Armchair Commentary

The Best Movies & TV of 2011 So Far

In picking our Best of 2011 So Far list, we took everything that released between January 1 and August 15 of this year, put the names in a jar, shook it, and wrote down whatever pieces came out at random.

Just kidding. But we DID get in a room and debate the merits of a great movie in a mediocre Blu-ray release vs. a mediocre movie with a spectacular Blu-ray release; how to compare a great movie that released this year vs. the re-release of a classic movie; and the comedic chops of one Russell Brand (be assured, this did not derail our conversation too much). Without further ado, here's a look at our editors' picks on DVD, Blu-ray, and Instant Video.

Top 10 on DVD
1. The Social Network
2. The King's Speech
3. Mad Men: Season Four
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I
5. True Grit
6. Black Swan
7. The Fighter
8. Tangled
9. The Walking Dead: Season One
10. True Blood: The Complete Third Season
>See the rest of the top 50 on DVD

Top 10 on Blu-ray
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part I
3. The Social Network
4. Black Swan
5. True Blood: The Complete Third Season
6. Tangled
7. The Fighter
8. Raging Bull (Two-Disc 30th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
9. The Incredibles (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
10. The Walking Dead: Season One
>See the rest of the top 50 on Blu-ray

Top 10 on Instant Video
1. Black Swan
2. Biutiful
3. Dexter: Season Five
4. Waiting for Superman
5. Justified: Season Two
6. The King's Speech
7. Tangled
8. The Fighter
9. The Killing
10. The Walking Dead: Season One

What are your picks for the Best of the Year So Far? --Ellen

The Best Movies & TV of 2011... So Far

We took votes, we debated those votes, we butted heads. But in the end, all that's left standing is the Amazon.com Movies & TV editors' picks for the Best of 2011... So Far on DVD, Blu-ray, and Instant Video. (Applies to titles released between Jan. 1 and Apr. 30, 2011). Here's a peek at some of our picks:

Tangled (No. 9 for DVD, No. 6 for Blu-ray): Not everyone expected to be delighted by this hilarious take on Rapunzel, but thanks to great comic timing (courtesy of a horse and an oft-used cast-iron pan) and perfectly cast Mandy Moore as the voice of the captured princess who yearns to know what's outside her sheltered world/tower, Tangled became an indelible part of the Disney lore.

Mad Men: Season Four (No. 3 for DVD, No. 5 for Blu-ray): If there's a year this show deserves the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, it's this season. Jumping off from the previous season's game-changer, the AMC series has reinvigorated itself, and Jon Hamm does his finest acting yet as a man who sinks to his lowest of lows (yet) and makes baby steps toward respecting himself again. (Don't miss the standout episode of the season, "The Suitcase")

Inside Job (No. 8 for DVD): For anyone who knows nothing about economics or real estate, this a documentary that aims to spell out exactly how the financial crisis happened and who's to blame. For anyone who understands economics or real estate, it's like a horror film you can't believe is real.

Piranha 3D (No. 18 in Blu-ray): We're not all highbrow on this list (clearly). Alejandre Aja's remake of the Roger Corman B-movie made the list not just for its Blu-ray 3D effects (much to the chagrin of James Cameron, who decried that films like these are "not what we should be doing" with 3D) but because what it does--deliver cheesetastic gore to the max without pretending to be anything else--it does well.

and finally, our No. 1 pick on DVD and Blu-ray:

The Social Network: We over here think this film deserved Best Picture (Fincher, you wuz robbed!), but no one can argue is that its DVD and Blu-ray features are a Best in Class on how to use your medium. (Not that we considered The King's Speech small beans either; it also made the top 5 in DVD). But between the strength of the film itself; its commentaries by the cast, writer Aaron Sorkin, and director David Fincher; and its feature-length documentary (not to be missed, it's a must for all film buffs); this is the Best DVD or Blu-ray to come out in 2011... So far.

See the rest of our Top 25 on DVD and our Top 25 on Blu-ray, as well as the Top 10 on Instant Video. What are your picks? --Ellen

Sigourney Weaver-Kristen Bell Catfight: "If You Say 'Avatar'..."

