Yes, that's correct. As I said in that post I feel it was rather mean spirited of Eon not to include that documentary in all the home releases. However, I'm guessing it's a rather cynical ploy on their part to encourage us to buy the 4K disc as well. Sadly many Bond fans (myself included) don't yet have 4K TVs or 4K players to watch it on.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
I was going to wait for the (inevitable) Craig 4K Boxset before upgrading from the original Blu-Rays, but I find myself tempted with this. The Amazon link seems to give the most info on the release.
Both the 4K UHD Blu ray and regular Blu Ray of NTTD are outstanding. The 4K UHD version has made many top 5 lists relative to picture quality and sound. My only disappointment with the 4K disc is that the IMAX scenes were not presented in the taller 1.90 to 1 IMAX ratio.
Very much looking forward to the classic Bonds being issued on 4K UHD disc. The 4K UHD versions presently available on streaming platforms look good, but are really only about as good as a regular 1080p Blu Ray disc due to the bandwidth limitations of streaming platforms. It's going to take a lot to improve upon the 1080p Blu Rays of DN, FRWL, and GF as they are some of the best Blu Rays ever released but since all those classic Bonds were shot on 35mm film, new disc releases created from 4K masters with HDR, etc have the potential to set new standards. TB, which is an ok Blu Ray remaster but inferior to the first three, could really benefit from the new 4K / HDR remaster on disc.
For those looking to upgrade to 4K UHD discs, I would highly recommend the 4K UHD Disc remaster of the original Predator. It's a huge improvement over the regular Blu Ray release and can be had for under $20.00. The Kino 4K release of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is also highly recommended as the color timing has been finally corrected and it's a great looking 4K disc in general (far superior to any previous physical media releases of that film).
I’ve only began to collect classic movies, either in 4K or a steelbook version, because they have cool art on them. I hope they come out with a 4K steelbook version of the Criag Era, and I wonder if they’ve done that for any other Bond actor era.
Is it true that Bond discs haven't been good sellers the past 15yrs ? According to someone on another forum, that's why there's been no 4k collection etc
Just a guess but I would believe that the Bond Blu Rays sold quite well upon their initial releases. The first generation DVD releases of DN, FRWL, and Goldfinger, while selling well turned out to be disgraceful abominations as the transfers of the first four films were basically the panned and scanned 1.33 to 1 extractions then cropped on the top and bottom to 1.78 to 1 which when eventually discovered culminated in a lawsuit against MGM, et al. The problem now is that the whole series has been generally available on various streaming platforms in recent times and in some instances in 4K. Add in the reality that Amazon now owns MGM and likes having those Bond films on Prime there appears to be no real traction regarding getting the classic Bonds out on 4K Blu Ray. I would like to believe that there are enough hardcore Bond fans and physical media collectors out there that well put together 4K Discs of the classic Bonds would turn a profit especially since the 4K Re-Masters already exist for the films.
Happy to be proven wrong....apparently there is a boxed set of all 6 Connery Bonds in 4K coming out in June 2025. I do not have any other information other than it is the 6 "Official" Connery films.
PPK 7.65mmSaratoga Springs NY USAPosts: 1,256MI6 Agent
I also saw that video on You Tube. I am all for the absolute best remasters/restorations, etc being released. What I do find odd is his criticisms of some of the early Bond Blu Ray releases. As I recall (and based upon my own eye test) the Blu Ray releases of DN, FRWL, and Goldfinger were pretty much lauded as excellent and even considered at that time some of the finest remasters ever presented on Blu Ray (TB not so much, the sound mix is not good at all, but overall IMO not terrible). I love physical media releases and am pretty picky about them, but I would recommend taking with a grain of salt what some of these ultra geeks put out there. Some are never satisfied with what gets released to an absurd degree. Yes there are films which have gotten really bad 4K releases (all kinds of digital scrubbing, poor sound mixes, questionable source material, too much HDR, no HDR, etc) but sometimes it just is to a bizarre extreme. For example, the long awaited 4K remaster of Once Upon A Time In the West was lambasted by some of these "experts" as being scrubbed to the point of looking like something shot in the 80's on video with the images looking like wax figures. I actually own the 4K Blu Ray of OUATITW and after watching it on my 75" Sony I can say IMHO they are delusional. The 4K of the film looks amazing and looks like film with a decent amount of grain intact along with incredible picture details in faces, clothing, etc. I saw the film in a theater in 1968 and this is far and away the best it has looked on physical media. That diatribe being said, I do agree that the classic Bonds deserve to be treated like the classics they are and any 4K Blu Ray presentation should reflect that by utilizing the best source material and creating an end product that comes as close as possible to the finest original cinematic presentations of the films.
