Like the song says, “Everything old is new again.” 2010 saw the studios doubling down on Blu-ray as the economy began to improve. With that decision, DVD collectors were faced with deciding whether films they already owned were worth the upgrade when released on Blu-ray. In many cases, a good DVD of a relatively recent movie will approximate the same quality as the newer discs because of a Blu-ray player’s “upconvert” feature. It’s often in the classic film arena, or what are referred to as catalog releases, where one sees the biggest difference. That is why many home theater aficionados gravitate to these discs.
It is also why the majority of the films on my list are pre-1980 and on Blu-ray (those on Blu-ray are available on DVD as well).* Watching these on Blu-ray can often be revelatory, as I’ll point out in individual entries. But don’t worry. I also highlight a few new films from the last year. Also, all of the entries are readily available in the US. In some rare cases where films are only available on DVD, I will point that out as well.
*One disclaimer: There are a multitude of DVDs and Blu-rays released every year, making it incredibly difficult to catch up with them all. This list simply reflects the best of what I caught this year (with obvious personal prejudices skewing the list even further). So if you disagree, or feel something was unjustly left out, feel free to send in some suggestions. I might want to check them out.
CONTINUE READING AT NOMAD EDITIONS: WIDE SCREEN
