There aren’t a lot of films that really need to be in a Blu-Ray format. Classics, things with amazing cinematography, things that can be considered art, things with a considerable attention to detail. These are the things that benefit from an intense amount of clarity – and for the love of god, nothing with Vince Vaughn or Sarah Jessica Parker ever needs to be seen with any modicum of clarity. I intentionally poke myself in the eye if I accidentally see them on TV. It’s for my own survival.
I’m still being sold on the merits of Blu-Ray over my handsome DVD collection, and while the DVD medium will likely be hanging around for at least another decade, I’m slowly collecting things that really deserve to be seen in excruciating clarity. The list is small, and the films of Pixar figure heavily into this list. In fact, the only three Blu-Rays that I own are Disney films.
Disney and Pixar recently released Monsters Inc. and Up on Blu-Ray for the first time. Both films also have DVD editions which were published, so every type of physical modern media is covered. But this is what I absolutely love about Disney’s DVD releases, and how friendly they are to collectors who are as uncertain of new media forms as I am : the Blu-Ray editions of both films also include DVD copies in the same case, as well as a digital disc for use on an iPod or other small-screen device. You’re covered in every possible aspect. I only need one, but it’s good to be covered on all fronts.
Which is really unprecedented. What’s even more incredible about collecting these is that these 4-disc sets are set to retail around $40 each
While the Blu-Ray discs include a huge array of extra bonus features, the packaging fails to describe precisely what’s included on the single DVD disc as extras. Rest assured that everything that’s described as being on the first Blu-Ray disc is included on the DVD also. In the case of Monsters Inc., all of the original bonuses are listed as included.
So, this blog isn’t to deliver film critiques, but rather comment on the collectability of various items throughout history and make you aware of their existence, and these things may just happen to be films. Allow me to digress for one moment into a small film critique : Up is probably one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. It’s heartbreaking, uplifting, moving, hilarious, and such a visceral experience that I fully expect it to win multiple awards whenever they give out those things. As someone who has had a hard time coping with a lot of loss at once, this film was exactly what I needed to get back on my feet. It’s a PG film, but the depth is amazing. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
In terms of collecting movies, Pixar fulfills every criteria I described in the first paragraph. They’re worth having in the best possible format. There’s a real stigma against cartoons that should be lifted here, because while animated, they’re not ‘cartoons’. They’re films. They explore the fantastic in an innovative way, but they’re definitely films – in the best possible way.