PPK 7.65mmSaratoga Springs NY USAPosts: 1,256MI6 Agent
@HowardB : Thank You for the insights. Having gotten several of the Bond movies once I got a Blu Ray player in 2010, I have found both the picture and sound quality to be a major step up from the VHS releases of the original sixteen movies that I grew up watching. I am really glad that MGM did correct the issues with the Blu Ray release of Thunderball eventually, since it's one of my favorites in the series. Really hope that the 4K releases are given the respect their due and not subjected the problems that lots of older movie's encounter when it's their turn for a release on 4K.
Amen to that. Given the extended time between films, especially the current dead air from EON, the fans deserve something special in the 4K Blu Ray releases (and not just fancy packaging). This is EON's legacy. They need to care about these 4K Blu Ray releases of the classic Bonds beyond just the $$$$$$.
It's official. 4K UHD Blu Ray Connery Steel Book Box Set coming this June. DN, FRWL, GF, TB, YOLT, and DAF. I think there is also a less "deluxe" set also releasing. All that is known for now. Looks like the Deluxe Steel Book Box set is going to be around $139.00 USD. I just really hope they did these films justice and not cheap out.
Yes, the artwork for the steel box set (at least the box covers) is not great although the GF and YOLT covers aren't bad IMO. The artwork on the cover of the non-steelbook box is actually pretty decent. At least the prices aren't too bad ($140.00 USD for the steelbook set and $105.00 for the regular set). For me, it mostly comes down to the quality of 4K presentations. From what I can tell at this point, they are HDR including Dolby Vision (the 4K Bonds available for streaming are only SDR) and have the audio options of Dolby Atmos True HD or DTS HD-MA Mono 2.0. I have not heard much about whether they are new scans; there was a bunch of negative chatter that they were using the old Lowery scans that the old Blu Rays were taken from (although the Lowery scans were done in 4K) but Harry Canyon's post indicating that it appears they are new scans from 2024 is encouraging. Hopefully they didn't mess them up with a bunch of DNR and other digital scrubbing. I found it interesting that the 4K Blu Ray aspect ratio for the non-scope Bond films (DN, FRWL, GF) was listed as 1.75 to 1 (which was the most common aspect ratio for showing non-scope films in GB from the mid 50's on). The old Blu Ray releases were 1.66 to 1 (DN, FRWL, and GF were all shot hard matted 1.66 to 1 with the image composed to be projected safely at 1.66 to 1; 1.75 to 1 or 1.85 to 1 ). Looking forward to reading some actual reviews of the set.
And here’s an excellent bit of news: We’re hearing through the grapevine that the individual titles in the forthcoming 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6-Film 4K Ultra HD Collection due on 6/10 (from Warner, Amazon & MGM) have all been remastered from new 4K scans of the original camera negatives! They’ll each have Dolby Vision HDR and also new Dolby Atmos mixes. The titles in question are Terence Young’s Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), and Thunderball (1965), Guy Hamilton’s Goldfinger (1964) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Lewis Gilbert’s You Only Live Twice (1967) in 4K UHD.
That is good news. Thanks for sharing. Those films were all shot in glorious dye transfer Technicolor and the camera negatives are reputed to have been well preserved. Now just keeping my fingers crossed that they didn't muck about with any DNR or other digital scrubbing.
Comments
@Silhouette Man was saying elsewhere the Being James Bond doc is only available on the 4k version of No Time to Die
Yes, that's correct. As I said in that post I feel it was rather mean spirited of Eon not to include that documentary in all the home releases. However, I'm guessing it's a rather cynical ploy on their part to encourage us to buy the 4K disc as well. Sadly many Bond fans (myself included) don't yet have 4K TVs or 4K players to watch it on.
Anybody know anything about this new Casino Royale release? (10th Jan in UK)
I was going to wait for the (inevitable) Craig 4K Boxset before upgrading from the original Blu-Rays, but I find myself tempted with this. The Amazon link seems to give the most info on the release.
Prob just the same old disc in fancy packaging.
