What are YOUR top ten DVDs of 2005? (1 Viewer)

[Mike D]

Well the year is almost over so time again to reflect on this year's crop of DVD releases.
There are still two weeks left in the year so take your time and give it some thought.

What were your favorite DVDs this year? What made them special?
What were the biggest disappointments?
Which DVDs had the most interesting commentary, extra features or packaging?
What were the best genre releases?
What under-the-radar title surpised you the most?
Which studio was tops this year?
What other awards would you bestow?
etc.

Any year-in-review discussion is welcome.
How does this year compare to previous years?
Was it the best yet or has interest begun to decline?

If you need to be reminded of some of the candidates you could have a look at this somewhat incomplete list
http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdindex.html

Have fun.

 

[TravisR]

I'm gonna cheat on your questions and just list my 10 favorites alphabetically. And for TV releases, I just named whatever sets came out this year instead of choosing a specific set.

The Devil's Rejects
Lost: Season One
Seinfeld: Season Four/Season Five/Season Six
The Simpsons: Season Six/Season Seven
Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge Of The Sith
Titanic (1997)
24: Season Four
The Twilight Zone: Season Two/Season Three/Season Four/Season Five (OK, I haven't seen S5 yet but it's a safe bet to be good )
Undeclared: Season One
The Val Lewton Collection (Cat People/The Curse Of Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie/The Body Snatcher, Isle Of The Dead/Bedlam, The Leopard Man/The Ghost Ship, The 7th Victim/Shadows In The Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy)

And in the category of "It ain't a great DVD but I'm just happy that it's on DVD":
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season One
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Season One
Millennium: Season Two/Season Three
Tales From The Crypt: Season One/Season Two

And my biggest hope for 2006 is Twin Peaks: Season Two.

 

[Carl Johnson]

I'm not sitting in front of my collection but off the top of my head the only DVDs I remember buying this year are Ray and Revenge of the Sith.

 

[dpippel]

My Top 10 of 2005, in no particular order:

• The Wizard of Oz: Three Disc Collector's Edition
• King Kong: Collector's Edition
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Ben-Hur: Four Disc Collector's Edition
• Batman Begins: Two Disc Deluxe Edition
• Bambi: Platinum Edition
• The Fly: Collector's Edition
• The Incredibles: Collector's Edition
• My Own Private Idaho: The Criterion Collection
• To Kill A Mockingbird: Legacy Series

 

[Adam Sexton]

Top 10 Overall:
King Kong Collector's Edition
Sin City: Recut, Extended, Unrated
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Titanic: Special Collector's Edition
Jaws: 30th Anniversary Edition
The Fly: Collector's Edition
Raging Bull Special Edition
Batman Begins
The Devil's Rejects
The Incredibles

Top 10 Runner-ups:
Heat: Special Edition
Gladiator: Extended Edition
Casino: 10th Anniversary Edition
Chappelle's Show Season 2
Apollo 13: Anniversary Edition
Oldboy
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Man on Fire: All Access Collector's Edition
A Very Long Engagement

10 More notable releases:
Donnie Darko: Director's Cut
Kingdom of Heaven
Leon, The Professional: Deluxe Edition
The Fifth Element: Ultimate Edition
Million Dollar Baby
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of War
Star Trek: First Contact
The Aviator
Kung Fu Hustle

 

[Patrick McCart]

I'll have to give a tie to the two best silent film releases of this yeah:

The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection (7-disc set) and The Forgotten Films of Fatty Arbuckle (4-disc set). Both are extremely important releases this year. We finally get a great look at two of the greatest silent comedians... great films, great presentation, and most important... easily found. The fact that you can walk into a Best Buy to pick up the best of Lloyd's or Arbuckle's films is just amazing.

No ranking for the other eight...

F for Fake (Criterion) - Now one of my favorite movies

King Kong (collector's tin) - If just for the excellent condition of the film and the length documentaries.

The Wizard of Oz (3-disc) - The film simply looks perfect. This is the first time I've seen a DVD that basically replicates the look of a theatrical print (I saw a dye-transfer from '98). Tons of extras make it a great package, but the extra silent films make it even better.

Ben-Hur: Special Edition - Like Oz, the new transfer has so much more life into it. The old DVD just looked too "drained" to my eyes. Like the look or not, we finally get correct framing and splices without a bunch of goo all over the picture.

The Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection (can you believe that you have nearly all of his American films between this and WB's set?) Except for "The Man Who Knew Too Much," all of the films look and sound nearly flawless.

Looney Tunes: Golden Collection Vol. 3 - Some of my favorites are on this... Robin Hood Daffy, Porky Pig's Feat, Hillbilly Hare, Pigs in a Polka, Daffy Duck & Egghead...

Also, one big surprise this year was the Anthology Film Archives/Image Entertaining treasure chest of avant-garde films... Unseen Cinema. SEVEN discs of shorts... everything from Norman McLaren animations to essential "film class" shorts to hidden masterpieces. One of my favorite

 

[Justin_S]

1: The Devil's Rejects (unrated director's cut)
2: Long Weekend
3: The Machinist
4: The Blind Dead Collection
5: The Fly (collector's edition)
6: Lost season one
7: Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection
8: The Val Lewton Collection
9: The Deer Hunter (Legacy Collection)
10: Xtro

Honorable mentions: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Batman Begins 2 disc, Alone in the Dark (1982), Raging Bull SE, Heat SE, and The Twilight Zone seasons 2-4.

