Good Production Design v. Script

I'm sure a few of you have seen by now, the early release teasers for the latest Bond movie 'Spectre.' Spectre was originally created by Kevin McClory not Ian Fleming, but we shan't hold that against anybody.

I have to say that from what I have seen this is the first time in the new era of Bond that I have seen excellent production design qualities in one of the newer iterations of the Bond story in film.

Craig finally looks right

And, the action sequences involving Daniel Craig are much more advanced, complex and sophisticated than all of that silly train-top running and just general running that seemed to be the vogue at the time for all of the action stars from Cruise to Matt Damon and everyone in between including Jackie Chan!

But that doesn't mean to say they aren't going to once again completely stuff up the film due to a dreadful script and story-line. However, it is a good sign that the early production design is so good. For once at last in these recent years, Bond appears in a certain glimmer-shadow of elegance, wearing clothes that actually fit the actor and not the actor attempting to fit some fixated concept and image of 'James Bond.'

As far as remaining faithful to books, if you put a stopwatch on the amount of time the Bentley Continental was actually seen in Casino Royale I don't think you'd get more than a few seconds, not even. And yet, for all the claims that the recent directors are sticking to the books, they jump-cut the Bentley into this same old flash-flash pseudo-drama visual scam that modern directors appear to believe will pass for excitement and thrill.

'Spectre' is not exactly any Ian Fleming story or book as such, although it featured as the main 'villainous thing' in a short story and a number of books.

What will it - the movie - turn out to be in the end?

Fleming's idea of dinner

You have some great actors there - Bellucci, Craig... And some average ones and some complete unknowns for the present. A vast budget. Really great production design, from all indications. 

But these people behind the production have never shown any respect for writers at any time in the past, everyone knows real writers get paid nothing - even Eszterhas had to use camera angle tricks to get a professional money-earning reputation!

A real fictional villain - smash his face, James,
take his watch off him! Shoot his ass with your Walther PPK.

We were all lucky that Fleming's wife came from the literary family who owned the London Daily Mail. Fleming was not a good writer but he still was one.

Make me a believer, Sam Mendez. I'm giving you a big chance. But don't think you're a writer, because you aren't one. Get one. The production design deserves it.

Writers, real writers are more powerful and mysterious than you know... Think the Bhagavad-gita, Ulysses, the Gospels, the fucking Koran for godsakes! Buy a writer, Sam. It will be worth it.