Blu-ray.com Reviewers Pick the Best of 2010

Once again, the members of the reviewing team of Blu-ray.com have been asked to compile a list of their personal top ten Blu-ray titles of 2010, regardless of whether they had reviewed them themselves or not. You may find this list useful when shopping for Christmas gifts. This year, personal favorites varied even more widely, which speaks volumes about the breadth and richness of the year's slate.

The year's clear winner is Saving Private Ryan, having been picked by three reviewers. Other four films (Apocalypse Now, Battleship Potemkin, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Se7en) got two mentions.

The top 10 BDs by reviewer follow, with a brief coment. Last year they were listed alphabetically, so this year they are listed in reverse alphabetical order.



Dustin Somner

	Apocalypse Now. Incredible video coupled with a revelatory lossless track take Coppola's vision to a whole new level.
	Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition. A groundbreaking film made better with every minute added. Until we have a five hour extended cut, I say give me more.
	Saving Private Ryan. Sporting arguably the greatest audio track ever created, Saving Private Ryan should stand as the crowning jewel in every audiophile's collection.
	Zombieland. Woody Harrelson, zombie mayhem, and a comical cameo from Bill Murray…What's not to love?
	Modern Family: The Complete First Season. Setting the benchmark for television comedy is never a small feat, so my transfer of that honor from The Office to Modern Family is not something I take lightly.
	Minority Report. Despite the presence of Hollywood's leading couch jumper, Minority Report deserves a high ranking on any sci-fi lover's list.
	Pandorum. Overlooked by many, this thrilling deep space adventure draws comparisons with Alien and Event Horizon, while managing to create its own unique formula.
	Moon. Proving sci-fi entertainment doesn't always require flashy special effects, Moon is cerebral drama at its best.
	Casshern Sins: Part 1 and Casshern Sins: Part 2. 2010 marked a welcomed uptick in anime Blu-ray offerings. Though we'll continue to weather our fair share of upscaled transfers, Casshern Sins demonstrated how good anime can look in high definition.
	Beauty and the Beast. The pinnacle of Disney hand-drawn animation looks and sounds amazing with the transition to Blu-ray. If you have small children in your household, this is the disc to buy over the holidays.

Martin Liebman

One unfortunate drawback of being a full-time Blu-ray disc reviewer is that there just aren't enough hours in the day to enjoy all that many releases outside the demanding schedule of the weekly review grind. As such, it's particularly challenging to keep up with the best of the releases handled by Blu-ray.com's entire review team, so with that in mind, the following "top 10" list of 2010 consists only of films I've been privileged to review and spend the proper amount of time with to adequately and, hopefully, correctly judge. Needless to say, there are more than 10 deserving releases, and narrowing the field down from an initial tally of 32 (oddly, the same number that made the first list last last year) proved no easy task. 2010 has surpassed 2009 in every way. This was the format's best year for popular catalogue title releases, while new films gained more and more market share over their DVD counterparts. Best of all, Blu-ray 3D is here and, hopefully, here to stay. Sony Pictures continues to push 3D releases harder than most and for the longest amount of time, and they've been rewarded with a 3D title in the top 10. If bundled 3D exclusives soon go the way of HD DVD, 2011 should be Blu-ray's best year to date. The following list, in numerical order, was created based not only on the video and audio quality of the disc, the amount of extras offered, and its place in Blu-ray history, but also -- and most importantly -- on the quality of the film and any number of personal preferences that make this list unique.

