REEL RETRO CINEMA: A new look at old flicks and their comic book connections — on the 45th anniversary of For Your Eyes Only… — UPDATED 6/26/26: Hello, darling! For Your Eyes Only came out June 24, 1981, in the UK and June 26 in the US! Perfect time to reprint this column from 2015’s 007 WEEK. Now, do pay attention… — Dan — By ROB KELLY In 2006, the producers of the James Bond film franchise were universally praised for Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig in his first outing as 007. Tougher, rougher, and meaner than previous installments, it was clear that Eon Productions had shrewdly realized the excesses of the Bond films during Pierce Brosnan’s tenure (invisible cars, really?) needed to be reined in, lest the series become so silly that it could never recover. And make no mistake, Casino Royale deserves all the praise it received—but it’s worth taking a few moments to discuss another Bond film that was crafted for the same purpose, 1981’s For Your Eyes Only. For Your Eyes Only was originally scheduled to be Roger Moore’s fourth Bond film, following 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me (it was even promised as such at the end of that movie’s credits). But in between Spy’s production and release, 20th Century Fox unleashed Star Wars, a film whose impact on the movie business is still under-discussed (even after the 40 billion words that have been written about it). Eon Productions was still being run by Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, half of the team that first brought Bond to movie screens back in 1962 with Dr. No. Broccoli wasn’t afraid to chase a hot trend, so For Your Eyes Only was put on hold in favor of Moonraker, pretty much no one’s favorite Bond movie, Non-Ironic Division. Basically it’s The One Where Bond Goes Into Outer Space, and while it was a massive hit, fans of the series wondered just where the hell it could go after this. What’s next, James Bond vs. Michael Myers? Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and it was decided that for the next film, a more “back to basics” approach needed to be taken, for the long-term health of the franchise. Gone were the cartoony villains like Jaws, the outlandish gadgets, and the (literally) out-of-this-world settings. No, this time around, James Bond...
SUPERGIRL WEEK Meets REEL RETRO CINEMA: New looks at old flicks — and their comic-book roots… — UPDATED 6/25/26: It’s SUPERGIRL WEEK, because the new movie starring Milly Alcock is out! Perfect time to reprint this REEL RETRO CINEMA column from February 2023. Plus, click here for more high-flying Supergirl features! Dig it. — Dan — — When you’re done with this column, have a listen to Rob’s Supergirl commentary-track episode of the Superman Movie Minute at The Fire and Water Podcast Network. Rad! — Dan — By ROB KELLY After the disappointing response to Superman III, Ilya and Alexander Salkind—who retained the film rights to the Man of Steel and all the ancillary characters—wanted to try something different. So they turned their attention to Superman’s cousin, Supergirl. The Salkinds hired The Dark Crystal screenwriter David Odell to craft a story steeped in the Superman mythos—not only would this film feature a guest appearance by Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, but both our heroes would square off against legendary super-villain Brainiac (a character first proposed for Superman III). It was Reeve himself who suggested director Jeannot Szwarc, who had helmed Somewhere in Time, a gentle fantasy film starring Reeve and Jane Seymour. Szwarc accepted the Salkinds’ offer to direct, but he let them know he wanted his film to move away from the propulsive, bone-snapping action of the Superman films and toward something more gentle and graceful, befitting its younger, more childlike lead. Szwarc also looked forward to working with Christopher Reeve again. Unfortunately, it was immediately after that things started to go wrong. Also unhappy with how Superman III turned out and ever more mindful about being typecast, Reeve dropped out of Supergirl. To make matters worse, DC Comics, gunshy about introducing too many elements from the comics (oh, how things have changed), nixed the use of Brainiac, or any of the other Superman villains. Screenwriter Odell had to revise his script into something less ambitious and less connected to the source material. More fantasy, less science-fiction/adventure. Despite all this, Supergirl charged forward using a lot of the same methods that had served the Salkinds so well—a number of the behind the scenes special effects crew from the Superman films were retained, and a truly all-star cast was assembled to surround a young, unknown actor in the lead...
Including a first-ever MAXIE ZEUS!
Soon to be an action figure from McFarlane Toys!
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION in 13 PIX!
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to the late, great, Dame Diana Rigg…
