When looking over the best discs of the last twelve months, I had a hell of time singling out a mere ten titles as “The Best” of the year. I could have easily propagated the list with titles from The Criterion Collection, whose commitment to Blu-ray shone through this past year with a host of discs that may go on to define the format for years to come. It would have been equally as simple to pick ten restored classic films from the various studios, as their best work on the best-of-the-best from their film libraries quite often speaks to the benefits of the format. Or ten sparkling, brand-new releases, in all their perfect, demo-disc glory. But I’ve attempted to find a balance in my list of the best Blu-ray discs of the year – new films, classic films, Criterion releases, boxed sets, TV shows, etc. I don’t feel this is by any means definitive. But it’s a fair look back at the best year of Blu-ray releases yet.

2011 certainly has a lot to live up to!

NOTE: This list reflects only the titles released in North America – Region A.

1. AMERICA LOST AND FOUND: THE BBS STORY

As I noted above, I could have easily filled this list with selections from The Criterion Collection. The studio’s output this year has been phenomenal, releasing such must-have Blu-ray discs as Lola Montes, Paths of Glory, The Red Shoes, The Thin Red Line and Night of the Hunter in incredible new, fully restored, feature rich high-def editions. Each one of those title, and many others from Criterion, would be worthy of the top slot on this list but for my money, their America Lost and Found: The BBS Story takes the cake this year!

This is a pretty perfect boxed set. I really couldn’t ask for more – 7 great films on 6 Blu-ray discs in one well-designed box with one 112-page book! It’s not just the sheer amount of films that Criterion delivers for your buck here but the complete nature of the collection (the entire BBS oeuvre, rare films and all), the quality of the discs and the bonus content on them. Out of all the films, we had only seen Easy Rider on Blu thus far and as much as its a treat to finally see some of my favourite films in high-def (The Last Picture Show, Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens) its equally as thrilling to experience their rarely seen sister films (Head, A Safe Place and Drive, He Said) in such a perfect collection, looking and sounding better than ever.

I can’t recommend this boxed set highly enough. I think it’s the Blu-ray release of the year!

READ MORE: Criterion Collection America Lost and Found: The BBS Story Blu-ray set contains Easy Rider, Last Picture Show, Five Easy Pieces

AMAZON: $89.99

2. THE ALIEN ANTHOLOGY

The Alien Anthology Blu-ray set is such a beautiful thing. Nevermind that it includes all four of the original films, two of which (the two that really matter) look mind-blowingly good, but the set also includes more special features than you’ll probably ever be able watch and listen to unless you’re as obsessive-compulsive about the films you love as I am. After spending time with this 6-disc set (one for each film and two for extras) I almost feel like each individual component is worth the price of the box on its own. I’m particularly knocked out by the extremely candid and thorough documentaries included in the set. The Alien 3 piece is such a revelation it might just boot you onto your ass. All six discs are housed in a hardcover book (the discs are slipped within very firm pages with nested trays) which slips into a shiny, creepy Alien box package.

Highest possible recommendation!!

READ MORE: Alien Anthology Blu-ray Boxed Set Officially Announced and Detailed

AMAZON: $69.99

3. APOCALYPSE NOW: FULL DISCLOSURE EDITION

I honestly believe that unless Francis Ford Coppola has something else up his sleeve, this new 3-disc Apocalypse Now: Full Disclosure Edition Blu-ray set is the final home-video word on the film. Not only is the transfer reference quality with a killer DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, but the added features alone – both cuts of the film, commentary tracks, behind the scenes footage and featurettes, Eleanor Coppola‘s groundbreaking feature-length doc, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse and so much more – make this set worth the purchase! It’s a must-own for all Blu-ray fans!

