Another year gone.  It has been quite an intense year to say the least.  I moved house, dodged redundancy, almost chopped the tip of my finger off and made good progress on my PhD.  Over the coming week I will be posting lists of my favourite Blu-Ray discs, television shows, DVDs, magazines and music of 2010.  Firstly, I will be starting with my top ten Blu-Ray releases from 2010.  This has been quite a difficult list to compile.  There have been a number of quality releases in 2010, many being films that I would have not expected to see on the high definition format.  I should add that these are the Blu-Ray discs I enjoyed most over the past year, I am not one for purely focusing on picture quality.  Anyway, without further ado here we go, in no particular order:

The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) - Criterion (USA, Region A)

After watching The Night of the Hunter it is almost inconceivable to think that Charles Laughton did not make another film.  Criterion present this classic in its original aspect ratio and lovingly restored; the grain really is a sight to behold.  The exhaustive extra features, including an almost three hour long documentary, help to contextualise this great film.  Disappointingly, I forgot to list this in my previous post on alternative Christmas films. 

Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960) - Optimum (UK, Region B)

I first saw Peeping Tom a few years back and cannot say that upon my initial viewing I found it to be anything special.  Watching the Optimum Blu-Ray release was a revelation.  The format highlights the garish nature of the Eastmancolour film stock used by Powell and brings out so much detail.  The extra features discuss the controversial nature of the film and its subsequent reappraisal.  It is a pity that the Channel Four documentary A Very British Psycho (Chris Rodley, 1997), which is included on the Criterion US DVD, is absent but it appears that rights issues prevented its inclusion here.

Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) - Nouveaux Pictures/Cine Excess (UK, Region B)

Unfairly lambasted on numerous internet discussion fora for its boosted colours, this is still the best release of Argento's classic in any home video format.  After speaking with Xavier Mendik, who was responsible for this release, it is clear to see the amount of work that went into this release.  Okay, the colours might be harsh in some places but if Argento is pleased with this version, and according to Xavier he is, it is good enough for me.  Unless someone pays for a brand new 2k transfer of this film from the original negative and restoration, which would cost a large amount of money, I cannot see another release appearing that uses a different master.  The HD audio is pretty much perfect and I enjoyed the video essay extra feature that critically examines the film.  What will be your next release, Xavier?

Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979) - Full Disclosure Edition, Paramount (US, Region 0)

In a word: outstanding.  This contains the original theatrical version and the Redux rerelease in the original aspect ratio.  It also includes the much requested Heart of Darkness documentary.  I do not believe that the film is the greatest ever but it is certainly a unique viewing experience.  A must own for any film fan.

Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966) - Blue Underground (US, Region 0)

Another transfer that has been oft criticised on internet fora.  Ignore any screenshots that you see online, in motion this disc looks fantastic.  The level of detail is staggering.  Another sterling release by Blue Underground.  Who would have thought that a low budget Spaghetti Western from 1966 would look this good?

Seven (David Fincher, 1995) - Warner (UK, Region 0)

Third time lucky.  The Canadian Blu-Ray looked good but was in the wrong aspect ratio.  The Dutch Blu-Ray also looked good, was in the correct ratio but lacked any special features.  The identical US/UK releases, however, are just right.  It trumps the aforementioned discs in every way possible.  Superlative!  Can now be found online for the bargain price of £7.99.

The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) - Warner (UK, Region 0)

Seeing the opening sequence set in Iraq in HD is a sight to behold.  This the first film I ever wrote about academically and it still continues to fascinate me.  Friedkin's reedit The Version You've Never Seen (2000) is also included but the less said about that the better.  I was pleased to find that the original theatrical release was included without any of Friedkin's digital enhancements.  Can also be found online for the bargain price of £7.99.

The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981) - Anchor Bay (US, Region 0)

Again, how can such a low budget film look so good in HD?  Without a doubt, this is one of the very best transfers of the year.  Taken from a 16mm print, detail is excellent; the colours are particularly noticeable.  The usual extra features found on the seemingly infinite DVD releases of the film were included on a second disc as part of the initial printing of the Blu-Ray.  Unfortunately this is now out of print.  Avoid the UK release as it does not include the original full frame version of the film.

The Twilight Zone Seasons One and Two - Image (US, Region A)

Those who think that HD is suited for only recently produced colour films should take a look at these excellent sets from Image Entertainment in the US.  Episodes have been lovingly remastered and extra features are plenty.  The third season is due for release on February 15.

A Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death Nerve/Reazione a catena, Mario Bava, 1971) - Arrow Films (UK, Region 0)

How could I not include a release from Arrow Films in my top ten list?  They have put so much effort in to releasing films that will be turning over small amounts of profit and lavished them with attention.  My enjoyment of A Bay of Blood was enhanced by this release of the film, making it now of my favourite top ten lists.  Picture quality is excellent but the sound is somewhat lacking.  However, this is not unique to this disc but is common to all DVD releases of the film thus far. I expect that the problem might lie in the track itself.  Extra features are plentiful and the alternate covers are very welcome as Rick Melton's artwork for this release is awful. 

Other worthy mentions:

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) - Universal (UK, Region 0)

The extra detail offered by HD makes it seem like you are watching the film again for the first time.  Perhaps this should have been in my top ten?  Another must own for the film fan.

Alien 2 Sulla Terra (Ciro Ippolito, 1980) - Midnight Legacy (US, Region 0)

This would have been in my top ten if it were not for the behavior of the label.  The transfer is simply breathtaking, for a zero budget Italian rip off of Alien it is amazing to see how this looks in HD.  Whilst the label has done an excellent job with this release, their prior comments about the Euro-Cult fan community were unnecessary and highly offensive and then reducing the price of the Blu-Ray disc by half price after stating that the initial price would not come down is not the best way to promote your label.  Still, if they keep on releasing rare Euro-Cult gems in such a stellar manner I will continue to purchase their releases.

Back to the Future Trilogy - Universal (UK, Region 0) and The Alien Anthology - Fox (UK, Region 0)

Paranoiac (Freddie Francis, 1963) - Eureka (UK, Region 0)

The Hammer film on the Blu-Ray format.  Gorgeous picture quality and a very good film.

Both quality sets that have excellent picture and sound quality.

Disappointment:

The Killer (John Woo, 1989) - Dragon Dynasty (US, Region 0)

I know that the Hong Kong film industry are not known for preserving their films but I cannot help but think that Dragon Dynasty could have done a better job here.  The lack of a progressive transfer is disappointing.  However, it is still an improvement on earlier DVD releases of the film, offering much more detail.  Dragon Dynasty's recent release of Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992) was better.

I am still waiting to view the following discs which have received positive reviews:

The Complete Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) - Eureka (UK, Region 0)
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story - Criterion (US, Region A)

For this year's Christmas post I thought I would try and produce a list of my favourite alternative Christmas films.  By alternative, I mean films that are either set during the Christmas period and are not actually typical Christmas films persay, or those that are so downright dark that they offer little in the way of Christmas cheer.  I find these to be so much more rewarding than those that are currently being broadcast on the Christmas 24 television channel.  So, here we go.  This is by no means exhaustive, further additions are welcome.

Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)

"If this movie doesn't make your skin crawl...it's on too tight".  I watched this last night and was again reminded just how terrifying this film is.  I am sure that it is the prank telephone calls that I find so unsettling.  

Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)

In previous years, I have posted about my Christmas Eve ritual of watching Die Hard.  It really isn't Christmas until the end credits of the film start and Vaughn Monroe sings Let it Snow.

Cash On Demand (Quentin Lawrence, 1961)

Released for the first time on DVD earlier this year as part of the Hammer Icons of Suspense DVD Collection, this excellent thriller pits Peter Cushing, the manager of bank, verus Andre Morrell, a cunning bank robber who has kidnapped Cushing's wife and child.  Set two days before Christmas Eve, this tightly scripted and engrossing thriller is certainly worthy of greater attention (sadly I can find no trailer online for this gem).

Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984)

I had forgotton just how good a film Gremlins is.  I caught the last 45 minutes on television earlier in the week, having not seen it since I was five.  Darkly humourous and brilliantly directed by Joe Dante.  Having Phoebe Cates in the film doesn't hurt either.

LA Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997)

Based on the true 'Bloody Christmas' controversy of 1951, this endlessly rewatchable film captures a seedier side of Christmas.

Lethal Weapon (Richard Donner, 1997)

Not a favourite film but still an enjoyable action romp set during Christmas. 

The Proposition (John Hillcoat, 2005)

There is no snow to be found in this bleak Nick Cave scripted Western. 

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)

Shane Black, writer of Lethal Weapon, continues his obsession with setting films during the Christmas period in this criminally underrated comedy thriller. 

Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999)

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this Kubrick thriller.  Dark and witty in equal measures.

Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff, 2003)

Didn't do anything for me but nevertheless a different representation of Santa to the one we are used to.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (Charles E. Sellier Jr, 1984)

"Naughty!"  The best of the 'mad Santa on the loose' Christmas films.  Certainly delves into the so bad it's good category. 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vaction (Jeremiah S. Chechik, 1989)

My favourite Christmas film of all.  I find it rather ironic how Clark Griswold's bulb covered house has become so common place in many British neighbourhoods.  This one has it all.  The unwanted family guests, irritating neighbours, elderly parents discussing their illnesses, tearful memories of Christmas past and, of course, everything going wrong for Clark Griswold.

