spectre

[Ken Gargett]

just back from the bollinger launch of spectre - bolly could have done it anywhere in the world but chose brizzy and flew out magnums of 88 RD from the cellar for it, plus lots more. all organised by bernadette o'shea who is an amazing force of nature. every house in champagne just loves her and she is the reason qld is the leader per capita in champers sales. well, if anyone local was wondering why the lights on the story bridge were red tonight, it is because bernadette used her contacts to have them changed for the evening to bolly red!

loved the film. a cracker. no spoilers but one or two queries - overall terrific.

talking to guy from bolly, who was involved in meetings etc, he is convinced that this is craig's last outing. and if it is, not a bad way to tie it up.

avoiding spoilers fpr those who have not seen it, any thoughts from those who have?

[planetary]

Ken, curious: what's the link between Bollinger and this film? Is there significant product placement, or something?

[ElAbogado]

I enjoyed it. It did a nice job of tying a string between all the Craig films and wrapping up the story arc. That said I don't think it was as a good a film as Casino Royale or Skyfall, but I would put it ahead of Quantum of Solace.

[rmill3r]

I really didn't like it. It wasn't an awful movie, I just think it was a disappointment after the likes of Casino Royale and Skyfall (who cares about Quantum).

Casino and Skyfall both made some bold moves in the bond universe, but then Sam Mendes turned around and did Spectre--just another run-of-the-mill bond flick with all of the typical stereotypes and cliches. But most of all...they decided to cast Christoph Waltz as a bond villain (one of the best villain actors we have today), and not only that but they cast him as a re imagining of one of the craziest Bond villains from the past (no spoilers), and they STILL underutilized him

[Puros Y Vino]

I saw it last night and enjoyed it. The negative reviews didn't turn me off. The opening sequence was stunning as per usual. The weaving of the previous movies into an overall arc was very interesting as well. The main villain wasn't very intimidating though he seemed to be in line with the historical Bond "eccentric villain" prototype. Dave Bautista as an updated take on Jaws (not in name) gave Bond a good beating. Overall, a great flick. Sadly, I didn't pair this movie with Bollinger. Water and popcorn had to suffice.

[SCgarman]

I really liked it. Especially incorporating characters from the last few films.

If Craig is indeed done, curious as to the next actor to give the roll a shot. It was a worthy follow up to Skyfall.

[MC4]

I really didn't like it. To me, it was just an action movie and not a Bond movie.

No gadgets, no charm, or witty!!

Today's bond movies has nothing in common with older one anymore. That's a shame.

[IPORTER]

Looking forward to seeing it.

[busdriver]

Entertaining per usual but not a stunner like casion royale. The opening sequence was lack luster for me and I wanted to see much more of the villians and Monica Bellucci!

Worth a watch if there isnt any better movie playing.

[Jeremy Festa]

Nice!

My eldest gives us reports on the ever changing lights of the story bridge, which we see from our house. But I never thought anything of it.

Jealous!

[Ken Gargett]

Ken, curious: what's the link between Bollinger and this film? Is there significant product placement, or something?

i always thought they were a sponsor (apparently that starts around the ten mlll pounds!). they had long said that they paid nothing to be in the films but i struggled to believe it. but they are what is called a partner. guy de revoire who is the bolly ambassador (i've known guy nearly 25 years so i believe him) told me the story.

they used a few different champers in the early films - fleming also mixed them up - but apparently cubby brocolli decided that as bond was a family business, at least as far as making the films, he wanted a family champagne, which bollinger still is. so around the end of connery in bond timing, he rang christian bizot, who owned bolly (madame bolly's nephew) and went to the winery to chat. apparently a good lunch was had. then he said how would bolly feel about being the fizz of all future bond films. bizot said yes, as long as it does not cost me anything. others are pushing to take it over and bolly know that some day they will probably lose it.

but for now, all they have to do is provide three bottles of whatever bolly they want in the film. this time it was the 02 RD (which we also had last night). you only see the neck in the bottle when Q opens the doors to the ice bucket and then it is also the fizz in the glasses that bond drops and smashes. so you don't actually see it. mind you, i gather heineken paid a fortune and i don't remember seeing it.

[planetary]

Interesting backstory. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a terrific event, in any case!

