A massive box-set is our Recommendation of the Week, the re-release of Bond 50. Spanning 50 years and 23 movies, this box-set has over 120 hours of special features to please Bond fans.
First Release
- This is the End (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Croods (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Frozen Ground (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Release
- Bond 50 (Blu-ray)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Little Mermaid (1989) (Blu-ray)
- From Here to Eternity (1953) (Blu-ray)
- House of Wax (1953) (Blu-ray)
- Torn Curtain (1966) (Blu-ray)
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) (Blu-ray)
Bond 50 (Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Dr No (1962)
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, John Kitzmiller
From Russia With Love (1963)
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Richard Maibaum (screenplay) Johanna Harward (adaptation), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Daniela Bianchi
Goldfinger (1964)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Written by Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Honor Blackman, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee
Thunderball (1965)
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins (screenplay), Kevin Mcclory, Jack Whittingham, Ian Fleming (story), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, RIk Van Nutter, Desmond Llewelyn, Bernard Lee
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Written by Roald Dahl (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Sean Connery, Mie Hama, Donald Pleasance, Akiko Wakabayashi
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
Written by Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Bernard Lee, Gabriele Ferzetti
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
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
Live and Let Die (1973)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Written by Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison, Bernard Lee
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Written by Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, James Cossins, Clifton James, Bernard Lee
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
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
Moonraker (1979)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Written by Christopher Wood (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Roger Moore, Michael Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel, Bernard Lee
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Directed by John Glen
Written by Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (short story)
Starring: Roger Moore, Julian Glover, Carole Bouquet, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson
Octopussy (1983)
Directed by John Glen
Written by George MacDonald Fraser, Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (short story)
Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, Desmond Llewelyn, Kristina Wayborn
A View to A Kill (1985)
Directed by John Glen
Written by Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (short story)
Starring: Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Christopher Walken
The Living Daylights (1987)
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
Licence to Kill (1989)
Directed by John Glen
Written by Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Ian Fleming (characters)
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto
Goldeneye (1995)
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
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Written by Bruce Feirstein (screenplay), Ian Fleming (character)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Judi Dench
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Directed by Michael Apted
Written by Neal Purivis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein (screenplay), Neal Purvis, Robert Wade (story), Ian Fleming (characters)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marcaeu, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Judi Dench
Die Another Day (2002)
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Written by Neal Purivs, Robert Wade (screenplay), Ian Fleming (characters)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Rosamund Pike, Judi Dench
Casino Royale (2006)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis (screenplay), Ian Fleming (novel)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Directed by Marc Forster
Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade (screenplay), Ian Fleming (character)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Gemma Arterton, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright
Skyfall (2012)
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, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney
The Bond movie series spans 50 years, with the series as a whole having a presence in literature, computer games and even had two unofficial movies. With 23 official movies under its belt the Bond series has had a massive range of stories, from grounded and gritty to light hearted and outlandish. There is a reason why this spy series has been so successful.
Dr. No (1962)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 98% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.9/10
From Russia With Love (1963)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.8/10
Goldfinger (1964)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.8/10
Thunderball (1965)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.6/10
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 71% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.8/10
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 81% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.1/10
Diamonds are Forever (1971)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 65% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10
Live and Let Die (1973)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 65% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 46% (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.8/10
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 78% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.3/10
Moonraker (1979)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 62% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.5/10
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 73% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.0/10
Octopussy (1983)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 43% (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.0/10
A View to A Kill (1985)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 36% (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.0/10
The Living Daylights (1987)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 75% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.6/10
Licence to Kill (1989)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 74% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.6/10
Goldeneye (1995)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 82% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 65/100 (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.5/10
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 57% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 56/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.7/10
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 51% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 59/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.1/10
Die Another Day (2002)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 57% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 56/10 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.6/10
Casino Royale (2006)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 81/100 (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.4/10
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 64% (good)
Metacritic Rating: 58/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.6/10
Skyfall (2012)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 92% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 81/100 (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.3/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Over 120 hours of extras, including in-depth, behind-the-scenes interviews, cast & crew commentaries and more for each film; Bonus Disc Includes: World of Bond; Being Bond; Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style; Skyfall Videoblogs
Amazon Price: $159.99 (Blu-ray)
It is a Nicolas Cage double-bill this week as The Croods and The Frozen Ground are now out on DVD and Blu-ray. The comedy hit This is the End is also out. This week’s re-releases include Disney’s The Little Mermaid and The Wizard of Oz, fun for all the family.