Titans select classic films and make a nice steelbook and accessories
Both the 4K UHD Blu ray and regular Blu Ray of NTTD are outstanding. The 4K UHD version has made many top 5 lists relative to picture quality and sound. My only disappointment with the 4K disc is that the IMAX scenes were not presented in the taller 1.90 to 1 IMAX ratio.
Very much looking forward to the classic Bonds being issued on 4K UHD disc. The 4K UHD versions presently available on streaming platforms look good, but are really only about as good as a regular 1080p Blu Ray disc due to the bandwidth limitations of streaming platforms. It's going to take a lot to improve upon the 1080p Blu Rays of DN, FRWL, and GF as they are some of the best Blu Rays ever released but since all those classic Bonds were shot on 35mm film, new disc releases created from 4K masters with HDR, etc have the potential to set new standards. TB, which is an ok Blu Ray remaster but inferior to the first three, could really benefit from the new 4K / HDR remaster on disc.
For those looking to upgrade to 4K UHD discs, I would highly recommend the 4K UHD Disc remaster of the original Predator. It's a huge improvement over the regular Blu Ray release and can be had for under $20.00. The Kino 4K release of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is also highly recommended as the color timing has been finally corrected and it's a great looking 4K disc in general (far superior to any previous physical media releases of that film).
Some label called final cut entertainment have recently reissued CR 67, have any of you purchased it? Does it have any new features?
I’ve only began to collect classic movies, either in 4K or a steelbook version, because they have cool art on them. I hope they come out with a 4K steelbook version of the Criag Era, and I wonder if they’ve done that for any other Bond actor era.
4K steelbooks of the Craig films are already out there.
However I expect a box set of the entire series in 4K will be unleashed this year for the 60th
Any whispers of a box set 4K release for the 60th Anniversary?
I wish they had done this instead of the useless stuff they did release.
Check out my Instagram: @livingthebondlife
"I never joke about my work, 007."
Is it true that Bond discs haven't been good sellers the past 15yrs ? According to someone on another forum, that's why there's been no 4k collection etc
Just a guess but I would believe that the Bond Blu Rays sold quite well upon their initial releases. The first generation DVD releases of DN, FRWL, and Goldfinger, while selling well turned out to be disgraceful abominations as the transfers of the first four films were basically the panned and scanned 1.33 to 1 extractions then cropped on the top and bottom to 1.78 to 1 which when eventually discovered culminated in a lawsuit against MGM, et al. The problem now is that the whole series has been generally available on various streaming platforms in recent times and in some instances in 4K. Add in the reality that Amazon now owns MGM and likes having those Bond films on Prime there appears to be no real traction regarding getting the classic Bonds out on 4K Blu Ray. I would like to believe that there are enough hardcore Bond fans and physical media collectors out there that well put together 4K Discs of the classic Bonds would turn a profit especially since the 4K Re-Masters already exist for the films.
Happy to be proven wrong....apparently there is a boxed set of all 6 Connery Bonds in 4K coming out in June 2025. I do not have any other information other than it is the 6 "Official" Connery films.
Saw this video recently and I thought it would be interesting for everyone here:A Plea To Warner Bros: Please Properly Restore The James Bond Films for 4K UHD (I’ll help!)
I also saw that video on You Tube. I am all for the absolute best remasters/restorations, etc being released. What I do find odd is his criticisms of some of the early Bond Blu Ray releases. As I recall (and based upon my own eye test) the Blu Ray releases of DN, FRWL, and Goldfinger were pretty much lauded as excellent and even considered at that time some of the finest remasters ever presented on Blu Ray (TB not so much, the sound mix is not good at all, but overall IMO not terrible). I love physical media releases and am pretty picky about them, but I would recommend taking with a grain of salt what some of these ultra geeks put out there. Some are never satisfied with what gets released to an absurd degree. Yes there are films which have gotten really bad 4K releases (all kinds of digital scrubbing, poor sound mixes, questionable source material, too much HDR, no HDR, etc) but sometimes it just is to a bizarre extreme. For example, the long awaited 4K remaster of Once Upon A Time In the West was lambasted by some of these "experts" as being scrubbed to the point of looking like something shot in the 80's on video with the images looking like wax figures. I actually own the 4K Blu Ray of OUATITW and after watching it on my 75" Sony I can say IMHO they are delusional. The 4K of the film looks amazing and looks like film with a decent amount of grain intact along with incredible picture details in faces, clothing, etc. I saw the film in a theater in 1968 and this is far and away the best it has looked on physical media. That diatribe being said, I do agree that the classic Bonds deserve to be treated like the classics they are and any 4K Blu Ray presentation should reflect that by utilizing the best source material and creating an end product that comes as close as possible to the finest original cinematic presentations of the films.