	1. The Natural. A sentimental choice for several reasons; it may not be the year's best Blu-ray (though it is excellent), but for me and at the time it was released in my life, it was the most important.
	1-A. Saving Private Ryan. Saving Private Ryan may have been snubbed at the 71st Academy Awards, failing to capture its deserved Best Picture win, but it's earned the top spot on this year's top ten Blu-ray list, and for the second year in a row, a Paramount title has risen to number one (see Star Trek, 2009). The disc's initial pressing was saddled with a slight audio glitch upon release, but Paramount manned up and quickly pressed new discs, replacing the faulty ones and making it easy for those in-the-know to purchase the corrected version at stores. With its gloriously gritty and abundantly faithful 1080p transfer and, just maybe, the finest lossless audio track of them all, Saving Private Ryan is a treasure on Blu-ray that ranks as quite possibly the best of them all, and not just amongst its fellow 2010 releases.
	2. The Bridge on the River Kwai. It might not be the David Lean movie everyone wants to see on Blu-ray, but it's hard to be disappointed when another of the director's Oscar-winning films comes to high definition, and even harder when it's released by Sony. Sony is a studio that might not get enough credit in the Blu-ray world; its releases might not always be the most flamboyant, but the studio is easily Blu-ray's most consistently excellent among the major players. The Bridge on the River Kwai is no exception; the release has been graced with a majestic technical presentation and a nice assortment of extra content, all housed in a collectible box. Here's hoping 2011 is the year of Lawrence of Arabia, and if it is, there's no doubt that it, too, will find a top spot on next year's top-10 list.
	3. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D. It's not the best 3D disc on the market, but it was the first that wasn't bundled with brand-specific hardware. Sony didn't fall into the trap of packaging its own movies with its own gear (Sony teamed up with Disney for that) and by releasing Meatballs and, later in the year, several additional 3D titles, the studio quickly became early 3D adopters' best friend. As with their regular 2D releases, Sony's done right by its 3D offerings, and Meatballs, Monster House 3D, and Open Season 3D are among the most complete and satisfying 3D discs currently on the market and available for general sale.
	4. Se7en. Just outstanding. David Fincher is one of the world's elite directors and even that title doesn't always do him or his work justice. Se7en is a grueling masterpiece of modern film noir with unforgettable characters and a haunting ending that's among the best ever committed to film. Warner Brothers, at one point in time, was Blu-ray's favorite whipping boy for their half-hearted Blu-ray releases, and while the studio has redeemed itself with plenty of first-rate titles over the past two years, none, perhaps, are quite as good as this for the combination of the quality of the movie, the incredible picture and sound, first-rate extras, and fantastic DigiBook packaging.
	5. Road to Perdition. Like David Fincher, Sam Mendes is one of the world's best directors but one who more often than not seems to fly under the radar, even considering his Best Picture win for American Beauty, a film deserving of a top spot on this list but failing to make the cut thanks to a decidedly lackluster Sapphire Series Blu-ray release. Fortunately, Perdition and its noir façade looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The sound quality is its better while the extra content is worthwhile. The film is one of the great unheralded classics of all time (and, like Glory from last year's list, somehow failed to garner a Best Picture nomination), and its Blu-ray release is top-notch.
	6. Shrek: The Whole Story. The newest release in the top 10, and another Paramount title (anyone sensing a trend?) that will leave viewers happily ever after. The lovable green ogre has never looked, well, so green as he does on Blu-ray, and each film in the collection looks and sounds as good as anyone could hope for. The extras are fantastic, too. The set not only takes viewers on a journey through the make-believe fairy tale adventures of a couple of ogres, a donkey, a swashbuckling cat, and their mystical and magical friends, but also on a trip through the decade that sees the progression of computer animation from what is in hindsight the almost the crudely-rendered Shrek to the cutting edge Shrek Forever After. It's too bad the films aren't readily available in 3D yet, but who knows, the Shrek collection in 3D might make next year's list.
	7. The Evil Dead (Limited Edition). Amongst Horror aficionados, Director Sam Raimi and Star Bruce Campbell's iconic fright fest needs no introduction, so instead, here's some love for Anchor Bay. AB has been releasing Blu-rays since the format's infancy, and they've quietly risen in the ranks to become, arguably, the best of the smaller studios currently producing titles. They're not all up to the quality of The Evil Dead in terms of strength of film, technical presentation, and extras, but with releases like this, Hatchet, Frozen, Brooklyn's Finest, and The Crazies, Anchor Bay can be counted on to give major titles the sort of Blu-ray releases they deserve. Look out for Anchor Bay in 2011 and beyond.
	8. Iron Man 2. Few sequels hold up as well against the original as Iron Man 2, and fewer still look and sound this fantastic on Blu-ray. Paramount's release is one of the best for both the near faultless technical presentation and the undeniable fun factor of the movie. A complete Blu-ray release and a prime example of how to do a major summer blockbuster absolutely right in high definition.
	9. The Karate Kid (1984) and The Karate Kid (2010). Is it cheating to lump two releases together if they're both the same movie? 2010's The Karate Kid is practically a mirror image of the Ralph Macchio/Pat Morita classic, and that's perfectly fine. The movies transcend time and the faces who star in them with their overwhelmingly positive messages on inner strength, confidence, self-worth, and friendship, among others. The Blu-ray releases rate highly, and the movies are fantastic. Plus, there can never be enough Sony on the list.
	10. StarCrash. What? A movie that received a 1.5 score for the quality of the film made the year's top 10 list? Starcrash might be an awful movie, but it's also one of the most delectably cheesy films ever made, and it's the perfect "so bad its good" treat. Abysmal acting, worse special effects, and a flimsy plot are but a few of its problems, but there's just something about it that keeps people coming back for more. Fortunately, Shout! Factory has given this miserable little gem a wonderful makeover for its Blu-ray release, gracing the disc with a strong technical presentation and plenty of extras, including two of the most knowledgeable and passionate commentaries ever recorded. Starcrash cracks the top ten list on heart, determination, and Shout!'s magic touch.

