It's funny how technology is constantly changing year after year. It seems like just yesterday that all of us were running out to upgrade to DVD players and frantically selling our VHS movies in yard sales or on eBay. Now Blu-Ray is here and with it brings movies that are jaw-dropping in clarity, detail, and sound all in HD 1080p. Along with the great audio & video comes more storage capacity than DVD; fives times more storage for extra features and additional content.
Some films are "reference quality" on Blu-Ray; films that will make all that hard work putting your home theater together worth it and will impress your friends. Here are my top 10 films on Blu-Ray:
10. Alien Anthology -If you own the Alien Quadrilogy, you will definitely want to upgrade to the Alien Anthology on blu-ray. The moves are stunning on blu-ray and highly recommended.
9.Alice in Wonderland (2010)- Tim Burton's envisioning of the Lewis Carroll classic is beautiful, eye-popping, and crisp. Highly Recommended, though it is not Burton's best film.
8. North by Northwest- North by Northwest is my favorite Hitchcock film and you can now own it on Blu-ray. This great thriller/chase film has never looked this good. From the cornfields to the faces on Mount Rushmore this blu-ray transfer is well done, nice job by Warner Home Video.
7. The Bourne Trilogy- I love these films and could watch them at anytime and get fully engrossed. The visual style, beautiful international locales, smart scripts. These films have it all & Blu-Ray only makes them that much better.
6. The Wizard of Oz (3 Disc Emerald Edition)- WOW. I own the Wizard of Oz on DVD, but I have to say it's truly amazing what Blu-Ray technology does to this classic. The Wizard of Oz has never ever looked this good...it's almost too good. The Technicolor is beautiful and the details are jaw dropping, from the Horse of Another color to the costume detail..it's amazing. The 3 disc is loaded with extras and well worth it.
5. Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy- A Must-Own for anyone that grew up with Marty McFly & Doc Brown and their adventures. All three films have been remastered for this blu-ray release and look wonderful. The clarity and sound are excellent.
4. Saving Private Ryan(Sapphire Series) - As you've probably heard before the first 20 minutes of SPR are a reference quality test for your sound system, and now even more so on blu-ray. The minute Hanks and his men storm out of the Higgins boats onto Omaha Beach you feel as though you are with them. It's startling how clear the sound is, and the visuals are also amazing. The entire film is reference quality and Paramount has done great job with their Sapphire series. Must Own.
3. Toy-Story 3 DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Combo Pack- One can not have a "list of reference quality Blu-ray movies without including a Pixar film and this one is it. Toy Story 3 finishes and sums up this trilogy with a heart-warming tear jerker and became an instant classic. Pixar is in a league of their own when it comes to quality and to see Toy Story 3 on blu ray is amazing. Every stitch and seam is on the toys is visible, everything is lifelike. It's beautiful and stunning. The great thing about this version is that is comes with a DVD so you can keep that in the car or Mini-van for those long trips when the kids get restless.
2. Avatar (Three Disc Extended Collectors Edition)- When Avatar first hit the theaters I was skeptical of the hype and the 3D. I have to admit the 3D was distracting to a degree and I immediately thought of the blu-ray release and how I was looking forward it it. This blu-ray edition is absolutely worth owning and it's so enjoyable to see the the world of Pandora without 3D glasses. The colors drench the screen and are breathtaking & stunning. A reference quality disc that can test your home theater over and over again. This extended edition includes bonus features that run more than 8 hours with more than 45 minutes of deleted scenes. This extended version of the film has 16 more minutes with an alternate opening on Earth.
1. The Sound of Music - When I was kid The Sound of Music was an annual viewing ritual for my mother and sister and I somehow would get sucked into it with its catchy songs and beautiful scenery. It kind of became a guilty pleasure over the years. Well this classic film starring Julie Andrews has found the perfect vehicle to showcase the Austrian scenery...blu-ray technology. This film has never looked better than it does now. Each blade of grass jumps out at you in pristine clarity as Maria runs along the hills and the the sound & songs are breathtaking yet not overwhelming. Packed with extra, this is definitely a must own and of course reference quality.
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