Best of 2004....By Studio

Off the top of my head, here are my choices:

Paramount:
Top Gun SE Great documentary, DTS, and awesome transfer!!

New Line:
ROTK:EE Duuuuh

Warner Bros:
Gone with the Wind SE Probably the finest example of a Special edition of a classic film, although Warner did release several other great SEs this year like the Color Purple, Dr Strangelove, etc.

Dreamworks:
The Terminal 3 Disc SE This whole set was very well done and so was the documentary. Also the soundtrack is very nice to listen to.

20th Century Fox:
Master and Commander 2 Disc SE
Star Wars Trilogy
(I actually think Master and Commander was a better set with nicer packaging, but come on...Star Wars is finally on DVD! )

Universal:
Schindler's List

Anchor Bay:
Dawn of the Dead (1978) 4 Disc SE Along the same lines as the Gone with the Wind SE, you cant really get much better than this!

Buena Vista/Disney:
I can't really think of any at the moment that I would like to nominate, so I'll just pick Aladdin since its a good solid release.

Sony/Columbia:
I really hate this studio, so I refuse to pick a best DVD of the year...but the best movie of the year released on DVD would be Big Fish

Criterion:
I didnt buy a single Criterion this year.

MGM:
Hmm, nothing really rings my bell as a great release this year. The Rocky 5 movie boxed set looks nice, plus it has DTS, but I havent actually picked it up so I cant give any personal feedback about it.

I think thats it...

There are so many to choose from...

There hasnt been a single Criterion released in a long time that I've even heard of. I know Criterion puts a lot of effort into their releases, and I would like to own more of them, but they never release anything I've heard of. Even their upcoming titles are all obscure to me.

Mike, Dr. Strangelove was a Sony / Columbia release.

Well, Mike, you only watch movies you've heard of? I'm always shocked when I hear things like this. How can you ever broaden your horizons as a film lover if you only watch what you've heard of? I'd never heard of Eyes without a Face until I got the laserdisc years ago - one of the great movies ever (and now on DVD from - you guessed it - Criterion). I've never heard of Fellini until I was a teen - does that mean I should never have seen a Fellini film? Rent some of these things - read about them on the Internet. There's a whole world out there.

Warner:
Gone with the Wind: Special Edition
Goodfellas: SE
Around the World in 80 Days ('56)

Buena Vista:
Walt Disney Treasures Wave 3

Universal:
Marx Bros. Silver Screen Collection*

Fox:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2-Disc)

MGM:
Pink Panther Collection

Columbia:
Spider-Man 2 (2-Disc, Widescreen)

Kino:
The Thief of Bagdad: Special Edition

Image:
Charley Bowers set

New Line:
Obvious.

Rhino:
MST3K: The Essentials (with Shorts 3 disc)

Sony Wonder:
Rocky and Bullwinkle: Season 2

Lucasfilm:
Obvious.

Paramount:
I actually didn't buy a single Paramount title! However, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow's DVD will be one of my first 2005 release purchases.

Dreamworks:
Collateral (which has the best video transfer I've seen, so far)

Criterion:
None, while I did order The Third Man and The Hidden Fortress, finally. I'll probably get the new M DVD very soon, though.

* The W.C. Fields set is in the mail, so I may add it.

Yep, youre right about that one. I dont actually own that title, which is why I didnt nominate it, but it was seemed like such a good release, I assumed Warner did it.

Since I didnt nominate a Columbia title, that will be mine!


I don't know what to tell you, none of them interest me enough to want to pick em up. My local video store doesnt stock obscure titles, and I dont watch movies fast enough to make Netflix worth my money. I'll just stick with my usual buying habits. I have no complaints about the titles I do buy. And for the record, I have bought several movies that I hadn't heard of based on buzz I've heard on the internet. Some that come to mind would be Bubba Ho-Tep, Amelie, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Shaun of the Dead...all excellent films.

Paramount:
Top Gun SE the dts and picture were the best i have seen dvd handle

New Line:
nothing this year that i bought was on new line

Warner Bros:
purple rain for the way thy handled the music

Dreamworks:
Collateral again like top gun the closest dvd has come to impressing me since hidef

20th Century Fox:
since firefly is tv it will have to be daredevil dc as i am shocked they didnt pu*sy out on this great superhero movie

Universal:
The Bourne Supremacy great film well treated on dvd tied with shaun of the dead

Anchor Bay:
dawn of the dead cant argue with that one

Buena Vista/Disney:
clerks x tied with hero for the dts soundtrack

Sony/Columbia:
hellboy 3 disc dir cut

Criterion:
nothing got my interest this year

MGM:
nothing i can think of roll on remastered bonds !!!

