Limited Edition Our Man Flint Blu-ray Now Available to Pre-Order

The Our Man Flint Blu-ray from specialty label Twilight Time is now available to pre-order from Screen Archives Entertainment! And pre-ordering might be a good idea; Twilight Time's releases are all limited editions, and they frequently sell out. Our Man Flint is strictly limited to 3000 copies, so ensure yourself a copy by ordering today. This is a very exciting release, because unlike a lot of Twilight Time titles, it boasts a plethora of special features, many of them newly created for the Blu-ray. (And some of those extras involve me, so, you know, I've got to admit, I find that kind of cool.) This disc will include an audio track with Jerry Goldsmith's complete isolated score, an audio commentary with Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer and Eddie Friedfeld, the original theatrical trailer, the featurettes from The Ultimate Flint Collection DVDs "Spy Style" (6:46), "Spy-er-ama" (9:13), "Perfect Bouillabaisse" (1:28), "A Gentleman's Game" (4:15), screen tests with James Coburn and Gila Golan (4:36) and Coburn and Raquel Welch (1:53), three storyboard sequences ("Escape from Galaxy Island," "Control Room Battle" and "Escape from Armageddon"), and the all-new documentaries "Derek Flint: A Spy is Born" (24:54), "Directing Flint: Daniel Mann" (11:14) and "Flint vs Kael" (6:11). Those docs were produced by John Cork, one of the guys responsible for the amazing behind-the-scenes documentaries on the James Bond special editions, so they're bound to be good. (And I'd be saying that even if I hadn't been interviewed for them!) This spy spoof classic starring the inimitable James Coburn (surely the suavest of all the 007 wannabes) will be available exclusively from the online retailer Screen Archives Entertainment for $29.95, and is availble to pre-order now. The disc will ship on January 15. An In Like Flint Blu-ray (which I hope will also boast new extras) follows on February 12. That's a great way to start the new year for Sixties spy fans!

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Innocent Bystanders

Wow! I never really expected to see Innocent Bystanders on DVD, let alone on Blu-ray! But in early 2013, Olive Films will release the 1972 spy film starring Stanley Baker (The Man Who Finally Died), Donald Pleasence (You Only Live Twice), and Sue Lloyd (The Baron), on both DVD and Blu-ray. And that's awesome. Innocent Bystanders was directed by The Italian Job's Peter Collinson and based on a novel by Callan creator James Mitchell. (Mitchell wrote several books about secret agent John Craig, played by Baker in the film.) Bond veterans Vladek Sheybal and Cec Linder also appear. This violent tale of betrayal and espionage is one of the most sought-after titles among spy fans of this era, and I can't wait for this release on February 19, which will be in 1.77:1 widescreen. In the meantime, you can now stream the fullscreen version on Amazon. Now if only someone would give us a Region 1 release of the Callan movie!

Details on the Flint Blu-rays: New Extras!

In October, we learned that specialty label Twilight Time would be releasing the two Flint films on Blu-ray in early 2013, which was very exciting news already. Now we know more, and now these releases are even more exciting. Our Man Flint (1966) will boast all-new special features! Twilight Time has released a list of extras on their Facebook page (along with cover art), and it's pretty impressive. The disc will include an audio track with Jerry Goldsmith's complete isolated score, an audio commentary with Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer and Eddie Friedfeld, the original theatrical trailer, the featurettes from The Ultimate Flint Collection DVDs "Spy Style" (6:46), "Spy-er-ama" (9:13), "Perfect Bouillabaisse" (1:28), "A Gentleman's Game" (4:15), screen tests with James Coburn and Gila Golan (4:36) and Coburn and Raquel Welch (1:53), three storyboard sequences ("Escape from Galaxy Island," "Control Room Battle" and "Escape from Armageddon"), and the all-new documentaries "Derek Flint: A Spy is Born" (24:54), "Directing Flint: Daniel Mann" (11:14) and "Flint vs Kael" (6:11). Those docs were produced by John Cork, one of the guys responsible for the amazing behind-the-scenes documentaries on the James Bond special editions, so they're bound to be good. Additionally, one of the so-called experts interviewed is a certain spy blogger well known to readers around here, so if you're dying to see what I look like in high-def, then don't hesitate to buy this release! Pre-orders for this limited edition Blu-ray of Our Man Flint begin December 19 at 4PM from exclusive vendor Screen Archive Entertainment. The disc will be out on January 15, followed by In Like Flint (which I hope will also boast new extras) on February 12. That's a great way to start the year for Sixties spy fans!

