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

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It was quite hilarious during the CR promo that EON seemingly didn't even try to tone down Eva Green's sometimes rather "interesting" personal style choices.

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Marlohe is a transexual on sticks.

Stamper wrote:

Marlohe is a transexual on sticks.

With good fashion sense or at the very least the sense to listen to her stylist. ;)

Erica Ambler wrote:

...it would be good to see at least one of the Bond girls have an afterlife. It breaks my heart to see them all twiddling their thumbs at Baker St.

Something is getting twiddled at Baker Street, but it ain't thumbs.

And what exactly is Eva Green, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton, or Rosamund Pike? Chopped liver"

Eva Green most recently starred in DARK SHADOWS, opposite Johnny Depp.

Olga Kurylenko is the female lead in Tom Ooze's next movie, OBLIVION, out summer 2013.

Gemma Arterton...man, she's been in CLASH OF THE TITANS, PRINCE OF PERSIA and, regrettably, HANSEL AND GRETEL.

Rosamund Pike's new movie, opposite Tom Ooze, is JACK REACHER.

The days of the "Curse of the Bond Girls" have been over for a long time (if they ever existed in the first place).

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Erica Ambler wrote:

1. Kristen Stewart, $34.5 million.

Can't open a film on her own outside of the Twatlight series (which is mercifully ending). It took Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron to help SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN make any money at the U.S. box office.

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2. Cameron Diaz, $34 million.

What year did you get these figures from? 2000? Diaz hasn't been a box office draw since the last Charlie's Angels film back in 2003.

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3. Sandra Bullock, $25 million.
4. Angelina Jolie, $20 million.

The only two on your list with any box office clout.

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6. Julia Roberts, $16 million.

No longer relevant. Last few films have cratered at the box office.

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7. Sarah Jessica Parker, $15 million.

Aside from two SATC movies, what other films has SJP made into a box office hit?

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8T. Meryl Streep, $12 million.

Money well spent, but her films are not blockbusters. However, considering the types of films she makes, they don't have to be.

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8T. Kristen Wiig, $12 million.

Outside of BRIDESMAIDS, what films of hers have been huge? She helped one movie become a surprise hit. Come back to me when she's an established box office draw.

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10. Jennifer Aniston $11 million.

Cannot open a film without a solid, dependable leading man. Is box office poison.

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Natasha ‘Eva’ Green, will work for food

Judging from pictures of her, she's not eating.

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I checked Kurylenko's IMDB and didn't see it as a good sign that her recent entries included a TV show I had never heard of and a movie that had been shot in Belgium (of all places) that I had never even heard of either.

At this rate, she's about 2-3 years removed from doing softcore features.

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Sylvia Kristel would have been a great Bond girl.

As with Brigitte Nielsen (who'd have been perfect for May Day), I'm slightly surprised that Kristel never appeared in a Bond film.

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Salomé wrote:

I checked Kurylenko's IMDB and didn't see it as a good sign that her recent entries included a TV show I had never heard of and a movie that had been shot in Belgium (of all places) that I had never even heard of either.

At this rate, she's about 2-3 years removed from doing softcore features.

Doesn't seem to be that bad, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS was just released.

Python wrote:

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS was just released.

And no one alerted the police?

Loomis wrote:

As with Brigitte Nielsen (who'd have been perfect for May Day),

Actually, not a bad idea, but she didn't really register on people's radar until 1987 with Beverly Hills Cop 2, at which point obviously AVTAK had come and gone. Her role in BHC-2 apparently scored her a lunch with Babs "Coltrane" Broccoli to discuss the Pam Bouvier role in LICENSE REVOKED, but EON decided that Nielsen wasn't sufficently B-grade film material yet and went with up-and-going-straight-to-VHS star Carey Lowell.

Actually, she could have made an interesting Maxine Zorin if you ask me. I still think Grace Jones was the best choice for May Day, because physically she's the exact opposite of the test-tube, psychotic, Aryan-offspring Max. She makes for a striking side-by-side comparison with Walken (or NIelsen), whereas a blonde Brigitte Nielsen opposite Walken simply would have been doubling down on the same look. Would have been way before it's time, but might have been interesting to have Jone's as Nielsen's bodyguard and lover had Nielsen played Maxine Zorin.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Actually, not a bad idea, but she didn't really register on people's radar until 1987 with Beverly Hills Cop 2, at which point obviously AVTAK had come and gone.

I suspect that RED SONJA and ROCKY IV would have put her on Eon's radar, but checking the IMDb it appears that both of those films were released in 1985 (I thought, wrongly, that SONJA was a 1984 release), so, again, too late for A VIEW TO A KILL.

I think she'd have been great as a "secondary" Bond girl like May Day (she'd have been great for Onatopp as well, if GOLDENEYE had been made a few years earlier, but even though she was only 32 in 1995 her star had waned considerably by the time of Brozza's first outing) but too.... erm, unconventional, to be a main Bond girl.

