With Halloween around the corner CityNews.ca film opinionist Brian McKechnie has hunkered down with a slew of horror movies on Blu-ray to see what titles are worthy of upgrading to high-definition for. In Part 4 of his 5 part series he looks at thrillers you may want to pick up on Blu-ray.

To me a thriller is much different than a horror film. It's creepy but not necessarily bloody, is usually more realistic and tend to deal with humans rather than monsters or the unknown. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho would probably be my top pick in the genre, but, like all of Hitchcock's work it is not available yet on Blu-ray (North By Northwest is coming out in a special set on November 3). Seven, Fatal Attraction, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, American Psycho, Repulsion, Dead Calm, Body Heat, Carrie, Memento, Tell No One -- all great thrillers available on Blu-ray that I couldn't get copies of in time for the series. The titles I did get are some of my favourites but are they worthy on Blu-ray?

The Shining (1980) IMDb / Amazon

What can be said about The Shining that hasn't already been said? Director Stanley Kubrick managed to capture one of Jack Nicholson's best performances while creating an eerie masterpiece. Based on the Stephen King novel about a family hired as winter caretakers of the isolated Overlook Hotel who are then haunted by the historic hotel's past as well as their own inner demons, the film is as intense a thriller as they come. Performances by Danny Lloyd as the young son and Shelley Duvall as the wife are decent but it's Nicholson's portrayal of father and husband Jack Torrance that carries the film. He's raw, real and powerful. The visual effects and sound have always been unsettling but on Blu-ray they truly stand out. The image is not without its problems but with good black levels and colour representation it is far superior to the regular DVD. The original audio source is a mono track so the 5.1 mix (in lossless PCM and Dolby Digital) is nice, clear and creepy. Special features include a BBC special on the making-of the film produced by Kubrick's daughter Vivian (this is in 4x3 and was included on the DVD release as well), audio commentary with Steadicam operator Garrett Brown and Kubrick biographer John Baxter, and the featurettes View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining, The Visions of Stanley Kubrick, and Wendy Carlos, Composer.

Final verdict: This a must own on Blu-ray and is worthy of upgrading to Blu-ray for.

The Hannibal Lecter Collection (1986 / 1991 / 2001) Amazon

Michael Mann's Manhunter and Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs are solid thrillers that I could watch anytime anywhere. Unfortunately Ridley Scott's Hannibal is solid crap that I never want to see again. In Manhunter, Brian Cox portrays the brilliant, yet cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. In Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins takes over and owns the role (he won an Oscar for it in Lambs). Lambs also features an excellent Oscar-winning performance by Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling. Although I enjoyed the films in high-def all three have some video artifact issues and could be remastered better in the future. The sound on all three is nothing to write home about either. Special features are absent on Manhunter and Hannibal but Silence of the Lambs has a nice picture-in-picture feature that runs over the length of the film as well as the featurettes Inside the Labyrinth: Making of The Silence of the Lambs, Understanding the Madness, The Silence of the Lambs: Page to Screen, Scoring the Silence, and an original 1991 making-of.

Final verdict: The first two movies are great and if you can't wait to own them on Blu-ray this will suffice. If you're not in a rush for either wait till they get properly remastered versions.

Misery (1990) IMDb / Amazon

Famous author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued from a car accident by obsessed fan, and nurse, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). While nursing him back to health at her house in the mountains, Annie learns details about Paul's latest book. When she finds out he kills off his heroine "Misery", it sets her off and she locks him up until he writes a new version. When he tries to escape Annie shows her true colours and makes it difficult for him to leave. The film largely works thanks to Bates (she won an Oscar for the performance) and the tension between her and Caan. It looks outstanding in high-def and appears as if it was filmed recently instead of almost twenty years ago. There are a few options for audio playback with all sounding crystal clear. Special features are missing from the Blu-ray disc but are included on the regular DVD that it comes with. These include an audio commentary with director Rob Reiner and another with writer William Goldman and featurettes that focus on real-life stalking.

Final verdict: Even without any special features on the Blu-ray disc this is a great movie and deserves to be seen in high-def.

Zodiac (2007) IMDb / Amazon

Based on the real-life San Francisco murders of the "Zodiac Killer", Zodiac follows San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) as they become obsessed with trying to crack the case. Mark Ruffalo stars as a detective hunting the murderer and David Fincher (who also helmed Seven) directs. Zodiac is a dark film that is historically interesting (it is only lightly based on the true story) and cinematically exciting. Excellent cast, soundtrack and cinematography all make this a very intense thriller too. Zodiac was shot digitally and the image in HD is flawless and beautiful (this will be another reference title to show off Blu-ray to your friends). Special features are plenty and spread over two discs. The first disc includes a commentary track with Fincher and one with actors Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr., producer Brad Fischer, writer James Vanderbilt, and crime author James Ellroy. The second disc has close to four hours of featurettes on the making of the film and the histroy of the "Zodiac Killer".

Final verdict: Great movie and a wild collection of features make this a must own on Blu-ray.

Primal Fear (1996) IMDb / Amazon

This is the movie that put Edward Norton on the map, and deservedly so. His performance in this blows Richard Gere's out of the water. Primal Fear is a riveting film that deals with a case of an altar boy (Norton) who is accused of murdering a priest. A hotshot lawyer (Gere) takes on the case which becomes more complex with every twist and turn. I consider it not only an effective thriller, but one of the best courtroom dramas ever made (fans of both genres will pleased). Does it really need the high-def treatment? No, but it is an impressive release nonetheless. Special features include audio commentary and HD featurettes Star Witness, Psychology of Guilt, and The Final Verdict.

Final verdict: If you've seen Primal Fear and enjoyed it this is worth adding to your Blu-ray collection. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend renting it first.

Let me know what thrillers you're enjoying on Blu-ray. Comment below or email brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com with your suggestions.