Why So Blu?

Brian’s TOP 10 2019 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases

Much like it was for me last year the highlight of 2019 on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format were mostly the exceptional catalog releases we received.  I hope they keep them coming!  Here’s looking at you Star Wars (Skywalker Saga sans the original theatrical presentations), Back to the Future and many more next year.  And while we expect our 2019 theatrical releases to look pristine and sound amazing on 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc it’s these aforementioned catalog releases that manage to surprise and delight us physical film collectors and aficionados out there.  Yes it sucks having to double dip on titles you already own sometimes on multiple formats, but don’t you want to own the best version of the movie?  That’s a rhetorical question because of course you flippin’ do!  You wouldn’t be reading this otherwise.  It feeds our passions!  This is who we are.  I have spoken.

With all that being said up above you’re going to find my below Top 10 4K Disc list wildly amuck with catalog releases.  However, before we get into the nitty gritty I also want to lay the ground rules like I do every year with the following disclaimer.  I am in no way, shape or form telling you these are the definitive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases of the year.  These are all titles I own in my personal 4K collection at home and for one reason or another whether its the film’s presentation, packaging or even extras in extreme cases I feel they are some of the best that 2019 has accommodated on the format.  Please feel free to take a gander at my list below and by all means don’t be shy.  Leave me a comment too.  Let me know whether you feel the same, different or think I’m full of you know what.  Just the fact that you took the time to sift through all my rambles below already means the world to me.

My final disclaimer is as follows.  I could not fit them all below.  Last year (see HERE) I felt I cheated.  I gave you 13 titles instead of the definitive 10 I was striving for.  I’m rectifying that this year.  I lost a lot of sleep deciding which one makes it and what gets cut, but my goal was an even 10. By golly I did it!  However, that doesn’t mean sacrifices weren’t made.  Top 4K releases like Apocalypse Now from Lionsgate or Gremlins from Warner Bros. were left on the cutting floor not to mention some stellar new title releases this year too.  So without further ado I present to you…

Many thanks to Brandon Peters.  I liked the way he laid out his Top 10 list HERE so much that I kind of stole his style.  Hopefully he takes that as a compliment.

Anyway, here we go in descending order.

10. Alita: Battle Angel

I may not be the biggest fan of Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, but that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a superior 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray package when I see one.  And I do mean package!  This one is stuffed with an unheard of Blu-ray 3D Disc presentation, which well even rivals the amazing 4K presentation too.  Not since the female led Ghostbusters 4K release (that review found HERE) has a studio graciously provided us with an included 3D Disc without having to separately purchase that particular release.  For that I say THANK YOU Fox!  The movie’s ending may leave a lot to be desired, but the breathtaking visuals and bombastic audio overshadow any little nitpicks one could possibly have.  With that being said, I’m down for a sequel.  What about you, Fox?  Bring it!

Check out our 4K and 3D Disc reviews of it all HERE.

9. Aquaman

While Aquaman was never one of my favorite DC Comics superheroes that didn’t stop Director James Wan from making him super cool with a fun, but bloated swashbuckling adventure.  Let’s face it though.  Aquaman is not everyone’s cup of proverbial tea.  I completely get that.  However, there’s no denying the beauty of this 4K UHD Disc presentation.  There’s a scene where Aquaman is finally reunited with his mother, Nicole Kidman, and its one of the most picture perfect moments on the 4K Disc format yet (in my opinion of course).  When I first saw this parilcar scene my eyes were locked and affixed upon what I thought was reality.  It looked so crisp and so unbelievably real like I could reach out and touch them.  That would be nice too, but I digress.  Aquaman also has one hell of a booming surround track that some even use to demo their systems with and so much more.

Check out our 4K review of it all HERE.

8. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was a film I wanted zero to do with in the theater.  Despite my love for the Marvel property and even for Spider-Ham as a kid (I used to have a subscription to his comic series) I judged a book by its cover here.  Sadly I wrote it off a movie I wasn’t interested in just because I was mad it was animated and not live action (the old prude in my 40-something year-old body talking).  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  After hearing about and reading all the positive reviews I blind bought this one.  Oh wow!  I was not prepared for what an sonic onslaught this one would be both visually and audibly, and also in the story department.  It’s not a lie when people call this one of the best Spider-Man film entries.  It took my love for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise and completely bit me by surprise.  What a blast, albeit only made better by this fine presentation on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.

While we don’t have a review of this one I strongly encourage you to click HERE and bring this one home ASAP.

7. 007: The Daniel Craig Collection

Casino Royale may not have been my first rodeo with the Blu-ray format (although it was in the first batch of 15 or so), but it’s truly the one that completely sold me on the format.  Sony broke the mold with this first 007 release in 1080p High Definition.  The picture (at the time) was razor sharp, the blues were sparkling and radiant and the sound knocked you off your couch.  It was also a brand new era for the 007 franchise breaking in Daniel Craig as the formidable British agent we affectionally call James Bond.  Due to the popularity of secret agent films like the Bourne ones Craig’s Bond was a man filled with rage and angst.  He was rough around the edges, but smooth at the same time.  Underneath it all the man has a heart of gold, but cross him.  Oh no!  He’ll make you pay.  This is my favorite Bond.  And this 4K box set collection of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre was way overdue.  In typical Fox fashion they skimped in the audio department and didn’t offer us anything new in the way of extras (odd too it wasn’t released closer to the upcoming new film).  However, the latter two titles look amazing in their native 4K presentation.  So there’s that!  I know people will say what they want about Quantum and Spectre, but all in all I’m just happy to have them on the 4K Disc format.  I for one can’t wait to see how they wrap things up next year in No Time To Die.