READ MORE: Apocalypse Now, Hearts of Darkness doc coming to Blu-ray

AMAZON: $37.99

4. THE SOUND OF MUSIC

I’ve got two admissions to make here. The first is that I’ve never cared for The Sound of Music. The second is that this new Blu-ray edition of the film blew my mind and made me a fan. It’s true! Swear to God. The Sound of Music is, hands down, the best looking restoration of the year (okay, maybe it’s tied with Criterion’s The Red Shoes Blu-ray disc.) Want to impress your friends with your home video setup? Got a couple of jerks in your circle of pals who insist that there’s no point in buying older films on Blu? Pop in The Sound of Music and make their eyes jump out of their heads. The disc is fantastic, technically amazing and packed with extras. Another must-have for film fans.

READ MORE: The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray officially announced and detailed

AMAZON: $19.99

5. AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

It’s tough to beat the heavyweight champ. The biggest film of the past year or possibly even of all time. James Cameron’s Avatar makes its triumphant return to Blu-ray in a 3-disc set that is, without question, the finest new-release Blu-ray of the past year.

Not only is this Extended Collector’s Edition packed to the gills with the deleted scenes and extras you’ve been waiting the year to see but it also features three cuts of the award winning film, all demo-disc worthy. With the technical quality of the video and audio presentation off the charts (and surprisingly equal to the stand alone disc available earlier this year) this Blu-ray set is easily the best, most complete new-release of the year!!

READ MORE: Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 16 – AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

AMAZON: $23.99

6. THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS

The Complete Metropolis is unquestionably one of the finest and most important Blu-ray releases of the year. This restoration, incorporating 25-minutes of newly discovered footage back into the 1927 film for the first time in decades, is absolutely stunning in high-def and is necessary viewing for every film fan. The unfortunate ommision of the U.K. commentary track keeps this disc from the number one slot but don’t let that keep you from owning a copy. If you’re a fan of film, you owe it to yourself to grab this up.

READ MORE: The Complete Metropolis Blu-ray Disc Review

AMAZON: $29.49

7. DEADWOOD: THE COMPLETE SERIES

I hope you’ve been working out because HBO’s 13-disc Deadwood: The Complete Series Blu-ray boxed set is a seriously weighty affair. This is one solid brick of high-def western goodness! The discs, which feature all 36-episodes from the series’ three seasons as well as gobs of special features, are housed within the pages of a gorgeous, solid hardcover book – much the same as last years’ Rome: The Complete Series set. The packaging is honestly a beautiful thing to behold, providing a slipcase for the book and all of the discs to rest in. Along with stunning video transfers, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks that border on perfection and all of the special features from the previously issued DVD sets (17 audio commentaries and over 6-hours of HD docs and featurettes), you’ll be hard pressed to find anything to dislike about this amazing Blu-ray boxed set. Unless, of course, you have an aversion to foul-mouthed (VERY foul) cowboys.

READ MORE: HBO’s Deadwood: The Complete Series Blu-ray officially announced and detailed

AMAZON: $124.99

8. INCEPTION

Christopher Nolan‘s Inception might just have been my favourite Hollywood film of 2010. I’m fully aware of all the character deficiencies and possible plot holes in the script but I don’t care. The film managed an incredible feat, as far as I’m concerned and spent the first three-quarters of the narrative setting it up – a storytelling gag wherein a group of characters live and interact at different speeds within different dream states. It’s a fantastic narrative gymnastic feat that has never been attempted before and I think it succeeds in a marvelous way. Also, I can’t stop listening to Hans Zimmer‘s incredible score for the film. Seriously. Every time I put my iPod on it’s Inception. I think it might be bordering on unhealthy. Great film presented on a slick looking, ear pounding, feature rich Blu-ray disc.

READ MORE: Inception Blu-ray officially announced and detailed

AMAZON: $17.99

9. THE GHOST WRITER

Roman Polanski‘s The Ghost Writer is one of the best films I’ve seen all year and one of the director’s absolute best in decades. It’s got a great script by Robert Harris (adapting his novel of the same name) with some incredible performances by some of my favourite actors (I’ll watch pretty much anything starring Ewan McGregor.) The Blu-ray is demo-disc worthy with a sparkling clean transfer and rich DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack but less remarkable in the special feature department than other discs released this year. I include it here, in the number nine slot by virtue of the quality of the film and its technical presentation itself. Highly Recommended.

