At the half way point-any candidates for DVD of the year? (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

how about the animated METROPOLIS?

the artwork and the animation was jsut stunning to see.
and while i think that the music was very odd for this type of movie this dvd has the best sound i have heard yet on a dvd.
the rears were used more then any i have heard before.
3... 5.1 audiotracks.

one for japanese 5.1
ONE for english 5.1
one for japanese DTS 5.1.

all 3 sounded just incredible.

3 trailers..
METROPOLIS
FINAL FANTASY 5.1 SOUND 16 X 9
COWBOY BEBOP
STARSHIP TROOPERS CHRONICLES


the second disc for sups is one of the 3 inch dvd's so that was kinda cool to see that.

here you will find
photo gallery
animation process that uses multi angle feature
filmographies of the dir and creator
a text history of metroplis
interviews
and the making of doc.

lots of stuff here.

if you havent seen this one yet please do yourself the pleasure of watching this movie.

if you remember and liked astroboy you will like this movie.

also the climax of the movie is just a sight to behold.

 

[John Bryant]

Are we all forgetting about the immenent 2-disc SE of Episode 2? If it's anything like Ep 1's dvd, it will be a contender. Here's my crystal ball:

1.LOTR 5-disc SE
2.Episode 2 SE
3.Beauty and the Beast PE
4.Pearl Harbor Vista
5.The Royal Tenenbaums CC

Honorable mentions to Spiderman, Monster's INC., Swingers SE, Memento LE, Traffic CC, and Rashomon CC.

 

[Brian E]

I don't know where I stand on disc of the year, but at this point Disney is a frontrunner for studio of the year. Those Vault Disney titles are sweet, not to mention some of the other stuff they've released. Of course they do have those P&S only releases working against them.

 

[Bill J]

So far this year:
Pearl Harbor: Vista Series Director's Cut
Black Hawk Down
Traffic: Criterion Collection
Memento: Limited Edition
Later this year:
Pulp Fiction SE
Reservoir Dogs SE
Black Hawk Down SE
Panic Room SE
Band of Brothers
Star Wars Episode II SE
As of now, I would say the main candidate is Pearl Harbor: Vista Series Director's Cut.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

My favorites so far this year:
Legend
UHF
Memento SE
A Beautiful Mind

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Am I the only one that thinks beauty and the Beast PE will be the best disc of the year

Hmmm... I don't know if you're the only one, but I doubt it myself. Granted, best of the year choices are necessarily subjective because they involve the quality of the movie itself. Based on DVD quality, it's impossible not to put "Pearl Harbor" at the top of the list for the first six months and two days of 2002 - nothing else comes close to it. However, many people will leave it off their lists entirely because they dislike the movie.

"BATB" is a terrific film, and I don't doubt that it'll be an excellent DVD. But the absolute best of the year? That'll be a tough title to grab. I will say that if it's as good a set as "Snow White", it stands a chance with me. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but we've run top tens for the last three years, and Disney animated films won each time: "A Bug's Life" CE in 1999, "Ultimate Toy Box" in 2000, and "Snow White" last year. "Atlantis" spent the whole first half of 2002 at the top of my list, though I'll bump it to second and replace it with "Pearl Harbor" next month; if I liked "Atlantis" more, I'd keep it there, but I don't feel strongly positive about the movie. (I think "PH" is entertaining but nothing special - I definitely don't dislike it like so many people, but it's one of my least-favorite Bay flicks.)

At the end of the year, if I base my #1 choice on DVD quality, it'll almost undoubtedly be "PH" or "Rings". However, if "BATB" or "Monsters Inc." come close in DVD quality, they'll likely take the prize. "Spider-man" also has a good shot since it's a fine movie. Of all the potentially excellent DVDs I know will appear in the second half of the year, most are for movies that didn't do much for me. "Attack of the Clones", "Black Hawk Down", "Rings"... none of these rocked my particular world, but all should be excellent discs.

All I know is this: I may make a choice in another six months!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I was thinking of this the other day.
Since I chose Moulin Rouge as the
HTF BEST DVD of the year last year, I was
wondering what title I'd pick as the best
so far this year.
Based on packaging and overall content,
Pearl Harbor Director's Cut wins hands
down.
However, I would be reluctant to make that
pick based on the fact that, in my opinion,
the movie was pretty bad. When I pick a title
it is based upon not only the overall packaging
but the movie itself. I'd hate to give something
like Battlefield Earth a top pick just
because it came in spaceship packaging that runs
on batteries.
So, right now, my pick would be A Beautiful
Mind. The reason? A combination of a great
movie with an abundant amount of interesting
supplementals.
Of course, the year is still young and there
is much more on the way.

 

[Todd_Brown]

Those Vault Disney titles are sweet, not to mention some of the other stuff they've released.

Having just watched Swiss Family Robinson, I'd have to give Disney a nomination. The movie is nicely preserved and has a great transfer, the extras are bountiful and the menus pretty neat, this is a solid contender. I have Old Yeller coming today, and I will pick up both Pollyanna, and The Parent Trap. So there's another pat on Disney's back, they're making me want to buy more of their titles.
Todd

 

[Jeff Kleist]

how about the animated METROPOLIS?

