Sunday, September 30, 2012

James Bond Has Given Up Martinis For Money

Apparently a beer company was willing to pay more than a vodka company so James Bond will no longer order martinis. Seems sacrilegious, but from now on or at least until the next movie, James Bond will only drink Heineken. For several generations of Bond movies, cars have been switched out depending on which manufacturer was willing to pay the most money to have James drive their cars and now, everything James touches is up for sale. If someone paid the producers enough money they would probably be willing to change the character's name too. "McDonald. Ronald McDonald."

56 comments:

Alicia said...

That last line totally gave me the lolz!

Basil said...

Product placement actually helps defray some of the costs for the movie. Instead of paying for a prop, the company pays you to use the prop. For the most part it is no big deal, but Martini's are part of the Bond canon, so a switch from that to beer is a big deal. Hell, couldn't they have gone for Stella Atrois though?

nolachickee said...

I'm done with Daniel Craig as Bond. Time to bring my Fassbender into the role.

SusanB said...

I saw the commercial for this- it was pretty good! Unfortunately for them, I can't stand any kind of beer.

Anonymous said...

Fassbender as bond? Genius. Pure genius

MissCrop609 said...

So how is James Bond going to introduce himself now?

Dude, it Bond. James Bond.

nolachickee said...

@celebrity gossip hag - speculation has been what should Christopher Nolan do now that Batman is over? Why get into the Bond business - with Fassbender!

Maddie said...

That's just wrong. I don't have an issue with product placement, but martinis are such a part of the James Bond persona. Beer just doesn't fit. Some things shouldn't be messed with.

msgirl said...

While I understand the financial motivation behind this, I hardly think that the producers are lacking in profits here. I think it's pure greed - Bond drinks martinis, end of story. Big difference from beer. Herumph.

While I like Fassbender, I dunno, not classically craggy enough for Bond.

nolachickee said...

@msgirl - if you haven't seen it, watch XMen First Class. In his first few scenes, my Fassbender can't be more Bond like.

smash said...
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Anonymous said...

@nola: Nolan taking over Bond series w Fassbender is outrageous. I wouldn't be able to control myself. Plus they could probably bring an interesting "dark edge" to series that could make it cool again. Definitely no beer allowed.

@msgirl: have you not seen the cut of the Fassbender jaw! The piercing eyes! The sexy grin??!

anita_mark said...

I find beer more manly than a martini so I'm fine with it. I'm not sure why Daniel Craig is getting the blame, he's just the actor.

Regardless, a martini is made with gin, not vodka.

Aren't there strong rumours about Fassbender being not too nice to women?

msgirl said...

smashbash - oh yeah Sean is Bond.

As for no love ever - ah have you seen the one with Diane Rigg? Oh yeah he loved her so much he married her!

nolachickee - admittedly I've only seen Fass in Jane Eyre, so it's true I don't have much to go on. :)

msgirl said...
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Beth said...

Enty, this was announced months ago. WTF?

I would be on board with Fassie as Bond. With Nolan directing, even better.

Mama June said...

Anita_mark, I agree about beer being more manly than a martini. I have no problem with the change, and as Basil mentioned, they should have gone with Stella. It's yummy!

auntliddy said...

Susan! Finally someone else who doesnt like beer! Tastes like soapsuds to me. Dont drink coffee either. You'd be surprised how these 2 things impact your social life.

auntliddy said...

Perhaps ot, but i font buy any movies, blurays or cds of movies at all. Ever. Anything u want to see is available on tv, dvr, computer, or on demand. Doesnt make any sense to me to buy something u can get for free.

anita_mark said...

At least it's Heineken and not Miller Lite or god forbid, the new iced tea Coors Light. Or Smirnoff Coolers.

But I do prefer Stella, second would be Heineken.

Merlin D. Bear said...

Ok, I saw the commercial the other day and thought in my head... "oh wow, that can't be Daniel Craig...holy crap it is! Damn, they must have come up with one helluva paycheck to get him to do a commercial...HOLY SHIT IT'S A BOND TIE-IN!"
One spit take later, I was sitting there amazed that 1)Heineken could and did cough up the coin to get that commercial made and 2) that the powers that be controlling the Bond franchise had whored James out to such an extent.

