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Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father's Day

Father’s day is creeping up on us pretty quickly and, I don’t know about you, but I always have a tough time buying for the old man. So, I thought this year I’d do us all a favour and put together a list of some of the movies that my dad loves, to assist in the gift-hunting frenzy that will no doubt be the coming week. Now, I’m assuming here that everyone’s dad has the exact same taste in movies. Probably not the best idea. But I only know what I know. And this list represents the best of the best on Blu-ray, as my dad would see it.

Just in case he reads this: No dad, they don’t have The Full Monty or The Commitments on Blu-ray yet. Maybe you’ll get them next year.

THE TOP 8 BLU-RAY DISCS TO GET DAD FOR FATHER’S DAY

8. DIE HARD COLLECTION

Die Hard Blu-rayOnce upon a time, Bruce Willis had hair and could take out an office tower full of terrorists while barefoot and bloodied. Those were the days. Relive Willis at his best here, in this box-set featuring all four Die Hard films. As you can imagine, if you recall all the films, you’ll also have the opportunity to relive Willis at his worst. Nevermind. Who doesn’t love a Die Hard film?

The Box set features a couple of lackluster transfers, a couple of great ones and bonus material that deserves an upgrade. On a positive note, you can usually get this thing for a steal! And c’mon, really…who doesn’t love a Die Hard film?

7. GOODFELLAS

Goodfellas Blu-rayMy dad has watched Goodfellas on TV about a hundred times. Rarely from beginning to end as his preference seems to be watching films from the middle onward, but he’s seen it a lot. At least he’s seen the end of it a lot. Needless to say, whenever it’s on the old boob-tube, dad flicks it on. It’s a favourite.

And this Blu-ray disc version of Goodfellas could easily become a favourite as well, what with the spiffy 1080p upgrade and a couple of the better commentary tracks on home video. Not only do you get a nice sit-down with director Martin Scorsese, his cast and crew but you also get a second track featuring the man whose life the film is based upon, Henry Hill and FBI agent Edward McDonald, the man who put him in witness protection. Fascinating!

6. STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES – SEASON 1

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Blu-rayFascinating, indeed! I am simply blown away by this box set (full review coming soon) and anxious to show it to my dad. While not a Trekkie or Trekker, he always had a great appreciation for a good sci-fi show. And Trek ranked among the best in my house, growing up.

Paramount Home Video has gone above and beyond the call of duty in bringing these episodes of the original 60s TV show to Blu-ray. Star Trek has never looked this brilliant, vivid and saturated in lush colour. Packed to the brim with featurettes, commentary tracks and behind-the-scenes footage, you simply can’t go wrong picking up this box-set.

5. ENTER THE DRAGON

Enter The Dragon Blu-rayBruce Lee at his best. I had forgotten how fantastic the man was until watching this film again recently on Blu-ray. This is a quintessential 70s action flik and no doubt a favourite of a lot of fathers.

The Blu-ray edition of Enter The Dragon ports over most of the generous portion of bonus features that Warner had assembled for their four releases of the film on DVD. These extras are amazing! Some might say, better than the film itself. If your dad has ever had any interest in the life of the martial arts master, he’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of information packed within the many documentaries and featurettes on the Blu-ray. Oh, and to tempt you further, Enter the Dragon looks great for a 35 year old film. And you can usually pick it up pretty cheap! (Currently, $11.49 at Amazon)

4. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Blu-rayI had to fit a western on here. And what better film than one of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood‘s finest spaghetti westerns, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Mind you, this wasn’t an easy choice. John Ford‘s incredible The Searchers starring John Wayne was a definite contender, with it’s incredible restoration job and low, low price of $7.99 at Amazon. But ultimately I had to go with the film that I would pick up for my own dad. And Clint will always win over the Duke in my dad’s eyes.

While the film itself may not be the ultimate presentation of Leone’s epic shooter in it’s extended cut, with perhaps a bit too much digital processing in the wrong places, the package contains some incredible extras. Not least of which is a brand new commentary track historian and Leone expert, Christopher Frayling that contains more information about the ‘Dollar’ trilogy than you can shake a six-shooter at. All together, a great buy.

3. JAMES BOND FILMS

James Bond Collections Blu-rayI couldn’t pick a single Bond film. Guilty as charged. It’s not that I’m necessarily indecisive. It’s just that there’s really a wealth of Bond-awesomeness to chose from on Blu-ray. Something for everyone, for every budget.

If it’s old-school Bond that floats your dad’s boat, you can find a good selection of the Connery and Moore films on Blu in individual releases. Or if you’re feeling wealthier and your father enjoys the entire series, you can pick up the Bond Collections, which feature 3 films each, chosen in a seemingly random fashion from amongst the eras. Last but certainly not least are the newer, Daniel Craig films, both excellent on Blu. The 2-Disc Casino Royale is currently quite affordable on Amazon at $14.99.

2. THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION GIFTSET

The Godfather Blu-rayI don’t know a dad who doesn’t like The Godfather 1 and 2. In fact, I think a devout appreciation of Francis Ford Coppola‘s mob epic is a prerequisite of fatherhood. Also required, a hatred of the much-maligned Godfather Part 3.

If anything can make your dad give Part 3 another go, it’s this gorgeous giftset of the entire Godfather series on Blu. The first two films have undergone a drastic restoration process and have a look that some might find startling. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While not gaining the sparkle of modern films, Godfather 1 and 2 are brighter and more detailed than ever before. Part 3 is well presented and, while the film isn’t the best of the series, it is nice to look at in 1080p. The set is rounded out by a ridiculous wealth of bonus features, including all the extra content from the 2001 DVD edition as well as brand-spanking new HD stuff. Great set!

1. BAND OF BROTHERS

Band of Brothers Blu-rayThis HBO TV series by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks is epic. It’s complex. It’s real. Based on Stephen Ambrose‘s book of the same name, Band of Brothers chronicles the story of the soldiers of Easy Company from basic training to the end of World War II in ten phenomenal, riveting episodes.

The box-set set of the complete series looks and sounds great on Blu and ports over all the bonus content from the DVD set. In addition, each episode features all new, Blu-ray exclusive Picture-in-Picture interviews/commentary with the surviving members of Easy Company. The veterans share haunting memories of WWII and discuss the accuracy of their on-screen representations. As if this wasn’t enough, each of the ten Band of Brothers episodes offer real time trivia, accessible video content, interactive maps, archive footage, and a glossary of WWII military terms, abbreviations, and slang in the feature called In the Field with the Men of Easy Company: Interactive Guides.

I’m going to be honest with you here: I don’t know if my dad has even seen this show. But I’ll tell you this, if I had to rush out and get him a Blu-ray gift that looked and sounded great, had tons of amazing bonus features and offered an incredible value, Band of Brothers would be at the top of the list.

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One comment for “Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father's Day”

  1. [...] might remember that I picked Goodfellas as one of my Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father’s Day this year. I had to. It’s one of those films that my father will watch over and over and [...]

    Posted by Goodfellas 20th Anniversary Blu-ray coming in February | The Blu-Ray Blog | October 26, 2009, 2:17 am

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