5 Brilliant Films to Be Seen in Full HD

If there was anything that drove film fans crazy over the years, it was seeing their favorite movies mangled in television broadcasts. The editing and picture framing was one thing; the picture quality was inexcusable. Several years later, flatscreen TV sets are now all designed in the cinematic style, while movie channels are nothing unless they are in operating in the ultimate high definition format. How can you test your new TV’s picture? Here are five amazing films that have to be seen in HD.

1. No Country For Old Men. The Coen Brothers set aside their sometimes clumsy storytelling by going with a novelist’s blueprint in No Country. It is a unanimous success, the film which brought them all of the Academy’s recognition and the excellent box office receipts to make it even better. The great moments of the film have to be seen in high def, from the encounter in Josh Brolin’s hotel to the river chase in which one frightening dog makes a play for the life of an escapee.

2. Apocalypse Now. Coppola’s movies seem to be thought out from the first frame to the last, the product of classical training of a maniacal attention to detail. The challenges presented by this war film would nearly push him over the deep end, but he made a stunning work of art. From the terrific one-sided moments of combat to the all-out fire bombing spectacles, it’s widescreen filmmaking at its best. Check it out on HBO in HD.

3. There Will Be Blood. Paul Thomas Anderson made his own adaptation of a classic novel in 2008, making the race afoot between his picture and No Country. Perhaps one of the most experimental mainstream movies in recent years, Anderson was bold enough to tell his story in the style of Michelangelo Antonioni, with long stretches passing without dialogue. Another visual spectacle that cries out for the high definition format, There Will Be Blood may gain a superior reputation to No Country in the years to come.

4. The Passenger. Jack Nicholson certainly has one of his quietest roles in this Antonioni picture. As usual, the Italian master tried to tell his story with visuals alone, this time deep in the desert with intervals in Eastern Europe. Isolation is the main theme here, with Antonioni landing a major blow when he has Nicholson’s character take on the identity of a dead man. Few shots have even been pulled off like the final scene of The Passenger. Watch for a showing on IFC.

5. Kung Fu Hustle. For a wacky comedy, Stephen Chow paid an awful lot of attention to detail and framing his hilarious story. In between showdowns between the tenants of the slum and the big bad gang, viewers get treated some Road Runner-style chases and vintage gangster gunfights. Not seeing this film at all would be a crime, but not seeing it HD would push the offense into the unpardonable zone. Catch an uncut version on premium satellite networks.