Check out our comprehensive 4K review of this box set of films HERE.

6. The Wizard of Oz

One of my earliest memories of watching movies has to be with The Wizard of Oz.  I remember being fascinated at that point in which the picture would change from sepia to color.  Never in a million years did I think some 40 years later on in life I would be bragging about how amazing an 80-year old film looks.  Whether you’re a fan of the movie or not if you haven’t checked this one out on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format, do yourself a favor and DO!  It will truly knock your socks off just like a car collision would knock your shoes off.  Warner Bros. has been an incredible ally to us 4K collectors these past several years and this release is no exception.  While one could nitpick that The Wizard of Oz was not granted a new fancy Atmos track for its 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray makeover its truly the visual of it all to behold that will make you a believer of this format for years to come.

Check out our 4K review of it all HERE.

5. Casino

Believe it or not Casino was a Martin Scorsese title I have been waiting for a long time to come out on the 4K UHD Disc format.  Why?  Well because I simply never ever aded this title to my Blu-ray collection.  Gasp!  I know.  That is blasphemy.  However, once I fell in love with the 4K UHD Disc format I resisted the urge to click that Buy Now button and hung onto hope that one day I would own this in my home media collection (outside of the Digital HD release I already possess the playback license for).  Thank you Universal for making this boy’s dream come true.  This is one my Top 10 mobster movies and who can resist Sharon Stone in this one (well until she goes full psycho mode of course).  I can’t wait for her 4K Basic Instinct release next year for obvious reasons, but I digress.  Coincidentally Best Buy also put out a pretty nice looking 4K steelbook for this title as pictured HERE.

4. Scarface – Gold Edition

Say hello to my little friend (screams Al Pacino).  Hell yeah!  Universal was on fire this year with some of my Top 10 gangster pictures hitting the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  Scarface was definitely one of those!  I owned this film in every format it was released in prior and it’s no lie when I say it just keeps getting better and better.  The debut of Scarface here sports a 4K Digital Intermediate with a banging DTS:X Master Audio surround track to boot.  Listening to the bullet spray Tony’s last stand never sounded so good.  As an added bonus Universal also put out “The World Is Yours” Limited Edition 4K set complete with a miniature replica of the iconic statue which features that same tagline as pictured HERE.

Check out our 4K review of it all HERE.

3. Batman 4-Film Collection

Yes these are high up on my list here, but with Batman ’89 you’re talking about my high school years when I was becoming a man. I didn’t know it back then, but these were the years that defined who I was destined to become…a lifelong disciple to Batman.  The movie had it all.  Women, the Joker, action, darkness, the Batman and even Prince before he turned himself into a symbol.  Yes I used to rock those Batman logo Converse Chuck Taylors back in 1989.  It may have started with Adam West, but I can’t deny how Tim Burton is responsible for bringing the first incarnation of the brooding Dark Knight on the big screen.  He brewed an even darker sequel, which rivals the first film in different merits and made Catwoman even sexier.  And we can stop right there because while the next two films in this era are big, bold and bright they don’t hold a candle next to the Burton ones.  However, this all matters not because whether you like them all or just one or two Warner Bros. brought the whole enchilada to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format with an unbelievable 4K video restoration and a rebooted Dolby Atmos surround track complete with new special audio effects.  Warner Bros. swung for the fence with these guys and hit into the proverbial parking lot.  Pow!

Check out our 4K review of Batman – 30th Anniversary HERE.

Check out our 4K review of Batman Returns HERE.

Check out our 4K review of Batman Forever HERE.

Check out our 4K review of Batman & Robin HERE.

2. Alien: 40th Anniversary

Alien is one of those science fiction movies us 4K enthusiasts who collect film on physical media have been clamoring over for years now.  We finally got our cake and ability to eat it in 2019 here.  And oh what a delicious piece of cake Ridley Scott’s Alien on 4K UHD Disc is too.  While Alien may only come packaged with a familiar DTS-HD MA surround track its video presentation is out of this world (pun very much intended).   Enjoy it folks as I have no idea what happens with the future of this property now that Disney owns.  It could go into their vault with Sleeping Beauty.

Check out our 4K review of it all HERE.

1.  The Shining

I remember last year how taken aback I was during my first viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey on 4K UHD Disc.  I was trading texts with peer reviewer Brandon Peters during it.  I told him I cannot wait for him to see and hear this.  Quite honestly my first viewing of The Shining, coincidentally another Stanley Kubrick picture, was much the same this year.  This one is my 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K presentation of 2019.  While I don’t profess to be the biggest Shining fan there is I cannot deny how amazing this 4K restoration looks.  Sure it could have benefitted slightly with an Atmos track, but this one had me at hello with its pristine picture.  It looked like something out of this decade.  Therefore, I dub The Shining on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Brian White’s prime selection of the year.  I can’t wait to see Doctor Sleep on 4K Disc.  I missed that one in the theater this year. 

Check out our 4K review of The Shining out HERE.

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Read all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived HERE.

To all my staff and readers across the globe here, thank you for another blessed year full of some of the best 4K UHD and Blu-ray review coverage available on the World Wide Web.  I look forward to any comments below and the eventual banter that happens as a result.  Happy Holidays to everyone!