Recommended Blu Ray Releases so far........

I thought that the next logical entry for my blog should be detailing some of Blu rays I've picked up so far.  I'll be honest, I used to be a Play.com devotee, but now I'm an Amazon man.  Their products arrive faster, are packaged better and I find they are the best (ie cheapest) priced.  Click on the products in the sidebar to take you to the Amazon.co.uk store.
Here goes -

 

Shutter Island
Picked this up about a week ago, having seen it at the cinema, and previously read the book.  Directed by Marty Scorsese, I think this is one of his best looking movies and the image really shines on Blu Ray.  Starring man of the moment Leo DiCaprio, this is the story of Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall who is called to the omnious Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients.  A lot of people have called this movie a little predictable, saying they could see the ending a mile off.  For me, a movie is never about an ending, and is more about the journey.  The journey to get there in this movie is pretty nerve wrecking and suspenseful.  I remember when my girlfriend and I left the cinema, my wrap up review was 'Scorsese has made his Vertigo'.  Highly recommended.

 

Psycho
I'm recommending this on the strength of the movie alone.  I'm not seen the HD restoration nor the additional features, but it's already ordered and on its way.  I'm going to put up an updated review in a few days.


 
Die Hard
Picked this up cheaply the other day and as a movie it's timeless.  The action, the acting, the lighting, the camera work; this looks like it was shot and released yesterday.  You forget how good of a story this has, and also the fact that John McClane is not a fearless gung ho soldier.  There are parts of the movie where he panics, where he knows he's in over his head, but you know what?  Fuck it, there's no-one else stepping forward for the job.  As a way of cheaply bulking out your collection with a bona fide classic, I highly recommend it.

 

Batman Begins
Insomnia and Memento were Indie hits which gave Christopher Nolan tons of street cred, but it was with this update and original take on the caped crusader that sent his reputation soaring to where it is today.  Focusing on Bruce Wayne, and what drives him, for the first hour is a masterstroke.  It grounds the movie in reality, and makes it credible that a billionaire playboy really would have the money, intelligence, training and drive to dress up as a six foot bat.  This is a glorious HD transfer and along with the next two titles, part of my top 3 Blu rays.


 
The Dark Knight
What else is there to say about the greatest superhero movie of all time (tm)?  Christian Bale's tortured hero, Aaron Eckhart's naive city official, Gary Oldman's world weary police Lieutenant (soon to be Commissioner), Michael Caine's faithful servant and of course, Heath Ledger's take on perhaps the most important and influential villain in pop culture history.  It all makes for an incredible movie.  I had the pleasure of capturing this whilst I was living in Sydney, on the biggest IMAX screen in the world.  And I think it may be the single greatest cinematic experience of my lifetime (well, rivalled only recently by another film by Nolan...).  The Blu ray includes the IMAX sequences, and they alone are worth the retail value.  Essential.

 

North by Northwest
Which brings me to my current favourite Blu ray.  In many people's eyes, this is Hitchcock's definitive film (though I beg to differ, Rear Window is superior but unfortunately not yet available on Blu ray).  An early template for the Bond movies, this has all the glamour, exciting locations, suspense, and action that would become synonymous with that definitive spy series.  The fact it was made over 50 years ago is spellbinding.  The HD transfer of this movie will, similar to Die Hard, make you believe that this was shot yesterday and that Cary Grant is very much alive.  This last fact is sadly untrue as this is easily his best ever performance.  Playing the part of ad man Roger O. Thornhill (The 'O' standing for nothing in a little dig at David O'Selznick, Hitch's former producer), he is wrongly identified as a spy and chased around America by villain Van Damme (great name) and his henchmen.  Who can forget the crop duster sequence?  The flirtation on the train?  The finale at Mount Rushmore?  This is cinematic storytelling at its finest and puts many, many modern films to shame.

There are six of the best to get you started.  I hope to make a blog like this a recurring item, so hopefully you enjoy and will be left wanting more.