My Favorite Blu-rays

I started this blog because I am a film geek. I have been since I was a kid. I grew up with all the different home video formats. So for this post, I thought that I would

10. The Day the Earth Stood Still
This is the original movie, not the crappy remake. This movie was a favorite of mine growing up and the presentation here is great. The picture has never looked and the special features are outstanding.

9.Dogma
Sure it doesn't have the wealth of special features that normally show up on a Kevin Smith disc, but the movie looks and sounds great. This is the best looking Kevin Smith movie that is on blu-ray. It doesn't hurt that the movie is great too.

8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
I am not that big of a fan of this movie, I find it to be a little long in the tooth, but this is an amazing blu-ray. We get the three versions of the film plus a whole disc of new and old special features. The picture and the sound are outstanding. This is a blu-ray that needs to be owned.

7. Kagemusha
I love this movie. The way the Kurosawa paints his movie with colors is just amazing and Criterion did right by him with this release. The picture looks absolutely amazing. The colors just pop out of the screen. Criterion also ported over all of the special features from the dvd. Criterion was the leader when it came to outstanding dvds and they are proving that they are the leader of blu-ray as well.

6. Class of Nuke 'em High
I know that this release just came out, but I love it. Troma's second blu-ray release is a winner in all areas, but where this movie succeeds, besides being very entertaining, is in it's transfer. There will be much debate over this transfer, but I think it is great. The colors are vibrant, there is a lot detail, and Troma didn't clean up the transfer. Normally, this would be an issue, but here its a plus. Add on top of that some really good special features and you will be begging Troma for more blu-rays.

5. Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind
I couldn't pick one over the other so I decided to pick them both. Both of these releases so off what blu-ray is capable of doing. The pictures are restored and look outstanding. This is the best I have ever seen either one of these movies. Add on top of that so many special features that it would take you days to take them all in. Both of these movies are classics and have been treated with the best of care.

4. Avatar
Alright haters, bring on the hate. This is probably the most loved and hated movie to come out in a while, but I absolutely love it. This was one of the first movies that I watched with my new big screen and it looks gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant and the picture is incredibly detailed. There are no special features, but that is ok. The movie is all we need.

3. The Lovely Bones
I am one of the few people who absolutely love this movie and Paramount did an incredible job at bringing this to blu-ray. The picture and sound here are reference quality and the lone special feature, a 3-hour making-of, is one of the best I have seen. Pick this movie up, if only to show off your home theater.

2. The Third Man
Now this is what a black and white movie should look like. Criterion has made the list again with Carol Reed's classic noir. The picture has never looked better and Criterion ported over all the special features from the, now out of print, 2-disc set. Pick this movie up while you can because this version is out of print too.

1. The Vengeance Trilogy (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance)
I know picking a "trilogy" for my number one is a stretch, but I love this set. Tartan Parlsiads has gone to get lengths to give these movies their proper due on blu-ray and it show. Each movie looks and sounds great and the wealth of extras on each disc is worth the price. Oldboy is my favorite, but the other two movies are well worth it as well.

So there are my top ten favorite blu-rays. As time goes on, there will be more and more blu-rays that I like. In the future, I plan on doing more lists like this.