Note: Not Craig...he's just an actor, and I don't blame him for his payday.
But whoever controls the Bond franchise? A one-off, I and I'm sure the rest of the world's Bond fans can agree with, we can deal with and appreciate for its cheekiness and inherent satire.
But take Bond off his vodka martini, shaken not stirred for a f***ing product placement?
No. In a single word, no.
What's next? Instead of the Aston Martin, he uses an electric car?

smash said...
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Cassiopeia said...

Anita,
There are many ways to make a martini, and although he did drink both, James Bond preferred vodka to gin.

Unknown said...

@smashbash i echo you. capitalism is a wonderful system and makes the most sense. imagine if your boss decided to stop paying you, because you should just do the work for other people's pleasure? this is what you are suggesting for these entertainers, producers, writers, editors, etc.

on the flip side, if a product is not good, the consumer can refuse to buy it, and the idea/product/series will die out and a better one will come into its place.

vote with your dollar :)

Pookie said...

well, enty, now you know that in hollywood everything has a price. everything. #whyyouplayinlikeyoudontknowproductplacement

SusanB said...

@auntliddy - OMG - I hate coffee too! I drink diet soda in the morning. I think I'm the only person in the USA who has never been in a Starbucks - and probably never will, either.

msgirl said...

I don't like beer, agree with the soap suds, but COFFEE I must have.

MISCH said...

funny...

HalleGoLightly said...

I'm a big fan of Daniel Craig and love the new Bond character (harder, not as jokey/gadgety), but the product placement (much of it Sony, as the movies are from that studio) is WAY over the top.

smash said...
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anita_mark said...

What's weird now is when you can't find the movie you want on Demand or on Netflix or iTunes. I finally read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I wanted to watch the American movie version and I ended up having to buy it. I didn't mind since I really enjoyed the movie, plus with buying the movie, you get bonus content and commentaries, which I love.

@goes, I know, my comment was mainly intended at the purists. A martini can be made a billion ways but if we really want to discuss the purity of something, then it must go back to the fact that an old school martini is made with gin, not vodka. But really, I don't care. As long as Daniel Craig is shirtless, who gives a fuck ;)

MnGddess said...

I love Daniel Craig as James Bond, and I have to disagree - I was getting completely annoyed with the stupid jokes you could see coming a mile away. I love that Bond is a little more serious. I thought Casino Royale was fantastic.

That being said - Michael Fassbender would make a hell of a Bond.

anita_mark said...

@mdgddess, if you're a fan of Robot Chicken (and you haven't seen this), you may find this amusing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLPMgC-CC04

SingBlue said...

The studio behind the Bond franchise has had serious financial woes, delaying production, so this is unsurprising. Given the exotic locations of previous films, they've actually had to resort to filming in long-dead English seaside "resorts", like Bognor Regis.

I'm waiting for Skoda or Tata to provide the next Budget Bond car, then I'm done.

Basil said...

@smashbash. I heartily agree. Maybe it is because I grew up in the era that didn't have movies/albums/games at my fingertips, but I just LOVED buying the new album of an artist, opening up and reading the liner notes and seeing the extra little pictures....and lets not forget the delicious smell of something new. And I get that same thrill today when I get a new DVD in a nicely packaged setup with all the little extra docs and deleted scenes etc. I am a sucker for packaging. But I always get pissed off if I buy a new DVD, and there is absolutely NO extras. Just the movie. Then I would think about just watching it on the net. But I basically do like to pay for someone elses work.

Frufra said...

I think we are winners either way with Craig OR Fassie. Could we think of a scenario where we could get Craig AND Fassie? I'd better think about that for the rest of the afternoon :-).

smash said...
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nettalovesrobin said...

I also hate beer! I have tried to drink it but i just dont like the taste!

Leviathan's Phone said...

This is a complete bullshit non-issue in every way.

