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

[captainsolo]

Originally Posted by alexxxluthor

Is there some difference in sound and vision between the CLV and CAV releases ?

The CAV has slightly better PQ due to the format, the special features and more side breaks. The CLV is the same master and audio but without the extras, slightly lesser PQ and one side break. Dr. No is the one of the three Criterion Bonds that I have both CAV and CLV. Both will get you the same unmatched mono track that beats every other edition known to exist (and trust me I've tried most every NTSC edition that's out there) except for that final end credit note.
On Dr. No Criterion used MGM's print also used for all their video editions. MGM just began adding various processing and noise reduction over the years more and more over time. On the flipside, MGM's LD audio for FRWL is better than Criterion's but on Goldfinger they used a release print of some kind and the audio is a bit EQd differently than MGM's audio.

[larrythefatcat]

Originally Posted by John Earls Umbrella

Eh?

I think they're trying to say that Thunderball is a monotonous film. I enjoy the majority of the film, but I don't re-watch it often as some of the underwater sequences do go on a bit long... amazingly innovative for the time, but their pacing has NOT aged particularly well.

[John Earls Umbrella]

Originally Posted by larrythefatcat

I think they're trying to say that Thunderball is a monotonous film. I enjoy the majority of the film, but I don't re-watch it often as some of the underwater sequences do go on a bit long... amazingly innovative for the time, but their pacing has NOT aged particularly well.

Thanks for clarifying that. My criticism of the P&W scrips is a completely separate issue to my avatar though!

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by jeffm2016

I see vudu has the bond collection in 4k. Does the ultimate collection codes redeem in hd or 4k? Blu-ray.com shows theres a digital “ultimate collection” that you can buy in 4k. Not sure if this is a separate thing or the same as the ultimate collection codes

I currently have the ultimate collection (black box) however if the codes don’t redeem in 4k id rather sell the disks/codes and buy the 4k vudu. Any info appreciated. I see someone above says its hdx but not sure what edition they are referring too.

Three posts before that.

Originally Posted by 50strat54

I'm still happy I paid $70 for the black box with digital codes.

[jusmu]

I am looking for For your eyes only with OG soundtrack.
R1 dvd has original mono (according to dvdcompare) and region A-bluray 2.0 surround.
Imdb states Dolby Stereo/DTS 3.1
Which one do I started looking?
It`s time to give my old vhs some rest.

[Markgway]

You'll want the Region A blu-ray with OG English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by jusmu

I am looking for For your eyes only with OG soundtrack.
R1 dvd has original mono (according to dvdcompare) and region A-bluray 2.0 surround.
Imdb states Dolby Stereo/DTS 3.1
Which one do I started looking?
It`s time to give my old vhs some rest.

Original mono? It was released in 70MM 6-track Dolby Stereo.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Original mono? It was released in 70MM 6-track Dolby Stereo.

Even the 35mm prints were Dolby Stereo.

I think the last mono Bond was The Man with the Golden Gun.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Even the 35mm prints were Dolby Stereo.

I think the last mono Bond was The Man with the Golden Gun.

The Spy Who Loved Me was 35MM mono and 70MM stereo.

[jusmu]

Originally Posted by Markgway

You'll want the Region A blu-ray with OG English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround.

Thank you!

[jusmu]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Original mono? It was released in 70MM 6-track Dolby Stereo.

Yeah, that must be mistake on Dvdcompare

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

The Spy Who Loved Me was 35MM mono and 70MM stereo.

The OG stereo surround on the Blu-ray wasn't used for general release, which was mono, right? Seem to recall someone here saying the premiere showing was 4-track stereo, but only the mono and 6-track made it into commercial screenings. I wonder why they didn't use the stereo mix?

[Hammerlover]

I adore THUNDERBALL; it's the first truly epic spy flick IMO. And it's the first Bond film to be shot in Panavision. Also, you have to love the way Tom Jones tries to out-Shirley Shirley Bassey while belting out that title theme!

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Markgway

The OG stereo surround on the Blu-ray wasn't used for general release, which was mono, right? Seem to recall someone here saying the premiere showing was 4-track stereo, but only the mono and 6-track made it into commercial screenings. I wonder why they didn't use the stereo mix?

