DP/30: SPECTRE, Sam Mendes

Already an award-winning stage director, Sam Mendes burst onto the movie scene with American Beauty, winning the Directing Oscar for his first film. Other films followed, but didn't have quite the same impact. And then James Bond came into his life. After his second outing with 007, Mendes chatted with David Poland about the film, the journey, and about what might be next.
Shot in Los Angeles, October 2015
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[@awsom50]

Another excellent interview Dave. Mendes is cool too, and whilst I had certain reservations about Spectre, I openly admit to enjoying it loads.

[@spooky-starbuck]

Truly an amazing interview, it's great how at ease you've put him and you ask really interesting questions !

[@PaddyLR1]

Great Interview! I find it a shame that the audio is panned so strongly. It tires ears very quickly, that and the disortion, took me out of what is a great and insightful interview.

[@barathanvidhyapathy7088]

After watching this interview it gave me a lot of insight into Mendes' approach to this film, which is great that he actually put a lot of thought into it. It was ambitious and it also tried to keep the reinvention of Bond while trying to homage to the series' legacy which ended up an incoherent mish mash. The direction was very solid. Mendes has really improved his skill directing action scenes. SPOILERS - - - - - - - The surveillance subplot could be seen from a mile away, it was so hamfisted. And what a terrible waste of Christoph Waltz. Not to mention how poorly his whole vendetta against Bond was. Couldn't you have made them actual friends, and had Bond 'betray' him in some way in his youth which led Waltz to consistently try to destroy Bond and anyone he holds dear? The writers tried really hard to make Craig's Bond films connect, but when those films weren't constructed with Spectre in mind, it's a tenuous connection at best.

[@jogordon1530]

I have to agree regarding Waltz. Excellent actor only to give him lines that were dull and boring! This guy was an evil psychopath- they made him look like a pussy/nerd. The script for the character and the so-called torture scene were lame. However, after watching Spectre over 6 or 7 times, I find I prefer this movie over Skyfall.

[@pseudonymousbeing987]

"the next movie would have to be Bond babies" Well well well...

[@vanzonhl]

love this channel. loved the movie.

[@creature57]

Great interview Dave. Thanks so much. I saw the film over the weekend and I have mixed feelings about it but I don't agree with alot of critics in that it's one of the worst Bond films. It's a different Bond film for certain. Not for everyone and very different to Skyfall. I have to say I do miss Roger Deakins' cinematography but HVH's work is still quite good. Very different pacing for a Bond film that makes sense following the other Daniel Craig Bond films. It will be interesting to see what happens next and with whom.

[@orhankurum]

Burada da bi film çekebilirmiyiz

[@34.cat22]

Hire David Poland on CBS. He's perfectly doing his job. Who's better? Common people let's hold him up. Post it everywhere. Why so talant and so moneyless at the same time?

[@phantomfire8228]

23:50

[@phantomfire8228]

9:54

[@AthenaSaints]

Unfortunately, for me, Skyfall is a better film compare to Spectre. Spectre's opening sequence is spectacular, but Skyfall make me want to stand at a Scottish glen with my rental car; go to the shooting range, and try firing a Walther PPK. Villain comes after MI:6, not the other way around. Spectre has too many Bond cliche. Skyfall has more dramatic acting, and more originality. The Skyfall promotional poster where Craig lying down on his side, aiming with his Walther, is also much better than Spectre's promotional poster. Skyfall is like using blood and sweat to paint Mona Lisa, and Spectre is just blahh...

[@evancollins2929]

I think the opening scene is overrated.. The point of long takes are really to display the ability of the director through tedious choreography. However this long take has several hidden cuts throughout, makingthe point of it obsolete. A good opening longtake, which Mendes was paying hoage to, is Orson Welles touch of evil.

[@Mike-hj7gg]

this is true, but as Sam himself has stated in a previous interview, dude to an industry strike he had 4 months extra to work on the script for skyfall.. he himself said he wish he had more time for spectre, but a release date is a release date..

[@phantomfire8228]

13:33

[@Prysewhert]

does this have spoilers for spectre in it?

[@GlenNigelMatthews]

+Prysewhert Yes

[@phantomfire8228]

11:10

[@manakshbhanushali]

he's not dead...... oh sam you predicted daniel's arc :(

[@theempire00]

Spectre doesn't seem that well received by the critics

[@orhankurum]

Malatya türkiye dede bi film çeker ihya olsun kernek mahallesi beş konaklar caddesi no bu kadar no gördeal apartman ı 8

[@volodiaarnaud599]

fuuuuuuuuucking spoilers just after saying "without spoiling it".... thanks. It's my fault for watching this before the movie. But still. Very undude.

[@matters5]

+Volodia Arnaud really? I really wanna watch this but haven't seen the movie. How bad are spoilers from 1-10

[@volodiaarnaud599]

Honestly I didn't venture too much after the first one, so I would say 5 but more for the disappointment than the storyline, but I stopped right away cannot say for the rest

[@teaber]

+matters5 9.... Watch after watching the movie!

[@theempire00]

+matters5 eh, I'd say about a 2. Honestly nothing significant

[@johnsailorsgoat]

+Volodia Arnaud That's why I'm only watching after just watching the movie!

[@guileniam]

The man who killed James Bond

[@highvoltagemedia7150]

Dizzy Blu I don't see Lee Tamahori anywhere

[@guileniam]

Steven Cravens Lee only disabled it. this man put the stake through the stake through the coffin

[@guileniam]

NewMillennium2001​ Did fans delete their comments when Indiana Jones 4 "nuked the fridge", or voice down their complaints when Happy days "jumped the shark?". Do they not complain when the simpsons, still airing, its horrifically poor content present content?

[@guileniam]

NewMillennium2001 James Bond, created by Ian Fleming, is a sexist, homophobic racist in its first incarnation, a product of postwar upper class British mentality. As the time goes on, Bond becomes incredibly popular because of the sixties counterculture. Popularity steadily wanes ad the years go on. As popular culture becomes more progressive, layers of Bonds Original personality is stripped away to make him 'fit' in society. Finally, Gets dramatic makeover in 06, seems to survive. Skyfall happens, then Spectre. Its seems the elements that made Bond Bond no longer seem to work, and on top of that, this fool makes some appalling directal choices for a spy action adventure film. Bond is dead, certainly a "relic of the cold war". Hopefully he can be reuscitated, but Im not Holding out The behaviour of Bond

[@theboofin]

Ha, Bond has been a joke for decades. Now he's watchable.

[@phantomfire8228]

16:30

[@phantomfire8228]

9:23