[Habanos2000]

I too thought it was a good, but not great, movie. Christoph Waltz, IMO, was way underutilized as a bad guy. Cinematography was excellent, the cars were great but it fell short on the cool gadgets and overall feeling of tension. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.

[GasGuy82]

Of the people who saw the movie, who here actually understood the final 2 minutes of the film and the total reference to OHMSS? I had to explain it to my buddies.

[Ken Gargett]

there were a lot of references to other bond films throughout. the laid out dress a la dr no, the muscles villain a la jaws without the silliness (though i struggled with who/what he was - we got no explanation at all) and so on. but i guess it is inevitable with so many films over 50 years.

[ayepatz]

Meh. Left me a bit underwhelmed. Expected fireworks from Christoph Waltz that never really materialised.

[Ken Gargett]

Meh. Left me a bit underwhelmed. Expected fireworks from Christoph Waltz that never really materialised.

but you have to think that has been set up for the future.

[iahawk36]

I just saw it last night, and I would agree with the consensus....not the best of the Craig version of Bond, but definitely not the worst either.

[MattW]

Meh. Left me a bit underwhelmed. Expected fireworks from Christoph Waltz that never really materialised.

Feel exactly the same! Saw it a couple of nights ago, thought it was a very average action film with a very flimsy story... But it was entertaining enough, just didn't leave me with any wow-factor.

[ayepatz]

but you have to think that has been set up for the future.

I just think they should have made more of his character, if you catch my drift... Difficult to discuss that without spoilers! Lol.

The backstory seemed very flimsy, and not very "Bond", to me. You'd think something like that might have been mentioned by Fleming!

Be interesting to see how it develops.

[MIKA27]

Stunt Flying for “Spectre”

The opening sequence of the latest James Bond movie Spectre involves explosions, a chase scene, a well tailored suit and a fight scene inside a totally insane helicopter ride. This behind the scenes footage shows how batshit some of those tricks and maneuvers were. The helicopter purposely dives itself into a group of people on the ground, almost crashes into them, and then soars up at the very last second for added dramatic effect. I would have fainted if I was there.

Aerobatic helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron was the guy behind the stunts and he pulled off loops and barrel rolls and backflips and vertical climbs and vertical dives and a bunch more crazy stuff inside the helicopter. What’s interesting is that they had to film those tricks at a different city than the rest of the scene because the altitude of Mexico City was too high and the air was too thin.

[Ken Gargett]

Stunt Flying for “Spectre”

The opening sequence of the latest James Bond movie Spectre involves explosions, a chase scene, a well tailored suit and a fight scene inside a totally insane helicopter ride. This behind the scenes footage shows how batshit some of those tricks and maneuvers were. The helicopter purposely dives itself into a group of people on the ground, almost crashes into them, and then soars up at the very last second for added dramatic effect. I would have fainted if I was there.

Aerobatic helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron was the guy behind the stunts and he pulled off loops and barrel rolls and backflips and vertical climbs and vertical dives and a bunch more crazy stuff inside the helicopter. What’s interesting is that they had to film those tricks at a different city than the rest of the scene because the altitude of Mexico City was too high and the air was too thin.

terrific stuff.

the first time i used a chopper when fishing in nz, a mate set me up. the pilot was a top movie stunt pilot and all of a sudden, we are flying sideways, dipping down through crevices and so on. hate that stuff. told the pilot (flown with him a number of times since and we get on well) that if we were not up and flat real quick, he'd be spending tomorrow washing out the inside of his chopper. we were.

amazing what gets done for a bond film. a friend, who i found out after the film, sat in on script meetings (he believes we have seen the last of daniel craig, though has nothing concrete) told me that for the shots around the vatican, the entire local road system was completely shut down for seven days. imagine the chaos!

and the aston martin DB10 - i think he said they made ten of them for the film (a couple of mill each?) and they destroyed almost all in filming. for the release here in brizzy, the stuffy old staid moreton club actually agreed to their entire railing system being dismantled so a DB9 could be lifted in to the middle of the event. will try and dig out a photo.

[Ken Gargett]

when they were about to take the pic, i said i needed a glass. the waitress handed me a water glass. seriously. at a bond function. we managed to get the bolly.

[Olga]

Didn't like Spectre. Stretched, bit boring and scene in desert was like Solace.

[Colt45]

Recently saw it - good entertainment, but not much more. Probably a bit longer than it really needed to be. Of the four Craig Bond films, I'd place it third.