I recently picked up a Blu-Ray box set of the Broccoli-produced James Bond films (so no 1967 Casino Royale and no Never Say Never Again), from Dr. No through SPECTRE. Anyone want to watch them with me, first to last? I’ve got no real plan or schedule, but I’m thinking one or two per week until I’m done.
I’m 51, so the Bond films have been around throughout my life, but there’s a number of them that I haven’t seen in their entirety, or on a decent medium. My first awareness of them was on the “ABC Sunday Night Movie” when I was a touch too young to get everything that was happening on screen, when they were edited for television and riddled with commercials, through a…maybe 18"?..RCA color television, broadcast over the air from WPVI out of Philly. I’ve caught up on many of the earlier films, but even that was mostly on VHS; not an ideal viewing experience. I’ve missed some along the way - I don’t think I’ve ever seen For Your Eyes Only in its entirety, and a few I have just completely forgotten.
But, these digital versions are gorgeous! I watched Dr. No the other night, and the disc had a feature about the digital restoration process. They showed a few scenes side-by-side (selected, I’m sure, to make the contrast most apparent), and the difference between the film prints and the digital versions were remarkable. In a dark room, on a large-screen TV, it should be a more enjoyable experience than on a dodgy CRT in my parent’s living room.
Anyone interested in joining me? I’m thinking I’ll open a thread for each movie, vomit forth my thoughts, impressions, and observations, and then y’all can tell me why I’m wrong. Sound good?
First up - Dr. No