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Seal Team Six

Zero Dark Thirty hits theaters in December and January (depending on where you live), but the other hunt for Bin Laden movie, Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden (which premiered on the National Geographic Channel earlier this month, where it drew 2.7 million viewers) hits DVD and Blu-ray on January 8 from Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie chronicles the dramatic hunt for the world's most notorious terrorist, covering both the CIA and JSOC sides of the operation. Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount and Freddy Rodriguez star. According to the press release, the film was "vetted by a team of experts, including a recently retired Navy Seal, a top CIA operative, and one of the most renowned bin Laden historians." Retail is $19.98 for the former, and $24.99 for the latter. The only announced special feature is a making-of featurette.

Skyfall Blu-ray/DVD Artwork Unveiled

Amazon has a pre-order listing up already for the latest James Bond movie Skyfall on DVD and Blu-ray. Special features haven't been announced, and neither has a release date, but retail is listed as $39.99 for the Blu-ray and $29.98 for the DVD, though both are already significantly discounted on Amazon. What has been revealed is the cover art, which uses the ubiquitous final U.S. 1-sheet artwork. Looks great in Blu-ray dimensions!

Amazing Amazon Deal on Bond 50

Wow! This is the best price you're ever likely to see on the Bond 50 Blu-ray collection, containing all 22 official EON 007 movies from Dr. No through Quantum of Solace (with an empty slot reserved for Skyfall), plus a bonus disc. All day Saturday only, until 11:59 PM tonight, the Bond 50 Blu-ray set is on sale for just $99.99! That's 67% off of its retail price of $299.99! That works out to $4.55 per title for Bond on Blu. How can you beat that? You can't. If you've been holding off on getting this for yourself, or want to get it for someone on your Christmas list, today is the day! (And, let's face it, everyone in the world should own this set.) Order Bond 50 on Amazon for under $100 right now!

UPDATE: The set, unsurprisingly, proved remarkably popular, and has sold out by noon on Amazon, so this deal is over.

Amazon Lightning Deal on The Prisoner, Plus Other Great Spy Bargains

Amazon's got some amazing prices on DVDs and Blu-rays all week for Black Friday. Some of them last for a few days, but some just for a few hours. One of those "Lightning Deals" for today is a holiday bargain perennial: A&E's DVDs and Blu-rays of The Prisoner: The Complete Series. Until 12:20 PST (too late now), the DVD set is on sale for $17.99 and the Blu-ray for $22.99. Remember when the original DVD megaset cost over $100?

Well, that deal's over now. But lots more remain! Among the longer lasting deals (though I have no idea for how long) of interest to spy fans are Acorn's Blu-ray of the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy miniseries for just $21.99 (a great deal at a whopping 63% savings!), the Bond 50 Blu-ray collection for less than half-price at $129.99 (working out to around six bucks a movie!), the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection Blu-ray set for just $149.99 (half off!), Homeland: The Complete First Season on DVD for $19.99 and Blu-ray for $24.99 (well over half off in both cases), Covert Affairs: Season One for just $11.99(!), the Austin Powers triple feature Blu-ray for $10, The Bourne Trilogy Blu-ray set for $27.99 (less than half price), Magic City: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray for $23.49, Burn Notice: Season Five (that's the most recent one) for a mere $11.99, Burn Notice: Season Four for $14.99, Burn Notice: Season Three for $12.99, Burn Notice: Season Two for $12.99, Burn Notice: Season One for $12.99 and the Indiana Jones Blu-ray set for half off, making it just $49.99. Wow!

Upcoming Spy Blu-Rays: Flint in High-Def

Specialty label Twilight Time, who release 20th Century Fox catalog titles in limited editions of 3,000 (and began their run with a spy release, The Kremlin Letter), unveiled their first titles of 2013 on their Facebook page yesterday... and among them are two eagerly awaited Blu-ray spy titles! Our Man Flint (1966) makes its high-definition debut on January 15, and its 1967 sequel In Like Flint follows a month later on February 12. Both star the inimitable James Coburn as the flawless superspy Derek Flint. No details are available yet, but Twilight Time Blu-rays tend to retail for $34.95 and the most common extra is an isolated score track. (Jerry Goldsmith composed the wonderful Flint music.) I happen to know for a fact that there was a documentary about the Flint films produced several years ago for a cancelled Fox Blu-ray release. I really, really hope that turns up on one of these Twilight Time discs! Twilight Time titles are sold exclusively by Screen Archives Entertainment.

