Recommended Blu-Rays

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I recently caught up to the rest of the world and purchased a high definition television (A 46 inch LED Samsung D6000, if you’re curious). This new TV replaced our old one which was just a 27 inch standard definition set. Needless to say, it’s a HUGE leap forward in both picture and sound.

I’ve always been a huge fan of movies and try to watch as many as possible. Since I’ve purchased the TV, it’s almost safe to say that I’ve become nearly obsessed with watching Blu-Rays to get the full use out of my television, and maximum enjoyment out of the movie.

I have a small collection of Blu-Rays currently, but I am looking for ones that can be considered the some of the best. That can include anything and everything from superb picture and sound quality, to a brilliant collection of special features.

I enjoy movies and shows from all genres, so I’m looking for a wide variety of recommendations, both in film and TV series.

This is not a spam friendly thread. Do not just list movies that you enjoy in glorious high definition, please provide reasoning behind your choice.

Currently the Blu-Rays that I enjoy are:

The Dark Knight: While most of the film still looks good in high definition, it’s nothing to brag about compared to other movies. However, the scenes that have been filmed in IMAX are mind-blowing good, especially the opening bank robbery sequence.

If you are interested to see the true black levels that your TV is capable of, The Dark Knight is the perfect example to demonstrate it.

Sin City: Black and white films can not only look gorgeous in high-definition, but they can also take advantage of certain strengths in ways other films can't. Bold contrast, inky black levels and fine shadow details are especially important when you have a black & white palette, and these are all beautifully represented on this disc.

I have the two-disc release which contains a ton of extra materials to keep the interested viewer entertained such as:
*Cine-Explore – A picture in picture visual commentary including the audio commentary from Rodriquez and Miller as well as artwork, green-screen behind-the-scenes footage and other scene-specific materials, which pop up at the appropriate times during the film that compares the finished version of the flim to what it looked like before the Computer Graphics was added..
*Commentary with Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller
*Commentary with Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
*Kill ‘Em Good – An interactive comic book
*An all green-screen version of scenes
*Features on the cars, costumes & props of Sin City
*A feature on the special effects & make up
*Teaser and Theatrical Trailer

I also have The Hangover & Unstoppable, and my wife has two of the Twilight movies on Blu-Ray (but don’t ask me what two because I have no clue).



What Blu-Ray movies or television shows would you recommend to someone who is looking to compose a collection of the best blu-rays?

Again, this is NOT a thread suitable for spamming. Please provide reasoning for your recommendations.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

As I don't have a blu-ray player my ideas may not be valid. But I love recommending films so here's a few -

Inception - Nolan is one of the best directors at the moment as you must be aware from The Dark Knight, and I imagine that Inception would be an immense watch due to his eye for detail and perfectionism. Little bit of trivia concerning TDK, it was shot and lit so well that no (or very little) colour correction was needed in post-production which is a very rare feat.

Children of Men - A great film in any format, and the lack of CG I believe would make this a great watch in a very clear and crisp format.

Gladiator - I'm not sure if this is out on Blu-Ray to be honest but even in regular DVD format it is a sumptuous film to behold, and would/will be one of the first Blu-Rays I buy.

300 - As you like Sin City, this seems like a logical choice as it makes great use of colour and effects.

Personally I'd think that films shot in HD with minimal CG effects would look best, so Michael Mann films might be worth looking into, anything from Heat onwards. These picks may be invalid as I have seen exactly none of them in Blu-Ray, but they would all be films I'd be looking to get personally.

Oh and the TV series Generation Kill is supposedly amazing in Blu-Ray

 

[Davi323]

1. Watchmen (director's cut). Absolutely gorgeous visually.
2. Batman Begins (only because you already have Dark Knight on Blu-Ray)
3. Lord of the Rings.
4. The Abyss.
5. Toy Story 3
6. Band of Brothers
7. Saving Private Ryan
8. Apollo 13
9. The Matrix
10. Star Wars, the whole saga (you wil have to wait until fall)

When it comes to deciding which movies to get on Blu-Ray, I will generally go with movies that are strong visually. A great looking movie benefits greatly from the Blu-Ray format. Movies that aren't as striking, or more story driven than anything else, you are probably better off getting it on DVD. As much as I adore the Godfather, I won't get it on Blu-Ray. DVD is fine for a movie like that, even for as great a movie as it is. The benefits of Blu-Ray don't really apply to a movie like that, unless there is something in the special features you just have to have. Sci-Fi and fantasy movies do benefit from the visual capabilities, as do some animated films (Pixar movies in general are fucking beautiful on Blu-Ray).