Random Intelligence Dispatches

Dandy In Aspic Region 2 DVD
DVDActive reports that Sony will release the 1968 Laurence Harvey/Tom Courtenay spy movie A Dandy In Aspic on Region 2 DVD in the UK on March 5. I’ve never seen this one, but long wanted to. As a rule, I like Tom Courtenay spy flicks. I hope this one’s no exception. I also hope that a Region 1 release isn’t far behind.

Robert McGinnis Documentary
Fox’s upcoming private eye box set The Michael Shayne Mysteries: Vol. 1 includes a 7 ½ minute featurette on frequent spy artist Robert McGinnis, as well as a gallery of some of McGinnis’s paperback covers. McGinnis created some of the most iconic James Bond art, including classic poster images for Thunderball, Casino Royale (‘67) and Live and Let Die, and the You Only Live Twice LP cover. The featurette doesn’t address McGinnis’s Bond work, but instead (naturally) focuses on his famous Mike Shayne covers and some of his poster work for Fox, like How To Steal A Million. Even though the movies included in this set come from the Forties, McGinnis’s Sixties era artwork is also used for the slimpack DVD covers. The movies, starring Lloyd Nolan, are very nicely restored. One of them, Blue, White and Perfect, contains spy elements in the plot.

Mission: Impossible Sequels Direct To DVD?

Dark Horizons reports that Mission: Impossible is among the feature film franchises that Paramount is considering making direct-to-DVD sequels to. Other studios have found success with this model, producing profitable low-budget follow-ups to American Pie, Behind Enemy Lines and Walking Tall, among others. The studio certainly hasn't greenlit a DVD sequel to M:I; it's merely among the franchises they're considering, along with such diverse titles as Top Gun, Tomb Raider, The Italian Job and Mean Girls. What this would mean for the future of the Tom Cruise theatrical series is unknown. With the rift between Cruise and Paramount, however, coupled with the disappointing box office of the excellent third installment, things look dark for further theatrical adventures of Ethan Hunt already... Still, I don't think a DVD spin-off focusing on a different IMF agent would necessarily rule out subsequent cinematic outings.

Casino Royale DVD Exclusives At Best Buy & Walmart
When the Region 1 DVD of Casino Royale (‘06) streets on March 13, certain retailers will offer it bundled with various exclusives. Commanderbond.net reports that Walmart will offer an exclusive version that comes with cards and poker chips.

Best Buy usually has some sort of exclusive, too (it was an extra disc of further bonus features for Die Another Day), and it looks like Casino Royale is no exception. They will offer a Corgi Aston Martin DBS free with purchase, which is a pretty cool throw-in! (Especially given how hard the cars are to come by in the US.)