This is the End (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg (screenplay), Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg (story), Jason Stone (short film ‘Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBridge, Craig Robinson
This is the End was the standard bearer of the R-Rated comedy movies for 2013, a critically acclaimed, financially successful movie about some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities playing fictionalized versions of themselves going to James Franco’s house party, but end up having to survive the apocalypse. This is the End is a movie that has cameos galore.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 84% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 67/100
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.6/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Commentary with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg; Directing your friends; This is the marketing
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Gag reel; Deleted scenes; Line-o-rama; Meta-apocalypse; Party time; The cannibal king; Let's get technical; The making of "The making of Pineapple Express 2"; Jay & Seth vs. the Apocalypse - the original short
Amazon Price: $17.96 (DVD), $22.96 (Blu-ray)
The Croods (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders
Written by Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders (screenplay), John Cleese, Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders (story)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman
Following the success of How to Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders (teaming up with Space Chimps’ Kirk DeMicco) moved onto a prehistoric comedy for Dreamworks, The Croods. This slapstick heavy comedy follows the Croods family led by Gru (Nicolas Cage) who protects his family by making them follow his rules, including don’t go out after dark and everything new is bad! But when the Croods’ home is destroyed their only hope comes is in the form of Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a man who uses his mind more than his strength. Guy leads the way, much to Gru’s disgust, especially when Guy falls for his daughter, Eep (Emma Stone).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 69% (good)
Metacritic Rating: 55/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Belt's cave journal; Croods' cuts: Lost scenes; Plus get the free coloring app
Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $29.96 (3D Blu-ray)
The Frozen Ground (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Scott Walker
Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens
The Frozen Ground is a crime thriller based on the true story of serial killer Robert Hansen, man who murdered at least 17 women. The Frozen Ground follows Hansen (John Cusack) as he sadistically hunts women in the woods of Alaska, Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage), the police detective on the case and Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens), the only survivor of Hansen’s terror.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 57% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 37/100 (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Commentary with writer/director Scott Walker and producers Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming; Deleted scenes with optional commentary by writer/director Scott Walker; Examining The Frozen Ground: behind the scenes with interviews of cast/crew; Writing The Frozen Ground; Extended interviews with cast and crew; Trailer gallery
Amazon Price: $13.86 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf (screenplay), L. Frank Baum (novels)
Starring: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Burke, Frank Morgan
Based on L. Frank Baum’s novels, The Wizard of Oz is regarded as one of the best movies ever made, a delightful fantasy movie with memorial characters, songs and dark elements. The Wizard of Oz is also noted for its technical achievements, from its use of Technicolor and being the first movie to have a color and black-and-white sequence in the same scene. It is a movie that spawned unofficial sequels, prequels, hit musicals and novels.
Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) is a young girl living in the Kansas during the Dustbowl years when she ends up getting transported to the strange world of Oz. When in Oz Dorothy has to go to the Emerald City to so the famous Wizard of Oz to help her get back home. On her journey Dorothy meets a number of colorful characters, but is also targeted by the evil Wizard Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).