While watching the bonus features for You Again (full disclosure, yes, I watched it, and yes I enjoyed it more than I thought) I came across this Funnyordie.com clip in which Kristen Bell gets into an ugly argument with her fellow cast members Betty White, Odette Yustman, and Sigourney Weaver. And while White has stolen the show in most everything she's been in lately, it's Weaver who easily takes this one. Watch her stare down Bell in a "who's the bigger star based on box office" standoff, and start shouting the names of all her financially successful films ("AVATAR! ALIEN! GHOSTBUSTERS!... WORKING GIRL!") and then get a little desperate ("TADPOLE! ... 1492: THE DISCOVERY! ... HEARTBREAKERS!... GALAXY QUEST!") but still finish off-screen long after she's left ("... AAAVATAAR!") --Ellen

 

You Again Cast Fight from Betty White

The Wait is Over: "Star Wars" Coming to Blu-ray

 

It’s finally happened … The Star Wars saga is now available to pre-order on Blu-ray, and to celebrate we here at Amazon.com have been singing the classic Bill Murray Saturday Night Live version of the theme song.

The best bet is the complete saga, which has three discs of extras. These include deleted scenes, auditions, and an exploration of the Star Wars archives. (Maybe we’ll get to see a young Harrison Ford try out for the role, who knows?) And of course, with the original trilogy, you should know that these are George Lucas’ updates (so yes, Greedo shoots first, but we all secretly know it was Han).

The discs come out in September 2011, and we will update you as we learn more about the extras. Until then … may the force be with you. Pre-order now:

Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]

Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I - III) [Blu-ray]

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) [Blu-ray]

 

Judging the Movie Posters

With this winter's onslaught of holiday releases, it's a great time to totally judge a movie by its cover--or in this case, its posters.

Black Swan: You know the strategy. Start with an indelible teaser image, then do a wave in some character/conceptual art, then, closer to the film's release, go more literal and focus on star power. That said, Black Swan's series of posters gets it all right. The red-eyed, black-painted Natalie Portman in the first teaser poster is something you can't get out of your head (along with the uber-creepy trailer). The conceptual art are mostly fun to look at and explore, and even the final image (note the eerie blood-red arm) is a perfect marketing pitch for the movie (and puts Portman front-and-center for an Oscar campaign). I love all of them, and hope Fox chooses one for the DVD cover and not some awful floating-head thing that strips out all this artistic awesomeness.




Country Strong: Possibly one of the worst-drawn posters ever. Did Photoshop implode during the color/black-and-white adjustments? If it's trying to push an ensemble movie, why was only Gwyneth singing all over the CMA Awards and Glee instead of the other three? Clearly there are parallels between this film and last year's Crazy Heart, and that movie's poster was much cooler. (Also why does Tim McGraw look like Al Pacino in this poster?)


The Fighter: No shirtless, ripped Mark Wahlberg mid-punch a la Rocky. Christian Bale actually moves front and center here (another Oscar campaign in the works there). A lot of black space in between the title and two guys sitting on a stoop. Intriguing. (Side note: The palette looks very eerily like that of The Haunting in Connecticut.)


Somewhere: Sofia Coppola's new film takes place at Hollywood's famous Chateau Marmont hotel. There's a huge face hidden between the trees, presumably part of a billboard. I get a whimsical feeling from this poster, but that's because of the whimsical italicized font, which reminds me of Coppola's last film, Marie Antoinette (also whimsical).


Tron: Legacy: You can imagine the marketing meeting here: "Listen, we're TRON; there's no WAY the movie poster can NOT look cool."


True Grit: I'm not against faces in a poster, but I just like the feel of the first poster better than the second one. The bullet hole is more prominent as well; in the second, that little girl looks tougher than Matt Damon.



What movie posters do you love/hate this season? -- Ellen

Best Movies & TV of 2010: The Best-Packaged DVD and Blu-ray Sets

You can't always judge a book by its cover, but you certainly can judge DVD sets by their packaging (well, sometimes). These 10 DVD or Blu-ray sets were tops this year in visual presentation and tchotchkes.