Jeffrey Kauffman

A lot of my reviewing duties here at blu-ray.com revolve around music and performing arts titles, and I thought it might be interesting to readers if I limited my Top 10 to those genres, especially since I'm sure my reviewing colleagues here will offer you plenty of ideas in terms of mainstream and cult film choices. That way those of you who are looking for something a little unusual might have some additional options to consider. In no particular order:

	Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen. (See my reviews of the individual titles for this newly released boxed set version). Easily the most astounding production of this hoary classic you're likely to see, with Cirque du Soleil-esque acrobatics by La Fura del Baus, projections and amazing sets and costumes. Yet it still manages to be traditional.
	Incognito: Live in London the 30th Anniversary Concert. Probably my favorite jazz-rock-soul-pop-everything else release of the year. One of the coolest bands ever in an amazing concert performance.
	Tchaikovsky: Cherevichki. If you're sick of The Nutcracker, this little known Tchaikovsky opera is amazingly charming and this production is really gloriously designed.
	The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. Springsteen fans had a lot to celebrate in 2010, with both this and the excellent Live in London concert coming out on Blu-ray. This exhaustive compendium is one of the best multi-disc sets of this or any year.
	Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts. An amazing collection of artists joins together for a fantastic two evenings of music making.
	TrondheimSolistene: In Folk Style. An unusual audio Blu-ray disc that manages to brilliantly blend a number of idioms.
	Purcell: The Fairy Queen. A simply amazing, almost Fellini-esque production of Purcell's warhorse.
	Szymanowski: King Roger. You may have never heard of this composer or this opera, but it's one of the towering achievements of the 20th century.
	Ondine. Imagine Debussy and Varèse collaborating, and you have some idea what's in store for you musically in this beautiful production. But that's just the music—the physical production here is just as colorful.
	HD Moods Rise. Topics Entertainment is quickly becoming the "little label that could" in terms of ambient television releases. Both Rise and its sister release Rebel are really imaginative, Koyaanisqatsi-esque montages set to very appealing music. Plus, they're very inexpensive—perfect stocking stuffer fare.

Kenneth Brown

Onward and upward. 2010 has proven to be one of Blu-ray's best years to date, and I've added far more releases to my personal collection than I care to count. Certainly more than anyone's humble Top Ten list can contain. In fact, the most difficult thing I had to do when compiling my list was exclude a number of titles that deserve just as much recognition and praise. (I'll have to rely on my colleagues to touch on some of the titles I reluctantly left behind). So, without further ado and in no particular order, my favorite releases of 2010:

	Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy. While the Alien Anthology nearly made my final cut, Universal's long-awaited Back to the Future box set doesn't disappoint. A masterful restoration, an exquisite AV presentation, a bounty of supplements, and a trio of indispensable classics. What's not to love?
	Deadwood: The Complete Series. HBO has been one of the go-to sources for quality Blu-ray releases, and this year was no different. I seriously considered selecting The Pacific, a fantastic set in its own right, but eventually decided to highlight this magnificent 13-disc box set instead. A simmering, Shakesperean Western, a striking video presentation, a powerful audio track, and twenty hours of special features. Pricey? Sure. Worth every penny? Absolutely.
	Inception. My favorite film of the year arrives on Blu-ray in slick style. Between Christopher Nolan's pulse-pounding, brain-bending masterpiece, Warner's magnificent AV presentation, the 2-disc set's revealing supplemental package and Amazon's perfect price point, it's one of the few must-own titles of 2010.
	Lost: The Complete Collection -- Or Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season... whichever oh-so-delicious poison suits your tastes. While some balked at the character-driven sixth act, I was entranced, engrossed and, ultimately, completely satisfied. The same could be said of the series' extraordinary Blu-ray releases, all of which are collected here in their entirety (and then some).
	Saving Private Ryan. As breathtaking and devastating in high definition as it was in theaters, the Blu-ray edition of Saving Private Ryan gives cinephiles everything they could want from one of the greatest war films of all time. Well, almost everything. HD extras would have been appreciated, but who's complaining?
	Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Last year I fell for (500) Days of Summer. This year it was Scott Pilgrim. To be honest, I'm a bit of a comedy snob, and it takes something special to get me laughing. But Edgar Wright's rapidfire ode to videogames spoke my language, delivered the veritable goods, and dazzled on Blu-ray while doing it.
	Se7en. While 2010 was home to a number of excellent, meticulously remastered catalog releases, old and young, David Fincher's twisted genre pic eviscerates all but a nimble few. Warner's Blu-ray release is just as memorable as the film itself, and was one of only four titles I never considered dropping from my list.
	The Sound of Music. The hills are indeed alive, especially if the Blu-ray edition of The Sound of Music is any indication. The only title on my list to earn perfect scores across the board in our site's official review, it may just be the year's finest.
	Toy Story 3. In a year of outstanding animated releases (Beauty and the Beast, the little-known The Secret of Kells and How to Train Your Dragon, among others), Toy Story 3 soars above the rest. I'd sing more pointed praises, but I don't want to risk tearing up yet again.
	Where the Wild Things Are. Divisive, challenging and, frankly, frightening enough to disturb many a wide-eyed tot, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are is a haunting, evocative and poignant family film that never panders to its target audience. The sights and sounds of Warner's Blu-ray release are just as hypnotic, and warrant just as much attention.

Casey Broadwater

There are any number of rubrics you could use to determine a top-10 list of 2010's Blu-ray releases--most stunning picture quality, best restoration, most comprehensive supplements--but I'm going to keep it simple (and personal). The following are the discs I've most enjoyed spending time with this year, the ones that have made their way repeatedly into my Blu-ray player. In no particular order:

	The Complete Metropolis. "The mediator between Head and Hands must be the Heart." Much of Fritz Lang's prototypical sci-fi epic was thought lost for good until a 16mm reduction dupe of the director's original cut was found in Buenos Aires. Now, instead of a series of stunning but disjointed images, the film actually makes narrative sense. If you want to see where much of the inspiration for Blade Runner and the Bioshock video game franchise came from, look no further.
	The Twilight Zone: Season 1. "There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man..." Rod Serling's seminal sci-fi/horror TV show on Blu-ray? Yes, please. Season 2 deserves an honorable mention as well, and look out for Season 3 in February.
	The Night of the Hunter. "It's a hard world for little things." Actor Charles Laughton's lone directorial effort is an unsettling Southern Gothic masterpiece of threatened innocence and one of my all-time favorite films. Every biker/punk with LOVE/HATE tattooed on his knuckles owes the motif to this movie. Plus, the bonus features on Criterion's 2-disc set are wonderful.
	The Thin Red Line. "This great evil. Where does it come from? How'd it steal into the world? What seed, what root did it grow from?" There are intuitive filmmakers and intellectual filmmakers, and the two meet in Terrence Malick, who turned a fairly conventional war novel into a philosophical meditation on "darkness and light, strife and love." This is also, for my money, one of the year's best technical presentations. (You know the audio track is going to be good when, after pressing play on the main menu, a message pops up saying, "Director Terrence Malick recommends that The Thin Red Line be played loud."
	Days of Heaven. "They told everybody they were brother and sister. My brother didn't want nobody to know. You know how people are." Last year, in my top-10 list, I mentioned hoping that Criterion would release Malick's Days of Heaven on Blu-ray in 2010. All I can say is...thank you. Oh, and can we get Badlands in 2011?
	Battleship Potemkin. "Nobody went Bolshevik, but a lot of people left with some revolutionary ideas of filmmaking." Sergei Eisenstein's silent propaganda piece is Film Editing 101. The film's incendiary message seems quaint now, but the frequently parodied Odessa Steps sequences is as arresting as ever.
	Breathless. "Don't use the brakes. Cars are made to go, not to stop!" As it's often said, there was before Breathless, and there was after Breathless. Godard's feature debut wasn't the first French New Wave film, but it certainly solidified what the nascent movement was all about. And how cool is Jean-Paul Belmondo here?
	Vivre sa vie."Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself." As much as I love Breathless, I love Godard's third feature, Vivre sa vie, even more. The scene where reluctant prostitute Nana (Anna Karina) cries in the theater while watching Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of the most transcendent, self-reflective moments in all of cinema.
	Steamboat Bill, Jr. "I'll pick the young man for you, and it won't be the son of a river tramp." Yes, yes, and yes again. Kino-Lorber's been on a Buster Keaton kick for the past year or so, and I, for one, hope it doesn't end anytime soon.
	House. "Fanta, you're fantasizing!" From here on out, no Halloween will be complete without the 88 minutes of non-stop WTF that is Nobuhiko Obayashi's wacky seven-girls-in-a-haunted-mansion fever dream. Pairs well with The Evil Dead.