Again, we have to remember that the DVDs should only be voted on for the quality of the DVD. The extras were not that great, nor probably will they EVER be on an anime title because the Japanese don't really do that kind of stuff much, and when they do it tends to be very fluffy (like Metropolis). Wings of Honneamise had far superior CONTENT in the extras, even though the transfer was abomidable

For example, the ST:TNG sets have more documentaries than Buffy Season 2. As a huge fan of both shows, Buffy comes out far ahead, and not because I'm insane. Each and every documentary has TONS of meat to it on Buffy, even though there are only 3. ST:TNGs are all fluff except for the Archives featurette on Season 2, which left out a lot of things (like why the Enterprise D was marked E) that were probably shot for no good reason. By the time I finished watching the Buffy docs, I had a whole new understanding of how the show comes together.

Pixar will continue to be nominated because the only thing they care about more than their movies is their movies on DVD. They will consistantly provide us with the best SEs that money can buy, trumping themselves with each and every movie. Given the quality of their output and the quality of their discs, they have my money, each and every time

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Pickings are slim so far in this camp, though my lack of acquisition of Criterion titles has left some potential candidates out of the running for now.

So far (despite horendous packaging) Legend is on the list, as are at least a couple of the Vault Disney titles. I'm sure I'll find an anime candidate or two, but so far it's pretty light.

 

[Brook K]

Didn't Children of Paradise come out this year? If so that's my pick, otherwise it would be In The Mood For Love, but I still haven't watched Wild Strawberries or Rashomon

 

[Tom Ryan]

I think the 4-disc Fellowship Of The Ring DVD will be this year's best DVD, bar any unpredicted DVD packages coming out. Four discs, DD and DTS, four commentaries, two WHOLE discs of extras, and one of the best films in a long time (as opposed to Pearl Harbor, heh heh) with an extra half hour of footage. Unbeatable !

 

[JoshB]

Black Hawk Down (the first release) would make it, for audio and video alone. The 3-Disc would make this years list, but word is it is being postponed from late 2002 to early 2003, and that the R1 release is going to be 2-Disc, the R2 or overseas release will be the 3-Disc we have heard about. This is just what I have heard and read.

Other nods for Best DVD: (So Far this year)

Pearl Harbor: VISTA
Memento: LE
Traffic: Criterion Collection
Starship Troopers: SE
Dune: Director's Cut

Possible Consideration:

A Beautiful Mind

Later this Year:

Lord of the Rings: 2, 4, and 5 Disc.
Star Wars: Episode 2
Speed: Five Star
Spiderman: CE

 

[James Reader]

It's really sad isn't it, that when people are discussing the upcoming titles to be released this year, nobody is mentioning E.T. as a contender for the DVD of the year. It just goes to show how far Universal have dropped the ball on the E.T. release.

*sigh*

I think, more than any other year, 2002 has been (and will be) a disappointment. Even though so many 'big' titles will be released before the end of the year, DVD has lost something. So many releases are full of fluff pieces for extras which - at the most - are suitable for only viewing once. Too many discs are 'all mouth and no trousers' promising everything, but delivering nothing.

Universal are the worst - how I long for the days of the ported LD 'Collectors Editions', many of these are my most treasured DVDs; 'Fried Green Tomatoes', 'Tremors', 'Psycho'... all feature insightful documentaries that actually increase your enjoyment of the films, rather than extended trailers or mutual love-ins among the cast and crew.

Despite the odd exception (such as the 'Legend' discs) it's painful to see how Universal has fallen - from doing almost everything right to doing everything wrong. While the irony is that Fox and Disney, two studios who could do nothing right with their DVD releases, now routinely release the best.

I'm convinced that the DVD of the year will be released by Disney. I think that they certainly deserve it - from their two disc animated releases to the Vault Disney titles, no other studio puts as much thought into the contents of a disc. Perhaps it will be the 'Pearl Harbor' Vista release (I own and have had a quick flick through the discs, but have been unable to watch them properly). However I expect the title to go to the 'Beauty and the Beast' release.

Anyhow, my nominations for the year to date (in no order) are:

Legend Ultimate Edition
Atlantis CE
The Parent Trap:Vault Disney
Pearl Harbor
From Hell
Simpsons Season 2 (I have the R2 release)

 

[MikeEckman]

If packaging, supplements, and A/V details were all thats considered, then Pearl Harbor wins hands down. However, if the actual movie has to be considered, then I think my vote will end up going with Lord of the Rings later this year. It looks to have as good of packaging as Pearl Harbor and should have as good supplements, and knowing New Line, the DTS track and video quality should be top notch.

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

What about Jeff Schwartz?

 

[Aaryn Chan]

First Half 2002
Pearl Harbor: Director's Cut - Vista Edition

Second Half 2002
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Extended Edition

Year of 2002
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Extended Edition

 

[streeter]

The best DVD so far this year is National Lampoon's European Vacation, in widescreen with Chevy Chase commentary.

 

[oscar_merkx]

I have two that I think have been amazing so far
Tron 20 th anniversay dvd
mainly because you could have thought it was made today with the visual colors being so dominant than went it was first made
Hustler SE
B&W at it's best

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Did we ever come to a conclusion as to whether Warner used a censored TV print for European Vacation? I had held off on buying that since that seemed to be an issue when it came out.