READ MORE: Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of August 3 – THE GHOST WRITER

AMAZON: $23.99

10. A PROPHET

Combine the HBO prison drama OZ with a touch of the Godfather and you’ve got a glimpse of where Jacques Audiard‘s A Prophet will lead you. It feels epic at its monster 149-minute run-time but honestly doesn’t waste a minute of screen time. This is two-and-a-half very tense hours that will fly right by. One of the best films of 2009 and highly recommended on this stunning yet feature-lite Blu-ray!

AMAZON: $28.99

There were so many more excellent Blu-ray discs released this past year, there’s no way I can touch on them all but the meager selection of covers below will give you a taste of what I was most passionate about in 2010:

CLICK FOR THE TOP 10 WORST BLU-RAY DISCS OF 2010

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You know it’s a massive week of important Blu-ray releases when there are two new titles from Criterion and neither is in the number one position on our Top 5 list! Shocking! We’ve had some big weeks lately but this might just be the most incredible one of all. Hope you’ve been saving up.

1. THE ALIEN ANTHOLOGY

The brand new Alien Anthology Blu-ray set from Fox is perhaps the finest collection of films and supplemental material ever assembled in a single home video package! Special Edition disc producer Charles de Lauzirika, the genius behind the endlessly impressive ultimate Blade Runner set from a few years back, has really outdone himself here. In addition to brand new, stunning high-def transfers of the first two films, de Lauzirika has reassembled and recreated sound elements for the Alien³: Special Edition audio track, including re-recording dialogue with the original actors from those unfinished scenes that were inserted into the cut, to deliver an experience far more akin to a polished, final release film than has ever been seen before. Oh, and did I mention that each film is afforded two different cuts? And did I mention that there are over 60 hours of extras spread over the 6-discs? And did I mention that this is probably the best boxed set, perhaps even the best Blu-ray title of the entire year?

Yeah, the Alien Anthology Blu-ray set is pretty much the best thing ever. You need to grab it up today. Right now. Get going!!

The special features are too voluminous to list here. For full details, read our breakdown of the set: Alien Anthology Blu-ray Boxed Set Officially Announced and Detailed

Amazon: $89.99

2. BACK TO THE FUTURE: 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY

If this Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy Blu-ray set had been released on any other day of the year, it most likely would have won the crown and taken the top spot on my Top 5 list. But competing against the juggernaut that is the Alien Anthology, Marty McFly and Doc Brown will have to settle for number two. Universal won’t send me a review copy, so I’m relying on the reviews of others here, to recommend this set on anything other than the fame of the films alone. But for all intents and purposes, it looks like this set is a pretty good one, featuring all new high-def transfers for the three films and a crap-load of new special features.

Amazon: $47.99

3. HOUSE

Without the two killer boxed sets of popular films warring it out for the top slots, this would easily have been my number one pick of the week. As I said in the Top 10 New Blu-ray Discs for Halloween 2010 list, it feels like I’ve been awaiting the Criterion Collection edition of House for almost a year now. It’s not a particularly scary film for modern audiences but it is incredibly imaginative and super-fun for a horror film. Criterion has, of course, pulled out all the stops here, delivering a stunning, cleaned up transfer and crisp, clean audio, along with a host of brand new special features that are sure to please any fan.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• Constructing a House, a new video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura
• Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi
• New video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)
• Theatrical trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by Chuck Stephens

Amazon: $34.99

4. PATHS OF GLORY

I don’t think I really need to push Paths of Glory too hard on any film fans out there. This is a brand new Criterion Blu-ray disc of a classic Stanley Kubrick film starring Kirk Douglas. That should be enough hot button keywords right there to tell you that you need to grab this one up as soon as possible! As per Criterion’s usual treatment, the film has never, ever looked this brilliant and vivid and has never been afforded so many insightful special features as on this Blu-ray disc. Paths of Glory is a must for every film fan!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• New audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins
• Television interview from 1979 with star Kirk Douglas
• New video interviews with Kubrick’s longtime executive producer Jan Harlan, Paths of Glory producer James B. Harris, and actress Christiane Kubrick
• Excerpt from a French television program about real-life World War I executions similar to the events dramatized in Paths of Glory
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: An essay by Kubrick scholar James Naremore

