There have been 23 movies in the Bond series, and the latest entry in the long running spy series, Skyfall, is out on DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD release of Bond’s latest contains various documentaries and commentaries.
First Release
- Skyfall (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Man with the Iron Fists (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Sessions (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Bully (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Silent Hill: Revelation (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Thieves (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Release
- The Kid with a Bike (2011) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Goldeneye (1995) (Blu-ray)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) (Blu-ray)
- You Only Live Twice (1967) (Blu-ray)
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) (Blu-ray)
- The Living Daylights (1987) (Blu-ray)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (Blu-ray)
- Octopussy (1983) (Blu-ray)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (Blu-ray)
Skyfall (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan (screenplay), Ian Fleming (characters)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney
After a four year hiatus, the Bond Series returned with a bang for its 50th anniversary movie, Skyfall. After financial troubles at MGM nearly derailed the project, the producers were able to assemble one of the most impressive teams ever for a Bond movie — Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty), Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator), and an all-star cast including Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris (28 Days Later), and Albert Finney. Skyfall ended up being rewarded with a billion dollar box-office gross and won a BAFTA for Best British Film.
After a mission goes wrong in Turkey, Bond (Daniel Craig) is presumed dead, and M’s (Judi Dench) position as the head of MI6 is being questioned. But after MI6 is attacked by a cyber-terrorist with a personal grudge against M, Bond returns the British Secret Service and has to prove he is physically and mentally capable of taking on Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) in the changing world of espionage.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.6/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Includes Shooting Bond; The Title Sequence; DB5; Women; Locations
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: inition Over A Dozen All-New Revealing Featurettes About The Bond Women, Car, Villains And More Plus: Commentary By Sam Mendes Commentary By Producers Barbara Broccoli And Michael G. Wilson And Production Designer Dennis Gassner Skyfall Premiere
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
It is Bond galore this week with eight Bond movies being re-released onto Blu-ray, from Sean Connery’s You Only Live Twice to Pierce Bronson’s Tomorrow Never Dies. The big first releases of the week are from the critically acclaimed independent movies The Perks of Being Wallflower, The Sessions, and Bully.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was considered one of the quintessential novels for young adults in the late 90s and was a critical success. The author, Stephen Chbosky, has adapted his own novel and took on the directing duties.
Charlie (Logan Lerman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Lightening Thief) is a 15-year-old freshman who is taken under the wing of outsider seniors, stepsiblings Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller, We Need to Talk About Kevin), as they survive the trials and tribulations of high school.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.1/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary with writer/director Stephen Chbosky and cast; "Best Summer Ever" Featurette; "Hometown Hero" Featurette; Deleted Scenes
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $16.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
The Man with the Iron Fists (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by RZA
Written by RZA, Eli Roth (screenplay), RZA (story)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, RZA, Rick Yune, David Bautista, Jamie Chung
Wu-Tang rapper RZA made his writing and directing debut with the martial arts homage The Man with the Iron Fists. Russell Crowe and Lucy Li star in The Man with the Iron Fists, and Quentin Tarantino lent his name to promote the movie.
RZA stars as a blacksmith in a 19th Century Chinese village who has to defend his home from various assassins and rogue soldiers who descend on the village. The basic result was more Ninja Assassin then Kill Bill.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 50% (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.5/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted Scenes; A Path to the East; A look inside The Man With The Iron Fists; On the Set with RZA
Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 1.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
The Sessions (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Ben Lewin
Written by Ben Lewin (screenplay), Mark O’Brien (article ‘On Seeing a Sex Surrogate’)
Starring: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy
The Sessions is a critically acclaimed independent drama, which won the Audience Award: US Dramatic and US Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and earned Helen Hunt a best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
John Hawkes stars as Mark O’Brien, a 38-year-old man who is paralyzed since suffering polio as a child. He decides he wants to lose his virginity, so he begins therapy with a sex surrogate, Cheryl (Hunt).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 94% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: John Hawkes becomes Mark O'Brien; Helen Hunt as The ; Sex Surrogate; The Women Who Loved Mark O'Brien; ; Closed Caption
Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Bully (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Lee Hirsch
Written by Cynthia Lowen
The documentary Bully focuses on the effects on bullying in the American school system on five students and their families, two families who lost their children to suicide and the mother of a 14-year-old girl who brought a gun on a bus. Despite Bully’s educational intentions, the MPAA controversially gave the movie an R-rating.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Packed with bonus features, including:; The Bully Project at work featurette; Communities in Motion; Deleted scenes and much more!
