Comments on: Heroic Hollywood: Thinking Inside the Box

By: Getting Caught Up Week: The finale « BW Media Spotlight

Getting Caught Up Week: The finale « BW Media Spotlight — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:04:43 +0000

[...] the box” leads to more creativity? One blogger says that in Hollywood, thinking inside the box is actually [...]

By: Devin

Devin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:47:49 +0000

George Lucas is another good example of that principle. When forced to deal with limitations? Brilliantly entertaining films. When surrounded by yes-men? Jar-Jar Binks.

By: El_Gordo

El_Gordo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:40:56 +0000

I can´t wait for the digitally purified Gold Ray edition.

By: Cardinal_Fang

Cardinal_Fang — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:58:16 +0000

I just replied, but I got the "Your comment must be approved by the site admins before it will appear publicly". Not sure how long that will take, if ever. I agree – I'll have to re-read Goldfinger, as I don't remember that in the book. I have them all in paperback, bought back about 30-40 years ago.

By: Cardinal_Fang

Cardinal_Fang — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:55:36 +0000

Ah yes – Ms Galore's first name probably did it. I've got all of the original books stashed away somewhere – I first read them back about 30-40 years ago. I'll have to re-read "Goldfinger" – I don't remember all of that in the book, but then again it was a long time ago when I first read the novels, and the memory of the movie probably overrides it. Of course, MS Galore was another obvious one with her flying circus. As far as Sean Connery's Bond goes, "From Russia With Love" is my favorite all-time Bond film – it captures the character and sets up the rest of the movies with the obvious villain and the evil organization, SPECTRE. Great locations and fewer gadgets, but better to let Bond work his own way out of problems. Not much of a fan of the Roger Moore ones, I probably liked "The Man With The Golden Gun" best out of all of those – again, not many gadgets for Bond, letting him use his talents to get him out of trouble, martial arts included. Best stunt driving – ever, with the spiral jump over the canal. Lazenby, too stiff for the Bond character. Timothy Dalton, a little too sensitive. Pierce Brosnan, close, but a little too cartoonish. Daniel Craig, I'll reserve judgment, though I liked "Casino Royale" in spite of the updated story line. It'll be interesting to see the next one.

By: Tennessee_Jed

Tennessee_Jed — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:29:24 +0000

I tried to reply to you, but got the dreaded "site administrator hook." Still, it may show up since there was nothing nasty or controversial, and I already had use the "L" word in my original post. In case it doesn't eventually appear, basically the status of Tilly Masterson was much more obvious in the novel where she was not killed in Europe. She came to Fort Knox with 007 and developed a crush on Ms. Galore. Now that I think of it, I used her first name which may have drawn the hook.

I heartily recommend you pick up a boxed set of the Fleming Bond books. They are as much fun today as they were 50 years ago. I also agree "From Russia with Love was the Best Bond book and movie. It was where I was introduced to the actor Robert Shaw.

By: Tennessee_Jed

Tennessee_Jed — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:22:14 +0000

Cardinal – thanks for your reply. The "lesbianism" angle was much more overt in Ian Fleming's novel than in the movie. As I recall, Tilly Masterson was not killed in Europe. Rather, she was captured and brought to Fort Knox along with 007. Naturally, he kept trying to "hit" on her only to be rebuffed. When Tilly first met Pussy Galore, it became obvious to Bond why his efforts had been rebuffed because Tilly fell head over heels for Pussy. Interestingly, in the book, instead of having a "flying circus" Pussy Galore was the head of a criminal gang of "cat" burglars, hence her nickname. She was overtly described as a lesbian by Fleming, but, as in the movie, Bond was able to convert her in about ten minutes time.

I first started reading the Bond books in junior high school and finished them by the time I graduated in 1966. "Doctor No" was released sometime around 1962 or 1963 and Sean Connery "WAS" Bond. Nobody else ever really compared, although Daniel Craig today is very, very good as well.

A couple years ago, I came across a Penguin boxed set of every Bond Fleming had ever written (novels and short stories) for about $25. It was a great buy and gave me a perfect supply of light summer reading. For my money, "From Russia With Love" is clearly the best Bond and one of the best spy novels/movie ever done by anyone. Unlike the later gadget laced movies, "From Russia" was pretty much a straight up spy novel. I think that was the first time I ever saw the legendary Robert Shaw who, of course, portrayed Red Grant.

By: jlionheart

jlionheart — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:23:58 +0000

Russ,This was really good. I'm e-mailing it to my screenwriting friends. I wonder, could you address how these boxes might apply to TV shows? Presumably some boxes would remain in place during the entire life of a show, and some boxes would be specific only to a particular episode, or group of episodes, depending on the kind of show.I'm still hoping "Global Village Idiot" will find a home somewhere!!

By: Darkwolf

Darkwolf — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:58:37 +0000

Indeed, your article reminds me of the old fable of the Cat and the Fox.

Both are out in the woods with the Fox bragging about the hundreds of ways he knows to outsmart the hunting dogs. The Cat says he only knows one way, but he knows it real good. When the baying of the hounds is then heard from over the next hill, immediately the Cat zips straight up the tallest tree. The Fox is left to determine which of his many tactics to employ and in the middle of deciding, gets torn apart by said hounds.

By: Cardinal_Fang

Cardinal_Fang — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:26:30 +0000

Good insight. I'm another Bond fan, and that's an interesting comment about the L-Word theme. However, it wasn't the first and it wasn't as overt as "From Russia With Love" where Rosa Klebb was caressing Tatiana (and Tatiana was definitely not enjoying it). Tilly Masterson's portrayal was less of a man-hating approach in the movie as a revenge motive for the killing of her sister by gold paint. Of course her coldness towards Bond initially could have been construed as being a bit, you know… after all, what kind of woman can resist James Bond? There are several other instances of this type of theme in other Bond films, both male and female, from the overt Messrs Wint & Kidd in "Diamonds Are Forever" to the bi-Mayday in "A View To A Kill". And there were some ambiguous characters, such as Vargas in "Thunderball", Irma Bunt in OHMSS. Probably more, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.