Pandemic pushes back No Time To Die

It's fair to say a lifelong love of fast cars and gadgets was influenced by the James Bond franchise and its merchandise. So much so, the iconic Aston Martin DB5 inspired over 2 decades of silver car ownership beginning with a Rover 200 in the late nineties. In 2011, I was featured in both BMW and Motability magazines with my 1 Series Coupé M Sport.

The status quo ended with an eyecatching Misano Blue BMW 1 Series M Sport (nicknamed TARDIS hot wheels), collected the week before the first coronavirus lockdown last March. Listening to John Barry and David Arnold's soundtracks enlivened weekly essential shopping trips to Aldi in the 'new normal'.

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However, Andrew Lewin cautioned such a scenario could lead to 'exuberant' driving. I cannot confirm if this is true, but I have been channelling a socially distanced Bond when talking to admirers of my latest car.

Like most Bond fans, I've waited patiently for Daniel Craig's swansong in the titular role. No Time To Die has been pushed back, again, until October and at this stage in the pandemic, I wish there was an opportunity to watch at home in lockdown. Disney released Pixar's Soul on Disney+ and Warner Bros. followed suit with Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max.

There are persistent rumours No Time To Die may appear on Apple TV+. The Cupertino-based tech giant has the cash to spare ahead of an expected record-breaking $100 billion quarter.

Even when theatres can safely reopen, many cinemagoers (myself included) will be reluctant to return. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

007's all guns blazing in No Time To Die

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond for the final time this November.

No Time To Die was pushed back from April due to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest trailer is electrifying and teases a fitting end for Craig's Bond who's debut gifted fans (myself included) one of the franchise's greatest instalments of all time, Casino Royale. It's worth noting, GoldenEye, also directed by Martin Campbell, brought this fan out of the cold in 1995.



Will No Time To Die be enough to entice cinemagoers back this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below.

PS3 Pre-order Tuesday at Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk is, again, taking PlayStation 3 (60GB Premium Version) pre-orders! As a long time Sony fan (a friend even coined the term Sonyman back in the 1990s when I briefly defected back to Sega Dreamcast), I've decided I'd like one too!

For me the primary reason for purchasing a PS3 from Amazon.co.uk is to take advantage of its Blu-ray credentials and Casino Royale is the perfect inauguration. Generally Blu-ray hardware costs in the region of GBP 1000 and the PS3 GBP 425 is excellent value in comparison.

Don't forget to grab a HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) capable.

Blu-ray Bond

First 500,000 PS3 Registrants on PLAYSTATION®Network to be Rewarded with Casino Royale on Blu-ray

London, 12th February 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that, in addition to the extensive line-up of games, the first 500,000 purchasers of PLAYSTATION®3 who registered on the PLAYSTATION®Network would receive a Blu-ray disc movie of Casino Royale, starring James Bond newcomer Daniel Craig.

Casino Royale, which has already grossed more than $560 million at the box office worldwide, and has established itself as the most successful Bond film of all time will debut on a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc encoded in MPEG-4 AVC. With a ground breaking collection of added-value features in 1080P High Definition visual quality, and with uncompressed audio features for the best possible audio experience, Casino Royale not only demonstrates the exceptional visual quality of Full 1080P High Definition movies on Blu-ray disc, but is the perfect vehicle to highlight the broader entertainment credentials of the PLAYSTATION 3 system.

Explaining the offer, Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing said, “The PLAYSTATION®Network unlocks the broad range of interactive entertainment features of PLAYSTATION 3. It’s easy to set up, offers free online gaming, has great tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and includes a wide variety of content for download through the PLAYSTATION®Store.”

“All this, and more, will enable users to experience a whole new world of interactive entertainment, and that is why we are offering the phenomenal incentive of Casino Royale, on Blu-ray disc, to PS3 owners who register on the PLAYSTATION®Network. Casino Royale not only makes the most of the features and capabilities of the Blu-ray format, but is one of the most exciting and entertaining movies to debut on Blu-ray this year.”