Previously Unavailable Bond Blu-rays Now Available Individually at Target

When the Bond 50 Blu-ray set was first announced, some fans who had already purchased the 11 catalog titles previously issued on Blu-ray were concerned that the only way to get the remaining titles and comlete their collection would be to shell out $150 for the box set. I never feared that the additional titles would turn up individually within a year, but it turns out at least some of them are available even sooner... now! At least The Living Daylights, Tomorrow Never Dies and A View to a Kill are currently available as individual Blu-rays exclusively in Target stores. (They don't appear to be available on the store's website.) And they're bargains! Tomorrow Never Dies and A View To A Kill feature all the same bonus content as the versions in the box set (and the previous DVD special editions), and retail for just $9.99 each. Timothy Dalton for some reason commands a premium, and The Living Daylights is $14.95. (Still cheaper than most Blu-rays.) Apparently the rest of the remaining titles will be available within a few weeks as WalMart and Best Buy exclusives. So if you're willing to run around a bit, you should be able to complete your Bond Blu-ray collection much sooner than anticipated! (Of course, you'll still be missing out on the Bond 50 bonus disc.) The one big drawback (well, other than the annoying exclusivity) is that the cover artwork won't match your previous titles.

New Spy DVDs Out This Week: Bond, Special Branch and S.H.I.E.L.D.

This week sees the biggest, most anticipated spy Blu-ray release of the year: the massive Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection from MGM and Fox Home Entertainment. This 23-disc collection collects all 22 official EON James Bond films (rogue productions Never Say Never Again and Casino Royale '67 are already separately available on the format) in two attractive hardcover book-style disc holders, both of which slide inside a larger, durable slipcase. Nine of those Bond movies are making their high-def debut, never having been available individually on Blu-ray.  On top of all that, there's an extra slot reserved for the Skyfall Blu-ray, when that comes out, and another containing an exclusive bonus disc. If you don't already own all these movies and you read this blog, then this set is an obvious must-get. But if you are reading this blog (and there's really no question; you are), then chances are you do already own most of these movies. Then things become a bit stickier. If you've bought all the 007 movies on DVD multiple times over the years and you already own half th contents of this set on Blu-ray, do you really want to shell out yet again to get the rest? Well... why not, exactly? While the list price is a not insignificant $299.99, the set is currently listed on Amazon for half that: $149.99. Assuming you do already own 11 of the films in the collection, that means you're still getting ten brand new Blu-ray discs (including the bonus disc, which is something most Bond fans would likely pay for on its own) for just $14.99 apiece. And were they released individually, that would be a bargain! Individual titles would probably retail for closer to twenty bucks. And that logic ignores the lavish new packaging, and the other eleven movies. Counting all 22 titles, that works out to just $6.81 per top-notch spy movie. And that's unbeatable! So go ahead and treat yourself: buy the new set. (And, better still, use this link to do so and support the Double O Section!) You can then sell off your old Blu-rays (unless you're dangerous completists like me who can't ever give up anything with a 007 logo on it), and offset the cost even more. And for your troubles, you end up with the best Bond movie ever, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, on breathtaking Blu-ray for the first time ever, along with other fantastic, previously-unreleased high-def essentials like The Spy Who Loved Me, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye and You Only Live Twice! And you want those, don't you? I know I do. In fact, I've just talked myself into pulling the trigger on this pricey purchase. I can't wait for Christmas to see that stock car chase in HD! Bond 50 is also available on DVD (SRP $199.98; currently $99.99 on Amazon), but surely everybody in the world already owns all of these movies on DVD, right?

But as major a release as it is, Bond 50 is not the only spy title out this week. From Acorn Media comes the gritty Seventies UK cop/spy show Special Branch: Set 1, marking the Thames Television series' Region 1 DVD debut. It may be called Set 1, but rather confusingly, it's not the show's first season. Acorn are following the same strategy they did with Callan: they're beginning with the first color season from the Seventies, which is actually the show's third season. However, that decision works a little better for Special Branch than it did for Callan because whereas that show plunged viewers confusingly into the middle of an ongoing, serial plotline, Special Branch was completely rebooted when it switched to color. Even the stars are different. Derren Nesbitt led the cast of the black and white series; the color episodes star George Sewell and Callan's Patrick Mower. I actually prefer the monochrome episodes (though they have a rap for being "slow" compared with the more action-packed color seasons), but hopefully Acorn will get around to releasing them eventually. Despite the very conspicuous "Classic British SPY Drama" tag on the packaging (which I certainly think looks cool), I'd say that Special Branch leans more toward a cop show overall. (The first episode won't give you any hint of espionage.) But there are plenty of spy-oriented episodes down the line, and while nothing could be the equal of Callan, Callan fans will be attracted to the similar gritty tone, as well as the presence of Mower.