Dr. Svet Atanasov

As most of my colleagues have already pointed out, 2010 has been a very special year, and we've seen some of the greatest films ever made arriving to Blu-ray. If you are a film collector, I have to believe that more than likely you had a very difficult time keeping up with the influx of terrific releases. Here are some of them (note there are two lists, one for North America titles and another for BDs from the rest of the world).

North America

	1. A Star is Born –- 2010 belongs to Warner Brothers. All of the the studio's catalog releases, and especially their restored classics, have been outstanding. A Star is Born, however, is the one release that I keep coming back to – fantastic high-definition transfer and excellent supplemental features. This is how you treat a true classic!
	2. America Lost and Found: The BBS Story -- Both Criterion and Sony Pictures deserve to be congratulated for this most impressive collection. If you ever wondered in what direction American cinema should have headed, see these films.
	3. The Bridge on the River Kwai –- I would have to say that this is one of the classiest releases Sony Pictures have produced since Blu-ray was launched. Now, could we have the Frank Capra, Stanley Kramer, and Budd Boetticher collections on Blu-ray, please?
	4. Battleship Potemkin. Kino's Blu-ray releases have been nothing short of spectacular. As far as I am concerned, Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent epic has never ever looked this good.
	5. When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors –Without Eagle Rock Entertainment the Blu-ray scene would have been incredibly disappointing. To be honest, every single one of their releases deserves to be on this list. Together with Bee Gees: In Our Own Time, also a fantastic documentary film, When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors is one of my favorite 2010 releases.
	6. Sex and Lucia –- A beautiful film by the master of Spanish erotica, Julio Medem. If you could play Region-B discs, don't miss the director's latest film, Room in Rome.
	7. Apocalypse Now –- I know for a fact that Lionsgate Films made a lot of people happy with this release. This is indeed the definitive presentation of one of the greatest American films ever made.
	8. Hunger -- Winner of the prestigious Camera d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Steve McQueen's film will be remembered for years to come.
	9. The White Ribbon –- Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon is an emotionally devastating film that addresses radicalism in an uncompromising fashion. As expected, Sony Pictures delivered a fantastic release.
	10. Close-up –- Thought-provoking and illuminating, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's Close-up is a film everyone should see. Let's hope that Criterion will also treat us with a Blu-ray release of the director's deeply poetic Taste of Cherry.

Rest of the World

	1. French Cancan -- French distributors Gaumont's Blu-ray release of Jean Renoir's legendary film is a thing of beauty. Actually, it might well be the best looking Blu-ray release I have seen thus far.
	2. The Double Life of Veronique -- Many years ago, Krzysztof Kieslowski's film changed my life. Artificial eye's Blu-ray release of The Double Life of Veronique is everything I hoped it would be.
	3. A Prophet -- A truly outstanding film treated right by British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
	4. M -- Eureka Entertainment certainly outdid themselves with their beautiful release of Fritz Lang's epic film.
	5. Picnic at Hanging Rock -- If Criterion do not reveal plans to release Picnic at Hanging Rock in 2011, you should consider getting a Region-Free player as soon as possible. This release, courtesy of Second Sight, is one of the very best to appear in the United Kingdom since Blu-ray was launched.
	6. Carlos the Jackal - Optimum Home Entertainment deserve a lot of credit for bringing Olivier Assayas' controversial film to Blu-ray, which even in France appeared only on SDVD. Indeed, this is an outstanding release of a fascinating film. Do not miss it!
	7. The Red Balloon -- Winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, French director Albert Lamorisse's "Le ballon rouge" looks fantastic on Blu-ray.
	8. Bright Star -- Why Jane Campion's beautiful film did not get a North American Blu-ray release remains a mystery to me. Fox Pathé Europa, however, treated it right.
	9. Tokyo Story -- The British Film Institute continue to spoil us with excellent releases of important classic films. Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story belongs in the library of every serious film aficionado.
	10. Kelin - Ermek Tursunov's Kelin is a beautiful, incredibly moving film, one of the very best to be released on Blu-ray in 2010. It is an instant epic. French distributors Emylia's release looks incredible.