Top Theatrical, DVD and Blu-ray Releases of 2009

Another year has ended, and it is time for our yearly tradition where DVDTOWN writers present their respective list of top-ten theatrical and DVD releases of 2009. After going through the lists, I can assure you that three movies didn't make the final cut in any list; they are "The Hangover," "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen," and the latest James Cameron sci-fi film, "Avatar." Considering that these movies were among the biggest hits of 2009, the box-office receipts only exemplify the disparity that exists between the mainstream audience and critics. It has always been this way.

Analyzing these lists is an interesting exercise, as it shows how varied our tastes can be here at DVDTOWN. However, 2009 presented an unusual pattern where a majority of the DVDTOWN writers agreed on their top theatrical films of 2009. Interestingly enough, four movies consistently appeared in almost all the lists. These were "Up," "Inglorious Basterds," "Star Trek," and "The Hurt Locker."

The summer opened with "Up," an animated film that raked in over $293 million at the box office. Pixar has churned out a number of blockbusters, and "Up" ranks in top three Pixar movies so far. It is a charming and fun movie about an old man who is not willing to give up his home. Even before, "Up" signaled the beginning of the summer with a bang, J.J Abrams's "Star Trek" brought life to the dying "Star Trek" series. Tim Raynor rightly described it as the best reboot of any series. Fun, thrilling, and tightly scripted, "Star Trek (2009)" catapulted the "Star Trek" series to a new heights and set the expectations high for the future "Star Trek" movies.

Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" for me ranks as the number-one movie of 2009. It is Tarantino's best effort so far. The complex characters intertwined with multi-layered storylines definitely makes this movie a unique experience. Christoph Waltz puts in an amazing performance worthy of an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. Finally, we have Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," which follows members of a U.S. bomb squad in the Iraq war. The movie has already won numerous awards and is clearly billed as a favorite to win a couple of Oscars.

2009 was also a banner year for Blu-ray releases, most importantly for a few catalogue titles. Warner Bros., Disney, Criterion, and Sony consistently produced some of the best Blu-rays of 2009. In the same league as their earlier Blu-ray release of "Casablanca," Warner's "North by Northwest," "Wizard of Oz," and "Gone with the Wind" reminded us how good catalogue titles can look in 1080p. Disney brought us favorite animation titles such as "Monsters, Inc." and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to Blu-ray for the first time. And Criterion continues to impress with its Blu-ray offerings, notably of "The Seventh Seal," "Playtime," and "Last Year at Marienbad." After the promise shown by various studios in 2009 to bring catalogue titles as well as new releases to the Blu-ray format, we can only hope for the best in 2010.

Here are the lists from DVDTOWN writers:

David Van Der Haeghen >> (New)

William Lee >>

Chris Long >>

Jim Plath >>

Ranjan Pruthee >>

John Puccio >>

Tim Raynor