And finally, you might have heard of a little movie that made some money this summer called Marvel's The Avengers. Now, obviously it's not the Avengers that spy fans think of first, but this relentlessly enjoyable superhero hullabaloo is still noteworthy for espionage aficionados. In addition to costumed adventurers like Captain America, Thor and Iron Man, some Marvel's The Avengers puts the spotlight on the comic book spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents. Readers of Steranko's classic 1960s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic will thrill to see the impossible S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier brilliantly realized in live action, not to mention Fury himself (in his Ultimate guise of Sam Jackson) and Marvel's Number 2 secret agent, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Other popular S.H.I.E.L.D. agents like Maria Hill and Phil Coulson also play significant parts. Marvel's The Avengers is available in a wide array of configurations, including a single-disc DVD, a 2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD combo, a 4-disc Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D/DVD/Digital Copy combo (that also includes a free download of the soundtrack album), and an exclusive 5-disc combo at Target that includes all that stuff plus a new 90-minute documentary about building the cinematic Marvel Universe. (The 2-disc version at Target also comes with that bonus disc, offering a 3-disc variation just to cover the spread.)

New Spy DVDs Out This Month: Homeland and The Looking Glass War

It's a good month for fans of the more cerebral side of the spy genre. This week sees the release of the best new spy series of the last season, Homeland, on DVD and Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment. Claire Danes stars as an obsessive CIA agent on anti-psychotics (a fact she's forced to hide from her superiors in order to retain her security clearance) who's convinced that a newly freed American POW (Damien Lewis) is not actually the war hero he's celebrated as but a turned Al Qaeda sleeper agent. Mandy Patinkin excels as her Agency mentor, who reluctantly turns a blind eye to her illegal surveillance operation. It's a thoroughly addictive, multilayered series not just about spies but spying itself, and the effect such a career and the responsibilities that go with it have on its practitioners. All of the characters are extremely well drawn, and all of the actors are compelling to watch. Homeland was fully deserving of its Best Series, Drama Golden Globe award (I hope it snags the Emmy, too), and I heartily spy fans who weren't able to see it on pay cable station Showtime to check out Homeland: The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-ray. Trust me, after watching the exemplary pilot episode, you'll be hooked. Extras include selected episode audio commentaries, deleted scenes, the featurette "Under Surveillance: Making Homeland," and "The Visit: A Prologue to Season 2." Retail is $59.98 for the 4-disc DVD set and $69.99 for the 3-disc Blu-ray edition, though both versions are, of course, considerably cheaper on Amazon. (Seriously! At the moment, the Blu-ray is just $24.99! A bargain you won't regret.)

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago Sony reissued the long out-of-print John le Carré adaptation The Looking Glass War as an MOD title. Frank Pierson's 1969 film takes some serious liberties with the source material (and eliminates George Smiley as a character altogether, likely due to rights issues), but it's still well worth watching for fans of more serious spy fare. Even those who own the OOP DVD might be tempted to pick up this new edition, because the cover is a whole lot cooler than the old one, which sported a really shoddy Photoshop job. Christopher Jones, Ralf Richardson, Pia Degermark and a very young Anthony Hopkins star.

Olympic Opening Ceremony Highlights Coming to DVD and Blu-ray; Will 007 Cameo Be Included?

While NBC's upcoming Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray of coverage from the London Olympics doesn't include the opening ceremony (and can probably be expected to be as lackluster overall as the network's coverage of the events was), the Region 2/Region B DVD and Blu-ray coming October 29 from BBC promise "highlights from Danny Boyle’s unforgettable opening ceremony and the [David Arnold-produced] musical extravaganza of the closing ceremony." Since most people seemed to consider Daniel Craig's appearance as James Bond escorting the Queen herself to skydive into the stadium as the highlight of the that opening ceremony, does that mean we can expect it to be included? Hopefully, but I'm sure the rights issues involved are complex. Personally, I'm really, really hoping that Sony negotiated the rights to include the excerpt on the eventual Skyfall Blu-ray, but if not, maybe this release will preserve the moment for posterity. The IOC has been very diligent about removing any clips from YouTube. And Bond completists like myself will need to own this on some format. Let's hope we don't have to resort to bootlegs!

