The holiday shopping season already kicked off on Friday (or Thanksgiving afternoon), so now is as good a time as any to look at 10 key Blu-ray releases of 2013. This year has been incredible for anyone who prefers to buy films on physical media, rather than downloading or streaming. Personally, I love the idea of showing off a collection of films and knowing that I own a copy of the movie. The studios can't suddenly decide to take it away from me.

Throughout 2013, we've seen some fantastic releases of new films and incredible catalog releases. Although the studios seem to be cutting back on the number of old films they're releasing, occasionally, they'll surprise us. So, without any further delay, here's a list of 10 essential Blu-rays released by the studios and boutique labels like The Criterion Collection and Twilight Time. If there's a film geek in your family, pay attention...

10. The Little Mermaid - Disney, 1989
Disney is still releasing two Diamond Editions of classics each year and this year, we got Peter Pan in the spring and The Little Mermaid in the fall. The studio really goes all out for these releases, as they did for the DVD editions. The Little Mermaid was no different, with a stand-out collection of new material, in addition with the in-depth making-of from the previous DVD. Add to that an incredible transfer for this film and you have a must-buy for a Disney fan.

9. Silver Linings Playbook - Anchor Bay/TWC, 2012
One of my favorite films of 2012 was released on Blu-ray by Anchor Bay, which distributes The Weinstein Company films, back in April. The David O. Russell film features Jennifer Lawrence's stunning Oscar winning performance and stand-out roles for Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. Unlike other Anchor Bay/TWC titles, this one has some substantial extra material, including a decent collection of deleted sequences.

8. Drums Along The Mohawk - Twilight Time/Fox, 1939
This John Ford classic came out courtesy of Twilight Time, a label that has deals with Sony and Fox. They recently secured a deal with MGM, which means we'll be seeing even more titles next year. The knock against Twilight Time is always that each disc is at least $29.99, but they are limited to 3,000 and they have been adding more material lately. Drums Along The Mohawk, one of the most underrated 1939 classics, features the full-length Becoming John Ford.

7. Frances Ha - Criterion Collection/IFC, 2013
The Criterion Collection is best known for their dedication to the classics, but as a distributor of Sundance/IFC titles as well, they have brought many of today's top talents to their ranks. Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha is a film centered on a New York woman in her late 20's (Greta Gerwig) on a search to find herself, only to realize later that she has everything she needs already. It's a joyous, fun film that somehow runs only 80 minutes.

6. Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics - Warner Bros.
When it comes to box sets, Warner Bros. is the best, although most of them are just reissues. From giant sets devoted to The Wizard of Oz to repackages of The Dark Knight trilogy, Warner Bros. knows how to get you to buy the same movie twice. However, they hit it out of the park with their great collection of gangster classics (Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, The Petrified Forest and White Heat) and hopefully it's just the first volume.

5. City Lights - Criterion Collection, 1933
Criterion has been slowly releasing all of Charlie Chaplin's films and this year, they finally got to my favorite, City Lights. With great features and a stunning transfer, this is about the best it can get. City Lights is a film that can warm anyone's heart and it's probably my favorite film of all time.

4. Argo - Warner Bros., 2012
The winner of the Best Picture Oscar of 2012 is still thrilling months after it won the award. I still don't think it's one of the most memorable films to win that title, but the Ben Affleck-directed film is much better than the bad movies that won Best Picture. The original release, which came out just days before the Oscars in February, is cheap now and features a good collection of extra material, including a commentary by Affleck. Of course, Warner Bros. has issued an extended 'Declassified' edition for the holiday season and it runs about 10 minutes longer.

3. The Big Parade - Warner Bros., 1925
Never in a million years would I have thought that Warner Bros. would have released King Vidor's monumental 1925 silent epic The Big Parade on Blu-ray. This incredible film is the first classic MGM silent to hit hi-def and essential.

2.Schindler's List - Universal, 1993
Universal Studios finally released Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, winner of the Best Picture Oscar of 1993, on Blu-ray this year. It was long overdue. The three-hour-plus film doesn't feature any new bonus material (in fact, all material is on the second DVD), but they took their time on getting the restoration of the film right and it was money well spent. It looks beautiful.

1.On The Waterfront - Criterion Collection/Sony, 1954
I was stunned to hear that Sony had given On The Waterfront, one of the best and most popular Best Picture winners, to Criterion. Their Blu-ray edition goes far above what Sony would have done, giving us three different versions of Elia Kazan's film. All three are the same, except for the different aspect ratios. Personally, I recommend the 1.33:1, full-frame ratio. This is easily the most essential release of the year – there is nothing better than seeing Marlon Brando deliver his “I coulda been a contender” speech, nothing.

image: Amazon