Where's the discussion on the premier? :|

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Roger Friedman is a great, reliable insider in the industry. But I'd like more clarity on his "Christopher Nolan" comment. And if Mendes is willing and able, and the box office is huge like I expect it will be, Mendes should be asked to come back. However, would Mendes or Nolan be willing to commit to a film where the release date has already been penciled in? Mendes had 3 years, or so, to prep this film. Nolan had 4 years to prep TDKR, 3 to prep TDK, and he may have been working on BATMAN BEGINS back in 2002. Can't remember when he (un)officially started on it.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/10/26/skyfall-opens-in-uk-bond-24-set-for-2014-but-likely-without-judi-dench

James Bond 23 opens today in the United Kingdom. Expect a windfall for “Skyfall” as for once in a long time everything is right with the fabled spy action series. “Skyfall” ends with a notice, like all the other films in the series, that “James Bond will Return.” My colleague at the Daily Mail in London, Baz Bamigboye, reports today that Bond 24 is already in pre-production, John Logan is writing the script (as he did for “Skyfall”) and that Daniel Craig will be back in his tux by the end of 2014 if not sooner.

Also expect that Ralph Fiennes will succeed Judi Dench as M. Dench has a full plate of movies and theater, but running around a field with a semi automatic weapon isn’t “optimal” even at her most youthful demeanor. Dench gets a lot of airtime in “Skyfall,” capping a brilliant run as M starting back in 1994. She’s the longest running actor in the James Bond series. And she’s probably getting an Oscar nod this year for “Best Exotic Mariold Hotel.” Dame Judi is just starting a new Stephen Frears movie with Steve Coogan that sounds like a winner.

Who will direct Bond 24? They’d be smart to stick with Sam Mendes. But the producers are said to be considering Christopher Nolan, among others. And who should be next to write and sing the Bond theme song? Since Adele filled the ladies’ slot this time ’round, my vote is for Sting. I always thought his “Tomorrow We’ll See” was a James Bond song! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=576vw_qbqLs

Why does this journalist blow two important SKYFALL plot twists in this article? I knew them already, but I feel sorry for anyone reading this piece who'd been trying to keep spoiler-free.

I hate the way that so many journalists and reviewers blithely give away spoilers, as though it doesn't even occur to them that people would wish to go into a film without knowing its secrets.

As for a Nolan Bond film, that would be great. We could have an absurdly overlong and excessively talky 007 outing with a tiresomely downbeat tone, muffled dialogue and mediocre action scenes (I hope that that doesn't describe the Bond film that opened in British cinemas today). I'd rather almost anyone but Nolan directed BOND 24.

Loomis wrote:

Why does this journalist blow two important SKYFALL plot twists in this article? I knew them already, but I feel sorry for anyone reading this piece who'd been trying to keep spoiler-free.

I hate the way that so many journalists and reviewers blithely give away spoilers, as though it doesn't even occur to them that people would wish to go into a film without knowing its secrets.

Eh....I'm giving Friedman a pass on this. He said to "expect" Fiennes to return as M; he doesn't say why, and he doesn't tell the audience that it is for certain. If a person wanted to avoid all potential SKYFALL spoilers, they should have gone no further into his article past the title. And at 77, it's not a stretch for anyone to assume that she'd not be returning as M.

Friedman got his facts wrong, though. Desmond Llewelyn was the longest running actor with the series....by a huge margin....35 years...nearly double Dench's contribution. Dench has only been associated with the series since 1995 and GOLDENEYE. That means 17 years. I re-read Friedman's report to see if maybe he meant the Craig series when he made that remark, but he referred to "the James Bond series", so it's fair to assume he meant everything going back to 1962. It's clear that he's more a fan of Dench (and Mendes) than the series as a whole; no true Bond fan could ever have made such a rookie mistake.

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As for a Nolan Bond film, that would be great. We could have an absurdly overlong and excessively talky 007 outing with a tiresomely downbeat tone, muffled dialogue and mediocre action scenes (I hope that that doesn't describe the Bond film that opened in British cinemas today). I'd rather almost anyone but Nolan directed BOND 24.

I think it would be great for Nolan to do a series of Bond movies, but I almost think it's not an option now. He came in and rescued the Batman series, but that wouldn't be his mission for the Bond series, as it's clear this film, as well as Craig's other Bond films, have been unqualified box office smashes. And after the nearly 100% positive reviews SKYFALL has gotten, who is going to want to try and follow up by Mendes? Seems almost like a thankless task.

EDIT: Ruh-roh! I think I just saw that 2nd spoiler you were referring to. I missed it the first couple of times I read the article, just assuming it was fan wankery, but now I think I see what you are referring to.

I'm not sure what you mean. The two spoilers I was referring to are:

Spoiler:

and

Spoiler:

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Sure, Friedman may not say why, but you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out why.

Loomis wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean.

I thought one of the spoilers you were referring to was that

Spoiler:

At least that was what I inferred from Friedman's comment when I went back and re-read it. Re-read it yourself and tell me if that's what it sounds like he's saying.

The comments about Fiennes that Friedman made were, I felt, basically just one spoiler.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Loomis wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean.

I thought one of the spoilers you were referring to was that

Spoiler:

At least that was what I inferred from Friedman's comment when I went back and re-read it. Re-read it yourself and tell me if that's what it sounds like he's saying.

Yes, I see what you mean. I must have skipped over that bit before.

I think I now know virtually everything that happens in SKYFALL, and much of this knowledge has come from reading reviews - reviews that are not aimed at ultra-fanatical Bond geeks like ourselves but at Joe Blow, and thus have no business being so free and easy with spoilers.