Speaking of all things Bond and Olympics, there are two original David Arnold tracks available for individual download now as part of the MP3 album A Symphony Of British Music: Music For The Closing Ceremony Of The London 2012 Olympic Games: the chorale number "Spirit Of The Flame," and the very Bondian-sounding "Medal Ceremony." (Seriously, if you like Arnold's 007 music, definitely give that one a listen!) The physical album will be available in the U.S. in September, and is available now in the UK.

New Spy DVDs Out This Week and Last: Saints and Liquidators

Finally! I've been waiting years for an official release of The Liquidator (1965), and this week, thanks to the Warner Archive, we've got one, on MOD. The Liquidator is Boysie Oakes, John Gardner’s pre-Bond anti-Bond. Gardner's Oakes books were sort of a direct response to Fleming’s Bond books, and parodies of them. Jack Cardiff's film version certainly latches onto that, firmly hitching its wagon to 007, but feeling more like Flint. (It's got that lavish, widescreen studio feel of a Sixties Fox movie, even if it was made by MGM... and now released by Warner.) It never quite lives up to its amazing Bob Peak poster, or its classic Lalo Schifrin-penned Shirley Bassey theme song, but it's nonetheless a real treat for Sixties spy fans! Rod Taylor (who also starred in the enjoyable Eurospy flick The High Commissioner) stars as Boysie, and Jill St. John’s along for the ride looking great and maybe even contributing just a little bit more to the plot than does her useless Tiffany Case character in Diamonds Are Forever. (The film, that is. Tiffany was actually quite an enjoyable character in the novel.) Warner's manufactured on demand release is completely remastered and anamorphically presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. It's available now directly from Warner Archive for $17.95, and beginning September 6 from Amazon.

Cinemax's first U.S. season of Strike Back finally hits DVD and Blu-ray in North America today. The excellent true first season of Strike Back (reviewed here), produced for the UK's Sky satellite network, never aired in America. But the show that ended up on Cinemax, that American viewers know as the first season of Strike Back, functioned as Season Two of the series in Britain. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray there last fall as Strike Back: Project Dawn. While the superior original series still has yet to be seen here, HBO Video has come up with a pretty good, not too confusing way of labeling their release: Strike Back: Cinemax Season One. I really hope that down the road (maybe when The Hobbit opens this winter and makes star Richard Armitage more of a household name?) they also give U.S. viewers a chance to see the "UK Season One" or however they decide to label it, but for now this isn't a bad consolation prize. (Spy fans with all-region players can get the Region 2 DVD of the original show fairly cheaply from Amazon.) So far I've only seen the first two episodes of the Cinemax version (reviewed here) during the cable channel's free preview weekend, but they were packed with fun, exciting, over-the-top spy action of a sort rarely seen on American television, and I'm very much looking forward to following the rest of the adventures of Section 20 operatives Stonebridge and Scott (Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton) on home video. The violent hunt for an elusive terrorist mastermind named Latif takes the two agents around the world to locations including New Delhi, Capetown and Darfur. There's a standard DVD version and a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack to choose from, retailing for $49.98 and $59.96 respectively, and both significantly cheaper on Amazon right now. Both versions include audio commentaries. Be warned, though, that the packaging on the combo pack is annoyingly chunky. There's no reason in the world why a 10-episode cable season needs to be in thick gatefold packaging like the early seasons of 24!

And the rarest one for last! I honestly never thought I'd see this one get an official release... but here it is! A few weeks ago, Australia's Madman label released a Region 4 PAL DVD of the rarest of all The Saint's TV incarnations, the 1987 telefilm (and failed series pilot) The Saint in Manhattan, starring Australian Andrew Clarke as the infamous Simon Templar. This is the version that, true to its time, recast Templar in the Magnum mold, complete with mustache and Italian supercar (a Lamborghini Countach). Obviously it didn't go to series, but I personally think it's better than its reputation would indicate... and I like Clarke. (More than Simon Dutton, in fact.) But I've only ever seen it in a grainy, third generation VHS recording, so I look forward to watching it again on DVD as if for the very first time! This makes Australia the first country to get all the Saint TV shows on DVD. As far as I know, the 1989 Simon Dutton series has only been released there so far as well, on Madman's sister label Umbrella. You can watch a short clip from The Saint in Manhattan on the Madman website... but it's not totally indicative of the production as a whole. The cost is $14.95AU, which might seem steep for a single 50 minute TV episode, but for Saint completists it's definitely worth it. No if only someone would release The Saint Lies in Wait (which I also like)...

