DVD ETC. MAGAZINE POLL: "The Top 100 DVDs of All Time" (1 Viewer)

[Jim-M]

Band of Brothers - Made with such care and passion by all involved.

Saving Private Ryan - A great movie that shows the benefits of surround sound in the home like no other.

Cast Away - The audio/video quality and extras of this DVD do justice to an excellent movie.

Toy Story 2 - Great film for the entire family with equally impressive audio and video quality.

Pollyanna - The clincher to this beautifully restored movie is the excellent featurette on the restoration.

Spy Kids 2 - The featurette 'Big Movies Made Cheap' with Robert Rodriquez is worth the price of admission.

Walt Disney Treasures (Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Silly Symphonies, Complete Goofy) - Great compilations that show the inherent advantages that DVD has by being able to skip around and watch what you want.

The James Bond Collection - The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Swiss Family Robinson - Not only do you get a film of the type that they don't make anymore for the family, the discs are loaded with extras.

 

[Joe D]

Brazil - The Criterion Collection
This classic DVD release details the showdown that occured between Terry Gilliam and Universal Studios while releasing the film. Both sides are allowed to voice their opinions on the matter.
Joseph Dahlen - Home Theater Forum

 

[LukeB]

How original an idea...

 

[Terry Watkins]

Moulin Rouge

"A modern musical with breathtaking colors, a remarkable genre of music, made for the age of DVD."

Minority Report

"A DVD that takes Sci-Fi to a new, and remarkable level."

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

"A must have reference DVD."

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the ring

"Epic storytelling so real that you'll never belive it is fantasy. Best recreation of a novel."

Requiem For a Dream

"If you ever wanted to try drugs, watch this movie and it may sway your thoughts."

Trainspotting

"Again, a best look at the world of drug addiction."

Girl, Interrupted

"Ever felt like you were crazy? Wanted to know what other crazy people were like?"

~~Terry Watkins

 

[LewB]

Monsters Inc.
I now understand how kids can watch their favorites over and over.
The Godfather Trilogy
It's the way Francis framed the shot (thanks Paulie Walnuts)
Saving Private Ryan
Amazing movie, good test for your HT rig
The Last Waltz
Great music, great movie, great people story. I could actually sense that the guys in The Band were glad to have survived the road and call it a day.

 

[Brian Patrick]

Here goes.

1. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
This is really the first movie that I've take the time to watch pretty much all the extras. The extended edition made an already great movie even better. Absolutely spectacular.

2. Singin' in the Rain Special Edition
The best restoration I've seen. This movie has probably never looked better than this. The colors shout on the screen and you won't see any artifacting or edge enhancement. A great DVD for one of the greatest movies of all time.

3. Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
This is one of my personal favorites (top 5.) The Normandy invasion is one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever IMHO. I truly felt like I was there and understood a little of what those men went through. As far as personal impressions, no other movie has so moved me.

4. Godfather Collection
Two of the greatest movies of all time and one that is still a good movie. We get to see the rise and fall of the Corleone family under Michael (and a little of the rise under Vito in Part II which is my favorite.) We see that even with his success he is in truth a lonely man who sacrifices to much for his empire

5. Star Trek Season Sets
Yeah I'm a Trekker, and yeah I liked Nemesis, and yeah this is one of my top picks. Getting to see these look better than they ever have and also the great DD surround is great. The definitive TV Boxset.

6. Band of Brothers
Saving Private Ryan with a more involving storyline. I loved Saving Private Ryan and this just gives me more.

7. Civil War by Ken Burns
As the film states, to truly understand America today you need to understand the Civil War. No other threat to our country has ever been as great as this conflict that we orchestrated long ago.

8. Back to the Future Trilogy
I realize it has the framing issue and this is what kept it from being higher on the list, but it is still one of my favorite movies and once again it has never looked better except in the theaters.

9. Citizen Kane
While not the most enjoyable film, the film was leaps and bounds ahead of the movies of its day much like the Jazz Singer was to silent films. Every film buff should have this in his or her collection as it is an excellent presentation.

10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
One of if not the funniest movies of all time. While the quality is not the best due to the poor source it is still great. Now go buy this movie now or I shall be forced to say....NI!!

This is basically my list that I posted on the dvdtalk forums when LBpound was compiling his 2003 list.

 

[James Lambert]

The Lord of the Rings EE
No Film can make as strong an impact in your mind as the films you watched in your childhood, except this one. Given a stunning visual and audio transfer, entertaining and informative extras, anyone who is remotely unhappy with the set is the ultimate nitpicker.

Brazil - Criterion Collection
A (by modern standards) mediocre A/V get eclipsed by the most fascinating extras available on DVD. Along with various docu's comes a recut of the film that tells a completly different story using similar footage. Proof that even the smallest differences can alter the whole

Rushmore - Criterion Collection
Laugh or cry the decision is yours (I'd recommend Laughing)

Singin in the rain
How does a film this old look so good? The Colours alone are beyond belief.