The Wizard of Oz has spawned a number of urban legends, such as seeing a munchkin hanging from a tree and the movie syncs up with Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 99% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 100/100 (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: All-new feature-length documentary The Making of the Wizard of Oz ; discover how this unprecedented production overcame the odds to become a movie classic and an integral part of American culture; Commentary by Historian John Fricke with the film's cast and crew; Documentaries; Outtakes; Deleted scenes; Home movies; Sing-along feature
Amazon Price: $9.99 (DVD), $14.49 (Blu-ray)
The Little Mermaid (1989) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker
Written by John Musker, Ron Musker (screenplay), Hans Christian Andersen (fairy tale)
Starring: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars
The Little Mermaid is one of Disney’s most beloved movies and the movie that started the Disney renaissance of the 90s. Based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid follows Princess Ariel (Jodi Benson), a mermaid who dreams of living in the human world and makes a Faustian deal with the sea witch Ursula (Pat Carroll) who can allow Ariel to live on the land, but the drawback is she is unable to speak.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Music video - "Part of Your World" - Carly Rae Jepsen; Crab-E-Oke - sing-along; Never-before-seen deleted character - Harold the Merman; Part of her world: Jodi Benson's voyage to new fantasyland; @DisneyAnimation - Go behind the scenes with today's top Disney animators
Additional 3D Blu-ray Special Features: 10 music track download:; Fathoms Below; Daughters of Triton; Part of Your World; Under the Sea; Poor Unfortunate Souls; Les Poissons; Kiss the Girl; Hot, Hot, Hot; Limbo Rock; Over 3 hours of splashing bonus:; New state-of-the-art digital restoration; Disney intermission - press pause and see what happens;
Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray), $34.96 (3D Blu-ray)
From Here to Eternity (1953) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Written by Daniel Taradash (screenplay), James Jones (novel)
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Cliff, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Philip Ober, Jack Warden
Based on a novel by James Jones, From Here to Eternity is a highly regarded romantic movie which was nominated for 13 Academy Award, winning eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is a US Army Private who transfers to Hawaii in 1941 when he falls foul of his commanding officer, Captain Dana Holmes (Philip Ober) when Prewitt refuses to join the unit’s boxing team. Whilst Holmes’ second-in-command, Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) falls for Holmes’ wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (excellent)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
House of Wax (1953) (Blu-ray)
Directed by André de Toth
Written by Crane Wilbur (screenplay), Charles S. Belden (play)
Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Charles Bronson, Carolyn Jones, Phyllis Kirk
Based on a 1933 movie, Mystery of the Wax Musuem, the 1953 is a 3D horror movie about Professor Henry Jarrod (Vincent Price), a scientist and a wax sculptor who gets severally burns and ends up using his wax sculpting skills to make synthetic skin.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 94% (excellent)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: House of Wax: unlike anything you've ever seen before!; Commentary by David Del Valle and Constantine Nasr; Newsreel; Theatrical trailer; 1933 Warner Bros. feature Mystery of the Wax Museum
Amazon Price: $28.99 (Blu-ray)
Torn Curtain (1966) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Brian Moore
Starring: Paul Newman, Julie Andrews
From the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock is his spy drama Torn Curtain. Paul Newman stars as Michael Armstrong, an American scientist who pretends to defect to East Germany so he steal a secret formula and bring it back to America.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 65% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score:
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (Blu-ray)
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) (Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Troy Duffy
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collin Jr., Julie Benz, Billy Connolly, Judd Nelson, Peter Fonda, David Della Rocco
The 1999 release of The Boondock Saints was critical and commercial flop, but ended up earning a loyal cult following and after a 10-year hiatus a sequel was made. After the events of the first movie a priest is murdered in Boston faming the McManus brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus). Connor and Murphy are forced out of hinting in Ireland and set out to clear their names.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 23% (very bad)
Metacritic Rating: 24/100 (very bad)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Disc 1; Director's cut of the film; Saints off script; Back to Boondock; Filmmaker & cast commentaries; ; Disc 2; Theatrical cut of the film; Deleted scenes; Filmmaker & cast commentaries; Unprecedented access: behind the scenes; Billy Connolly and Troy Duffy: unedited; Inside the vault: the weapons; The cast confesses: secrets from the set; The Boondock Saints hit Comic-Con
Amazon Price: $15.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