New Spy (and Spy-like) DVDs Out This Week: Leverage and Lockout

Although Paramount released the first three seasons of TNT's fun, Mission: Impossible-like series Leverage on DVD (Season 1 review here), it's 20th Century Fox Home Entertaiment who bring us this week's Leverage: The 4th Season. That doesn't really mean any changes for the consumer, though. We still get the same copious special features that we're used two from the previous seasons. Extras this time out include audio commentaries on every episode, a gag reel, lots of deleted scenes and the featurettes "Behind the Scenes of The Long Job Down" and "Writers' Room Job." In its fourth season, Leverage still feels pretty fresh to me. The Mission: Impossible formula is fairly evergreen, so there's a lot of mileage you can get out of a team of specialists conning a different deserving villain week after week. Highlights include a run-in with a suave, James Bond-like thief and a trip to Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The Leverage crew may have beaten Tom Cruise there by a few weeks, but shots of Parker atop the tower (and jumping off it) are sadly let down by budgetary restrictions and obviously can't compete with Brad Bird's IMAX gloriousness. Retail for Leverage: The 4th Season is $39.98, but of course it's cheaper on Amazon.

Also out this week from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the latest Luc Besson-produced neo-Eurospy actionfest, Lockout, on DVD and Blu-ray. Both formats contain an unrated cut of the movie (no theatrical version available, apparently, except streaming... but in this case, that's okay; the theatrical one felt a bit edited for content) and the featurettes "Breaking Into Lockout" and "A Vision of the Future: Production Design & Special Effects." There's also an Ultraviolet digital copy on the Blu-ray, which is even less noteworthy than a regular digital copy, but still worth mentioning because someone probably cares, I guess.... The gimmick with Lockout was that this time the neo-Eurospy action takes place... in space! And Guy Pearce is just the guy to pull that off. He makes a great wisecracking badass (sort of a cross between Burn Notice's Michael Westen and Escape From New York's Snake Plissken), and it's really too bad that this movie didn't catch on and do for his career what Taken did for Liam Neeson's. This genre seems like the right niche for Pearce, and I'd love to see him topline more neo-Eurospy titles from Besson's efficient action factory EuropaCorp. Lockout is no Taken, mind you, but it's a whole lot of fun, and personally I find the crossroad of spy and sci-fi pretty irresistible. (The spy plot is actually a surprisingly major one in the film for a movie that takes place mostly in an orbiting space prison.) Retail is $30.99 for the DVD and $35.99 for the BD, though both are substantially less on Amazon, natch.

First Look At Bond 50 Blu-ray Packaging

Sony may not be promoting Skyfall with a Comic-Con panel, but IMAX screened new foorage during their presentation and Fox has a very cool booth on the dealer floor devoted to the upcoming 50th Anniversary set of James Bond Blu-rays. They have a different Bond vehicle on display each day, courtesy of the Ian Fleming Foundation, and fans can pose for pictures with the vehicles. But they've also got the actual Blu-ray packaging, and here it is. As you can see, the long, thin box contains two separate hardcover books housing the discs for all twenty-two official movies--plus an empty slot for the twenty-third, Skyfall, when that comes out! (The disc in the picture is a dummy.)

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Nikita: The Complete Second Season

According to TV Shows On DVD, Warner Home Video will release the CW's Nikita: The Complete Second Season on DVD and Blu-ray on October 2. Extras include deleted scenes, an audio commentary on the season finale with writer/producers Craig Silverstein and Carlos Coto, the featurettes "What if? Writing the Fate of Division" ("series creator Craig Silverstein and other series writers explore the impact of the show's strong female lead characters") and "Living the Life: Maggie Q," ("behind the scenes with the star") and a gag reel. Retail is $59.98 for the 5-disc DVD set and $69.97 for the 4-disc Blu-ray edition (which also comes with access to an UltraViolet digital copy, for those who care). Naturally, both will ultimately be much cheaper than that from Amazon and other online retailers.

