I think I need a new label to show when I watch BD movies instead of DVDs. Luckily they are cheap!
Tonight's programming was two versions of James Bond: Dr. No and Casino Royale, the first cinema screen 007 and the first with the current actor. Dr. No is the first actual Blu-ray disc I've watched, and it immediately convinced me that this technology was money well spent. The restoration work was done from the original camera negatives, scanned at 4K resolution, and the film now looks astoundingly vibrant. I find the film one of the better Bonds, as it's not overladen with gadgets and corny jokes and Sean Connery is in fine form from the get-go.
Casino Royale was a very promising start for the latest incarnation. Daniel Craig is a proper blunt instrument, Eva Green is stunning and actually has a character to play, and the supporting cast is fine. Implausible gadgets and jokes are in mercifully short supply. My only major complaint is the end of the film: I found the last big fight scene entirely unnecessary. Without it, the film could've been shorter and they could've used something more akin to the novel's ending. My copy is "just" a DVD, but it looked fine, if not mind-blowing like its predecessor.
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