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James Bond Blu-ray Specs Revealed
Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Sony, James Bond (all tags)
MGM has revealed the full dossier on the first six titles in its upcoming James Bond Blu-ray collection, which will debut on Blu-ray with hours of bonus features.
As reported last month, MGM finally confirmed the release of its first wave of six classic James Bond titles, set to bow on Blu-ray October 21 (day-and-date with new standard DVD re-issues).
Spanning all four decades of Bond, the half-dozen titles include 'Dr. No,' 'From Russia with Love,' 'Thunderball,' 'Live and Let Die,' 'For Your Eyes Only' and 'Die Another Day.' (MGM will also package the six titles in a pair of three-pack bundles, with the 'James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 1' featuring 'From Russia with Love,' 'Thunderball' and 'For Your Eyes Only,' and the 'James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 2' with 'Dr. No,' 'Live and Let Die' and 'Die Another Day.')
Now the full specs are in, with each Bond adventure receiving the BD-50 dual-layer treatment, complete with fully-remastered 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and audio tracks in DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround.
Extras will be comparable to the previously-released two-disc DVD editions of each title, with hours of rare bonus materials featuring the participation of Bond cast and crew. The breakdown of extras for each release is as follows:
Dr. No:
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio commentary featuring director Terence Young and cast & crew
• Featurettes: "Inside Dr. No," "Premiere Bond," "Terence Young: Bond Vivant," "Dr. No 1963 Featurette"
• "Top Level Access 007: License to Restore" - Featurette detailing the Bond Ultimate Edition film restoration process
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" - The Guns of James Bond
• "007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Dr. No
• "Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
Die Another Day:
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary Featuring Director Lee Tamahori and Producer Michael G. Wilson
• Audio Commentary featuring Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" - From Script to Screen
• Featurettes: "Shaken and Stirred on Ice," "Just Another Day," "The British Touch: Bond Arrives in London," "On Location With Peter Lamont
• "007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Die Another Day
• MI6 DataStream
•
Madonna’s "Die Another Day" Music Video
• "Ministry of Propaganda" Photo gallery
Live and Let Die:
• Audio Commentary featuring Sir Roger Moore
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary featuring Guy Hamilton
• Audio Commentary featuring Tom Mankiewicz
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" - Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary
• Featurettes: "Roger Moore as James Bond, Circa 1964," "Inside Live and Let Die," "On Set With Roger Moore"
• Live and Let Die Conceptual Art
• "007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Live and Let Die
• "Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
For Your Eyes Only:
• Audio Commentary featuring Sir Roger Moore
• Audio Commentary featuring Michael G Wilson and Crew
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary featuring John Glen and Actors
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" Deleted Scenes and Expanded Angles
• Featurettes: "Inside For Your Eyes Only," "Bond in Greece, Bond in Cortina," "Neptune’s Journey
•"007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of For Your Eyes Only
• Animated Storyboard Sequences
•
Sheena Easton’s "For Your Eyes Only" Music Video
• "Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
From Russia with Love:
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary featuring director Terence Young and cast & crew
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" - Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview
• Featurettes: "Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler," "Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs," "Inside From Russia With Love," "Harry Saltzman: Showman"
•
Animated Storyboard Sequence
• "007 Mission Control" - Interactive Guide Into the World of From Russia With Love
• Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
Thunderball:
• "The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary featuring Terence Young and others
• Audio Commentary featuring Peter Hunt, John Hopkins and Others
• "Declassified: M16 Vault" The Incredible World of James Bond - Original 1965 NBC Television Special
• "A Child’s Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car" - 1965 Ford Promotional Film On Location With Ken Adam
• Featurettes: "Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies," "The Making of Thunderball," "The Thunderball Phenomenon," "The Secret History of Thunderball"
• Thunderball Boat Show Reel
• Selling Bonds - Original 1965 Television Advertisements
• "007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Thunderball
• "Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
Suggested list price for the stand-alone Bond titles has been set at $34.95 a pop, and $89.95 for each 3-pack bundle.
