For the purpose of this list and for future reference, vintage titles are mathematically "older than 30 years". The titles listed here all came out pre-1980 and are in color. The next entry will cover Black & White transfers from any era. I've broken the below titles into 1960-1980 and Pre-1960 for comparison's sake.
1960-1980
Best of the Best
Pierrot Le Fou: The Criterion Collection
I bought this just recently for possible inclusion here, and it's taking top honors among its peers. A full review is forthcoming, but after giving it a spin the other day, Raoul Coutard's sumptuous photography put the idea of how wonderful Band of Outsiders and other Jean-Luc Godard movies could look in HD.
Best of the Best
Playtime: The Criterion Collection
I likewise bought this, my favorite Monsieur Hulot movie, for consideration here. Just as with Pierrot, I'm happy to report that it exceeds expectations.
Gimme Shelter: The Criterion Collection
As with Monsoon Wedding, Criterion's restoration gurus have worked wonders with 16mm source material here.
Grease
This is one of the most startling improvements I've seen, likely due to the muddy TV mastering that's been running for a couple of decades.
Easy Rider
From my review:
"The most beautiful thing about Sony's new Blu-ray transfer of Easy Rider is the rich color palette only hinted at in the previous DVD edition. The browns and reds don't bleed together, and the landscape can be seen in enough new detail that it isn't just there, it pops. The finer detail on the characters both at rest and in motion is gorgeous, from articles of clothing down to spokes in wheels. I've never seen Easy Rider projected (which kills me, honestly), but the natural grain in the image makes it look like a newly-struck print. One of the reasons I love the Blu-ray format is that it allows me the opportunity to get as close to seeing a print of so many classic films as I very well may. Repertory or "revival" screenings are really on the decline and have been for years."
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
From my review a couple of months ago:
"Warner Bros. is batting a thousand this year on Blu-ray upgrades of catalog titles, and this is another great example. The master appears to be the same as the HD-DVD on this single-layer BD-25, but with some minor additional spot cleaning."
Being There
If only all of Hal Ashby's movies got this kind of treatment. With the slump in catalog title sales since the recession, we may have to live with DVDs instead of Blus for a while.
Saturday Night Fever
The preponderance of low lighting situations have always made VHS and DVD versions of this movie extremely dark. This transfer shows that there really was contrast in the original photography instead of shadows and murk.
Rocky II
If they pulled any more grain out of the picture on movies as old as this one and the first Rocky (which was out on Blu before the "Undisputed Collection" hit), 70's Stallone would look as plastic in the face as modern Stallone does.
The Highly-Regarded But Unseen:
The Complete Monterey Pop, Woodstock, The Man Who Fell to Earth, For All Mankind*, In the Realm of the Senses, Midnight Express, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Inglorious Bastards, 3 Days of the Condor, Gigi
*For All Mankind's footage is all 1960's vintage, even though the movie was rleeased in the 80's
Pre-1960
Best of the Best
Wizard of Oz
Oz fans have been poring over every home video and repertory revival screening for a few decades picking out the improvements each step of the way. The flying leap forward of this year's 70th Anniversary restoration and remastering is bigger than that going from VHS to DVD. Warner Bros. wisely invested the pile of money and amount of preparation to really make this one shine.
Best of the Best
North by Northwest
In addition to being a personal favorite, this Blu-ray is one of the best available in terms of presentation. Like Oz and the two below, it truly reveals the value in a home HD setup reproducing a theatrical viewing experience.
"I agree with Jeff, this is like watching a fresh print in first run. In a year of remarkable HD home video transfers, I didn't think I'd be as stunned as I was within the opening minutes of watching Warner's North by Northwest Blu-ray...I've never seen the film this clean and clear, and with little evidence of any Digital Noise Reduction at all. The red color-shift issues on the previous DVD edition are completely gone, and the level of detail is just jaw-droppingly good. Some of the best examples include the costumes and depth of field in interior locations, but above all the sequence in the cornfield, from the dust swirling to the dead stalks of corn is the best showcase."
Best of the Best
Gone With the Wind
As I said in my recent review:
"WB's Gone With the Wind Blu-ray, their second ultra-deluxe collector's edition of the year, is a tremendous achievement in picture and audio quality. The color depth and picture clarity rivals or exceeds my estimation of the outstanding Wizard of Oz set from earlier in the year. I'm far from a devoted fan of the narrative. The history of the production and the cinematography are what I'm head over heels for."
Best of the Best
An American in Paris
I remember very clearly how completely impossible it was to find this disc anywhere in Austin, Texas of all places during its week of release. I had no choice but to mail order it from Amazon. It's among the first ten or fifteen Blu-rays I added to my collection, and it stands as one of the most impressive transfers. The dream ballet in particular is just jaw-dropping.
The Highly-Regarded But Unseen:
South Pacific
Discs of the Year is a look back at the year in disc releases and trends, from the best to the worst.