NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (July 2024): Kino have transferred Étienne Périer's When Eight Bells Toll to Blu-ray. This is a "Special Edition". Kino released a Blu-ray of the film in March of 2016, HERE. I never owned it so I can't tell you if the image quality has improved but this does offer a new commentary and an O-card slipcase. This 1080P image is weak. There is a heavy golden-yellow tinge and it can have inconsistencies looking flat or saturated. Detail is not bad and there are instances of depth, the limited lit scenes have a clunky grain. Overall I found the video unremarkable.  

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. When Eight Bells Toll has abundant action from crashing helicopters, boating, guns, underwater conflicts and explosions. There is some depth. The score is by Angela Morley (Watership Down) - born Wally Scott - composed before a sex change operation in 1972 - credit for many prominent TV series of the day including Dallas, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, The Colbys and Hotel. It is kind James Bond-like repeated theme and sounds reasonably clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Steve Mitchell and screenwriter / producer Cyrus Voris (Bulletproof Monk.) They discuss producer Elliott Kastner's desire to make a continuation of the, paused, James Bond franchise, the successful collaboration of Where Eagles Dare, performers Hopkins, Robert Morley and humor, Alain's wife Nathalie Delon (Le Samouraï,) Jack Hawkins (being DUB'ed as he had throat Cancer), Corin Redgrave (of the Redgrave acting family) and many more. They talk about the projected Phillip Calvert series that never came to fruition, stunt arranger Bob Simmons, Bond connections including editor John Shirley - and much more. This commentary has plenty of less-published information. There are also trailers with one for When Eight Bells Toll and the Blu-ray package has a slipcase and reversible sleeve (se below.) 

Étienne Périer's When Eight Bells Toll is not a premium Alistair MacLean adaptation. Young (32) Anthony Hopkins (received £8,000 for the role) is a working-class James Bond character. I wouldn't say he was poor - I just had trouble buying into this small actor bouncing around as an action star. I was not keen on the yellow-heavy image quality and I lost interest a few times. I perked-up seeing Hopkins casually playing the ruthless Commander Philip Calvert who kills without compunction over some missing Gold. I did enjoy the new commentary on the Kino Blu-ray but it may lean to Hopkins fans (as an outlier in his career) or curious Alistair MacLean devotees. Meh.

Gary Tooze