Amazon Price: $9.99 (DVD), $12.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Silent Hill: Revelation (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Michael J. Bassett
Written by Michael J. Bassett (screenplay), Konami (computer game)
Starring: Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Deborah Kara Unger, Martin Donovan, Malcolm McDowell, Carrie-Anne Moss, Sean Bean
The original Silent Hill is considered one of the better computer game movies, and a sequel was made six years later by Michael J. Bassett (Solomon Kane). But Silent Hill: Revelation bombed badly with critics and audiences as Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens, Parade’s End) is forced to the strange town of Silent Hill and its horrific alternative realities.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 6% (awful)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 4.0/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: A Look Inside Silent Hill: Revelation
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Thieves (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Choi Dong-hun
Written by Choi Dong-hun, Lee Gi-cheol
Starring: Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo, Jeon Ji-hyun
From South Korea is the action-comedy The Thieves, the second highest grossing ever movie in South Korea. The Thieves focuses on Popeye (Lee Jung-Jea) and his crew who are hired to steal the Tear of the Sun diamond in Macau. But their boss, Macau Park (Kim Yoon-seok), is a man not to be trusted.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Making of; Meet the Thieves; Trailers
Amazon Price: $9.99 (DVD), $12.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
The Kid with a Bike (2011) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne Luc Dardenne
Starring: Thomas Doret, Cécile de France
From the Criterion Collection this week is the re-release of The Kid with a Bike. Written and directed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne The Kid with a Bike won the Grand Prix at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival as it focuses a 12-year-old boy, Cyril (Thomas Doret) who is abandoned by his father and finds patience and compassion from a local hairdresser, Samantha (Cécile de France, Hereafter).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Alain Marcoen; Conversation between film critic Kent Jones and directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne; Interviews with actors Cécile de France and Thomas Doret; Return to Seraing, a half-hour documentary in which the Dardennes revisit five locations from the film; Trailer; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoff Andrew
Amazon Price: $23.48 (DVD), $30.38 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Goldeneye (1995) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Written by Michael France, Jeffrey Caine, Kevin Wade, Bruce Feirstein (screenplay), Michael France (story), Ian Fleming (characters)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench
The gap between the releases of Licence to Kill and Goldeneye was the longest Bond history, six years and it was the first Bond movie to be directed by a non-Brit, New Zealander Martin Campbell. And Bond has a successful comeback with Pierce Brosnan filling the tux.
Set in the post-Cold War world, Bond is called into action when a prototype Eurocopter Tiger is stolen in Monte Carlo, leading him to a plot involving a Soviet EMP weapon and a former 00 agent who faked his death, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 82% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.3/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $14.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Written by Bruce Feirstein (screenplay), Ian Fleming (character)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Judi Dench
The follow-up to Goldeneye was Tomorrow Never Dies (originally titled “Tomorrow Never Lies”) which sees MI6’s top agent having to take on a media tycoon, Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) who wants to start a war between Britain and China. Fortunately for Bond he has a skillful ally in the form of Chinese agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 57% (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.1/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $7.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
You Only Live Twice (1967) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Written by Roald Dahl (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Mie Hama, Donald Pleasance, Akiko Wakabayashi
The fifth Bond movie featuring Sean Connery is one of the series more outlandish effects as Bond fakes his death and goes to Japan to investigate a series of space-jackings before the world is plunged into nuclear warfare. Bond comes face-to-face for the first time with Ernst Starvo Blofied (Donald Pleasance).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 71% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.6/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Commentary featuring Director Lewis Gilbert and Members of the Cast and Crew; Welcome to Japan Mr. Bond ; Whicker's World - Highlights from 1967 BBC Documentary; On Location with Ken Adam; Inside You Only Live Twice; Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles; Plane Crash: Animated Storyboard Sequence; Exotic Locations; Original Theatrical Trailers, TV & Radio Spots; Image Database
Amazon Price: $18.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
Written by Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Bernard Lee, Gabriele Ferzetti
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is often considered the most emotional Bond movie and despite a lukewarm reception at the time of its release is now considered an essential Bond movie. It is also the only one to star Australian actor George Lazenby.
