James Bond: The Ultimate Collection (1962-2012) + Volume Collections

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I actually tried to ask Michael G. Wilson about this at a Bond event I went to once. I was as polite and none tech-geeky as possible, and I figured as the steward of the films, he'd care. However he couldn't have looked more bored with my question, and said technical stuff like that is all up to MGM.

He just blew you off.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

He just blew you off.

Yep, such a shame. The new mixes are so radically different, they alter the films. And they're the definitive versions now. I saw a digital projection of OHMSS immediately before meeting him at the event, and it had the modern mix. Luckily I've been able to see 35mm prints on the big screen twice, but I know I'll probably never have that opportunity again.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Yep, such a shame. The new mixes are so radically different, they alter the films. And they're the definitive versions now. I saw a digital projection of OHMSS immediately before meeting him at the event, and it had the modern mix. Luckily I've been able to see 35mm prints on the big screen twice, but I know I'll probably never have that opportunity again.

These people are idiots. They spend all that money to "restore" movies, and then they flush everything down the toilet anyway.

[Geoff D]

When they first released OHMSS on DVD over here we got a weird re-edit of the film too, it's such a shame one of Bond's best has been so shabbily treated over the years. I hate the 5.1 not just for the music alterations but for the changed sound effects (like the machine-gun fire right at the end, it sounds horribly modern and they forgot some of the ricochet sounds) and the nasty way they've tried to move the dialogue around the speakers, there's a scene when Bond is speaking to Blofeld and their speech sounds so forced and echoey as it bounces from left to right. Blech.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

These people are idiots. They spend all that money to "restore" movies, and then they flush everything down the toilet anyway.

I've always considered studios (and especially Disney due to its treatment to animation) as old people that are afraid very much of old age, and so they're doing many facelifting operations thinking that they would look better and younger.
However the final result is at times a distorted version of themselves..

[Geoff D]

I've got OHMSS on in the background (I wanted to be sure about the audio snafus ) and HOLY GOD it looks amazing. So much detail.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

I've always considered studios (and especially Disney due to its treatment to animation) as old people that are afraid very much of old age, and so they're doing many facelifting operations thinking that they would look better and younger.
However the final result is at times a distorted version of themselves..

Could be worse, video game companies couldn't care about preservation at all, they just let old stuff die. At least with movies we have a (relatively) thriving market and interest in old films, even if there are sometimes annoying issues like remixed audio.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Could be worse, video game companies couldn't care about preservation at all, they just let old stuff die. At least with movies we have a (relatively) thriving market and interest in old films, even if there are sometimes annoying issues like remixed audio.

That's the one thing that most depresses me about the video game industry: the companies themselves are happy to pretend older games don't exist and don't give a shit about backwards compatibility, and the so-called 'professional' reviewers just take the piss out of older games because they're not as graphically refined as the games of today. Most of my favourite games are on the PS1 but you're expected either to hang on to your older consoles and hope they don't break, or else buy the digital versions all over again.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Could be worse, video game companies couldn't care about preservation at all, they just let old stuff die. At least with movies we have a (relatively) thriving market and interest in old films, even if there are sometimes annoying issues like remixed audio.

I feel like this has been changing for the better in later years though, what with HD remasters, companies selling their classic and even some not-so-classic old games digitally, etc. Backward compatibility could often be handled better like dallywhitty said above, but at least it's there in some form, most older consoles didn't bother with it at all.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by MechaGodzilla

I feel like this has been changing for the better in later years though, what with HD remasters, companies selling their classic and even some not-so-classic old games digitally, etc. Backward compatibility could often be handled better like dallywhitty said above, but at least it's there in some form, most older consoles didn't bother with it at all.

On the PC side Steam and GOG have a lot of classics preserved, and Nintendo does their download service, but I still feel like most old console games are left to rot. I don't even play video games anymore honestly, but it just bugs me on principle. It is getting better though, you are right.

Anyway, I am just happy my main hobby respects its past way more than most others do. Quibbles aside, getting souped up remastered editions of 30-100 (!) year old films is pretty badass. And that's because WE are awesome, supporting such things, not because the studios are charities.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

On the PC side Steam and GOG have a lot of classics preserved, and Nintendo does their download service, but I still feel like most old console games are left to rot. I don't even play video games anymore honestly, but it just bugs me on principle. It is getting better though, you are right.

Not just Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft do it as well. There's a pretty decent number of PS1 titles available on the PS Store for example, and it's constantly growing.