@HowardB : Thank You for the insights. Having gotten several of the Bond movies once I got a Blu Ray player in 2010, I have found both the picture and sound quality to be a major step up from the VHS releases of the original sixteen movies that I grew up watching. I am really glad that MGM did correct the issues with the Blu Ray release of Thunderball eventually, since it's one of my favorites in the series. Really hope that the 4K releases are given the respect their due and not subjected the problems that lots of older movie's encounter when it's their turn for a release on 4K.
Amen to that. Given the extended time between films, especially the current dead air from EON, the fans deserve something special in the 4K Blu Ray releases (and not just fancy packaging). This is EON's legacy. They need to care about these 4K Blu Ray releases of the classic Bonds beyond just the $$$$$$.
It's official. 4K UHD Blu Ray Connery Steel Book Box Set coming this June. DN, FRWL, GF, TB, YOLT, and DAF. I think there is also a less "deluxe" set also releasing. All that is known for now. Looks like the Deluxe Steel Book Box set is going to be around $139.00 USD. I just really hope they did these films justice and not cheap out.
I have to say I think the artwork on the upcoming Sean Connery steel book release looks dreadful!
https://www.zavvi.com/4k/james-bond-sean-connery-6-film-collection-steelbook-library-case-4k-ultra-hd/16483430.html?switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADANKJkXD06EgrNFwZOrKjHjmdJ0k&affil=awin&utm_content=Genie+Shopping+CSS&utm_term=Comparison+Shopping+Service+%28CSS%29&utm_source=AWin_259955&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateWin&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=259955&awc=2549_1744445492_8e86bede578ce7dfe9def5929b4a3354
Yes, the packaging isn’t inspiring at all 😕
Apparently the Connery films are new 2024 scans.
Yes, the artwork for the steel box set (at least the box covers) is not great although the GF and YOLT covers aren't bad IMO. The artwork on the cover of the non-steelbook box is actually pretty decent. At least the prices aren't too bad ($140.00 USD for the steelbook set and $105.00 for the regular set). For me, it mostly comes down to the quality of 4K presentations. From what I can tell at this point, they are HDR including Dolby Vision (the 4K Bonds available for streaming are only SDR) and have the audio options of Dolby Atmos True HD or DTS HD-MA Mono 2.0. I have not heard much about whether they are new scans; there was a bunch of negative chatter that they were using the old Lowery scans that the old Blu Rays were taken from (although the Lowery scans were done in 4K) but Harry Canyon's post indicating that it appears they are new scans from 2024 is encouraging. Hopefully they didn't mess them up with a bunch of DNR and other digital scrubbing. I found it interesting that the 4K Blu Ray aspect ratio for the non-scope Bond films (DN, FRWL, GF) was listed as 1.75 to 1 (which was the most common aspect ratio for showing non-scope films in GB from the mid 50's on). The old Blu Ray releases were 1.66 to 1 (DN, FRWL, and GF were all shot hard matted 1.66 to 1 with the image composed to be projected safely at 1.66 to 1; 1.75 to 1 or 1.85 to 1 ). Looking forward to reading some actual reviews of the set.
And here’s an excellent bit of news: We’re hearing through the grapevine that the individual titles in the forthcoming 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6-Film 4K Ultra HD Collection due on 6/10 (from Warner, Amazon & MGM) have all been remastered from new 4K scans of the original camera negatives! They’ll each have Dolby Vision HDR and also new Dolby Atmos mixes. The titles in question are Terence Young’s Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), and Thunderball (1965), Guy Hamilton’s Goldfinger (1964) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Lewis Gilbert’s You Only Live Twice (1967) in 4K UHD.
That is good news. Thanks for sharing. Those films were all shot in glorious dye transfer Technicolor and the camera negatives are reputed to have been well preserved. Now just keeping my fingers crossed that they didn't muck about with any DNR or other digital scrubbing.
For your lips to Blofeld's ears regarding 'no DNR/digital scrubbing.'
I ordered the steelbook set but I'll wait on reviews before cracking it open in case I want to sell it.
Apparently the new Connery 4K set is worth picking up.
Wow. Sounds like a upgrade from the Lowry Digital versions :)
This arrived today!
Thunderball looks an especially tasty upgrade to me:
Thats the one in waiting for :)