Bond fans, help me rethink "Diamonds Are Forever"

[LuiECuomo]

Not enough action in the Bond boards, so...

Can anyone give me some ideas on how to improve the plot of "Diamonds Are Forever?" I want to rewrite so as to NOT use the whole "Lazenby as Bond taking revenge on Blofeld" angle as I'm writing a different story using that plot. I'd like to take the film's basic settings (Vegas, Holland) and characters (Wint and Kidd, Tiffany Case) but change the plot to make it more believable and less of a joke. I really don't want Blofeld as the main villain and would really like to drop the lame "satellite laser aimed at Washington D.C." plot line. I also don't want a direct adaptation of the Ian Fleming novel with the Spangled Mob and all.

Any help would be much appreciated. I know there are a lot of Bond afficianados out there that could come up with some cool ideas.

Thanks!

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Here's my idea off trhe top of my head, but it's nothing to do with the book so far.

I would do the classic hero story, 'you can't have a normal life because the people need you'.

Have Bond resigned from the Secret Service at the start of the movie, as he just can't get over Tracy's death. We find out Bond had gone after Blofeld immedietly after Tracy's death, but Blofeld had gained diplomatic immunity by becoming Prime Minister of a small nation. Thus Bond couldn't touch him.

M instead uses 002 and 009 on a case, and they are killed and captured respectively.

Meanwhile, Bond has become a teacher at Eton and has met a woman, Feye, nothing like Tracy, who encourages him into her settled life. She takes him to her country manor, and here is a scene where they walk past a shooting range. She asks Bond if he shoots, and he says no.

The we learn what happened to the other 00 agents. They were after a secret cabal, a lot like the Freemasons, who kill people in a really bizarre, sinister way that I haven't though of yet. The cabal is smuggling diamonds (there ya go) to fund their operation, and is planning simultaneous assasinations of the the British Prime Minister and the American President.

The cabal's hitmen are a team of mime artists. They appear harmless and entertain little kids, but when you find them following you into a back alley, they're not so funny. After they kill someone, they paint a black tear on their face.

M goes to Bond desperate, and pleads with him to return. He holds Feye's hand and refuses. She calls him 007, and he tells her no to call him that. Finally, M tells him that they have Felix Leiter hostage. Will Bond risk losing the last person he is truly close to? He reluctantly accepts.

At the end, we find out th vabal did not have Felix at all, he was instrumental in helping save the Prime Minister (while Bond saved the President). M tells Bond she had to manipulate him for the sake of numerous lives.

The final scene is Feye receiving a letter, even though she knows what it will say. It is Bond saying that her blessed life is too good for him, ultimately he is not deserving of it because he is a killer. But he knows he can do some good, and that's the only way he can live with himself. The letter says at the bottom, not James Bond, but '007'.

 

[Steve the Dude]

Go back to the orginial book and read it. There is a decent story about diamond smuggling in there.

 

[SoulManX]

Here's my idea off trhe top of my head, but it's nothing to do with the book so far.

I would do the classic hero story, 'you can't have a normal life because the people need you'.

Have Bond resigned from the Secret Service at the start of the movie, as he just can't get over Tracy's death. We find out Bond had gone after Blofeld immedietly after Tracy's death, but Blofeld had gained diplomatic immunity by becoming Prime Minister of a small nation. Thus Bond couldn't touch him.

M instead uses 002 and 009 on a case, and they are killed and captured respectively.

Meanwhile, Bond has become a teacher at Eton and has met a woman, Feye, nothing like Tracy, who encourages him into her settled life. She takes him to her country manor, and here is a scene where they walk past a shooting range. She asks Bond if he shoots, and he says no.

The we learn what happened to the other 00 agents. They were after a secret cabal, a lot like the Freemasons, who kill people in a really bizarre, sinister way that I haven't though of yet. The cabal is smuggling diamonds (there ya go) to fund their operation, and is planning simultaneous assasinations of the the British Prime Minister and the American President.

The cabal's hitmen are a team of mime artists. They appear harmless and entertain little kids, but when you find them following you into a back alley, they're not so funny. After they kill someone, they paint a black tear on their face.

M goes to Bond desperate, and pleads with him to return. He holds Feye's hand and refuses. She calls him 007, and he tells her no to call him that. Finally, M tells him that they have Felix Leiter hostage. Will Bond risk losing the last person he is truly close to? He reluctantly accepts.

At the end, we find out th vabal did not have Felix at all, he was instrumental in helping save the Prime Minister (while Bond saved the President). M tells Bond she had to manipulate him for the sake of numerous lives.

The final scene is Feye receiving a letter, even though she knows what it will say. It is Bond saying that her blessed life is too good for him, ultimately he is not deserving of it because he is a killer. But he knows he can do some good, and that's the only way he can live with himself. The letter says at the bottom, not James Bond, but '007'.

Wow Kev that was awesome.

 

[LuiECuomo]

Wow, Kevin, I'd love to see that fleshed out a little more if you could. It would be an awesome follow-up to OHMSS.

 

[scifiwolf]

I like the idea too Kevin.

 

[Dr. Fate]

Just don't get rid of Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood), she was easily the best thing about "Diamonds" and easily the most beautiful Bond girl of all time.

 

[LuiECuomo]

That's true. I also really love the idea of setting a Bond film in Vegas, but I think it wasn't utilized to its full in "DAF."

Did you know that Raquel Welch was one of the contenders to play Tiffany Case?

 

[LuiECuomo]

Why did this get moved?

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Wow Kev that was awesome.

Thanks guys.

 

[LuiECuomo]

I think I'd use the unused finale that had Bond chasing Blofeld (but here it would be someone else) across Lake Mead and ultimately having a final fight in a salt mine which ends with (villain) getting tossed into a salt granulator. Ouch!

Bond has noticed Blofeld's escape in his BathoSub. He follows suit, and ties a weather balloon onto the sub as it dives. Then, Bond follows rope to a weather balloon and rides it. Blofeld reaches shore of a salt mountain. He notices the balloon with Bond hanging from it and says, "Mary Poppins, I presume?” He then shoots at the balloon. Bond has released the cap and the balloon deflates, dropping Bond into the water. Blofeld has one bullet left. Bond climbs out of the water onto the beach, sees Blofeld run towards a salt mine, and follows. Blofeld loses himself among machinery, but Bond still sees his footsteps. Through the hills, Blofeld shouts out to Bond and 007 follows the voice. It is somewhat dark, as Blofeld is camouflaged against the salt piles. He shoots at Bond who dives into a salt pit. Blofeld has started up a steam shovel and uses it to attack Bond, swinging it like a mace and narrowly missing 007, who eventually climbs onto the cables and arms of the crane. Blofeld tries to shake him off, but this doesn't work, and Bond makes his way towards Blofeld, who runs out of the control cab. Now Bond has taken control of the crane’s shovel and picks up Blofeld by his head with the shovel. He drops him into a granulator. Bond reaches control of granulator and slams the lever down. The machine starts up with a grinding noise and the white salt turns various shades of red. Leiter arrives.

LEITER: "Where's that bastard Blofeld?”
BOND: “Bastard? Blofeld? He's the salt of the earth.”

Obviously, some of the camp elements need to be eliminated, but you get the idea.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I think you guys are going to be quite surprised, impressed, excited and perhaps outraged at what we've come up with. Although we did take out the first seven gay sex scenes with Q.