Toy Story Ultimate Toy Box
Truly Perfection in Picture and Sound, and the same could be said for narrative structure.

Godfather Collection
It was always going to be good anyway, but Coppola makes sure he doesn't fumble the ball with a marathon commentary and the commitment to A/v that requires 2 discs for part 2

Beastie Boys Video Anthology - Criterion Collection
Many were surprised to see this being included amongst the Fellini's and Kurosawa's of Criterion. But that is nothing compared to the surprise in the wealth of material included. Truly one off in the DVD format, where all of its advantages are exploited to the full.

Sports Night
No extras, but the rewatchability of this short lived series is worth a mention.

The Rock - Criterion Collection
Guns and Explosions made to look all pretty, blow your ears off, and leave a smile on your face.

The Goonies
Power to the consumer! Who'd have dreamt years ago that a Special Edition of this would exist.

 

[Greg Robinson]

LOTR:Fellowship Extended Edition - "My preciousss..." Next to this, no DVD can rightly call itself "Special"

Toy Story UTB - Guaranteed to turn any non-theaterphile into a true believer.

Jurassic Park (re-pressed DTS edition) - Lint is to the belly button what giant dinosaurs are to home theater.

The Matrix - "whoa."

Die Hard (5-star edition) - Still the best 'one good guy vs. countless bad guys in a confined area' movie and this DVD gives it the royal treatment.

Pitch Black (director's cut) - Awesome visuals, superb DTS sound, and Vin Diesel before his ego needed its own assistant.

Rushmore (Criterion edition) - Even if it didn't have reference-quality picture and sound (which it does), this DVD should still be in everyone's collection.

Sports Night, The Complete Series - the complete lack of features show what the Powers That Be think of Sports Night - the greatest show to ever grace prime time.

Tombstone (Vista Series) - You want excellent picture, great sound, cool features and slick packaging? You called down the thunder, well now you got it!

 

[Graham Greenlee]

Amelie (Buena Vista; 2-Disc): A beautiful transfer and one of the best non-DTS soundtracks you'll here. The extras, well-produced, make this one of the few 2-Disc sets that actually deserve two discs.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (New Line; 4-Disc Extended Cut): Many well cite the beautiful video or the DTS soundtrack, but the wealth, and depth, of extras makes this a benchmark for the format.

Mary Tyler Moore: The Complete First Season (Fox; 4-Disc): Surprising good video and slickly-produced extras, such as a full hour long documentary and Emmy award acceptance speeches, makes this the best classic television release yet.

Singing in the Rain: Special Edition (Warner; 2-Disc): If you know a classic film lover whose debating if they should get a DVD player, just show them this set. The picture is vibrant and the cleanest its been in years, the 5.1 remix was expertly executed, and the commentary track that includes some of the film's actors, the writers, and even Baz Luhrman of Moulin Rouge fame, is one of the most insightful you'll hear. Did I mention there's a second disc?!

 

[Sathyan]

1. Red Curtain Trilogy Box Set (Baz Luhrmann films - Strictly Ballroom; Romeo + Juliet; Moulin Rouge) - Luhrmann breaks ground by retelling known stories in unusal ways - inappropriate combinations perhaps; commentary tracks let you peak behind the Red Curtain

2. Requiem for a Dream - style with substance; much more impact than "just say no" campaigns

3. The Godfather Box Set - great films - The Godfather is the story of America; great packaging (bonus disc)


4. Lawrence of Arabia (2 DVD version) - the epic of all epics; a feature-laden presentation and 70mm transfer for excellent picture quality; great score too

5. Amelie (2 DVD version) - enter a world of optimism and importance of human interaction; includes a discussion with the director (who also did Delicatessen)

6. Moulin Rouge (2 DVD version) - a lavish musical for the MTV age picking up on the evolution of the musical form in a thoroughly Bollywood fashion; great commentary and features

7. Das Boot - my first DVD purchase and still my demo disc for Dolby 5.1; at reference levels the film is not so much watched as war experienced

8. Lola Rennt - a rollercoaster-ride of excitement; great insights into production with director's commentary

9. The Corrs Live in London - a concert recording in 5.1; the music is of course great; includes special features - I got to use the camera angle button on my DVD player for once to switch between cameras focused on your favourite Corr girl (Andrea, of course)

10. Chasing Amy - one of the more involving commentary tracks; goes beyond the selection of camera angles to let you feel like one of the gang


Sathyan Sundaram

p.s. I WANTED to include some Kubrick's as they are among my favourite films (Dr Strangelove, Paths of Glory, 2001) but they are too lacking in features (at least need a commentary track).

 

[WillardK]

I guess I'm most impressed by digital restorations of older films.