When Ian Fleming created James Bond, one of the things that made the novels special was Fleming's use of real brand names, and, while he didn't get paid for it, he totally did it to promote the products, starting with superchargers made by his friend Amherst Villiers.

Bond was a beer drinker as early as the second Bond novel, "Live and Let Die," in which Fleming had Bond enjoy a cold bottle of Killer's High-Life.

I'll bet money that you're dead wrong saying Bond will "only" drink Heinekin. He'll drink some, but I'll be shocked if there's no wine or martinis.

There's nothing the least bit sacrilegious about it. It's business as usual for James Bond, and entirely in keeping with the original creator's practices.

Merlin D. Bear said...

Quasi-OT:
Beer is an acquired taste.
However, given the mass produced American pisswater that's sold as beer here, after tasting and loving some quality European and micro-brews, I can only shake my head at anyone who willingly drinks that and thinks it's quality.
Oh wait.
Those are the same people that made Snooki a phenomenon.
I rest my case.

Veech said...

It's not like Daniel Craig makes the decisions on product placement, nor does he write the script. He's simply the actor playing a role.

Veech said...

It's not like Daniel Craig makes the decisions on product placement, nor does he write the script. He's simply the actor playing a role.

FrenchGirl said...

it's an old news and Bond movies are famous for their placement of products

Evil Kumquat said...

I'm a huge Bond afficiando, but Craig has pretty much killed the series for me.

By making him "gritty" and taking away the gadgets and the nauseating asides, the producers turned 007 into just another generic action hero.

Also, Brosnan was my favorite.

Not A Ninny said...

Leviathan's Phone makes a correct point about product naming in the original Bond novels (although I do believe that Fleming got some placement/endorsement money in the later novels).

However, it is incorrect to cite one example of Bond drinking beer as proof that he would ever drink beer in place of his martinis. Never! Bond drank beer when it was socially appropriate. He was a gentleman and a British naval officer. He would have never ordered a beer in 99% of the instances in the movies where previously he's asked for a martini (fancy dinners, dress parties, gentleman's clubs, etc.).

Like Fleming, Bond was a public school man. A toff, ultimately, and beer is the drink of the lower class. It shows a huge ignorance of British culture to exclude class distinctions from how Bond is portrayed.

PugsterMom said...

Wrong. Just wrong.

dani said...

he can drink a heineken in my bed anytime..

PugsterMom said...

I agree on all counts. Bond needs to ooze charm and class and drink martinis, not a freaking beer.

GemTwist said...

As a bartender, I have to say, beer snobs are THE WORST. I work in a nightclub and also at a place that only carries craft beers and micro-brews. I've tasted a LOT of beer. And when I go out, I drink Miller Lite. Why? Because I like it better than any craft beer I've drank. I like my beer non-filling and not to taste like food or cutesy flavors. I find it really obnoxious when people refer to what I drink as 'piss-water' and act like they're soooo clever because they bought a pint of Raspberry Cheesecake Wolf Howl or whatever the trend is that week. I don't care what you're drinking. Do me the same favor. It's like saying 'ew' about what someone is having for dinner. Just poor manners. PS-my beer will always be cheaper than your micro-brew. :)

Shocky said...

There's already been product placement with the cars. I want to say Ford?

Tatyana said...

The original Bond never oozed charm, "blunt weapons" rarely do, and that's what Bond is supposed to be. As for Profane's "Bond was a British Navy officer", British Navy used to run on lash, run and sodomy.

Principessa said...

I don't drink beer because it sits in my belly like a loaf of bread. I will occasionally sip a Corona with lime on a hot day, but I rarely finish it. Too filling.

Principessa said...

"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I drink a strategically-placed Heineken."

Henriette said...

I thought classic martini's were made with gin.

crila16 said...

Classic Martini's are made with Gin.

I can't believe they're switiching his drink to a heineken beer. This is completely sacrilegious. I'm a bond fan.

uberbaldy said...

Wow. Just wow. This news came out MONTHS ago and no I don't mean just on some bond fan sites. I saw this on multiple entertainment sites. This is not new. Also it's not in the whole movie. It's one scene. ENTY really failed on this one.

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