James Bond on Blu-ray/4K

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  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,180
    No wonder it’s sought out!
  • Posts: 16,149
    I imagine the Blu-ray of NSNA is the same transfer as on that 2008 DVD re-release that contained those extras. I love the extras on that edition. Some great stuff there.
    However, I feel the transfer was rather bland looking compared to the early 2000 DVD. The colors just didn't pop or look particularly filmic. I'd assume the Blu-ray was an improvement, but still, not too crazy about the color timing.
  • Posts: 1,916
    I actually sold my Blu and DVD copies of NSNA back in 2011 or 2012. Netted I think close to $60 for the Blu and about $25-30 for the DVD, so that was well worth it at the time for a film I really didn't watch as I figured it will come out again at some point.

    Didn't know about CR '67, though. I'd have sold that one too if I'd known I could get that for it.
  • edited December 2020 Posts: 1,181
    I've got that bluray copy of NSNA, also a DVD copy of NSNA and a DVD copy of CR67. I've been enjoying the 4K UHD version NSNA as well.

    The extras are nice if you are into NSNA. Love the discussion of putting the title song over the action sequence.

    I actually like watching NSNA occasionally, but I just can't really get into CR67. It's just not my thing I guess.

    Makes you want to store back a bunch of these type of films if you can grab them for cheap before they go out of print.
  • Posts: 16,149
    If the Blu-ray of the '67 CR had the '54 version as an extra I would have jumped at it some time ago. Instead I'm content with the DVD which does contain the '54 CR.
  • 007InAction007InAction Australia
    edited December 2020 Posts: 2,516
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Mallory wrote: »
    Oh wait. Did MGM stop distribution of Bond or something? Is that why?

    Given theyre both the “unofficial” films, I can understand why MGM may not makes those as readily available as the EoN films. Plus I cant imagine either were made beyond the first print run of the discs.

    That’s pretty much it. I think NSNA was a barebones blu-ray as well, right? I never purchased it.

    It contains:

    - Feature Length Audio Commentary with Director Irvin Kershner and James Bond Historian Steven Jay Rubin
    - "The Big Gamble"
    - "Sean is Back"
    - The Girls of Never Say Never Again
    - Theatrical Trailer
    - Still Photo Gallery

    So, more than SP, surprisingly.

    "Sean is Back"
    Eo8vonxW4AEy3LV?format=jpg&name=large
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,180
    Updated my blog with an entry for DIE ANOTHER DAY

    https://007homemedia.blogspot.com/2020/12/die-another-day-2002.html

    One thing I noticed when revisiting these screencaps was that the Fox blu-ray seemed to have used edge enhancement in order to give a sharper image (other titles like OCTOPUSSY got it too). Not surprising, because back in the 2000s the whole selling point of HD was presenting sharper images on TV. George Lucas fell into that trap when remastering the Star Wars films in HD. Funnily, DAD was shot by the same DP as the Star Wars prequels, likely brought in to help the Bond franchise transition into the digital age (though unlike ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH, DAD was actually shot on film).
  • Posts: 16,149
    Doesn't seem to be a substantial difference on the 4K version of DAD.
    The Blu-ray looks just slightly more magenta to me than the others.
  • Posts: 113
    Catching up quickly. Currently I'm knee deep in reviewing the Japanese letterbox 1993 Laserdisc set of releases.
    Now, I wasn't quite sure if this should go here or in "I've never noticed that before...", but given that this thread has also been used to discuss differences between the films' various releases over the years, I thought it would fit in here well enough.

    Having just watched the blu-ray of DAF, I noticed something odd on the original mono soundtrack. In the 26 years I've watched this film (not continuously, mind), the henchman that Bond kicks off the dune bike (or whatever you wish to call it) during the moon buggy chase has always let out a grunt as he gets the boot. I was suprised to find that on the mono track on the blu-ray, there was only silence.

    I went back to the 1992 VHS and the 1999 SE DVD, which as far as I know also feature the original mono soundtrack, as I didn't think there was any sort of remix before the UE DVD in 2006, and indeed, the grunt grunts on both of those.