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Homeland: The Complete First Season

TV Shows On DVD reports that the best new spy series of the last season, Homeland, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment on August 28. Claire Danes stars as an obsessive CIA agent on anti-psychotics (a fact she's forced to hide from her superiors in order to retain her security clearance) who's convinced that a newly freed American POW (Damien Lewis) is not actually the war hero he's celebrated as but a turned Al Qaeda sleeper agent. Mandy Patinkin excels as her Agency mentor, who reluctantly turns a blind eye to her illegal surveillance operation. It's a thoroughly addictive, multilayered series not just about spies but spying itself, and the effect such a career and the responsibilities that go with it have on its practitioners. All of the characters are extremely well drawn, and all of the actors are compelling to watch. Homeland was fully deserving of its Best Series, Drama Golden Globe award, and I heartily encourage any spy fans who weren't able to see it on pay cable station Showtime to check out Homeland: The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-ray. Trust me, after watching the exemplary pilot episode, you'll be hooked. Extras include at least one audio commentary (the participants aren't specified), deleted scenes, the featurette "Under Surveillance: Making Homeland," and "The Visit: A Prologue to Season 2." Retail is $59.98 for the 4-disc DVD set and $69.99 for the 3-disc Blu-ray edition, though both versions are available for pre-order on Amazon at cheaper prices than that.

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Person of Interest: The Complete First Season

TV Shows On DVD reports that Warner Home Video will release Person of Interest: The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo sets on September 4th. The CBS show, produced by J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan, is basically The Equalizer meets Batman... and that's pretty cool. I still find star Jim Caviezel (the 2009 Prisoner remake) and his Batman voice kind of hard to take, but the show's got enough going for it that I can get past that. Besides, co-star Michael Emerson (Lost) is awesome. Caviezel plays a former CIA operative looking to atone for his shadowy past by helping the helpless (those with the odds against them) with the aid of Emerson's tech billionaire, who controls a massive surveillance network that can predict what people will be involved in violent crimes. Extras on both sets include an unaired extended pilot episodes with audio commentary as well as a commentary track on the broadcast pilot, a gag reel and the featurette "Living in an Age of Surveillance." The 6-disc DVD set will run you $59.98 retail, and the 10-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo set (which also includes Ultraviolet digital copies) is just a bit more at $69.97. Of course, both are available to pre-order for less on Amazon.

New Spy DVDs Out This Week: Odessa Blu

Image this week released Ronald Neame's 1974 Frederick Forsyth adaptation The Odessa File on Blu-ray. It was previously available on DVD. Jon Voight stars as a crusading German journalist hot on the trail of a Nazi war criminal (Maximillian Schell) who holds the key to Odessa, a powerful secret organization that's the legacy of the SS. That trail of espionage and conspiracy leads from Hamburg to the tension-filled middle east. The film is also notable for featuring a rare score (his sole effort in the spy genre) by Broadway's Andrew Lloyd Webber. The only special features on Image's Blu-ray are trailers. Retail is $17.97, but it's only $10 on Amazon right now.

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Strike Back, American Style, This August

TV Shows On DVD reports that the first U.S. season of Strike Back will finally hit DVD and Blu-ray in North America on August 7. The excellent true first season of Strike Back (reviewed here), produced for the UK's Sky satellite network, never aired in America. But the show that ended up on Cinemax, that American viewers know as the first season of Strike Back, functioned as Season Two of the series in Britain. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray there last fall as Strike Back: Project Dawn. While the superior original series still has yet to be seen here, HBO Video has come up with a pretty good, not too confusing way of labeling their release: Strike Back: Cinemax Season One. I really hope that down the road they also give U.S. viewers a chance to see the "UK Season One" or however they decide to label it, but for now this isn't a bad consolation prize. (Spy fans with all-region players can get the Region 2 DVD of the original show fairly cheaply from Amazon.) I only saw the first two episodes of the Cinemax version (reviewed here) during the cable channel's free preview weekend, but they were packed with fun, exciting, over-the-top spy action of a sort rarely seen on American television, and I'm very much looking forward to following the rest of the adventures of Section 20 operatives Stonebridge and Scott (Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton) on home video. The violent hunt for an elusive terrorist mastermind named Latif takes the two agents around the world to locations including New Delhi, Capetown and Darfur. There's a standard DVD version and a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack to choose from, retailing for $49.98 and $59.96 respectively. Both versions include audio commentaries.