Holiday shopping guide: Blu-ray movies & TV shows

Buying your favorite movie buff a new Blu-ray player? Jump-start their collection of HD movies and TV shows with these eye-popping Blu-ray picks.

"How the West Was Won"
Don't worry—we'll get to "The Dark Knight" in a second. First, I'd like to direct your attention to this 1962 Cinerama epic, painstakingly restored for Blu-ray and presented in a standard (if ultra-wide) letterbox format, and in "SmileBox," a version that simulates the deeply-curved Cinerama screen (and reduces geometric anomalies in the process) by bending the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen into smile-like shapes (more on Cinerama here). Sounds weird, right?

Well, I've watched the SmileBox version myself, and it's spectacular; once your eyes get the hang of it, the illusion works (and it looks even better if you sit nice and close.) And the movie itself? Think action, romance, wide-open spaces, snow-capped mountains, plenty of stagecoaches and gun-slinging, and a cavalcade of stars: Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, Jimmy Stewart, and John Wayne—for starters.

"The Dark Knight"
It was a phenomenon over the summer, and the latest—and darkest—Batman epic will probably be the fastest-selling Blu-ray movie yet. Among the extras: Full-frame (16:9) presentation for the four IMAX-filmed action sequences, two HD making-of documentaries, an SD digital copy for PCs and Macs, and synchronized "community" viewing with friends (on BD-Live-enabled decks only; more details here).

"Wall-E"
I still haven't seen it—Netflix says I'll be getting the Blu-ray later this week—but critics and kids of all ages are raving about this post-apocalyptic (yet family-friendly) tale, and the reviewers at High-Def Digest call the Blu-ray version "a stupendous high-def presentation … the new reference standard for an animated presentation on Blu-ray." Sounds like a safe bet to me. (I'll chime in with my thoughts once I've seen the Wall-E Blu-ray for myself.)

"Iron Man"
Will probably end up being the No. 2 Blu-ray of the year, and trust me—the eye-popping action sequences look glorious in HD. I wasn’t terribly impressed by the BD-Live-only "Iron Man" trivia game, but this big, bright epic (the crisp, white-hot desert sequences are especially impressive in high-def) speaks for itself.

"Man Men"
Some people call it slow; I call it the best show on TV, and half of the fun is feasting your eyes on all the 60's-era details—the beehives, fintails, sharp suits and cigarette smoke. If you're only seen the fabulous sets and costumes in SD, you haven't seen the show yet.

"Blade Runner"
The visionary 1982 sci-fi epic is a revelation on Blu-ray—and even though it's 26 years old, "Blade Runner" still looks like it was filmed yesterday. Get the five-disc version, which includes the new "final" director's cut, the 1992 director's cut, the legendary workprint version, the original theatrical cut, and the 1982 international cut—plus a two-hour documentary. Phew.

The "Godfather" trilogy
I thought the 2001 DVD box set of the "Godfather" movies looked good, but this newly-restored, four-disc Blu-ray set puts the old DVD discs to shame. Gordon Willis' subtle cinematography was made for HD, and the set includes new HD documentaries and full-length audio commentaries.

Bond, James Bond
007 is back in theaters with "Quantum of Solace," and he's also made the leap into HD, with six of his classic adventures now on Blu-ray: "Dr. No," "Die Another Day," "Live and Let Die," "For Your Eyes Only," "From Russia With Love," and "Thunderball." They're available as one big six-pack, a pair of three-packs, or individually.

Shopping tip: As I've mentioned many times before, Blu-ray discs remain ridiculously overpriced in retail stores. Save yourself some cash and shop online, where you'll find most Blu-ray discs available with steep discounts (the "Godfather" set is half-off on Amazon, for example).