    So that begs the question: what kind of mono soundtrack have I been hearing all those years? Obviously something that can't have been the original one, given the silence I encountered on the blu-ray. But if so, where did it originate? Or is there simply an error in the track on the blu-ray?
    I can confirm that the grunting is intact in the 1988 VHS and 1990 LaserDisc.

    There are different sound mixes between the US and UK prints, so I wonder if the lack of grunting was from the original UK version. For a long time home video in the US was based off of the US prints, which is why we got the most obvious differences in TB with the UK ending with the reused James Bond Theme and the US print ending with the TB recorded version as heard in the soundtrack.

    I do wish when remastering the films that they would have just gone with the mixes used in the US. They may not be the "original" UK versions, but I like hearing the TB version of the Bond theme rather than the reused 1962 recording.

    That would be news to me about DAF having two monos. The sound remixes also subbed in soundtrack masters for the title sequences on some films so that induced changes. The biggest problem with the original audio is that usually they are overprocessed to the nth degree which did not occur on older releases as much. If you go back far enough none of this occurred and thus I went down the Laserdisc rabbit hole many years ago. While I'm beyond glad some form of the original mixes are on the US BDs again instead of the criminally bad 5.1 remixes (and after extensive testing most are ok, some are fine with some being a good lossy copy of the LD audio)-no consumer release has or will sound as good as the LD PCM renderings of the pre digital sound era until a proper archival restoration is done.

    Were you actually able to confirm the two TB mixes were US and UK versions?? That's been my educated best guess but no one anywhere seems to know for sure. I even recently posted on the main IFF facebook discussion page to see if I could get a bite.

    quote="MakeshiftPython;c-1158796"]
    Ed83 wrote: »
    So to clarify, all of the films have been scanned in 4k? Is there a source that discusses this? There seems to be a huge quality difference between TB and LTK for example on Vudu UHD.

    It's been posted several pages back in this thread.

    The thing with LTK is that its picture quality issues are simply inherent due to how the film was shot and processed. The film was produced in Mexico, and EON was utilizing film stock and development labs that were not on par with what they used in other Bond films. If you look up the Siskel & Ebert review of the film there's a part where Siskel says he was surprised over how the look of the film was not up to standards expected in Bond films. When I was examining the iTunes 4K versions I was surprised over just how grainy and inconsistent the picture quality was from scene to scene.

    Just comparing these two images you can see the upgrade even when just at 1080p as the film grain is more noticable and gives LTK a more film look, though when in motion it looks very rough.[/quote]

    I've sadly never gotten to see a print but it wouldn't surprise me. Every video version has had rough patches too and the flat look in areas only adds to the "007 Miami Vice" moniker people throw at the film.

    They went OOP years ago. On the used market they've gone up and up. I finally tracked down the BD versions a few years ago but you'll have to be very patient to get one at a decent price. Unfortunately they're still older masters and don't look super great in HD. The extras made for each are pretty cool so if you want those only look for the final DVD issues which have them. What is good is that both BDs have original audio on the USA releases. NSNA has a wimpy mix but the 2.0 is better than the 5.1 slightly and for CR67 mono is the way to go as the 5.1 is an upmix.


    The biggest hurdle is to get fully away from the Lowry tomfoolery and start afresh which is seemingly what has been quietly going on over the years. That company did more harm to film restoration and processing in a few short years....
  • With the Bond films free to view on YouTube (for now), does anyone know if they’re the 4K versions? I’d love to watch the 4K version of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service tomorrow to celebrate its 51st anniversary!
  • Posts: 113
    I haven’t checked them all yet. I’m a physical media nerd so normally I don’t like streaming things over a phone etc. I did look at DN and it seemed to be the Blu-ray master with the remix.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited December 2020 Posts: 8,180
    One way to tell is if the MGM logo is the 2012 version with the zooming out of the eye. That said, I don’t think there is much of a difference with OHMSS, other than the slight magenta gotten rid of that was present in the blu ray.
  • 007InAction007InAction Australia
    Posts: 2,516
    With the Bond films free to view on YouTube (for now), does anyone know if they’re the 4K versions? I’d love to watch the 4K version of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service tomorrow to celebrate its 51st anniversary!