So there you have it, a list of alternative Christmas movies.  I am sure that there are many more, feel free to add any that come to mind.

And here is Clark W Griswold wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 2010.

My friend Sam is currently producing a documentary on the Public Image Ltd album 'Album' and I have been helping him with his research. It has been a long time since I last listened to Album and I forgot just how good it was, particularly the track Rise. The making of the album appears to be filled with some interesting stories. I am looking forward to the finished documentary.

Before we moved into our new house we both said that we wanted a big television. The owners of our favourite guesthouse in Beer, Devon had Pioneer 50" Plasma that always impressed us when we stayed there. Unfortunately, Pioneer, arguably the makers of the best plasma television ever produced, no longer produce televisions. After looking online to find out what are currently the largest televisions available for sale, I had decided that either the soon to be released Samsung PS63C7000 63" 3D plasma or the Panasonic TX-P65VT20B 65" 3D plasma were the best choices. With my current television at the time being a Panasonic plasma I was initially drawn to the latter. However, after a trip to the Panasonic store in Solihull I was put off by the insanely high price tag. Early online reviews of the Samsung were positive, aside from the difficulties in finding them stocked anywhere in the UK.

During our visit to the Panasonic shop we asked for a demonstration of the 3D feature found on the latest televisions. Having been disappointed with 3D films I have seen at the cinema, my expectations were very low. The demonstrator showed us a short trailer for the IMAX documentary GRAND CANYON ADVENTURE: A RIVER AT RISK (2008). The 3D effects were undoubtedly impressive but it wasn't until we had water splash in our faces and drip down the lenses of the glasses that we were surprised by the quality of the effects. 3D was not the intention of wanting a new television but it was now a welcome bonus.

The 63" plasma was being sold for a very competitive price at very.co.uk; a website that I usually do not feel confident about ordering from. As part of a package, you would have the television with a Samsung 3D Blu-Ray player and a 3D starter kit that included two pairs of 3D glasses and the film MONSTERS AND ALIENS on 3D Blu-Ray for free. My plan was to sell the Blu-Ray player in order to help pay off the television. I was also able to sell MONSTERS AND ALIENS on eBay for £50, taking advantage of the demand for 3D Blu-Ray content. Vouchers helped bring the price down by 20% and the selling of my old Panasonic made it even cheaper.

It took over two months for the television to arrive due to it's lack of availability. In finally arrived, thankfully in one piece in August. The box itself was unbelievably large in size, so much so that I could easily walk in and turn around with ease.

The immediate thing that struck me was how thin the television is. It sat perfectly on the AV stand I purchased specially for the television but, because of its size, it can wobble slightly when you walk near it. I was disappointed to find that there was no instruction booklet in the package but this was offset by the inclusion of another pair of 3D glasses. I was also able to claim for another pair of glasses as part of a promotional deal by Samsung, meaning that I now had four pairs for free.

Performance has been very pleasing; I have no major complaints about the set at all. Some online reviews have commented about some of it's shortcomings but when compared to the double in price 65" Panasonic it wins hands down for overall value.

SD content does not look as good as HD content but that it is to be expected. Some upscaled DVDs, however, such as the Optimum release of A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN, look very good indeed. Blacks are strong and colours are very natural. I setup the television using settings that were suggested by someone who had calibrated their set professionally. The results continue to be impressive. The media file playback feature has been very useful, offering seamless playback of HD mkv files and easily synchronising with my media server. The internet@tv feature is somewhat limited but it gives welcome access to YouTube and iPlayer. It is a bit naughty that the television does not come with wireless as standard but it happily connects to my homeplug.

Despite the lack of 3D Blu-Rays currently available I have been able to locate numerous 3D IMAX movies, the German 3D Blu-Ray disc of GRAND CANYON ADVENTURE is excellent and has impressed everyone who has seen it so far. The standout 3D movie so far has been AVATAR which looks magnificent. Viewing it in 3D for the first time was most certainly a memorable experience.

I have been using the Sony BDP-S570 for region B Blu-Ray playback, multi-region DVD and 3D Blu-Ray. It is not the best Blu-Ray player and I currently await the release of Oppo's BDP-93 which should be the best all round Blu-Ray player. I use my US PS3 for gaming and region A Blu-Ray playback. My HD-DVD player remains. Regretfully, I sold my much loved Sony DG820 home cinema amp to pay for the Onkyo 508 3D ready amp. Whilst the sound quality of the Oppo is excellent, its usability most certainly is not. I am also convinced that it has HDMI handshaking problems with the PS3 and Sony Blu-Ray player. I intend to sell it in the near future so that I can purchase the Sony DG810 amp.

