According to Wikipedia, pre-publicity for A View to a Kill advertised Bowie as playing Max Zorin, the primary target of septegenarian lothario Roger Moore's cringe-worthy post-killling bon mot's. Daddy eventually turned the role down, using his standard habit of making a pithy/ lame and unfunny statement to justify this decision.

Given that Christopher Walken's Zorin was one of the few bright spots in a particularly feeble entry in the Bond franchise, if Sailor had starred in it, could this have been the flat-out worst Bond film ever? Moonraker takes some beating and Die Another Day was the only one I couldn't watch all the way through, but it would have been a tough call.

Je est un autre

If memory serves, I added the bit about Bowie to the Wiki article on A View to a Kill some years ago. Although someone since has edited out a relevant quotation from producer Albert Broccoli that I included.

Funnily enough, the other day PHOENIX and I were having a conversation about whether or not A View to a Kill was worse than Moonraker. I think Moonraker is generally worse, but at least it has that godawful yellow-spacesuit-laser-battles-in-space scene at the end which at least qualifies as camp. Plus, Moonraker doesn't have poor Roger Moore practically getting raped by Grace Jones.

oh come on, avtak isn't that bad. walken and jones are great, and good old patrick macnee is in it. true, moore is about 20 years too old for that move. the only good thing about moonraker is jaws.

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Although someone since has edited out a relevant quotation from producer Albert Broccoli that I included.

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Wikipedia is not about trivia. "Movies David Bowie did not quite appear in" is trivia.

Non importa quanto si aspetta,ma chi si aspetta.

Oh, I don't know. The potential involvement of Bowie in the film is a relevant point in the film's production history, and I thought it looked all the better having a source from a book (I think it was The Complete David Bowie) to verify it.

Anyway, what I find interesting is that the role was offered to Bowie after Sting rejected it. Bowie also got the role of Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ after Sting couldn't or wouldn't do it. Was Bowie the go-to guy when Sting said no back then? I wonder what would happened had Sting turned down Dune. And maybe in an alternate universe, it was Bowie who sang "(We're Sending Our Love) Down the Well" to little Timmy O'Toole.

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I wonder what would happened had Sting turned down Dune.

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Following your logic, that means David Bowie would've been in two of David Lynch's most poorly-received films.

A View To A Kill is good. Plus, playing Zorin would have meant Bowie playing himself in 1976.

I remember the 1987 edition of Moonage Daydream (David Thompson, was it?) mistakenly said the role Bowie was offered eventually went to Grace Jones. Ew.

I remember there was a lot of publicity about Bowie being in talks with cubby for the movie at the time. On the back of MCML it was big news back in the day.

Grace Jones was great, from what I recall (not one my more wathced Bond films.)

my face is finished, my body's gone and i can't help but think,
standin' up here in all this applause and gazin' down at all the young and the beautiful with their questioning eyes,
that i must above all things love myself

Bowie wisely turned it down. Not that Bowie couldn't play a great villian, I think he could, but A View To A Kill is one of the worst Bond films ever. Period.

I think the part should have gone to Elton John.

Non importa quanto si aspetta,ma chi si aspetta.

I can imagine Elton John in a chair with a cat on his lap.
Loads of gold rings on one hand.
He would be great.

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Anyway, what I find interesting is that the role was offered to Bowie after Sting rejected it. Bowie also got the role of Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ after Sting couldn't or wouldn't do it. Was Bowie the go-to guy when Sting said no back then?

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Sting was also considered for Labyrinth, but I don't know if he was ever officially offered the role. Though, if he had taken it, there would probably be a bizarro JarethsGirl right now over on the Sting mb exchanging lame banter with the Frog.

Fairy stories in the penny arcade.
You bought my love and I paid.

I like Sting. Great lyricist. Hasn't written a good song in 10 years, though.

Satie's Faction

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I like Sting. Great lyricist. Hasn't written a good song in 10 years, though.

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I'd say that's a charitable assessment.

Maybe 9 years, then.

Satie's Faction

Let's say 12.

Twelve.

I read that somewhere as well - I wondered whether David would then need to sit astride Mr Moore.

That'd raise a few eyebrows. I can't see it though - surely, with the same looks and affected eyes as Zorin, David wouldn't be the gratuitous pop star wastage like ol' Grace??

Reminds me of Goldie in The World Is Not Enough which was a waste of time.

Would Roger Moore still be my favourite James Bond actor if he had killed David Bowie?

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I wonder what would happened had Sting turned down Dune.

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So in an alternate universe, perhaps...



"OK, I quit. You win. Last post. The end. Goodbye." - Stu, 1 October 2007

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Would Roger Moore still be my favourite James Bond actor if he had killed David Bowie?

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Let me guess: Tonight is your favorite Bowie album?

"OK, I quit. You win. Last post. The end. Goodbye." - Stu, 1 October 2007