Blofeld (apparently we can actually call him that now) menaces 007 at the start of For Your Eyes Only
The James Bond film series has done what’s known in comic books as a “retcon” — or retroactive change in continuity. It appears 1981’s For Your Eyes Only is now officially considered a SPECTRE-related movie.
When did this happen? Today when the official 007 site today announced A HOME VIDEO RELEASE in connection with the 24th James Bond film.
Here’s the start of the press release:
As fans prepare for the November 6th release of SPECTRE, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release an all-new line-up of special edition Blu-rays, DVDs and box-sets on September 15th.
Two never-before-seen featurettes are included with interviews from Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. “The Shadow of SPECTRE” will recount the fictional history of the global criminal syndicate and terrorist organization, “The Story So Far” will provide an overview of Daniel Craig’s first three Bond movies.
Six films featuring the SPECTRE organization (FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY) and the three recent Daniel Craig titles (CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, SKYFALL) will each get a limited edition Blu-ray Steelbook release, their cover designs inspired by each film’s opening title sequence. (emphasis added)
Interestingly, at the time of its release, 1981’s For Your Eyes Only wasn’t considered a SPECTRE related film. Its pre-titles sequence features a wheelchair-bound villain who looked like Ernst Stavro Blofeld but wasn’t identified as such.
The script, by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, had a line where the villain notes this is the 10th anniversary of his last encounter with Bond. That would appear to be a veiled reference to 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. The line was cut from the movie but appears in the Marvel Comics adaptation.
At the time, Kevin McClory still held the film rights to Thunderball and he claimed ownership of the Blofeld character.
Presumably, with Danjaq LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2013 obtaining all of the 007 rights held by McClory’s estate, all of that is moot now. Voila, For Your Eyes Only’s story has been changed.
One other note: Dr. No, the first 007 film, was also SPECTRE related because Dr. No was a member of the criminal organization. However, Blofeld didn’t put in an appearance, probably explaining why it’s not listed as part of this package.
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Danjaq LLC, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, For Your Eyes Only, Kevin McClory, Marvel Comics, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Michael G. Wilson, Neal Purvis, Richard Maibaum, Robert Wade, SPECTRE |
The Spy Command 
Please note Blofeld, in shadows and voiced by Anthony Dawson, did appear as an unnamed character in Dr. No
Where in Dr. No?
Nowhere in “Dr. No”. His information, wherever he’s gotten it from, is incorrect.
However, it probably still ought to be labelled a SPECTRE film. Pity it hasn’t been.
Dr. No should definitely be labeled a SPECTRE film. To echo what Matt said, Blofeld is not seen or heard from in the movie. He first appeared in From Russia With Love. Now that I own the Bond films in at least four different formats–VHS (up to DAD), initial Special Edition DVD releases (again, up to DAD), the Ultimate Edition DVD (and again, up to DAD–the CR release is included, interestingly, as a special disc which does not feature the uniformity as the rest of them) and the 50th anniversary Blu Ray set–but the one released after Skyfall was released on Blu Ray so it includes Skyfall) I have no real desire for a quintuple purchase here. If the content of these “new” Blu Rays is only package art (yawn) and a nice steel case (double yawn), and these two new documentaries, does any one know if these documentaries are on all of the discs, which mean I would only have to choose one to purchase to get the new content? Also interesting to note that with these documentaries it seems that Eon is attempting to connect the old with the new, with which I have no problem. I really, really hate the concept of a rebooted Bond, which is why I truly had tears in my eyes in the last two minutes of Skyfall–from Bond’s entrance into Moneypenny’s office to the end of his discussion in Bernard Lee’s M’s office–so I really really really hope that there is no freaking way–without spoiling–the things I have read on the internet about Bond’s link to Blofeld in this film are true!!
So who gives Professor Dent the tarantula and instructions to kill Bond when Dent goes to that room with the circular skylight? I always thought that was Blofeld, we don’t see him but we do hear him.
//So who gives Professor Dent the tarantula and instructions to kill Bond when Dent goes to that room with the circular skylight? I always thought that was Blofeld, we don’t see him but we do hear him.//
It’s Dr. No. That’s the voice of Joseph Wiseman you hear.
[…] Le plus intéressant, dans ces éditions limitées, c’est la présence de Rien que pour vos yeux : en toute logique, c’est Dr. No qui aurait du apparaître dans cette collection “SPECTRE”, puisqu’il marque la première menace de l’organisation terroriste. Or, c’est Rien que pour vos yeux qui le remplace, comme le relève HMSS Weblog. […]
“Its pre-titles sequence features a wheelchair-bound villain who looked like Ernst Stavro Blofeld but wasn’t identified as such.” True, but it’s a definite two fingers at McClory.
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