After the events of You Only Live Twice Bond is demanded to stop his nemesis Ernst Starvo Blofeld (Telly Savalas) and his plan to hold the world to ransom. But on the way Bond meets the one woman he would fall in love with, Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 81% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.2/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: 2 Audio Commentaries With Director Roger Spottiswoode, Producer Michael G. Wilson And Others; Deleted, Extended And Expanded-Angle Scenes; Featurettes, Storyboards And Special FX Reel; Highly Classified: The World Of 007; "Tomorrow Never Dies" Music Video Performed By Sheryl Crow; "The James Bond Theme" (Moby's Re-Version) And Isolated Music Track; Theatrical Trailers, Image Database And More!
Amazon Price: $18.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Living Daylights (1987) (Blu-ray)
Directed by John Glen
Written by Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson (screenplay), Ian Fleming (short story)
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, Jeroen Krabbé, Art Malik, John Rhys-Davies, Joe Don Baker
The Living Daylights was the first of two Bond movies to star theater actor Timothy Dalton who is now seen as the most underrated actor to play MI6’s best. After the excesses of the Roger Moore era the producers decided to take a more grounded approach for Dalton’s reign as his version of character’s first missions sees him involving a KGB general faking his defection to Britain and leads Bond to Bratislava, Tangier and Afghanstan.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 75% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and members of the cast and crew; Inside "The Living Daylights" an Original Documentary; "Ian Fleming - 007's Creator" Documentary; “The Living Daylights" music video; Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene: The Magic Carpet Ride; The Making of "The Living Daylights" Music Video; Collectable "Making Of" Booklet; 3 Theatrical Trailers
Amazon Price: $13.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Written by Christopher Wood, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Bernard Lee
The Spy Who Loved Me is often considered Roger Moore’s best Bond movie. In this adventure Bond is assigned to find out how a Royal Navy Polaris submarine disappears and teams up with the KGB’s best agent, Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), AKA Agent XXX: an agent who vows to kill the man who killed her lover. Guess who that is. This was the movie that introduced fan favorite Jaws (Richard Kiel).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.6/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and members of the cast and crew; Inside "The Living Daylights" an Original Documentary; “Ian Fleming - 007's Creator" Documentary; “The Living Daylights" music video; Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene: The Magic Carpet Ride; The Making of "The Living Daylights" Music Video; Collectable "Making Of" Booklet; 3 Theatrical Trailers
Amazon Price: $17.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Octopussy (1983) (Blu-ray)
Directed by John Glen
Written by George MacDonald Fraser, Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (short short)
Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, Desmond Llewelyn, Kristina Wayborn
Following For Your Eyes Only Roger Moore was set to retire from the Bond role; but with Sean Connery set to star in the official Bond movie Never Say Never Again, Moore was convinced to stay on in the role. What we got from EON productions in year dubbed Battle of the Bonds was Octopussy where Bond needs to stop a mad Russian General who wants to cause a nuclear disaster in Western Europe to enforce nuclear disarmament and therefore make an invasion easy of Europe easier.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 43% (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.6/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $13.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Written by Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Bernard Lee
After On Her Majesty’s Secret Service received a negative audience reaction for the more darker and serious approach the filmmakers when the completely opposite direction with the follow up movie, giving us a more comic and campy experience. Sean Connery respired for what was meant to last time until the producers of the unofficial Bond Never Say Never Again offered him a large paycheque.
After the death of Bond’s wife, Bond think he gets returns against Blofield (Charles Grey) he is assigned to investigate a drug smuggling operation, taking him to Amsterdam and Las Vegas and finding his old foe.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 65% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.3/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $14.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
