The format continued to take some impressive strides in 2012. In addition to getting high-def editions of such classics as Lawrence of Arabia, Chinatown, Sunset Boulevard and Casablanca, cinephiles were treated to a 22-film James Bond 50th anniversary set, a 14-film Alfred Hitchcock collection and not one, not two, but five of Steven Spielberg's most beloved and iconic films.
If you're expecting a Blu-ray player this holiday season or plan to upgrade in the near future, you can't go wrong with the five releases below, my favorites of 2012.
1. Lawrence of Arabia - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment: Arguably the greatest widescreen epic of all time, David Lean's 1962 masterpiece has always been one of those films best experienced inside a theater, not your living room. Well if you can't convince your local cineplex to screen a print, Sony's new Blu-ray is the next best thing. Restored and remastered at 4K resolution, The 50-year-old film is truly a sight to behold on Blu. Everything, from the sand of the desert to Lawrence's white flowing robes, just sparkles anew and makes the once-exhausting 227-minute running time actually enjoyable.
2. Jaws - Universal Studios Home Entertainment: Steven Spielberg's 1975 thriller about a man-eating shark terrorizing a small New England island never gets old (I screen it every 4th of July) and thanks to Universal's new digital restoration, it's never looked or sounded better. Throw in the new feature-length documentary The Shark Is Still Working and you're definitely going to need a bigger screen for this one.
3. Casablanca - Warner Home Video: The crown jewel of the Warner library got a new 4K digital scan and the result is nothing short of amazing for a 70-year-old black and white film. The image is exceptionally crisp, remarkably fluid and above all else, classically cinematic. With this one, Warner Brothers proves a perfect film can actually get better. Play it again, Sam.
4. Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures - Lucasfilm/Paramount Home Video: While it would have been nice to have this set for Indy's 30th anniversary last year, the Blu-ray debut of the intrepid archaeologist's first three cinematic adventures (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade) is a welcome one. (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released on Blu in 2008 and is also included.) While each of the four films look and sound great, the true Holy Grail here is a new Raiders documentary that features several deleted scenes, including Indy's extended tussle with the Cairo swordsman.
5. E.T. - Universal Studios Home Entertainment: Everyone's favorite little alien turned 30 this year and to mark the occasion Universal and Steven Spielberg ditched the silly 2002 special edition and rolled out a newly remastered print of the original classic that looks and sounds as good as it did in theaters back in 1982. The real bonus, however, is the E.T. Journals, a newly discovered feature-length making-of documentary that puts you right on set and unfolds as a Spielberg-taught master class in filmmaking.
Next Week: Top 5 Films of 2012
