Bond on Blu round two, in steel

I'm still rushing to finish up my Ip Man review, now also known as the "Man, am I slow!" review. Some household chores are beckoning me (it's the Lunar New Year again), so I'll make this short and sharp.

I presume most James Bond fans like myself already know what's coming in the second wave of catalog Bond films on Blu-ray, namely Goldfinger, Moonraker, and The World Is Not Enough (all to be released together with Quantum of Solace on 3/24, as mentioned earlier).

In addition, The Digital Bits reports that MGM has also thrown a Never Say Never Again: Collector's Edition Blu-ray release in the mix.Yes, we'll be seeing that Bond title on 3/24, which will include commentary with director Irvin Kershner and James Bond historian Steven Jay Rubin, three featurettes ("The Big Gamble," "Sean Is Back" and "The Girls of Never Say Never Again"), a theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery. I know, I know, Never Say Never Again is not officially a "Bond" film because it wasn't produced by Cubby & Co. (click here to school yourself), but hey, we are not all purists here.

Finally, you might have noticed that the links above lead you to Amazon.com exclusive "steelbook" editions of the Bond Blu-ray discs (except for Quantum of Solace). Check out the images. Steelbooks? That sounds better that the Warner Bros. digibook format. It's not that I don't appreciate the effort by Warner, but those digibooks are seriously lacking in build quality. I would much rather have a saddle-stitched inlay in a plastic case compared to those. If the Bond steelbooks are anything like the packaging for Band of Brothers, I say keep 'em coming. NB: Despite what was reported elsewhere, the steelbook editions cost only about a buck more than the regular editions. (In the case of Goldfinger, the steelbook is currently cheaper than regular edition!)

Alrighty then, I'm off to clean a toilet ... and a happy Lunar New Year to those of you who celebrate it.

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