I guarantee there were far more awful films released on Blu-ray this year than you’ll find on this list. And there were most likely greater high-def hack-jobs in 2010. But this is the list of material I witnessed over the past year that really made me wretch, made me angry or made me just plain sad. Whether the problem is the transfer, the film itself or, God help me, both the film AND the transfer, the following ten discs should be avoided at all costs.

1. WRONG SIDE OF TOWN

By Crom, this film is a disaster. I actually have nothing good to say about this low-budget crap-fest, WWE pro-wrestler action vehicle. It goes without saying that the acting is terrible but combine that with lame-ass action scenes, poorly lit and amateurish photography and the most ludicrous, awful all-round production values and you’ve got the stinker of the year. I know, I should go easy on the little guy. This is just a small indie-flik, after all. But that’s just how much I disliked this film. And the Blu-ray isn’t much better, if you ask me. A relatively muddy transfer and flat soundtrack keep the disc from being technically sound but the film itself is the low point here. God, I feel like I need a shower just thinking about Wrong Side of Town.

NOTE: I should point out that our very own reviewer, Howard got a kick out of the film. Read his relatively positive review of the Blu-ray disc here: Wrong Side of Town Blu-ray Disc Review

2. PREDATOR ULTIMATE HUNTER’S EDITION

If there was an award for most egregious use of Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) in 2010, I think that Predator: Ultimate Hunter’s Edition would win the prize hands down. I can’t state strongly enough how much I love the film. And I don’t have a single issue with the audio track or bonus features on this disc. But the digital “clean-up” performed on the video transfer, the excessive scrubbing the studio applied to the film in an attempt to remove the grain from the image is painful to look at. Actors’ skin looks waxy, detail is lacking and the whole image just appears uneven. I can only hope and pray that Fox revisits Predator again on Blu in the near future and gives it the same TLC that it applied to James Cameron‘s equally grainy Aliens (which looks stunning in the Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set!)

3. TIME BANDITS

I honestly hope that Image Entertainment is ashamed of the transfer they’ve cursed Time Bandits with. This is a film previously released in a fairly well-authored (for the time) DVD edition from the Criterion Collection and now making its debut on Blu-ray in a poorly compressed, 1080i transfer that looks like an HDTV broadcast. It breaks my heart that the movies in the Handmade Films collection (Mona Lisa, The Long Good Friday, Withnail and I), all former Criterion titles, are being given such little consideration in their transition to Blu. C’mon, Image! Either give the license up or do the titles some justice!

4. THE KILLER (Dip huet seung hung)

The Weinstein‘s started their Dragon Dynasty line of discs to release the numerous Asian action films whose licenses they hold. The line has been a disappointment from the get-go, delivering terrible transfers of classic films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. And now we can count one of John Woo‘s signature films amongst the worst of the line – the Dragon Dynasty Blu-ray release of The Killer is an embarrassment. This is a murky, slimy, interlaced transfer that looks worse than an up-converted DVD. I hate to point it out but The Killer is another title that used to be a part of The Criterion Collection.

5. HIGHLANDER: SEASON TWO

Urgh. Really? Panzer/Davis have got it in their heads that they can make something more of their standard-def masters of the Highlander TV series. And while this second series boxed set is a mild improvement over last years first season mess, these episodes still look awful, relative to native HD transfers. I wish I could convince them to stop wasting their time trying to conjure new alchemical magics that will transform detail in 480p to 1080p and instead get back to work on that remake of Highlander that might actually star a Scotsman for a change (Kevin McKidd, I’m rooting for you!)

6. ONG BAK: THE THAI WARRIOR

The only thing that makes Fox’s Ong Bak disc look better than The Killer is the fact that it’s a progressive transfer. This incredible Thai action film should look far more detailed and colour-rich than it does on Blu. It’s a gorgeous film that’s done no justice in this very poor, smeary high-def transfer. What a shame…

7. VALENTINE’S DAY

I thought Valentine’s Day would be a light, fun rom-com. Perhaps in the vein of Love Actually. But it turned out to be an utter dud, without any wit or charm. There’s nothing technically wrong with this Blu-ray disc but there’s nothing remarkable about it either. This was one of the worst, most inane films I suffered through in 2010.

8. SEX AND THE CITY 2

I understand why the Sex and the City franchise needed a sequel after the first film was such a cash cow for Warner. But man…this was a mistake. Again, nothing technically wrong with the disc here but…Urgh. Can we agree that a second sequel should be avoided at all cost?

9. SPARTACUS

Universal really pooped the bed here. This Blu-ray disc is labeled as a 50th Anniversary Edition of Stanley Kubrick‘s Spartacus but under the hood it sports a nasty old HD master, replete with edge enhancement and DNR. This should have been one of the years best and brightest releases and instead it’s one of the worst. Again, I have to point out that at one point, Spartacus was a part of the Criterion Collection in an edition that most, including the film’s restorer Robert A. Harris consider the definitive release to date.

10. THE HANGOVER: EXTREME EDITION

What’s that, you say? How can I possibly have a hate-on for any Blu-ray release of The Hangover? Well, I’ll tell you – when it’s a double dip release! What’s so offensive about this particular DD is that it hit shelves less than a year after its initial release date! And it’s not like there’s anything of substance added to the package in this case. Warner have replaced the digital copy disc with a 5-track soundtrack sampler and included a little book in this ‘Extreme Edition‘. Ummmm…okay. Thanks, guys. What a waste of time. I’m all for a double-dip if it adds something of substance but this is ridiculous, unnecessary and misleading.

There were further disappointments in the Blu-ray releases of 2010 – the unfortunate transfers of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (and the unfortunate exclusion of the Extended Cuts of the films in the set!), the fact that Kenneth Branagh‘s lengthy Hamlet film was crammed onto a single disc, the alternate second release of the BBC Life doc with uneven transfers and Oprah Winfrey narration, lack of lossless soundtracks on WHV television season sets – but I’d rather focus on what a banner year it was for the format than dwell on the few missteps it suffered. I’m certain there will be a lot of great things in store for Blu-ray in 2011. With any luck, I won’t be able to find 10 offensive discs at this time next year!

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