is such a racist.

Nah, he's clearly a young turk....

I'm liking your new avatar, Dog.

Sharky wrote:

I'm liking your new avatar, Dog.

Just needs Rog in the background.

Sharky wrote:

I'm liking your new avatar, Dog.

You can use the little 'hand cursor' to tickle Ms. Sects' ... fancy.

Latest video blog, from the first and second assistant directors, showing some shooting in Shanghai:

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/editors/skyfall-world-exclusive-behind-scenes-bond-set-105804881.html

Lovely locations. Looks like they're making good use of China.

Hopefully. I fear, though, that it'll mostly be a case of "Ooh, look as this amazing cityscape at night, with all its neon lights and skyscrapers!" - MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III has already been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

Loomis wrote:

Hopefully. I fear, though, that it'll mostly be a case of "Ooh, look as this amazing cityscape at night, with all its neon lights and skyscrapers!" - MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III has already been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

Only for Shanghai, which I don't think features very significantly.

I think we'll get more as far as Macao and the Chinese countryside goes (that location scouting video has some great images of traditional Chinese bridges, etc.).

Ah, I was under the impression that Shanghai featured much more heavily than it would seem it actually does. It would be great if Bond were to get out into other places in China.

Has Macao definitely been confirmed as a location?

Loomis wrote:

Has Macao definitely been confirmed as a location?

I believe so.