1. Lost: The Complete Collection: This set contains the black-and-white game Jacob and the Man in Black were playing in Season Six (it's called Senet); a replica of the island (doubles as the lid for the tomb-like box; an ankh containing a secret message from Jacob; a hidden bonus disc that can only be found by using the black torch light included; an episode guide booklet; and a recovered Black Rock journal entry. 

 

 2. The Sound of Music (Limited Edition Collector's Set) [Blu-ray/DVD Combo]: Available on Blu-ray for the first time, this limited collector's set edition includes: an all-new hardcover book, hand-painted music box, a reprint of the 1965 theatrical souvenir book, collectible cards, and the 45th anniversary soundtrack, all inside a box labeled "Favorite Things."

 

3. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series: The original Scooby-Doo series set contains 41 episodes on seven discs, plus a bonus eighth disc with new special features. The discs are stored inside a collectible replica of the Mystery Machine van!

 

 

 

4. Toy Story Trilogy (10-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy): All three Toy Story movies on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy are housed in toy chest packaging. The chest itself is cardboard and the discs rest in black foam (just like Woody and Jessie in Toy Story 2), so make sure this is out of the reach of kids who might think this is a real toy.

 

5. The A-Team: The Complete Series (Limited Edition Box Set): This 25-disc set comes with the A-Team Van. But you don't have to keep the discs in the van; they all come in their own case as well.

 

 

 

 

6. Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection: Containing all seasons of the show on 21 discs, this set also comes with a replica of Sophia's purse and Golden Girls playing cards.

 

 

7. Scrubs: The Complete Collection: All nine seasons of this medical comedy, plus a bonus disc of new content, totaling 26 discs in a lenticular cover. Comes with a Sacred Heart Hospital ID and a photo booth filmstrip of the cast.

 

 

8. Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition): Warner has released other holiday classics in these collector's edition before, but Elf is still a great delight: Includes a stocking, 5x7" magnetic picture frame, gift tags, holiday music sampler CD, all in a collectible tin box you can store your fudge in later.

 

 

 

9. Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection (Ultimate Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray/DVD Combo]: This set contains Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on both DVD and Blu-ray; it also comes with a collectible snowglobe and window clings.

 

10. Max Headroom: The Complete Series: No tchockes here, but the lenticular cover is so right-on for this '80s series that it throws you right back into that faux-3D world again (wave the cover too many times though and you might get a headache).

Check out our other picks in the Best of 2010 in Movies & TV store. --Ellen

Best Movies & TV of 2010: Top 100 Customer Favorites

You've read our editors' picks, now see what you picked as the top 100 customer favorites of the year! These are based on bestselling titles* for 2010. Don't forget to check our Best of 2010 store to see all our editors' picks.

1. Avatar
2. Toy Story 3
3. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
5. Despicable Me
6. The Blind Side
7. Michael Jackson: This Is It
8. Iron Man 2
9. Inception
10. True Blood: The Complete Second Season
11. Sherlock Holmes
12. Beauty and the Beast (Diamond Edition)
13. Alice in Wonderland
14. The Hurt Locker
15. The Princess and the Frog
16. Mad Men: Season Three
17. How to Train Your Dragon
18. The Pacific
19. 2012
20. Toy Story
21. Dexter: The Fourth Season
22. Toy Story 2
23. Lost: The Complete Sixth Season
24. Life (narrated by David Attenborough)
25. Disney's A Christmas Carol
26. Zombieland
27. The Expendables
28. Ponyo
29. It's Complicated
30. Sex and the City 2
31. Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 (Special Edition)
32. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
33. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third Season
34. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
35. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
36. Up in the Air
37. The Girl Who Played With Fire
38. Robin Hood
39. Salt
40. Glee: The Complete First Season
41. Law Abiding Citizen
42. Weeds: Season Five
43. Shrek Forever After
44. Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy
45. The Last Airbender
46. Kick-Ass
47. Where the Wild Things Are
48. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
49. Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown
50. Shutter Island

 

Click through to see the entire top 100

*Projected sales through the end of 2010 across all physical versions of a title (both DVD and Blu-ray). Based on actual sales and pre-orders. Title must be released during 2010 to qualify.