As always, you'll find the latest specs for all of MGM's James Bond titles linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 21.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Dr. No (Blu-ray)
- From Russia with Love (Blu-ray)
- Thunderball (Blu-ray)
- Live and Let Die (Blu-ray)
- For Your Eyes Only (Blu-ray)
- Die Another Day (Blu-ray)
- James Bond Collection Three-Pack: Volume 1 (Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball) (Blu-ray)
- James Bond Collection Three-Pack: Volume 2 (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Live and Let Die) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Six Classic Bond Titles To Hit Blu-ray this October (Jun 18, 2008)
- MGM Unwraps James Bond Blu-ray Art (Jul 25, 2008)
Sony to Double Dip 'Casino Royale' Blu-ray in October
Tue Jul 29, 2008 at 04:30 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Sony, James Bond (all tags)
Ending months of rumors, Sony Pictures has confirmed that James Bond will return for a double dip of 'Casino Royale,' which will hit Blu-ray this October as a two-disc collector's edition.
Originally released on high-def in March 2007 to big sales, 'Casino Royale' has long been rumored to receive the deluxe treatment thanks to the original release's relatively paltry bonus features.
Now Sony has confirmed an October 21 street date for the 'Casino Royale: Collector's Edition' Blu-ray, day-and-date with a new DVD re-issue.
The two-disc set will sport tech specs similar to the previous edition, with the film presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround audio, and new to the special edition, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround option.
Extras are extensive, with the set including a pair of cast & crew audio commentaries (participants TBA), a suite of documentaries ("Becoming Bond," "James Bond: For Real," "Bond Girls are Forever"), an additional pair of featurettes ("The Road to Casino Royale," "Ian Fleming: The Secret Road to Paradise"), six deleted scenes, two storyboard presentations, filmmaker profiles, and the Chris Cornell music video for "You Know My Name."
The Blu-ray release will also feature an e-Movie Cash ticket for the upcoming 22nd James Bond adventure, 'Quantum of Solace.'
Suggested list price for the two-disc Blu-ray has been set at $38.95.
You'll find specs for 'Casino Royale (2006, Collector's Edition)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 21.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Casino Royale (2006, Collector's Edition) (Blu-ray)
- Casino Royale (2006) (Blu-ray)
MGM Unwraps James Bond Blu-ray Art
Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 01:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Disc Packaging, MGM, James Bond (all tags)
MGM has unveiled a first look at the box art for the first six titles in its upcoming James Bond Blu-ray collection.
As previously reported, MGM made 007 fans really happy last month when it announced it was bringing its first wave of classic James Bond titles to Blu-ray on October 21 (day-and-date with new standard DVD re-issues).
Spanning all four decades of Bond, the six titles include 'Dr. No,' 'From Russia with Love,' 'Thunderball,' 'Live and Let Die,' 'For Your Eyes Only' and 'Die Another Day.'
MGM will also package the six titles in a pair of three-pack bundles, with the 'James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 1' featuring 'From Russia with Love,' 'Thunderball' and 'For Your Eyes Only,' and the 'James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 2' with 'Dr. No,' 'Live and Let Die' and 'Die Another Day.'
Although MGM still has not released any tech specs or supplement details as of yet, they have issued a teaser of what's to come with full-res box art images for the six stand-alone Bond titles:
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Suggested list price for the stand-alone Bond titles has been set at $34.95 a pop, and $89.95 for each 3-pack bundle.
As always, you'll find the latest specs for all of MGM's James Bond titles linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 21.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Dr. No (Blu-ray)
- From Russia with Love (Blu-ray)
- Thunderball (Blu-ray)
- Live and Let Die (Blu-ray)
- For Your Eyes Only (Blu-ray)
- Die Another Day (Blu-ray)
- James Bond Collection Three-Pack: Volume 1 (Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball) (Blu-ray)
- James Bond Collection Three-Pack: Volume 2 (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Live and Let Die) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Six Classic Bond Titles To Hit Blu-ray this October (Jun 18, 2008)
Six Classic Bond Titles To Hit Blu-ray this October
Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, MGM, Fox, James Bond (all tags)
MGM/Fox today officially announced the first next-gen release of a half-dozen James Bond catalog titles, which will hit Blu-ray this October in newly-remastered special editions.
Spanning several Bond eras (and lead actors), the six titles due to hit Blu-ray on October 21 (day-and-date with new DVD re-issues) include: 'Dr. No,' 'From Russia with Love,' 'Thunderball,' 'Live and Let Die,' 'For Your Eyes Only,' and 'Die Another Day.'
Timed to coincide with the upcoming theatrical release of the latest Bond film, 'Quantum of Solace,' each of the six titles will receive a frame-by-frame digital restoration courtesy of Lowry Digital Images (the same company behind the recent well-received remasters of 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones'), as well as a bevy of still-unnamed supplemental features.