    Only if you live in the U.S and i don't know what the res is.
  • With the Bond films free to view on YouTube (for now), does anyone know if they’re the 4K versions? I’d love to watch the 4K version of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service tomorrow to celebrate its 51st anniversary!

    Only if you live in the U.S and i don't know what the res is.

    Thankfully I’m here in the U.S. So that’s not much of an issue here.
    One way to tell is if the MGM logo is the 2012 version with the zooming out of the eye. That said, I don’t think there is much of a difference with OHMSS, other than the slight magenta gotten rid of that was present in the blu ray.

    Well thats dissapointing...guess I’ll be popping in the Blu Ray then, I don’t really want to sit through constant ads if the image quality hasn’t changed that much.

    I wish the Bond films would be released in 4K already on physical media.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,030
    I watched OHMSS for free with Prime in 4K recently. It was glorious and beautiful.
  • Apple TV has all the Bond's (to rent) in 4K, I think this is new to Canada. I've downloaded the app on my Xbox. Excited to give a few of these a look.
  • I watched OHMSS for free with Prime in 4K recently. It was glorious and beautiful.

    Good thing I recently reactivated my Prime account, Im going to check it out on there now!!!
  • 007InAction007InAction Australia
    Posts: 2,516
    I watched OHMSS for free with Prime in 4K recently. It was glorious and beautiful.

    Good thing I recently reactivated my Prime account, Im going to check it out on there now!!!

    Any good ?
  • I watched OHMSS for free with Prime in 4K recently. It was glorious and beautiful.

    Good thing I recently reactivated my Prime account, Im going to check it out on there now!!!

    Any good ?

    I haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve checked to see if it was still on there and fortunately it is, I’ll update in the thread my thoughts on the restoration after I do give it a go.

    On a related note, Happy 51st anniversary to OHMSS!
  • 007InAction007InAction Australia
    Posts: 2,516
    I watched OHMSS for free with Prime in 4K recently. It was glorious and beautiful.

    Good thing I recently reactivated my Prime account, Im going to check it out on there now!!!

    Any good ?

    I haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve checked to see if it was still on there and fortunately it is, I’ll update in the thread my thoughts on the restoration after I do give it a go.

    On a related note, Happy 51st anniversary to OHMSS!

    Happy 51st anniversary OHMSS. You haven't aged a bit....... :)>-
  • With apologies for slight hijacking of thread, which Dvd collection includes the bonus feature documentaries? Are these in the 2017 box? Or just the larger 2012? Apologies again and thank you in advance.
  • edited December 2020 Posts: 2,264
    muzz100 wrote: »
    With apologies for slight hijacking of thread, which Dvd collection includes the bonus feature documentaries? Are these in the 2017 box? Or just the larger 2012? Apologies again and thank you in advance.

    Some of the bonus feature documentaries date back to the 2000 Special Edition DVD’s. I recommend buying one of the latest box sets if you’re looking for the complete collection of bonus features. So anything from 2012 onwards!

    If you’re talking DVD exclusively, then try the 2006 2-Disc Ultimate Editions.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,180
    Nice thing of Bond home video is that nearly every special feature that has been made since the laserdiscs have been kept up with the latest releases. The only exceptions are those Criterion laserdisc commentaries that EON banned.
  • Nice thing of Bond home video is that nearly every special feature that has been made since the laserdiscs have been kept up with the latest releases. The only exceptions are those Criterion laserdisc commentaries that EON banned.

    Were those Criterion laserdisc commentaries that controversial? Or are they relatively tame?
  • Thank you, so for example the 2017 is listed as 24 discs, each one has the main feature and bonus extras?
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I think Die Another Day is also missing some of the features that were present on the initial DVD release.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Ryan wrote: »
    I think Die Another Day is also missing some of the features that were present on the initial DVD release.

    You are correct.
  • I haven’t really bothered to look at the discrepancies between DAD releases...because each release of that film sits at the bottom of my collections where it belongs B-) B-) B-)
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I haven’t really bothered to look at the discrepancies between DAD releases...because each release of that film sits at the bottom of my collections where it belongs B-) B-) B-)

    I'm offended. :D :D :D
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