Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection, our Blu-ray wish list is slowly narrowing down. In fact, 6 of the 10 films listed on our first Blu-ray wish list have either already been released on the format, or have at least announced to be released in the near future. However, there are still many favorites out there that have yet to make the transition to the high definition restoration. Heres our second Top 10:
10. Nanook of the North (1922)
In 1910, an explorer named Robert J. Flaherty was sent to the Hudson Bay in Northeastern Canada as a prospector. Fascinated by what he saw, he went home and bought his first camera (and three weeks lessons with it) before returning to the land in 1913, and filmed two years worth of footage there. After making a rough cut of the footage, the original camera negative was destroyed in a fire. All 30,000 feet of it. Instead of weeping himself to sleep every night about all the time and money he lost (like we would have), he simply learned from his mistakes and returned to the north to shoot new footage four years later. The result is what is widely credited to be the first ever documentary, and is a fascinating look into the lives of an Eskimo family, headed by a hunter known as Nanook. We watch as Nanook struggles to feed his family, for it is up to him to ensure their survival. While one might consider the film to be harrowing and depressing, it is enlightening to see the Nanook and his family seem, well, happy. If that isnt enough to convince one that Blu-ray version of the film should exist, the various, gorgeous locations that the film was shot in is a good enough reason alone to own a high definition restoration. Until then, if you have yet to see the it, the film is actually available in it's entirety for free on YouTube, so now you have no excuse. Click "next" below to read the next entry...