"With 'Quantum of Solace' on the horizon, Bond fever is building once again," said Eric Doctorow, General Manager Worldwide, MGM Home Entertainment, via press release. "There is no better time to re-introduce these beloved films featuring the best picture and sound quality available today to the 60 million-plus, HD-capable households worldwide."
MGM/Fox has yet to release any additional specs or bonus features on the six Bond titles, but says full details will be revealed over the coming weeks.
Needless to say, we'll keep you posted as soon as more information comes to us.
In the meantime, you'll find preliminary specs for all six James Bond titles linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 21.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Dr. No (Blu-ray)
- From Russia with Love (Blu-ray)
- Thunderball (Blu-ray)
- Live and Let Die (Blu-ray)
- For Your Eyes Only (Blu-ray)
- Die Another Day (Blu-ray)
Rumor Mill: MGM Readying Bond Titles For Blu-ray Release? (UPDATED)
Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 12:55 PM ETTags: James Bond, MGM (all tags)
UPDATE: (6/05/08, 1:30pm ET) According to late word from Fox France, 'Goldeneye' and 'Tomorrow Never Dies' will not be among their first six Bond BD releases. Instead, they've been replaced by 'From Russia with Love' and 'For Your Eyes Only.' We've updated the titles listed in the post below accordingly.
The French release of six Bond flicks on Blu-ray this November has hopes high that the same films may find their way to US store shelves before Christmas.
The French website filmsactu.com is reporting today that MGM (via its parent distributor Fox) will release a half-dozen Bond titles on Blu-ray in France on November 5, 2008. The six flicks are reported to be 'Dr No,' 'Thunderball,' 'Live or Let Die,' 'From Russia With Love,' 'Die Another Day' and 'For Your Eyes Only.'
As for the fourteen other unreleased Bond titles ('Casino Royale' is the only 007 flick currently available on Blu-ray), rumor has it that they're planned for release concurrent with the BD release of 'Quantum of Solace,' sometime in the first half of 2009.
Though the French release of these titles doesn't necessarily mean they will also hit shelves stateside, generally Fox/MGM's release of such tentpole titles in France happens concurrently with (or is preceded by) a US release, heightening expectations that a US announcement could be on its way.
We should stress that with no official word from Fox or MGM stateside, all discussion of a US release of the Bond catalogue is purely speculative at this point. Needless to say, we'll keep you posted when and if any official information comes in. Stay tuned...
(Thanks to Arnaud for the tip!)
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Exclusif: James Bond en Blu-Ray! [filmsactu.com]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Casino Royale (2006) (Blu-ray)
Sony Drafts James Bond to Usher in PlayStation 3 Euro Launch
Mon Feb 12, 2007 at 05:29 PM ETTags: PlayStation 3, James Bond, Sony (all tags)
Betting on bullets, babes and superspies to further drive PlayStation 3 sales, Sony today announced that the first 500,000 European consumers to register their new PS3 on the PlayStation Network after the console's launch on March 23 will receive a free copy of 'Casino Royale.'
The latest James Bond flick, already a nearly half-billion international box office phenom, was already certain to be one of the biggest sellers -- if not the biggest -- on Blu-ray thus far. But Euro PS3 users can save the £25 (roughly $40 U.S.) by simply signing up for the console's free PS Network, which should guarantee 'Royale' will now move at least half a million units right out of the gate in Europe.
The freebie version of 'Royale' will be a full BD-50 dual-layer edition, complete with 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer and uncompressed PCM surround track, plus extras.
'Casino Royale' will debut as a stand-alone Blu-ray release in the U.S. on March 13.
Sure, they may have had to wait a while, but in our opinion, our European friends are getting a much better deal than us lowly U.S. consumers received back in November when the when the company packed the first 400,000 U.S. PS3 consoles with a slimmed down, BD-25 single-layer version of the Will Ferrell hit 'Talladega Nights.' Quite frankly, who would you rather see in high-def -- the festively plump Ricky Bobby, or James Bond!?
Hey Sony, how about letting us PS3 owners on this side of the Atlantic trade in those copies of 'Talladega' for 'Royale'? Just a thought...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- CES: 'Casino Royale,' MPEG-4 Support Highlight Sony's Q1 Blu-ray Plans (Jan 08, 2007)
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