It might be lost. The Dimension 360 tracks for Damnation Alley are gone and that film was also from 1977. Different studio I know but shows the state of the industry back then.

[Markgway]

Well, even though the blu should include the OG mono, I'm happy enough with the OG stereo, as long as it's not a remix. Actually, OG stereo is preferable, if only for the music.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Nicage22

Compared to the blu-ray, GE has probably taken the biggest leap in quality. The blu-ray of Goldeneye was perhaps the worst of them all.

I wouldn't mind if the 4K version had the colour grading of the 1999 DVD release but definitely an improvement over the blu-ray version.

I'd be interested to see a caps comparison of the United Artists logo for the various versions of GoldenEye. As I previously said when I saw the movie in cinemas recently the darkness of that logo wasn't a good first impression.

Originally Posted by captainsolo

What *SHOULD* be done is a complete overhaul or work with a brand new painstaking restoration effort for EVERY FILM including the long neglected original audio to finally make definitive archival presentations. As it is we will get (thankfully) improvements over the mostly dire BDs but my worry with the 4K masters being at least several years old now is they may be SDR only and I don't know if someone will try to slap on an improper HDR grade.

I think at this stage it would also be a good idea to remaster the extra features if they can find the tapes they recorded the docs on originally.

[captainsolo]

Originally Posted by Markgway

The OG stereo surround on the Blu-ray wasn't used for general release, which was mono, right? Seem to recall someone here saying the premiere showing was 4-track stereo, but only the mono and 6-track made it into commercial screenings. I wonder why they didn't use the stereo mix?

Spy was general release mono and presumably the 4 track mix for the premiere. The 4 track stereo was not used or heard anywhere else until it was resurrected for the initial letterboxed laserdisc release and later got remixed into 5.1. The mono is now the unavailable track.
70mm for both Spy and Moonraker is unconfirmed even at the premieres sadly.

Originally Posted by jusmu

I am looking for For your eyes only with OG soundtrack.
R1 dvd has original mono (according to dvdcompare) and region A-bluray 2.0 surround.
Imdb states Dolby Stereo/DTS 3.1
Which one do I started looking?
It`s time to give my old vhs some rest.

For Your Eyes Only was never to my knowledge blown up to 70mm so the 35mm Dolby Stereo would be the original audio and is much better than the 5.1 upmix. Only IMDb has a blowup listing and their info is legendarily inaccurate. In70mm’s list for 1981 includes it as a placeholder with the caveat as the only credit of its existence being IMDb which is likely wrong.
The letterbox laserdisc (in the weird misframed ratio) is the best sounding version I have.

You’d think starting on Thunderball there would have been stereo mixes and 70mm blowups but the only confirmed 70mm prints were for Octopussy and a lone blowup print of Tomorrow Never Dies for foreign screenings. YOLT was rumored for Japan only and it was thought Spy and Moonraker had blowups for premiere engagements which may not be the case.
What is much more likely and seems to have possibly happened are magnetic stereo mixes on select prints of some of the series perhaps starting around OHMSS-Golden Gun. These are rumored to be attached to several films so it is unknown if this happened or not.
Ultimately EON themselves would have no clue as their archive seems to be uncategorized and the sound elements have never been properly catalogued or preserved.

I realized I was on my own in this research when I found even more Thunderball mono mix differences than what is said in the official docu clip and guessed the second mix MGM used for their faux stereo surround remix was a later US/International mono mix.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

For Your Eyes Only was never to my knowledge blown up to 70mm so the 35mm Dolby Stereo would be the original audio and is much better than the 5.1 upmix. Only IMDb has a blowup listing and their info is legendarily inaccurate. In70mm’s list for 1981 includes it as a placeholder with the caveat as the only credit of its existence being IMDb which is likely wrong.

I saw it in 70MM in NYC in 1981.

[captainsolo]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

I saw it in 70MM in NYC in 1981.

Whoa! That's the first time I've ever seen anyone confirm some of the rumored 70mm blowups. You weren't around two years earlier for Moonraker by chance were you?

[adamclark83]

What i don't understand is why they changed the ending music in Thunderball when Bond and Domino are lifted up out of the inflatable? It was great how it was.