Comments on: HOLY CRAP THAT TREE LOOKS SO REAL

Question: HOLY CRAP THAT TREE LOOKS SO REAL

PuppetMcSockerson — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:34:01 -0800

Early Christmas Present filter: We got a new tv last night. Help us decide on the best movies to watch to "break it in"

Our old TV wasn't crap but the colours were fading and it was getting darker and the contrast wasn't all that and a bag of potato chips. My fiance is insanely meticulous when it comes to our home theatre, calibrating the screen and his surround sound speakers, etc, so our usable-but-not-perfect TV was really getting to him. Last night we got a good deal on a new one (Samsung UN50EH600) so Happy Christmas To Us, we bought it. The difference is absolutely staggering. Our old 42" was utter garbage compared to the picture and quality of the one one. We watched Avatar on Blu-ray last night to see, and yeah... it was incredible. But what else will blow our minds? We will watch just about any genre.

What movies should we watch to really enjoy all our new TV has to offer?

NOTE: We already have the Batman Trillogy on blu-ray ordered, and the whole set of the Harry Potter movies on blu-ray should be arriving any day now (Thank you, Cyber Monday!), so those will be watched once we get them. We're looking for other mind blowing stuff in the interim.

By: inturnaround

inturnaround — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:40:31 -0800

With the Hobbit coming up in a couple of weeks, rewatch the Lord of the Rings trilogy extended editions on Blu-ray.

By: Linda_Holmes

Linda_Holmes — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:41:43 -0800

I don't want to start this entire thing as a big thing, but IF -- IF -- you were a fan of Lost, you owe it to yourself to watch the pilot in Blu-ray on a great TV. That show is gorgeous.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:43:16 -0800

Pixar movies on Blu-Ray are amazing, especially more recent ones like Ratatouille or Wall•E.

By: PuppetMcSockerson

PuppetMcSockerson — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:43:23 -0800

We were fans of LOST, that isn't a bad idea!

By: specialagentwebb

specialagentwebb — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:43:25 -0800

Speed Racer would be amazing on a great TV. I'd probably also watch a ton of animated stuff (Meet the Robinsons, Rango, Up).

By: Diskeater

Diskeater — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:44:32 -0800

Transformers 2 rocked my world in all its Blu-Ray, 120Hz goodness. The sound was phenomenal as well.

By: cellar door

cellar door — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:46:43 -0800

Animated movies in general look really good on Blu-Ray.

If it were me, I'd probably just go for my favorite "epic" sort of movies, like Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, etc. (Also, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly, but those aren't movies.) Something I've known and loved for a while and can therefore fully appreciate how damn pretty it looks. Inception is also quite pretty—and, of course, a lot of fun.

There are also some great transfers of old movies to Blu-Ray, although my husband's the expert in that area, so I can't offer suggestions. Blu-Ray.com is a great site for reviews of specific discs, though, if you're ever looking for a specific movie and want to know whether the Blu-Ray is worth it.

By: alchemist

alchemist — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:47:25 -0800

I completely agree with specialagentwebb regarding "SpeedRacer". Say what you want about the storyline - but the movie itself is one long techdemo of HD wonder.

By: Currer Belfry

Currer Belfry — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:51:44 -0800

If there's a Blu-Ray of "Crouching Tiger," that would be one of my first picks.

If you have kids, "Hugo" comes to mind.

The Blu-Ray of "The Shining" is pretty great.

By: Mizu

Mizu — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:55:20 -0800

Speed Racer, trust me on this. I have heard it described as "it looks like what Jolly Ranchers taste like, on ecstasy".

By: 1f2frfbf

1f2frfbf — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:58:08 -0800

BBC's the Blue Planet and the quasi-documentary Baraka are both available on blu ray if you want to see some nature and people in beautiful hi def.

By: rmd1023

rmd1023 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:14:50 -0800

I believe there is a blu-ray release of Lawrence of Arabia.

By: jbickers

jbickers — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:18:03 -0800

Assuming your sound system is also excellent, you will be blown away by "The Tree of Life" by Terrence Malick. If you like it, also get his "Days of Heaven."

By: Grither

Grither — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:23:23 -0800

Oh boy, you should definitely get the whole Planet Earth series and watch it. It is fantastic in blu-ray. I prefer the David Attenborough version, but if you don't mind Sigourney Weaver, the US version will suffice. Seriously, there is tons of absolutely stunning stuff in that series.

By: jquinby

jquinby — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:30:02 -0800

Enthusiastically seconding Planet Earth (and especially the Attenborough version). You will be astounded. Ditto on Speed Racer.

By: Elly Vortex

Elly Vortex — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:37:09 -0800

Oh my gosh, Lord of the Rings. The first time I saw it in Blu-ray I shouted "it looks like an effing documentary!!!". The cgi may be a bit dated by now, but its still pretty sweet.

By: The Deej

The Deej — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:45:27 -0800

Apocalypse Now Blue Ray Special Edition. Incredible cinematography, vibrant colors, great sound, all supporting an amazingly told story.

(I'm not a fan of the Redux version; the original theatrical release is classic.)

By: 6ATR

6ATR — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:45:58 -0800

Thirding Planet Earth (UK) and also recommending The Fall (2006). Tough to beat Avatar though. Also, Cloud Atlas when it arrives on Blu-ray in January.

By: Adamsmasher

Adamsmasher — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:52:50 -0800

The Fountain is beautiful, I use it to try out new monitors. Fun fact: the incredible space scenes were done using a high-power microscope and fluids and stuff.

By: Glinn

Glinn — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:03:20 -0800

Lots of good answers, but I'm pretty sure you need to watch Sin City, which is how I was introduced to Blu-ray and well. Just WOW.
(Warning: very violent.)

By: markblasco

markblasco — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:20:39 -0800

Finding Nemo is probably the most vivid colorful film we've ever seen. Everything just pops, and if that was an issue with your last TV, you may really be surprised by it.

By: NoraCharles

NoraCharles — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:01:10 -0800

Looks like the animated stuff is covered, but I'll toss in Tangled and Brave from Disney.
Anything action related is going to bring out the best; Jurassic Park, The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Also, the Indiana Jones series came out on BluRay recently.

By: carsonb

carsonb — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:17:55 -0800

When I went to buy a new TV, the DVD (dating myself I guess) I took was The Fall.

By: Weeping_angel

Weeping_angel — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:32:08 -0800

If you have an awesome speaker set-up to go with your new TV, the answer is and always will be Top Gun. Jets buzzing the tower in surround sound!

By: lovableiago

lovableiago — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:15:07 -0800

Thirding The Fall--it's pretty spectacular on a good TV.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:54:57 -0800

When we finally got our first HDTV earlier this year, which was also 3D capable, my first stop was Hertzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams. I was not disappointed.

By: NoAccount

NoAccount — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:50:18 -0800

2001 looks great on Blu-Ray as do other Kubrick films. So much detail.

By: beccaj

beccaj — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:10:16 -0800

Microcosmos

By: undue influence

undue influence — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:06:41 -0800

If like me you have fuzzy memories of Disney films past, the Diamond/Special Editions of films like Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty etc, are absolutely stunning. The effect is compounded by the fact that when you first watched it they were probably much blurrier. It's fascinating to see it in glorious HD.

Tangled and Brave also look ridiculously beautiful in HD.

For visually stunning documentaries, perhaps the BBC's Earthflight, which is about birds! There are fantastic aerial shots of flying with birds. You can get a peek with clips on YouTube.