Anyway, I am just happy my main hobby respects its past way more than most others do. Quibbles aside, getting souped up remastered editions of 30-100 (!) year old films is pretty badass. And that's because WE are awesome, supporting such things, not because the studios are charities.

This I agree with, there's more respect and appreciation for history in general when it comes to films, and I'm very happy about that. If studios didn't release catalog titles I wouldn't even bother with this hobby.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by V40LLY

Why does anyone want the original mono version of the earlier Bond movies?

Norman Wanstall won an Oscar for his sound effects on Goldfinger. I'd prefer to have his work preserved rather than being replaced with new effects. It's maybe not on the same scale as the Han Shot First debate, but the principle's the same.

[Yojimbo68]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

When they first released OHMSS on DVD over here we got a weird re-edit of the film too, it's such a shame one of Bond's best has been so shabbily treated over the years. I hate the 5.1 not just for the music alterations but for the changed sound effects (like the machine-gun fire right at the end, it sounds horribly modern and they forgot some of the ricochet sounds) and the nasty way they've tried to move the dialogue around the speakers, there's a scene when Bond is speaking to Blofeld and their speech sounds so forced and echoey as it bounces from left to right. Blech.

Agreed. But the absolute worst thing they did was lower the volume of the music in the Gumbolt safe sequence. That's an absolute travesty. That scene alone makes me go for the original mono track every time.

[Geoff D]

Decided to watch OHMSS properly, vot a flick! It might just've become my favourite Bond movie, I've always liked it but this time around I flat-out loved it. Beautiful Blu-ray too, the Lowry frozen grain makes a couple of appearances but apart from that it's gorgeous and the mono audio rocks. Whether the colour is historically accurate I've got no idea, but it was weird seeing snow that's actually white instead of green or teal or blue or whatever.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Decided to watch OHMSS properly, vot a flick! It might just've become my favourite Bond movie..

Welcome to the club! Brilliant film. And I've always loved Lazenby as Bond.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Decided to watch OHMSS properly, vot a flick! It might just've become my favourite Bond movie, I've always liked it but this time around I flat-out loved it. Beautiful Blu-ray too, the Lowry frozen grain makes a couple of appearances but apart from that it's gorgeous and the mono audio rocks. Whether the colour is historically accurate I've got no idea, but it was weird seeing snow that's actually white instead of green or teal or blue or whatever.

something truly special about that film!!

Can't even pinpoint it in a sentence or 2... John Barry's beautiful score, Louis Armstrong's wonderful song, Diana Rigg as one of the all time best Bond girls, the emotional ending, the incredible ski stunts...

Lazenby was fine but I often wonder if it would have been even better with Connery (he's my favorite Bond but perhaps he wouldn't have the vulnerability that Lazenby had...) on the other hand he was a more experienced actor... we'll never know....

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Welcome to the club! Brilliant film. And I've always loved Lazenby as Bond.

Like I said, there's always been an admiration there from me but this time I was rapt, it is indeed brilliant. Lazenby has copped FAR too much shit over the years but he's really good, and what he lacks in smarmy charm he makes up for with his physicality, you'd never catch Connery doing the ace sliding-along-the-ice gag. Diana Rigg is fantastic and her love story with James is truly touching, I almost teared up myself when Penny's crying at the wedding.

Then there's the usual slam-bang editing from Peter Hunt which adds such a visceral feel to the action scenes, scenes which have been emulated by the Bond franchise (and more films besides) ever since, especially the ski stuff. Cracking music as always by John Barry too. If there's one complaint it's that the film does sag in the middle as Bond/Hilly settles into Piz Gloria, but even that's made up for by the superb "slight stiffness" gag.

Superb film.

[Dbuck64]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

Lazenby was fine but I often wonder if it would have been even better with Connery (he's my favorite Bond but perhaps he wouldn't have the vulnerability that Lazenby had...) on the other hand he was a more experienced actor... we'll never know....

I used to really want to have seen Connery lose Tracy, but now I really wonder how I would feel about OHMSS had Lazenby been in a couple more.

Still, it is easily one of my favorite 007 flicks and I absolutely love the soundtrack.

[jceperley]

New covers for the individual releases (from Amazon.ca). Here's just a few (Don't want to clog up the thread):

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by jceperley

New covers for the individual releases (from Amazon.ca). Here's just a few (Don't want to clog up the thread):

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

Yes, we know.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=136