DB7

The Americanization of the Bond Franchise?

Friday, January 16, 2004
The Americanization of the Bond Franchise?
Hey folks, Harry here... Sigh... As a citizen of the United States of America, I would just like to formally state that I am secure in my own domestic films to explore other cultures. I've always thought that being "American" meant that one was a part of the whole world, because this country was a melting pot of cultures. Generally making me very culturally tolerant and curious. As such, films with leads from other cultural backgrounds have been as valid to me as any other... but the one in particular that I've grown with since some of my earliest memories has been JAMES BOND. The whole goddamn reason I thought he was cool was he had a cool accent, had cool foreign gadgets, scored with women all over the world, killed bad guys with allies of many heritages and traveled the globe to have adventures in locales I could only wish to one day travel to. Bond kicked ass because he was a point man in the shit and not sweating. He was in control in every situation and rarely lost his temper... even while killing people. Making his adventures more American would blow in my opinion. If anything, we need to make him more international again. Have buried in exotic cultures with more exotic women and in more complicated and interesting ways. I also want to see a return to the third act commando gigantic scale battles of good and evil. Have the characters be less comic book, less cartoon and more elegantly told... like in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE or YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Well, that's my take on this rumor...

Hi Guys

Don't know if this is 'solid' enough news for ya - but I found it mighty interesting (AND extremely typical)...

An 'industry' pal of mine who works for err 'someone' has had it on good authority that relations between the so-called MGM studio and BOND royalty; the Broccolis are at breaking point.

Y'see, early plans for the next tuxedo-laden snooze-fest were already underway when the bright sparks at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer decided to put their proverbial foot down and DEMAND that the next instalment be.. ahem.. 'Americanized'.

That's right, 'Americanized' - for a more accessible production!?

Apparently the oodles of 007-gained cashola that has been spilling through the lion's letter-box of late has not been enough for our dollar hungry suits and their reckoning is that by diluting the English-ness of BOND (??!) and enhancing the Yank-ness with an all American back-drop, all American crew and an all American cast they can make an extra 53 cents!

Understandably Babs Broccoli and family aren't too happy about these moronic memos and are putting up quite a fight.. But as yet (Thank God) the studio hasn't demanded an American JAMES. Will Ferrel, anyone?

Austin Milbarge.

Gibbie

I must remonstrate about this Americanization thing. This is not typical American, but Yabbo American, in a politically correct version, which is a product of the media culture and street thuggery. What is American is passing away into an international consumer thing - and this is what is getting into people's heads (multi-cultural consumerism with bravado). So, what is considered "American" is really "Corporate" - projected on the rest of us.

Having been in the press and having lived in both countries, I have seen very clear how our media culture has promulgated "reality", which is no more than a puerile political projection to dumb down the masses. Also, unfortunate is how the British and other (inter)national media pick up on it and add to the reality myth. OK, yes, you get too many of our childish rude citizens who unfortunately have money to travel. Nevertheless, this is a media/corporate consumer mentality not American.

My point is that the Hollywood crowd today are of a certain mindset which is about making social propaganda movies with hardcore monetary results. I call it the fiction of fiction. And, it's not right wing either, as is always hoisted on the US.

But, I agree - what on earth are they doing remaking all these British movies into Hollywood plots? Stallone as Get Carter, what is with that? Or The Italian Job, etc. A few years ago, there was even an American version of To Sir With Love?

An Americanized James Bond? As I have said before, they need to put Bond to rest. An Americanized Bond would make it even more absurd. Entertainment that refuses to have some connection to reality or the people to whom it is entertaining is not entertainment, but condescension.

One movie that has a way of trying to be a British art film, while using actual cuttings from an old British movie, in an American setting, is "The Limey". I think the old clips of Terence Stamp are from "Poor Cow". Actually, this movie succeeds where the other's fail.

I knew a movie writer out West, who left Hollywood, much because the industry was no longer in it to entertain, but to ruthlessly milk all sources for cash (and, I will add, for political propaganda).

There is more I could say, but it would be opening Pandora's Box.

I find it a shame that with all the incredible technology that movie makers have, they pretty much only crank out nihilistic junk food that will reuse anything, because there is not enough creativity to make something current and with lasting value.

T'is a pity.

Nevertheless, it's a good time for someone to make great movies in either a British or American setting without "reimagining" old films.

Gibbie

locust

Trying indeed. Desperately. And fails. Utterly. :)
Like any other film made by this nonentity of a director, Stephen Soderbergh. Get Carter at least has no such pretensions and almost touching in its ridiculousness.

From Russia with Love.

Gibbie

While it fails at certain points, it certainly conveys some very accurate social observations.

Like the movie, Soderburgh could be a classic, but he shorts himself and the movie. He is caught between the current milieu of being vulgar cool and making a well made out moral story about character. One has to be one or the other.

Some bad acting makes it wanting at times.

Terence Stamp conveys the complexity of the east end criminal very well. There are moments when it succeeds on the cinema art level, like the intro, King Midas in Reverse sequence, the highway drive and the mental development in Stamp's character.

This could have been sublime, but isn't.

Gibbie

locust

Well, all I can see in Soderbergh's movies is a total lack of imagination and originality. Why, they even lack the only possible saving grace/redeeming feature in such cases - style. :)
And there's nothing more banal, obvious and uninspiring than "social observations", "moral stories" and "realistic" films. I'm still surprised the critics love them so much. Give me Richard Curtis any day.

From Russia with Love.

DB7

I remember the initial reviews being positive (Sodz name on the tin would pacify them) but apart from Stamp's performance it was a largely forgettable exercise in stylisation (designer cool) over a threadbare plot. A plot that would be fine if you'd never seen Point Blank, and if Mel Gibson hadn't already trodden similar ground in his ageing gangster homage earlier.

Sexy Beast came out the same year and was a far superior tale of retired crooks, Ben Kingsley is marvelously menacing as the single-minded psycho and poor old Ray Winstone the petty hood boxed-in. Thankfully, just as it's in danger of becoming bogged down in brooding danger it relocates to London.

btw, the last Bond is amongst the #50 highest grossers of all time so only a studio exec with poor business acumen would retire the franchise.

locust

Oh yes. Payback - one of the best of its kind, I believe.

From Russia with Love.

DB7

[quote]locust:
It never really bowled me over (veered into Willis body-count territory) but I've not seen both the director's film and Gibson's version. (Gibson dies in the original cut)

The Usual Suspect wins out for me in the reluctant crim stakes. I watched it time and time again to try and make sense of Keyser Soze et al.

Gibbie

Per "The Limey", Threadbare is a good word DB7. But it could have been very good.

You're right - Bond is cash. I still think it needs a rest.

True story telling is about character development and it's far from banal. Although, story telling and entertainment need a free flight quality for the imagination or else it will be dull.

locust

I've seen it twice.
How about Miller's Crossing? Gabriel Byrne is excellent in both films.

p.s. Gibbie, never! Of course the last Bond was disastrous in spite of its commercial success and spectacular set-pieces. Where's the wit, charm, sexual innuendo, camp humour, double entendres? Or "englishness" for that matter. It looks like typical Bruckheimer movie - senseless, brainless, witless, with just a little more style, thanks to its origins and locations.
Still, I live in hope to see a new [old] Bond - witty, charming, entertaining and English of course. We need him. As the ghost of Cold War, the last male chauvinist pig or whatever. :)
By the way, how about "desexualization" of the Bond? Bond-Brosnan looks like he's living in a constant fear of accusations in sexual harassment.

From Russia with Love.