In praise of Bond - and Lowry Digital

I have not bothered to update you about the ins-and-outs of the Ambani-Speielberg-DreamWorks-Paramount deal because there is enough written about it everywhere else anyway. Instead I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the good work done by our colleagues as Lowry Digital ahead of the latest James Bond release. "Quantum-what," are you saying? No, no, this is Blu-Ray release of the Bond film that launched the franchise, Dr. No.

Lowry Digital did the restoration of the Bond series four years ago and amazingly it is the same restoration that is being used for the BD release as was used for the DVD. The release was reviewed by Robert Harris, one of the hardest task masters when it comes to digital restoration (a much abused term if there ever was one) and rightly so, as he was in charge of the restoration of Lawrence of Arabia and Vertigo.

So when you submit a four year old restoration meant for DVD, it is a bit like submittng a freshman essay as your PhD thesis to the toughest professor in college. What does Mr Harris have to say on "A few words about...™ Dr. No - in Blu-ray":

M-G-M and Eon made a prudent move in permitting Lowry Digital to scan, digitize, and work their magic on the elements. A featurette produced several years ago describes the work performed as restoration, and while I'm not certain whether the actual work performed was restoration or digital cleanup, the final result on Blu-ray is nothing less than spectacular.
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The correct post facility, using the correct (here Lowry's proprietary) techniques, can make a huge difference in the viewing pleasure of films from the last half of the twentieth century.
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Dr. No, via the wizards at Lowry Digital, looks far better than it has any right to look. The overall viewing experience is superb. The disc arrives at a street price with a full list of extras of around $23.

The question that I raised earlier, as to whether this film is truly "restored" in the full sense of the word really doesn't come into play here. The single overriding fact is that the Blu-ray is as perfect as it can be.

High praise indeed from a man who really knows his trade and who has slammed many a lesser efforts of 'digital restoration'. Big congratulations to John and his team and I am looking forwards to getting my hands on a copy to see it for myself.