Amazon: $29.49

5. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS – THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO

I’d really love to say that I’m so over Star Wars, after the years of suffering through the dreadful prequel films but damn, if these animated Clone Wars episodes don’t keep me coming back for more! Why can’t I quit you, Star Wars?! Why?!

This new Complete Season Two boxed set picks up directly from the Season One set we reviewed last year, with fantastic transfers in the never-before-seen, director approved aspect ratio, amazing digi-book packaging full of artwork and a ton of great special features.

READ MORE: Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Two Blu-ray set officially announced

Amazon: $41.99

WARNER DIRECTOR COLLECTIONS: Oliver Stone Collection, Martin Scorcese Collection

Warner is releasing two new Director Collections today, featuring three films each from Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese. At a discount, both are a good value for the money. Each box consists of a single Blu-ray case with three trays inside. The discs are all re-packaged from previous releases. I’ve only gotten my hands on the Scorsese set so far and can confirm that Goodfellas, The Departed and The Aviator all match up to the versions already in stores, with the same transfers and all the special features intact. I’ll update the post when I get a look at the Stone set in the near future.

If you already own any of these films, you’ll probably want to give these sets a pass and pick up the remaining titles on a holiday sale or something. If you don’t have any three in either box and you can find a good deal on a set, grab it up!

Amazon: $42.49, $54.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
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I’m going to have to get a second job. There isn’t a single title in Criterion‘s October release slate that isn’t a must-own for me. They are all films I love, most from directors I’m quite passionate about (Kurosawa, Anderson, Kubrick, Bergman.) What’s a film nut to do but offer up all of his hard earned cash to the gods of home video?

PS: See, I told you Criterion was preparing Hausu for Blu-ray disc!

Special Features:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Two audio commentaries: one by film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie; the other by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
• A 50-minute documentary on the making of Seven Samurai, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• My Life in Cinema, a two-hour video conversation between Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima produced by the Directors Guild of Japan
• Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences, a new documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa’s masterpiece
• Theatrical trailers and teaser
• Gallery of rare posters and behind-the scenes and production stills
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, and Sidney Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune

Special Features:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• New visual essay by Bergman scholar Peter Cowie
• Brief 1967 video interview with director Ingmar Bergman about the film
• Rare audio interview with Bergman conducted in English by filmmakers Olivier Assayas and Stig Björkman
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoff Andrew, a reprinted essay by Assayas, and an excerpt from Bergman’s autobiography Images: My Life in Film

Special Features:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• New audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins
• Television interview from 1979 with star Kirk Douglas
• New video interviews with Kubrick’s longtime executive producer Jan Harlan, Paths of Glory producer James B. Harris, and actress Christiane Kubrick
• Excerpt from a French television program about real-life World War I executions similar to the events dramatized in Paths of Glory
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: An essay by Kubrick scholar James Naremore

Special Features:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• Constructing a House, a new video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura
• Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi
• New video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)
• Theatrical trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by Chuck Stephens

Special Features:

• New high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
• Anderson’s short film Hotel Chevalier (part one of The Darjeeling Limited), starring Natalie Portman, with commentary by Anderson
• Audio commentary featuring Anderson and cowriters Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola
• Behind-the-scenes documentary by Barry Braverman
• Anderson and filmmaker James Ivory discussing the film’s music
• Anderson’s American Express commercial
• On-set footage shot by Coppola and actor Waris Ahluwalia
• Audition footage, deleted and alternate scenes, and stills galleries
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Richard Brody and original illustrations by Eric Anderson