Can you honestly say there's no film listed below you have heard of? The following is a complete list of Criterion DVDs released in 2004 (of which I personally own 20 (the Fanny and Alexander 5-disc set I count as 1)):

Courtesy of criterionforum.org:

2004 Jan 110 M. Hulot's Holiday [Re-relase]
111 Mon Oncle [Re-relase]
216 The Rules of the Game
221 Ikiru
Feb 213 Richard III
222 Diary of a Country Priest
223 Maîtresse
224 Pickup on South Street
225 Tunes of Glory
227 Le Corbeau
228 Salvatore Giuliano
Mar 226 Onibaba
229 Scenes from a Marriage
Apr 57 Charade [Remaster]
230 3 Women
232 A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds
May 231 The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
233 Stray Dog
234 The Tin Drum
237 Smiles of a Summer Night
Jun 235 The Leopard
236 Mamma Roma
238 A Woman Is a Woman
239 The Lower Depths
Jul 240 Early Summer
241 Stage and Spetacle
242 The Golden Coach
243 French Cancan
244 Elena and Her Men
245 Port of Shadows
Aug 246 I Vitelloni
247 Slacker
248 Videodrome
Sep 249 Battle of Algiers
250 John Cassavetes: Five Films
251 Shadows
252 Faces
253 A Woman Under the Influences
254 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
255 Opening Night
256 A Constant Forge
Oct 257 Secret Honor
258 Tanner '88
259 Fat Girl
260 Eyes Without a Face
Nov 261 Fanny & Alexander Box Set
262 Fanny & Alexander - The Television Version
263 Fanny & Alexander - The Theatrical Version
264 The Making of Fanny & Alexander
265 Short Cuts
Dec 30 M [Remaster]
266 King of Kings

Mike - I get it. There's a wonderful world of film out there, classics-wise, and you simply don't want to know about it because you haven't heard of it or it doesn't interest you (although how you can know a title doesn't interest you without really knowing much about it or having seen it is something beyond my comprehension). But, looking at your list and then the movies you've taken a chance on, it comes clear.

Each to his own, and I'm glad you enjoy what you enjoy. That's what makes the world go round.

I only watch movies I can rent from my local gas station, and they didn't get any new ones this year. My favorite movie of all time is "Gator", or at least I like it better than the other two I've seen. I do not think it came from a studio. It was more like a parlor in the back of the store near the payphones and washbasins.

Disney/Buena Vista
- Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
- Aladdin (Platinum Edition)

Fox
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2-Disc Collector’s Edition)
- Star Wars Trilogy

Warner
- Gone with the Wind (4-Disc Collector’s Edition)
- The Ultimate Matrix Collection
- THX-1138 (2-Disc Edition)

New Line
- The Return of the King Extended Edition (New Line Platinum Series)

MGM
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (2-Disc Collector’s Edition)

Universal
- Haven't seen anything from them this year

Dreamworks
- Collateral

Columbia
- Spider-Man 2 (2-Disc Special Edition)
- Hellboy (2-Disc Special Edition) - haven't seen the DC, but it's supposed to be better

Criterion
- Fanny and Alexander (5-Disc Special Edition)

Paul looking at your list, I've only seen 2 of those films. I bought over 300 dvds last year, none of which were Criterion. One question, do you guys automatically buy these films because they're Criterion releases or are you genuinely interested in them? The last Criterion I bought was Rebecca, a couple years ago.

Back to the topic...

Warner Bros
Gone With the Wind (4-disc sp.ed)

MGM
Battle of Britain R2 (2-disc sp.ed)
A Bridge Too Far R2 (2-disc sp.ed)
The Good the Bad and the Ugly (2-disc sp.ed)

Walt Disney
Disney Treasures - On the Front Lines

Fox
The Star Wars Trilogy

New Line
Return of the King EE

Universal
The Frankenstein Legacy Set

Columbia
Hellboy
Spiderman 2

Bitwin
Wonderful days (Korean)



Best Studio: Warner Bros,

Nope, never heard of a single one of them (other than when they were announced on DVD sites like this one and thedigitalbits. If you would like to recommend a couple, I'll look em up on imdb and see if any of them interest me.


You are right, that is one of the interesting things about film and sites like this. There can be people like you and I on the same board with completely different tastes in movies, yet we still have things to talk about!


Sigh...why cant people understand that not everyone has the same taste in movies. Rich, your childish, immature remark speaks volumes about who you are as a person. In case you didn't notice, I have been a member of this site for 4 years. I have over 1200 posts here, so obviously I do have something intelligent to talk about. Just because you and I don't have the same tastes in films doesn't mean I am an idiot and need to be belittled. If I were a moderator on this site, I would have given you a warning for your juvenile attitude.