 --Ellen

Best Movies & TV of 2010: Top 100 Editors' Picks on Blu-ray

So earlier this week we announced our Top 100 Editors' Picks on DVD for 2010. Today we'd like to highlight our Top 100 Editors' Picks on Blu-ray. As you can imagine, the lists diverge a bit because the contenders included some long-awaited films to the format for the first time, as well as your theatrical new releases. Here, after much hand-wringing, is our top 10:

1) Inception: Once again, Inception topped the Blu-ray votes; there's no doubt that it's a film whose stunning visuals are tailor-made for the high-def audience.
2) Avatar (Collector's Edition): These are the special features we've been waiting for, including three versions of the film and over 45 minutes of never-before-seen deleted scenes.
3) The Hurt Locker: Also #3 on our Top 100 Editors' Picks on DVD, this gritty Best Picture winner looks even more realistic on high def.
4). Alien Anthology: Out on Blu-ray for the first time, this boxed set contains all four Alien movies and a plethora of bonus features on six discs.
5). Toy Story 3: 2010's biggest box-office movie, and the most successful animated film of all time.
6). Lost: The Complete Sixth Season: The final saga to one of television's most indelible series.
7). The Sound of Music: On Blu-ray for the first time for its 45th anniversary, the lush green hills of Salzburg are in their high-definition glory.
8). Toy Story: Pixar's debut film arrived on Blu-ray for the first time, along with its sequel, Toy Story 2.
9). Saving Private Ryan: Another beloved film arriving on Blu-ray for the first time is a must-own to any movie lover's collection.
10). Life: The BBC miniseries from the makers of Planet Earth is narrated by David Attenborough (Oprah Winfrey voices the Discovery Channel version of the same series).

See the rest of our top 100 here and stay tuned for editors' picks in other genres. What Blu-ray Discs were your favorites this year? --Ellen

The Best Movies & TV of 2010 on DVD

So after a lot of head-scratching, dart-throwing, and name-calling (well, not really, but it certainly would have made things more interesting) the movies & TV editors at Amazon have brought you the Editors' Top 100 Picks on DVD. These are movies & TV shows releasing on DVD through Dec. 31. Our top 10:

1. Inception: It releases Dec. 7, but not calling it the best movie releasing on DVD in 2010 would be a very bad dream indeed.
2. Toy Story 3: The most successful animated film of all time was also one of the most heart-tugging moviegoing experiences this year.
3. The Hurt Locker: The Best Picture winner released back in January but still packs a punch.
4. Mad Men: Season Three: The writing, the direction, the style, the acting. Basically the closest thing to a perfect drama in 2010.
5. Modern Family: The Complete First Season: This freshman comedy broke 30 Rock's reign as Outstanding Comedy at the Emmys this year.
6. Up in the Air: A wonderful drama with deft comedy starring George Clooney (never better) and fellow Oscar nominees Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga.
7. Despicable Me: Nobody expected this mid-summer family film to gross $247 million or be quite so adorable.
8. Dexter: The Fourth Season: Already a pretty dark show, the Trinity Killer season went even deeper, culminating in a shocking season finale.
9. Kick-Ass: No superhero film is quite like this one, with scene-stealer Chloe Grace-Moretz and Nicolas Cage having one of the most genuinely loving father-daughter relationships in recent memory (even though it's also completely twisted).
10. Glee: The Complete First Season: You may have heard of this show. It rocks.

See the rest of our top 100 here and add your own suggestions (believe me, it was tough). Our Editor's Picks in Blu-ray will be posted a little later. --Ellen

 

Harry Potter Ultimate Editions Years 1 and 2

Timed for today's release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are new Ultimate Editions of the first two movies in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, both available on Blu-ray and DVD. The editions include both the extended and theatrical editions of the films (the first movie is seven minutes longer, the second 13), two parts of the documentary Creating the World of Harry Potter (watch below), photo books, and character cards. Want more Potter?  Watch an exclusive video "The Theme of Friendship" for free courtesy of Amazon Video On Demand.  --David