I don't know if we had a dedicated 'show-off movies' thread, but
this one has many suggestions for good demo material.
But if you want my list, off the top of my head...
Master and Commander has been one of my top picks for a long time now. Very impressive on DVD, stunning on BluRay. The opening battle is a serious workout for your sub. Crank it up, and the cannons produce among the most incredible LFE I've ever come across.
Of course, the
LOTR series has to be near the top. It's full of amazing visuals & wonderful audio.
The storming of Omaha beach in
Saving Private Ryan is an incredible scene to demo. It's certainly not for everyone, but the brutal visuals combined with great surround mixing make for a powerful experience.
The Dark Knight. The latest Batman has some pretty amazing stuff in it. The gritty darkness of the filming is a workout for the dark levels in your HDTV.
The Fifth Element stays near the top of my list for demo material, and one of my favorite movies anyway. Wild visuals combined with interesting music make it a fun demo film.
There's a film called
Baraka that is simply stunning. It's not really a movie, it's a film about, well, the human condition. No characters, no dialog. The cinematography is, IMHO, flawless. The music is good too, but the filming is primary. Absolute eye candy. Just, stunning.
The Fall is another movie that really impressed me. It's certainly a movie - characters, plot, etc, but not a mainstream one. Incredible movie with jaw-dropping cinematography. Highly recommended if you're going to show off an HD set.
Pan's Labyrinth is yet another great movie. Amazing story, great visuals and a well-mastered audio track. Parts of it I would consider 'demo-worthy'.
