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

[imsounoriginal]

The ones that don't say Original might just be downmixes of the surround tracks, but that's just a guess.

[koberulz]

I've only watched up to Diamonds Are Forever thus far. I don't remember offhand which discs said which. According to IMDB they were still in mono at that point - I checked thinking they might have included mono mixes for the surround releases for some reason.

[MJD64]

Just wish the original mono track for The Spy Who Loved Me had been provided on the Blu, I haven't heard it since my old CBS/FOX Laserdisc back in the early 80's (which succumbed to laser rot ages ago; RIP). I'm hoping when the Bond films are given 4K releases, the mono tracks will be provided in lossless.

[Man From Hammer]

Originally Posted by koberulz

Is there a reason some films have "Original Mono" as an option and others just have "mono"?

Not sure if this is connected but:
The US discs all include the original soundtrack aswell as the surround remixes. In the UK (and possibly Australia) all the titles that received individual releases prior to Bond 50 do not include the original soundtracks. This includes Golden Gun and LTK which were not released in the UK but had separate releases in other countries.
All movies that first appeared in the Bond 50 set all have the original soundtracks. Bond 50 premiers are also region free. Certainly in the US the individual releases were locked to Region A

It's worth noting that while many of the surround remixes are good the levels between music and dialogue are often changed. In OHMSS for example the classic safecracking scene has John Barrys wonderful score turned down so low you can hardly hear it. The original mono has it prominently.

YOLT has added sound effects on the remix. If you're familiar with how the film should sound the remix may well piss you off badly.
AFAIK the only adjusment on DAF is they have changed the cats meow as the credits begin. God knows what for

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by MJD64

Just wish the original mono track for The Spy Who Loved Me had been provided on the Blu, I haven't heard it since my old CBS/FOX Laserdisc back in the early 80's

You sure? The VHS version was stereo.

[MJD64]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

You sure? The VHS version was stereo.

I'm fairly positive. I have a projectionist friend who ran 35mm prints of the Connery and Moore Bond films several years back and confirmed to me the mono track on Spy. IMDB lists mono as well, and confirms a stereo re-mix done for video. (I don't have any of them on VHS, the letter-boxed Laserdisc that first saw release around 1990 or so had that stereo re-mix, along with all subsequent Laserdiscs, DVD's and the Blu). The Blu lists "English Dolby Surround" in what one might assume is the original audio but I'm skeptical; there would've been a Dolby Stereo logo prominently featured during the end credits of Spy and there isn't one. The first Bond film to feature one was Moonraker.

[Verisimilitude1984]

After all these years, finally getting round to watching the Bond films I never saw all of.

I think my top five Bond films now are:

1 - Goldfinger
2 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3 - From Russia With Love
4 - Licence To Kill
5 - The Spy Who Loved Me

Goldeneye, Live and Let Die and Casino Royale are all very close to taking number 5 spot.

[imsounoriginal]

That's a damn solid lineup.

[Ruemorgue10]

Originally Posted by Verisimilitude1984

After all these years, finally getting round to watching the Bond films I never saw all of.

I think my top five Bond films now are:

1 - Goldfinger
2 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3 - From Russia With Love
4 - Licence To Kill
5 - The Spy Who Loved Me

Goldeneye, Live and Let Die and Casino Royale are all very close to taking number 5 spot.

Good to see they are others out there who appreciate Licence To Kill as much as I do.

[Dailyan]

My Top 10:
1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Goldfinger
3. Casino Royale
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
6. From Russia With Love
7. Live and Let Die
8. License to Kill
9. Tomorrow Never Dies
10. Skyfall

[MJD64]

I know I've posted this list before, but as we're obviously hitting the list-making portion of this thread it would take a better man than me to refuse...

