SPECTRE’s back!
The acronymised masters of acrimony (specialising in Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) haven’t featured in a Bond movie since 1971’s Diamonds are Forever, and even then the secret terrorist organisation wasn’t mentioned by name.
But now, 44 years later, they’ve slapped their brand all over the 24th Bond film‘s title with SPECTRE. Yes, all caps-lock. Embrace the caps. This is one of 2015’s biggest movies after all, and it feels so close and so far away. Far enough for plenty of rampant speculation anyway.
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As we’re big Bond fans here at CultBox, here’s 10 things we’d love to see when SPECTRE is released on 6 November 2015…
A quantum of Quantum
Remember Quantum? The criminal network ‘had people everywhere’, according to Mr. White in Quantum of Solace. Powerful, organised, expansive – with terrific gift bags and access to top seats at the opera – it seemed like they were SPECTRE for the 21st century.
But really SPECTRE’s the only power-player in town, so it’d be nice to have a brief scene that hinted at either Quantum being a branch of SPECTRE all along, or having been victim to a ‘hostile takeover’. Or maybe there’s just been a massive re-branding exercise.
A ski sequence
It’s known that filming will take place on the Austrian slopes at Solden and Obertilliach, which would indicate there’ll be some skiing. For a man whose parents were killed on a mountain, our James sure loves to slide down them (once in a cello case).
It’s been a while though. The last time he hit the piste was in 1999’s The World is Not Enough, so it’s about time for another, especially as ski chases are some of the franchises’ best set pieces.
It’d have to be something really special to beat The Spy Who Loved Me‘s classic opener. But if Daniel Craig wants to pour himself into a lemon yellow jumpsuit and schuss away, we won’t stop him.
A car chase
Quantum of Solace‘s brutal pre-titles vehicular knockabout was terrific. And with the unveiling of that glorious Aston Martin DB10 at the press conference, it seems like not smashing the shit out of it in a high-speed in a high-octane car chase would just be a like having Bond order a Martini and then not drink it. An utter waste.
A gadget or two on it wouldn’t go amiss either. Nothing fancy (or invisible), but at least bring back Goldfinger‘s revolving number plates and the tyre shredders.
A booby-trapped HQ
Often under-appreciated for their interior decorating, SPECTRE had some of the best boardroom and office layouts of time, leading the way in open-plan open-threat space.
Who could forget Blofeld’s identity-hiding screen, or his ability to electrocute a minion at will on one of his death-chairs? Or his trapdoor bridge over the piranha pond? And then of course there’s that volcano…
What I’m saying is, if someone (ideally Christoph Waltz) does not press a button on a panel secreted under his desk and drop someone through a trapdoor to their doom, then this just isn’t the SPECTRE we know and love.
Moneypenny
Skyfall raised Moneypenny up as a fairly contemporary kick-ass field operative, then shoved her behind a desk and went ‘Ta-Daaaah! It’s Miss Moneypenny, look! Look, that’s how she came to be chained to that keyboard! Look!’
Naturally people weren’t pleased, but this is SPECTRE‘s chance to rectify that. I’m not saying she needs to go all guns blazing, but don’t relegate her to sitting behind a desk at cock-level, exchanging innuendos with Bond while typing up memos about extremist threats.
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