 

[Jim Tudor]

Warner Gangsters Collection
Val Lewton Collection
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
King Kong: Collector's Edition
Raging Bull: SE
The Deer Hunter: LC
Hammer Horror Series
Ran: Criterion Collection
The Incredibles
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

Still looking forward to getting:
Looney Tunes Golden Coll. 2
Sin City Extended

 

[Daniel-M]

Lost The Compelte First Season
24 The Complete Fourth Season
Angel The Complete Fifth Season
Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season
Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season
Batman Begins
Batman Anthology
Revenge of the Sith
Sin City Extended Edition
Jaws 30th Anniversary DVD

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Batman Begins

Sin City (Theatrical)

The Devil's Rejects (Unrated)

Titanic Collectors Edition

The Incredibles

Star Wars Clone Wars Vol's 1 & 2

Seinfeld Season's 1-4 (haven't gotten 5 & 6 yet)

Land of the Dead (Directors cut)

The Polar Express

 

[Ron-P]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Serenity
Titanic CE
Batman Begins
Deadwood: Season 1
AvP
Finding Neverland
Elektra DC
House of Flying Daggers
DareDevil DC

 

[Conrad_SSS]

1. KING KONG COLLECTOR'S EDITION
2. THE WIZARD OF OZ-3 DISC SET
3. THE THIN MAN COLLECTION
4. FAMILY GUY Volume Three
5. WARNER GANGSTERS COLLECTION
6. BEN-HUR 4 DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION
7. WARNER CLASSIC COMEDIES COLLECTION
8. THE ASTAIRE/ROGERS COLLECTION
9. THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK
10.Tie: THE BETTE DAVIS COLLECTION and THE JOAN CRAWFORD COLLCTION

Honorable mention: TWO FOR THE ROAD
THE BAND WAGON
EASTER PARADE
A FACE IN THE CROWD
THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY
THE SIMPSONS-SEASON SIX

 

[Walter Kittel]

Warner Bros. Gangster Collection
Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection
King Kong Collector's Edition
Val Lewton Collection
House of Bamboo
Danger: Diabolik
Ran: Criterion Collection
Heaven Can Wait: Criterion Collection
Point Blank
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

- Walter.

 

[Mark Lucas]

I didn't buy everything I wanted this year but these releases come to mind:

Batman Anthology set
Titanic
Sin City
King Kong
The Frighteners

 

[Cory S.]

Let's see:

Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Titanic Collector's Edition
Ben-Hur Collector's Edition
Batman Begins
Pixar's The Incredibles
Sin City: Uncut, Extended, and Unrated
The Wizard of Oz Special Edition
War of the Worlds Limited Edition
Constantine Deluxe Edition
Million Dollar Baby

 

[Ryan-G]

My turn:

Lost: The first season
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Titanic: Collectors Edition
War of the Worlds(2005)
Batman Begins
Sin City
The Incredibles
Mr and Mrs Smith

I suspect Serenity, and 24 season 4 will complete my list this week.

 

[John Hodson]

Only 10?

Warners Gangsters Collection
Errol Flynn Signature Collection
The Essential Steve McQueen Collection
Warners Classic Comedies Collection
Astaire & Rogers Collection Vol. 1
King Kong
Paramount's John Wayne Batjac films
Ben-Hur CE
Point Blank
Hammer Horror Series

 

[JonZ]

Deadwood Season 1
Downfall
Ran Criterion
Ragin Bull SE
Batman Begins
Kagemusha Criterion
Million Dollar Baby

You didnt say they had to be region 1 so Im adding 3 Celestial Shaw Bros Region 3 releases

Avenging Eagle
5 Shaolin Masters
36th Chamber of Shaolin

 

[eric tengren]

KING KONG 33
HITCHCOCK MASTERPIECE BOX
CONTROVERSIAL CLASSICS BOX
WB GANGSTER BOX
POINT BLANK
THE INCREDIBLES
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
BATTLE OF ALGEIRS
ALAN CLARKE BOX
SHORT CUTS
RUNNERS UP. OVER THE EDGE SLING BLADE SE.DANGER DIABOLIK.PICK UP ON SOUTH STREET.LA HAINE.ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE.tHE BIG RED ONE RECONSTRUCTED.NAKED.EVIL DEAD 2 BOOK.THE LAST MAN ON EARTH.BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA.MCQUEEN BOX

 

[Anthony*B]

My top 10 w/ these caveats: no particular order, not necessarily based on outstanding AV quality...simply stuff I love / enjoyed / can remember without going home & looking through the collection:

1. Cannibal Holocaust spec. ed.
2. Sex & Fury (The best movie I'd never heard of)
3. High Tension (a huge wonderful surprise roller coaster ride)
4. King Kong spec. ed.
5. Devil's Rejects
6. The Devils (bootleg, bad quality, but essentially uncut)
7. August Underground (harrowing, almost too well done)
8. Pinky Violence Collection
9. Napoleon Dynamite (2005?)
10. Simpsons Season 6 (probably the best season of the 2nd greatest sitcom of all time)

all in all a staggeringly good year for exploitation fans in what may be the DVD format's last great stand...long live DVD