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Kubrick! Douglas! Gladiatorial action!! Spartacus has got it all. And now, thanks to Universal, we’re about to get it all on Blu-ray. Spartacus will hit shops on May 25th in a new 50th Anniversary edition that should best its HD-DVD counterpart in every way. Sadly, as nice as this edition looks, it’s still not going to beat out the previously available Criterion DVD, which features a commentary track by producer-actor Kirk Douglas, actor Peter Ustinov, novelist Howard Fast, producer Edward Lewis, restoration expert Robert A. Harris, and designer Saul Bass among a lot of other great stuff not to be found on the Blu-ray. I mean, I’m sure it’s going to look and sound better than ever but I’m going to want to hold onto my DVD for all those great extras. And the much cooler cover art!

SPARTACUS: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
(May 25, 2010 – MSRP $26.98)
Video: 2.35:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

• Deleted Scenes
• Interview with Peter Ustinov
• Interview with Jean Simmons
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Vintage Newsreels
• Theatrical Trailer
• Production Stills
• Concept Art
• Costume Designs
• Saul Bass Storyboards
• Posters & Print Ads
• My Scenes
• BD Live

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Yes, it’s another Criterion week! I’m not going to waste your time with another impassioned rant about the quality of their work and why you should be snatching up every single one of their Blu-ray releases. Let’s cut to the chase and talk about Bergman and the Seventh Seal.

I know there are a few of you out there who won’t be able to watch this disc without thinking of Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. Yeah, that movie ruined The Seventh Seal for a lot of people. If you’re not familiar with either film, they both feature a depiction of “Death” as a man with a white face, black robes and a penchant for board games. Famously, in the case of Ingmar Bergman‘s Seal, chess. Death’s opponent in the game comes in the form of a war-weary knight of the Crusades, played by Max Von Sydow. He struggles to find his way home to his wife through the plague-ravaged land, while wrestling with his beliefs, the meaning of life and a strategy to beat death at his own game.

We outlined the copious bonus features on the Blu-ray disc previously on The Blu-ray Blog. You’ll find a ton of stuff here, all well worth watching. We don’t have a copy to review yet but from what I understand, Criterion’s new high-def transfer is absolutely stunning and not to be missed.

ANOTHER PICK – GHOSTBUSTERS

It’s finally here – Ghostbusters is available this week in HD! The disc is loaded with special features, most ported over from the previously available DVD editions. Not bad. The transfer is controversial. I haven’t seen it myself, but the forums are going mad comparing the Blu-ray disc to older DVDs. Some take issue with alterations to colour timing, others the shifting contrast and brightness and even more complaining about a proliferation of grain. At the end of the day, all you need to know is that the Ghostbusters Blu-ray sports a transfer approved by the Director of Photography and that it’s film-accurate, faithfully representing what was up on screen, with all the limitations and shortcomings of 80s filmmaking and special effects work. I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on the disc!

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Artificial Intelligence takes over Blu-ray in Europe this July

Steven Spielberg, one of Hollywood’s most lauded and successful directors, has only had a single film released on Blu-ray to date. Sony gave us the extraordinary Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition in November of 2007 amidst rumours that Universal, then putting their full weight behind their competing format, was going to trump it by dominating the Spielberg market with titles like E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park on HD-DVD. This, of course, didn’t come to pass. A year and half later, we’re still waiting to see anything more from the Spielberg library in High-def.

While not quite the old-school Spielberg news one would pray for, Blu-ray.com brings us some pleasant announcements nonetheless: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence is officially scheduled to be released in Germany and Spain this July (Spanish package artwork shown). Amidst this release news, retailers in Denmark have been told by Fox to expect to see Minority Report on Blu-ray sometime this year. And last but not least, Spielberg himself has stated in Australian movie magazine Film Ink that he’s planning something ‘special’ for the Jurassic Park Blu-ray disc, to see release after A.I. hits the shelves.

While nothing has been announced for North America or the U.K. as yet, we expect to learn of the studios plans for A.I. shortly. In the meantime, remind yourself how you pine for the less saccharine cinematic stylings of 70s-80s Spielberg by drinking in this trailer for his 2001 film:

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