EPISODE 69 — True Stories That Make Movies Better

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Pop quiz, hotshot. Did you know that 'Speed', the Keanu-on-a-bus 90s action tent-pole was originally developed as a completely different film? At first, the script was written as an ensemble drama about a cast of strangers on a bus working together to stop a terrorist, but once Keanu signed on, it was rewritten as the fast and dumb classic we know and love today.

 

So many huge Hollywood films have little-known stories like these, where one decision changes the entire film and the lives of everyone involved. In other cases, these stories don't provide an alternate history as much as they provide a new context that makes re-watching the film a completely different experience.

 

This week on the podcast, Jack O'Brien is joined by Earwolf's Matt Gourley to discuss some of the stories unearthed from his podcast 'I Was There Too' and then chats with Cracked editor David Christopher Bell about overlooked behind the scenes stories from the films of David O. Russell, Stanley Kubrick and more.

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Recently, I ended up seeing the intro to James Bond Jr, a show I never watched in my youth. You know how it goes, just bouncing around Youtube? Anyway, what's interesting in that dumb cartoon - and why I'm bringing it up - is that it confirms the "James Bond is a codename" theory. The main character in that show is actually his nephew. The intro theme to "James Bond Jr." says - and I quote:

 

"♪ He learned the game from his uncle James

♪ Now he's heir to the name

♪ James Bond"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWexi-DWFQ

 

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I thought that was crazy. No time I've ever heard the theory have I heard James Bond JR mentioned along it. Yet, here it is - a James Bond product stating that it's, in fact, just a name, and there's people in line to take it over. And anyone can get it.

 

And apparently, the Junior Agents in line to take it up? Just wear the "Jr." attached to the end of the codename. Bonkers.

 

This is important information for Matt to know; this could provide 15-40m of discussion on a future James Bonding Podcast!