Do you have a friend or loved one on your gift list who loves
movies? Do you love movies and just want to buy the year’s best
for yourself this holiday season, shunning everybody else with callous
glee? Do you have digestive difficulties when you eat too much
sugar?
Well, I can’t help you with the sugar thing—wait, yes I
can, STOP EATING CHOCOLATE BARS AND MAPLE SYRUP!—but the
following is a list of some of the better home movie releases from
2009.
First and foremost on any home entertainment list this year should
be a Blu-ray player. It’s time to get with the format. Players
are cheaper, and the discs almost cost the same as standard DVDs and,
in many cases, less. Quit playing like the format is going away.
It’s here to stay for at least the next four months, when the
next hot gadget will come along and render my collection worthless.
Oops, I’ve gone off track.
This gift guide includes a lot of Blu-ray, ’cause that’s
how I roll.
DVD and Blu-ray Combo Packs from
Disney and Pixar
• Up
• Monsters, Inc.
• Pinocchio
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition
For those of you out there who haven’t made the jump to
Blu-ray yet but fully intend to, Disney and Pixar started offering DVD
and Blu-ray combo packs at a reasonable price. This way you don’t
have to decide on a format yet, and you can put that Blu-ray disc aside
until players cost $50!
Seeing the likes of Pinocchio and Snow White in
glorious high definition was one of the great pleasures in home
entertainment this year. Disney did these packages up right with loads
of extras that take hours to watch. The same goes for the Pixar
packages for Up and Monster’s Inc., movies that
truly pop on home flat screens. All of these films represent your best
argument for getting a Blu-ray player now. Most of the disc packages
are priced at less than 20 bucks, making them a great
value.
Star Trek on Blu-ray
• Star Trek (J.J. Abrams version)
• Star Trek Original Motion Picture Collection
• Star Trek: The Original Series
Currently blessing my Blu-ray player, the J.J. Abrams reboot of
Star Trek is easily one of the year’s best entertainments,
and the disc is an absolute winner. Abrams offers up a must-listen
commentary, deleted scenes further flesh out the characters, and seeing
Spock laugh in gag reels is priceless. You can get a true Trekkie the
limited edition gift set that comes with an Enterprise replica.
The Trek Blu-ray parade doesn’t stop there because the
original motion pictures and series also arrived on the format, and
they kick ass.
Great TV
• The State: The Complete Series
For fans of Michael and Michael Have Issues, Stella,
Wet Hot American Summer and Reno 911, this here show is
where it all started. Originally aired on MTV in the early ’90s
and not available anywhere since until now, The State collection
shows Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, David Wain, Ken Marino and
company were insane from the get-go. The set is loaded with extras, and
the cast worked on this package for a long time. The hard work is more
than obvious because it’s one of the year’s best DVD
sets.
• It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete
Series
While some of the comedy hasn’t dated so well, this one is
still a trailblazer that provided much laughter and originality. Before
Seinfeld and his own The Larry Sanders Show, Garry
Shandling gave us this inside-out sitcom that skewered the format while
excelling within it. Lots of cool guest stars, like Tom Petty, Gilda
Radner and Dan Aykroyd. Shandling participates in all sorts of extras,
including commentaries and interviews.
• Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered and Monty
Python: Almost the Truth (Blu-ray)
I’ve seen a lot of Python documentaries over the years, but
Almost the Truth is easily the best, and any fan would cherish
this in their stocking, under their pillow, or just plain thrown at
them on Christmas morning. There are six episodes of pure Python
madness, with all of the living members participating in interviews.
(The late Graham Chapman appears in vintage interview footage.) Entire
episodes are dedicated to The Holy Grail and Life of
Brian.
That’s not all. John Cleese got fully involved in a
remastering of his Fawlty Towers series, including interviews
and commentaries. Python fans rejoice!
Great Movies
• Do the Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
Director Spike Lee put together an all new documentary and
commentary for this beautiful Blu-ray. Honestly, one of the best
high-definition transfers I’ve seen so far. I find it remarkable
how many people have not seen this film. See it now!
• Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut
This set takes the recently released director’s cut of The
Watchmen and interweaves the animated Tales of the Black
Freighter into the running time. If your special someone is a
graphic novel geek, this will be the gift to get them.
• An American Werewolf in London (Blu-ray)
When I popped this one into my player, I hadn’t seen it in a
long time. I’d forgotten how sick in the head writer-director
John Landis is and how funny/scary the movie is. Make this part of
somebody’s Blu-ray introductory pack, and put those stupid
werewolves in Twilight to shame. Seriously, they can suck
it!
• The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s
Edition (Blu-ray)
I’ve already given this one as a gift a couple of times. Not
only do you get the beautiful movie on Blu-ray, but also all sorts of
neat goodies like a watch, a photo book and more, all in a nifty box.
Easily one of the year’s better values and also available in a
standard DVD edition.
• Say Anything: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
If your gift target graduated from high school around the time this
one was released, give them this one and make them feel old. Yes,
it’s not the nicest thing you could do, making somebody feel like
an old fart. They’ll get over it once they revisit the charming
story of Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and his pursuit of Diane Court
(Ione Skye). Still one of the weirdest and greatest love stories ever
put to film.
• Funny People (Blu-ray)
Get this one not only for the very good movie, but also for the
sheer volume of special features contained therein. There are lots of
outtakes, deleted scenes and awesome vintage footage of Adam Sandler
and Seth Rogen doing standup (including Rogen when he was 13). This
didn’t get its due at the box office, which is a shame because it
is very good.
• Wings of Desire (Blu-ray)
Do you have a lover of art films on your list? Just get them this
one and you are finished. Wim Wenders simply made one of the most
beautiful films ever with this tale of a bored angel (Bruno Ganz) who
wants to become human. Peter Falk is awesome as a former angel turned
actor. Filmed in both black- and-white and color, it’s as lovely
as cinema gets.
• Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) Blu-ray
Watching Jared Leto get his teeth knocked out of his face by Edward
Norton on Blu-ray is so choice. Norton and Brad Pitt have never been
better than they were in this David Fincher epic about insanity and
punching each other in the face. Ring in the new year watching Pitt
getting hit on the ear!