So there you have it, my current setup. By selling lots of my old gear I have been able to pay very little for everything, the television especially being a bargain.

If you told me at the start of the year that I would be watching A BAY OF BLOOD on Blu-Ray in late December I would have said that you were more deranged than the killers found in numerous gialli. And now here I am watching A BAY OF BLOOD in glorious HD. Arrow truly are the label of the year.

I actually enjoyed The Expendables. It is most certainly not a masterpiece of film making but it is switch-the-brain-off fun. I was very happy to receive a free copy of the American Blu-Ray courtesy of Sly himself, via my buddy Simon who happens to be the webmaster of Sly's official website.

If any readers were wondering about the sudden change in formatting (i.e lack of hyperlinks, italics etc) it is because I am now doing the majority of my posting via the Posterous app on my iPad. As a gift to myself for my 30th birthday I decided to buy an iPad after using one that had been floating around work. When the iPad was first announced I thought of it as nothing more than a mutated iPhone/iPod Touch and would be of no use to me. I did think that the device would be more suitable for the older generation because of its intuitive design and ease of use.

However, after using the iPad I could see how it would of use to me. It is easier to carry around than my MacBook and therefore ideal when going to conferences or travelling. The word processing and presentation iWork apps are excellent, being able to connect the iPad to a projector to give presentations is a welcome feature. I was particularly impressed by the iAnnotate app that allows you to annotate readings and export them as .PDF files, ideal for a PhD student and for preparing readings for in class discussion.

So, on the 24th September I purchased one for myself. I decided to buy the 16GB WiFi version as it was the cheapest and the one that best suited my needs. I have been surprised by how much use I get out of it. A number of my books have gone to charity shops as I now have copies of them in either the iBooks or Kindle app. The iPad will usually sit in the living room of an evening and will be used rather like magazine, dipping in and out of it. I steam videos and music from my MacBook to my iPad, watching them in bed. My iPhone now gets very little use at home as it is dwarfed by the iPad. I also find myself not using my MacBook as much.

Here is a list of some of the apps that I find most useful:

iWork: The keyboard is surprisingly responsive and using it to write documents is very simple. Keynote works fine and allows you to produce multimedia presentations, embedding videos, music and photos.

VLC: The best video player available works perfectly on the iPad, playing back all video formats apart from MKV. The only downside is having to transfer videos into the app from your computer.

Zumocast: Currently free to download from the app store. Improves on the excellent Airvideo app by allowing you to stream your iTunes library, video folders and files to your iPad. It will allow playback of any format as it will convert of the fly. A must have app.

Off: So, you are in bed and have been using Zumocast to stream media from your home computer to your iPad and don't want to have to get out of bed to go and shut your computer down. Off will remotely shut down your computer.

Kindle: Books are cheaper to buy from Amazon than the Apple bookstore. Currently reading David Simon's Homicide: Life on the Street using this app and throughly enjoying the reading experience.

Cloudreader: The best CBR reader I have used so far and PDFs look great on this app.

Dropbox: Everyone should have a Dropbox account. You can access all of your Dropbox files with ease. It also works with a number of other apps, such as...

iAnnotate: I really cannot praise this app enough. I use it to prepare class readings and for my PhD. If only more academic publishers would be willing to make books compatible with this app. Works perfectly with Dropbox.

Feeddler RSS: The best free newsreader I have used so far.

Splashtop: Remotely access your computers desktop on you iPad. This means that you can use Photoshop, Microsoft Office or any other app on your computer on your iPad. Can be difficult to control but works perfectly.

PhotoShop Express: Perfect for the quick editing of images.

Amplitude: A recent purchase. This has replaced my Line 6 Pocket Pod. Once you have purchased the iRig lead all you need to do is install the app, connect the iRig to the iPad and the your guitar to the iRig. The sound quality is excellent and the choice of different pedal effects is extensive.

I would have included The Guardian app and the Posterous app but neither have been optimised for the iPad yet.

My buddy Sam has got me listening to this over and over again. 

Now this is exciting.  Just heard that Raro are apparently planning to release some of their catalogue in the US next year on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Already announced is Antonioni's THE VANQUISHED, scheduled for March 15 2010.

DVD Aficionado state they will also be releasing the classic Di Leo Euro-Crime films MILANO CALIBRO 9, LA MALA ORDINA, IL BOSS and RULERS OF THE CITY in a four disc box set and Barilli's PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK.  I am not sure whether these will also be on the Blu-Ray format, fingers crossed.