Why So Blu?

Gregg’s Top 10 Blu-rays of 2017

Steelbook was the name of the game this year as the collectible tin Blu-ray cases seemed to have grown in demand greatly in 2017. Best Buy appears to have the majority of the market on these which certainly has me paying them visits more often than in recent years. Still, just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t judge a Blu-ray by its clam shell. Fancy packaging aside, there were plenty of enticing choices to get your hands on this past year when it comes to the high def, home-viewing format. So without anymore time spent on my affinity for metal movie cases, let’s crack open that list!

*

*

#10 – Spider-Man: Homecoming (Amazon exclusive)

Without question, this is the best Spider-Man film to date.  There is a vault of goodies to be unlocked on here along which include a gag reel, deleted scenes, trivia and all the Captain America PSA’s you can handle (and that’s not even half of the extras you’ll find here).  Let’s not forget about the über fun film here that puts this light years ahead of the Raimi installments.  Yeah, the blinking Spider mask was a nice touch by Amazon here too.

*

*

*

 

 

#9 – The Girl with All the Gifts

Well hello British gem that didn’t make it to the States until this year.  All zombied out?  I’m not.  Regardless, whether you’ve had your fair share of the undead or you’re clamoring for more, this film brought us a zombie tale with a rather innovative story and some great acting.  It offers something very new in the realm of semi-rotting humans who still walk.  Is this my favorite zombie film ever?  Um, there’s a very good chance that is the case.

*

*

*

*

#8 – Doctor Strange 3D

Time to pull a page from Marvel’s list of characters that are not first-tier Avengers.  I remember when the first Thor film was about to come out, I thought, “This is a character that could very easily be botched on screen.”  Alas, it turned out to be a fun ride.  Then Doctor Strange came out and I thought, “This is a character that could very easily be botched on screen.”  What a blast this movie was!  The 3D effects were impressive and Marvel spares no reservations with the extras they pile on here.

*

*

*

*

#7 – Hacksaw Ridge

The Mel Gibson-directed WWII film was a biopic of human extraordinaire Desmond Doss.  Doss was a real life conscientious objector and medic who went through all of basic training and the Battle of Okinawa without touching a gun. He saved countless lives in the hellish fight and was brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Garfield.  The film made a great transition to Blu-ray and the special features provided are certainly welcomed and insightful.

*

*

*

*

#6 – The Big Bang Theory (Season 10)

A decade later and this show is still going strong!  Who would’ve thought?!  The writers have done an exemplary job of keeping the humor going after all these years as well as growing the characters over time and developing their personalities.  As always, the gag reel is one of the best featurettes on the double-disc set while cast interviews provide some great behind-the-scenes insight.

*

*

*

*

#5 – Alien: Covenant

Prometheus was not a film I really connected with.  I was skeptical when the next Alien installment arrived in the form of Alien: Covenant.  Wow!  Way to knock this one out of the park, Ridley Scott!  This film was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be and then some.  Quite honestly, it’s my second-favorite film in the Alien franchise (behind Aliens)…or is it my favorite of them all?  Hmm.

*

*

*

*

#4 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I know, I know.  Last year I had this listed as my biggest disappointment of the year for my cinema films list.  Truth be told, I walked into that movie with unrealistic expectations hoping to have the same thrill when I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater 34 years ago.  In reality, Rogue One is a great Star Wars film and a great movie in general.  The CGI Tarkin still rubs me the wrong way but it is what it is.  There are plenty of goodies to watch on here when the movie’s done and the steelbook case was a nice touch.

 

*

*

*

#3 – Gifted

This movie has not received the widespread praise it deserves.  I found the film absolutely touching with everyone’s performance delivered in such a fully invested manner.  Let’s not forget that was matched by some great writing.  The amount of extras on the disc were slim pickings, but in spite of that I found the film to be so damn good that I still have to rank it above a lot of the other discs on this list.

*

*

*

*

 

#2 – Stranger Things (Season 1)

It may not be a steelbook, but the VHS-style packaging (complete with worn corners and rental sticker) instantly took me back to my childhood and the glorious 80’s when the Netflix hit series takes place.  Now why would I buy a series on disc when it’s available for streaming?  Because that damn packaging called to me like no other, plus the show is really stellar and if the internet goes down I can still watch this.  Expect season 2 to be on this list in 12 months.

*

*

*

*

#1 – Logan

I was not a fan of either of the first two Wolverine movies (especially not that first one).  Director James Mangold definitely outdid himself with this movie.  It was deep, dark and gritty and was everything the first two films should have been (especially that first one).  Logan makes a beautiful transition from big screen to Blu-ray and carries over an hour of extras on it as well as the film in black and white, titled Logan: Noir.  I loved this movie in the theater and I love it on Blu-ray.

*