Is Bond too "Director-Proof" to benefit from Sam Mendes?

Klown wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Its the first time in the series history that we've had a real "big name" director as it were.

The Up Series and Once Were Warriors are about 18 times better than American Beauty. Just for the record.

ONCE WERE WARRIORS UNDOUBTEDLY, though I'd also through in Lewis Gilbert's ALFIE.

RE: The UP series. SEVEN UP is easily the best of bunch. They became drastically dull and exploitative soon as Apted came on board. A bit too many self-(or director) fulfilling prophecies.

That said, being a 'big name' director is no real barometer of quality.

Klown wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Its the first time in the series history that we've had a real "big name" director as it were.

The Up Series and Once Were Warriors are about 18 times better than American Beauty. Just for the record.

Wasn't talking about quality, was talking about name recognition. Of course, which directors have the most name recognition is I suppose dependant on the part of the world you live in. For example, in Canada more people have undoubtably heard of American Beauty and Road to Perdition than the Up Series or Once Were Warriors. Especially Once Were Warriors.

Sharky wrote:

Klown wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Its the first time in the series history that we've had a real "big name" director as it were.

The Up Series and Once Were Warriors are about 18 times better than American Beauty. Just for the record.

ONCE WERE WARRIORS UNDOUBTEDLY, though I'd also through in Lewis Gilbert's ALFIE.

RE: The UP series. SEVEN UP is easily the best of bunch. They became drastically dull and exploitative soon as Apted came on board. A bit too many self-(or director) fulfilling prophecies.

That said, being a 'big name' director is no real barometer of quality.

Oh yeah, Alfie fits right in where "positive message" films are concerned It's great, no objections there.
I disagree on Seven Up, 7-year olds are not developed people yet, so if anything, that's the exploitative/prophetic one. 28 Up is the masterpiece.
To be honest, I don't think Mendes is such a big name, either. Sure, people like American Beauty, but that was 12 years ago, and none of the films he has made since have made any significant impact. Anyway, I don't care about Bond as much as I used to, so paradoxically I'm looking forward to whatever will be in store for us next.

danslittlefinger wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

danslittlefinger wrote:

[Maryam d'Abo isn't it?
Oh sorry, I interjected. Pardon me Tiff and LaLa. :oops:

If that's D'Abo, then I'm a convert. Nice to see she graduated senior prom. Permission granted to board the ferris wheel and play smoochie with Dalts.

I'm probably wrong, usually am. :|

You were right this time :)

I like plenty of films made by the Bond filmmakers - Wait Until Dark, Sink the Bismarck, The Thingo of Zorro, Once Were Warriors, Stranger than Fiction, Gorillas in the Mist... heck, even Under Fire, but apart from possibly Gilbert or Apted, I think Mendes is the most high-profile. Even semi-film-literate people I've come across can vaguely identify him as the "American Beauty guy." Like it or lump it.

tiffanywint wrote:

danslittlefinger wrote:

[Maryam d'Abo isn't it?
Oh sorry, I interjected. Pardon me Tiff and LaLa. :oops:

If that's D'Abo, then I'm a convert. Nice to see she graduated senior prom. Permission granted to board the ferris wheel and play smoochie with Dalts.

A year or so after TLD, she was plain grown up in a sci fi miniseries and TV series SOMETHING IS OUT THERE. She was the 'good' alien, who was very relaxed about having no clothes on (though it was for NBC, so nothing showed.)

Just a thought: Some people are getting worked up over the more mature, complex characters which will henceforth produce a more mature type of film, but really, do you think that we haven't had any mature Bond films already? DN, FRWL, FYEO, LTK, and arguably TWINE all boasted a wider range of complex characters, and dare I say that is what makes them more appealing, no?

FieldsMan wrote:

Just a thought: Some people are getting worked up over the more mature, complex characters which will henceforth produce a more mature type of film, but really, do you think that we haven't had any mature Bond films already? DN, FRWL, FYEO, LTK, and arguably TWINE all boasted a wider range of complex characters, and dare I say that is what makes them more appealing, no?

None of them have very complex characters. TWINE of course aims for something 'complex', but falls flat on its face in a series of compromises and contradictions.

I think by aiming for that, you're missing the point of Bond by a wide degree.

EON sanctioned productions and promos used to have no problem promoting the films as "sophisticated comic strips for adults"... the sooner the producers realise this is where the appeal lies in contrast to the grim, shallow QoS, the better.

Vesper wrote:

EON sanctioned productions and promos used to have no problem promoting the films as "sophisticated comic strips for adults"... the sooner the producers realise this is where the appeal lies in contrast to the grim, shallow QoS, the better.

Vesper is my trusted spokesman on all matters Bond. He gets it.

Vesper wrote:

EON sanctioned productions and promos used to have no problem promoting the films as "sophisticated comic strips for adults"... the sooner the producers realise this is where the appeal lies in contrast to the grim, shallow QoS, the better.

You know, that's not half bad.

Vesper wrote:

EON sanctioned productions and promos used to have no problem promoting the films as "sophisticated comic strips for adults"... the sooner the producers realise this is where the appeal lies in contrast to the grim, shallow QoS, the better.

Agreed. "Sophisticated comic strips for adults" is a fantastic focus for the series to follow.

Agreed as well, a slong as "sophisticated comic strips for adults" doesn't mean anything like "dark, mature" recent fare like The Dark Knight or Watchmen.