1. Goldfinger
2. From Russia With Love
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
4. Casino Royale
5 On Her Majesty's Secret Service

[imsounoriginal]

Changes slightly every time I do it, but as of this precise moment in time:

1. Casino Royale
2. Goldfinger
3. From Russia With Love
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
5. Licence to Kill
6. Goldeneye
7. Skyfall
8. Dr. No
9. Quantum of Solace
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. Thunderball
12. The Living Daylights
13. The World is Not Enough
14. A View to a Kill
15. You Only Live Twice
16. Spectre
17. For Your Eyes Only
18. The Man with the Golden Gun
19. Live and Let Die
20. Moonraker
21. Tomorrow Never Dies
22. Die Another Day
23. Octopussy
24. Diamonds are Forever

[ROSS.T.G.]

I don’t think I can make a list. I love them all.

[Outlander]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

I don’t think I can make a list. I love them all.

Me too.

Except for On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Spectre. Those two are awful.

[ROSS.T.G.]

Originally Posted by Outlander

Me too.

Except for On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Spectre. Those two are awful.

I love OHMSS. I also really like Spectre. I really don’t understand the hate for it.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by MJD64

I'm fairly positive. I have a projectionist friend who ran 35mm prints of the Connery and Moore Bond films several years back and confirmed to me the mono track on Spy. IMDB lists mono as well, and confirms a stereo re-mix done for video. (I don't have any of them on VHS, the letter-boxed Laserdisc that first saw release around 1990 or so had that stereo re-mix, along with all subsequent Laserdiscs, DVD's and the Blu). The Blu lists "English Dolby Surround" in what one might assume is the original audio but I'm skeptical; there would've been a Dolby Stereo logo prominently featured during the end credits of Spy and there isn't one. The first Bond film to feature one was Moonraker.

Back in the 70s (all the way to the mid 80s or so) there were specific stereo and mono mixes and prints made, Star Wars is probably the most famous example.
If there were 4-track magnetic masters could have been re-encoded as Dolby Surround, despite the lack of Dolby Stereo in the original run.

Moonraker not only had Dolby Stereo, there were 70MM prints with 6-track Dolby Stereo (discrete 4.2 surround) played. For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View To A Kill also got the same treatment.

Surprisingly both Dalton Bonds didn't get 70MM prints or mixes, just 2.0 35MM Dolby Stereo (surround) SR encoded with Licence To Kill.

First actual native 5.1 Bond was GoldenEye.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by MJD64

I'm fairly positive. I have a projectionist friend who ran 35mm prints of the Connery and Moore Bond films several years back and confirmed to me the mono track on Spy. IMDB lists mono as well, and confirms a stereo re-mix done for video. (I don't have any of them on VHS, the letter-boxed Laserdisc that first saw release around 1990 or so had that stereo re-mix, along with all subsequent Laserdiscs, DVD's and the Blu). The Blu lists "English Dolby Surround" in what one might assume is the original audio but I'm skeptical; there would've been a Dolby Stereo logo prominently featured during the end credits of Spy and there isn't one. The first Bond film to feature one was Moonraker.

I'm sure I read somewhere - perhaps even on this forum? - that SPY wasn't Dolby Stereo but there was an original stereo mix for theatres that was only partial stereo (i.e. the music was stereo but the dialogue and effects were mono). That ring a bell... or make any sense?

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I'm sure I read somewhere - perhaps even on this forum? - that SPY wasn't Dolby Stereo but there was an original stereo mix for theatres that was only partial stereo (i.e. the music was stereo but the dialogue and effects were mono). That ring a bell... or make any sense?

I'm pretty sure that's the case here.

[MJD64]

You may be correct PeterTHX. I found an old posting by writer Michael Coate who claims a four-track mag stereo print was prepared for the London premiere of Spy, though he suspects that was the only print done as such. Certainly most engagements back in '77 carried a mono track, which I'd still like any subsequent release of Spy to preserve.

[frogjunk65]

I’m sure it changes each time, except number one.

1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Goldeneye
4. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
5. For Your Eyes Only