Watch out, Steve. There are witty people out there like Rich that are about to put you in your place by using their elementary school skills to belittle you.

And to everyone else that is reading this, sorry this thread has become hijacked, but there are millions of movies out there and just because most of the ones that Criterion released doesn't interest me, doesnt mean I am the devil.

Mike, You certainly didn't deserve the sarcastic responses you got.

Image
The Twilight Zone: Definitive Edition
the new reference standard as to how vintage TV on dvd can & should be treated, imo.

Disney/Buena Vista
Walt Disney Treasures: Tommorowland
fascinating, little seen, retro-content utilizing sensational transfers.
a great pleasure for fans of 50s era sci-fi

Paramount
The World Of Suzy Wong
i'm a sucker for this movie, and even though The Counterfeit Traitor (another William Holden film from the same era) is more dramtically sophisticated, not to mention respected, the image on Suzy Wong is so breathtaking at times i can't help but treasure this one.
i didn't find a lot of Paramount titles to get excited about last year, but i was extremely appreciative of the care given this.
one of the best looking vintage titles from any studio last year.

Warner
GWTW SE.
one of two releases last year i felt were beyond all but the most insignificant reproach...

Anchor Bay
Dawn Of The Dead: UE
...and this was the other one. spectacular presentation, supplements that are worthy of being released all by themselves, and all at a fantastic price.
these two releases were the ones to beat last year, imo.

Universal
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
for a studio that has seemed to have so little interest in maintaining the integrity of the original scores and liscenced music cuts, the fact that this film got released at all, let alone intact, is a minor miracle.
and i just watched it last week and its as much fun as it ever was- and looks and sounds great to boot.




out of all the releases last year, Star Wars (ANH to most of you) was the one disc whose image left me the most in awe.
in my set up, it was easily the most impressive looking film i saw all year on disc and probably one of the top 5 best looking ones i have seen -ever!
but the substantial audio problems, both intended and inadverdant, coupled with its unsatisfying MTP (modified theatrical presentation), cast too large a pall over it- which is a real shame.
even if the original versions had been present (oh how i wish), the audio carelessness and re-prioritizing would have still probably made this one of the most disappointing releases of the year for me.

Not to totally derail the thread into Criterion discussion, but I just wanted to say that I'm not one of those people who buy Criterion DVDs because they are Criterion and have a spine number. I don't mind that I have (sometimes big) gaps in my Criterion Collection. I just think that they indeed release important films. I buy most of them blind, after thoroughly researching it, if the title interests me, and have never been disappointed.



Of the 2004 Criterion releases I only have 20. Of those I would definitely recommend Rules of the Game, Short Cuts, and Videodrome. The other 17 that I own are: Ikiru, Diary of a Country Priest, Pickup on South Street, Onibaba, Floating Weeds, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, The Tin Drum, The Leopard, Mamma Roma, A Woman is a Woman, Early Summer, Slacker, Battle of Algiers, Fat Girl, Eyes Without a Face, and M. All are great releases of incredible films. And 2005 is shaping up to be a great year as well for Criterion with Kagemusha, Jules and Jim, and My Own Private Idaho in the first three months of the year!

Mike, regarding the saracastic comments some have made over your taste in films, for what it's worth I have 400 dvd's in my collection released between the 1930's to the present day, from black and white to colour. I buy around 5-10 dvd's a month and have only bought two of the many Criterions released in 2004 and don't plan to buy any others!

As an average guy who loves films and appreciates both quality and fun films and has everything in his collection from Citizen Kane to Rambo II, Fantasia to I Robot - I would recommend you rent (or even blind buy) "Charade" - one of the true great comedy thrillers that should appeal to anyone (especially if you like Hitchcock thriller's).

If you like any of Robert Altman's ensemble works like The Player, Nashville or the more recent Gosford Park or even PT Anderson's Magnolia you'll probably like "Short Cut's" too.

The other Criterion's released this year are too quirky for my taste to buy, I've seen a few of them, and although glad I've seen them, wouldn't rush to watch them again - both "M" and "Pickup on South Street" I would put it this category.

Don't get me wrong, Criterion do a magnificent job and are the saviour of several neglected & rarely-seen films, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to like or want to see everything or even some of what they release.

Hope that's of some interest!

M

i hate that the coments that have come out of this thread have started.

i have over 2000 dvd's many of them are criterons.
They release a few titles a year (compared to major studio's) and are not to everyone's taste.

im with mike on this and i have been buying criteron since laserdisc its an eilte year for them in the titles they have chosen.
Just because its a critic fave doesn't mean its any good or that people will like it,
reviews are by there very nature subjective after all.
short cuts was the only film i was tempted with but its not even altmans best imo