5 Blu-Rays You Need to Own

Well, what do you know–you just got back to the pad, a brand new HDTV in the backseat, and a hefty credit card bill in your back pocket. And while times are tough–as we’ve hard many times before–you just got yourself a shiny 1080P LCD TV and the details of how you financed such a purchase can wait for another day. So, you hook up your beautiful set, fire it up and – crap- you have jack to watch on it.

Sure, you’ve got an Xbox 360 you can give a whirl, and while we all love yelling expletives at prepubescent punks over a game of death match, you want a more fulfilling experience. You want to really immerse yourself in a film and all its high definition glory. Well, bud, head back over to that big box electronics store, pull out that fresh, new credit card, and stock up on a Blu-Ray player and these 5 Blu-Rays that will exploit the wonders of your new set.

1. Watchmen (Director’s Cut)

Now that the Blu-Ray format has been out for a while, movies are finally getting shipped with the adequate supplements to take advantage of the available technology. Watchmen (Director’s Cut) is a fantastic example of the technology being utilized.

On top of stunning audio and video quality, and an extra 20+ minutes of footage from the theatrical version, the director’s cut is equipped with tons of special features including a unique exploration of the film from director Zack Snyder, explanation of the technologies within the Watchmen world, exclusive features via BD-Live, and much more. For fans of the graphic novel and the movie, this package offers a great, cohesive experience.

2. Terminator 2: Skynet Edition

Arguably the best action movie of all time gets the treatment it deserves in the “Skynet Edition” of Terminator 2. You can go ahead and pass on the Endoskull Collector’s edition with its poor construction and stick to this much cheaper, just as effective alternative. Fully realized in 1080P and DTS audio, those of us who were too young to experience the film in theaters finally get a shot to experience it the way it was intended.

The “Skynet Edition” also features director commentary, behind-the-scenes looks, BD-Live compatibility, and some trailers to boot. Buy it before Skynet becomes self-aware and kills us all.

3. Blade Runner (Complete Collector’s Edition)

You might not expect to see an early 80s flick make the cut on this list, seeing as the technology used to film back then is essentially primitive to today’s standards. Well, when you take a look at how well the studio cleaned up Blade Runner, you’ll see exactly why we included it. The video has been cleaned up and the futuristic backdrop looks great.

This set is also packed with 5 discs including a documentary on the film, all the versions ever released of the film, and 90 minutes of deleted and rare footage. A quintessential sci-fi flick is fully fleshed out in this must-have package.

4. Planet Earth

Shot completely with high-def cameras, Planet Earth is one of the best options to really show off your HDTV. Planet Earth takes you all over the world, to places people never even dream of going, exposing the wonders of our planet. What results is some of the most stunning video ever captured.

Whether it’s a snow leopard scaling hundreds of yards of mountainside to get its prey, great white sharks leaping out of the ocean to nab a seal, or a tiny monkey slowly treading a stream, the entire series is wonderfully experienced in high-def.

5. Tropic Thunder

Amidst the slew of action movies in your collection should always be a few choice comedies, and Tropic Thunder should be in there somewhere. Featuring a star-studded cast working in perfect comedic harmony, Tropic Thunder is one of the best laugh-out-loud flicks in the past few years.

The Blu-Ray shows off Stiller’s attention to visuals and it looks absolutely incredible in full high-def. The special features include commentary, deleted scenes, a mockumentary, and BD-Live compatibility featuring some of the funniest material the Blu-Ray has to offer. You need this!