Who says older films can’t benefit from high-def presentations on Blu-ray? Some people seem to think that only the latest Hollywood blockbusters and special-effects extravaganzas are worth seeing on Blu-ray, as evidenced by comments to my recent post on the subject. But as film-restoration expert Robert Harris said in my new DVD column, which was published today, “There is no difference between a film made today or 70 years ago.” Read my column to find out why.

I hope that changes naysayers’ opinions on seeing classic movies on Blu-ray, because high-def should be about seeing movies — of any vintage — in the best quality possible.

The good news is that a bunch of classic films — say, those made in the 1970s and before — are in the pipeline on Blu-ray. Tuesday ’s bringing several classic war movies along with the Dirty Harry movies, and other older films have been announced. Here’s what’s coming:

Tuesday
Battle of Britain (MGM)
A Bridge Too Far (MGM)
Dirty Harry (Warner)
Dirty Harry: Ultimate Collection (Warner)
The Longest Day (Fox)
Patton (Fox)
The Sand Pebbles (Fox)

June 10
The Professionals (Sony)

July 1
Batman: The Movie (Fox)  - 1966 film with Adam West

July 15
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Warner)

Aug. 26
How the West Was Won (Warner)

Sept. 9
Cool Hand Luke (Warner)

Sept. 30
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Dark Sky) - the original horror classic

Oct. 7
Sleeping Beauty (Disney)

October (starting that month and then in following months)
The 400 Blows (Criterion Collection)
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival (Criterion Collection)
Contempt (Criterion Collection)
Gimme Shelter (Criterion Collection)
The Third Man (Criterion Collection)
The Wages of Fear (Criterion Collection)
Walkabout (Criterion Collection)

Planned but not scheduled
An American in Paris (Warner)
Ben-Hur (Warner)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (Sony)
A Fistful of Dollars (MGM)*
For a Few Dollars More (MGM)*
Gigi (Warner)
Gone with the Wind (Warner)
The Graduate (MGM)
The Guns of Navarone (Sony)
The Maltese Falcon (Warner)
The Music Man (Warner)
North by Northwest (Warner)
The Wizard of Oz (Warner)
Woodstock (Warner)
* The Good, the Bad and the Ugly should also be expected soon if the other two films in the Man With No Name Trilogy are coming. 

HD-DVDs expected for eventual rerelease on Blu-ray
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner)
Casablanca (Warner)
The Deer Hunter (Universal)
Forbidden Planet (Warner)
Grand Prix (Warner)
Mutiny on the Bounty (Warner)
My Favorite Brunette/Son of Pale Face (BCI)
The Road to Bali/The Road to Rio (BCI)
Smokey and the Bandit (Universal)
Spartacus (Universal)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1 (Paramount)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Warner)

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