8 1/2
great transfer of an important film, exceptional extras

Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
extras alone worth the price for anyone interested in Bunuel, great transfer

Metropolis
beautiful transfer, meticulously assembled, excellent supplements

Juliet of the Spirits
the most stunning digital restoration I have yet to see, was like viewing it for the first time

The Movies Begin
terrific collection, well assembled

Honorable Mention:
L'Avventura
North By Northwest
Black Narcissus
Citizen Kane
Universal Classic Monsters

This is always a difficult list that seems more arbitrary as many more great discs are released (and my collection isn't that large), but the first two never seem to change position as exemplary packages overall.

 

[PaulEB]

Sunset Boulevard - The greatest movie ever from the greatestdirector ever plus some nice extras.

Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut - A fascinating movie about life on the road with a rock band from someone who has done it along with one of the best commentaries available.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Criterion Collection - A trip of a movie with the extras to go along with it including the another solid commentary from the always interesting and informative Terry Gilliam.

Peter Frampton Live in Detroit - This is the way to present a live rock performance.

The Matrix - Follow the white rabbit and let your mind be reprogrammed.

 

[Randy B A]

1.Toy Story ultimate toy box. Great box set with awesome sound and video

2.Lord of the Rings Felowship of the rings extended edition. Referance Material, Great package

3.Die Hard collection Fox 5 star collection. It does not get much better than this.

4.The Godfather Box Set. clasic movies in a great set.

5.Snow White P.E. beautiful restoration to a timeless clasic. I look forward to the Lion King.

6.E.T. the extra terrestrial theatrical edition. nice to see this the way it was in the theaters.

7.Chasing Amy criterion collection. Great Film, my favorite from Kevin Smith.

8.Fight Club 2 disc edition. another great film put together in ste with cool bonus features.

9.Walt Disney treasures. I can't wait for more of these.

10.vault disney titles. clasic disney titles in OAR, I hope they contiue this line.

 

[DanRevill]

My Desert Island top Ten DVDs

These were hard to come up with and for everything I put on, there was another just as deserving entry. So here we go.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition - Quite possibly the best set I've ever bought for one movie. The fact that two more movies are still to come brings a tear of joy to my eye.

The Toy Story Collection - What family collection would be complete without this set? The transfers are beautiful and the films are rewatchable a thousand times over.

Lawrence of Arabia Special Edition - My favorite movie of all time is presented in a beautiful case and has an awesome transfer to boot. The extra materials are really intriguing too.

8½: Criterion Collection - Ah, the best Christmas gift I never expected. Such a beautiful movie, presented in a great set.

Moulin Rouge! Special Edition - Already considered a great musical, it will be not only a lesson in excess but a lesson in beauty. This set gives you all the info you could want on the film plus everything else you didn't think you needed.

Vertigo - The best Hitchcock film is given a great treatment and even with the lack of an anamorphic transfer, it is still a beautiful disk.

Fight Club/Se7en - Both movies for me go hand in hand. They are the pinnacle of David Fincher's career thus far, and both sets give us great supplements. Plus let's not forget those crisp transfers.

AI: Artificial Intelligence - The reason I pick this over my other favorite Spielberg DVDs is because everytime I watch the film I am in awe of it's spectacular genius. If this is a failure, it's a beautiful one.

Magnolia - A sprawling character drama that resonates more deeply the older I become. Plus the hour and a half documentary is a great piece of film making.

The Royal Tenenbaums - Has comedy ever been this sublime?

An alternate list:

Unforgiven: Special Edition, Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Ultimate Edition, The Godfather Collection, Total Recall Special Edition, The Limey, North by Northwest, The Matrix, Amelie, Jaws (or Minority Report) and L.A. Confidential.

 

[clayton b]

1. FOTR EE: Great movie, good looking and great sounding disc. 4 commentaries, hours of extras, what more could a person want? Best DVD ever.

2. AOTC: Fun film, with the best looking video transfer and best sound that I've ever heard. A must have.

3. The Godfather boxed set: Probably the two greatest films ever made, and one pretty decent film. Lots of extras. Can't go wrong.

4. Moulin Rouge!: Not a huge fan of this movie, but I must say that it was given a first class treatment. Looks and sounds great. A different kind of demo disc.

5. Ben Hur: First class treatment of a classic film. With a very good documentary.

6. Dogma SE: Nice two disc set. As a Kevin Smith fan, I'm always impressed by how well his films are presented in the DVD format. The commentary is alot of fun, the extras are a must see for any fan.

7. Mallrats: See the last two. The commentary in this film is just as funny as the film its self.

8. Gladiator: Helped set new standards for the format for it's time. Volumes of extras, good looking and sounding disc.

9. The Matrix: Like Gladiator, helped set the standards a little higher.

10. The Phantom Menace: A disc that looks really good. The sound might be a tad too aggressive, but the extras are top shelf. Worth buying for the documentary 'The Begining'. Probably the best making of documentary I've ever seen. Very insightful.

 

[MarkHastings]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition - "If you didn't like this movie, then you obviously didn't see it."

 

[Shane_M]

It was tough not taking the movie into account for most of these and just looking at the specs that helped shaped DVD into what it is today.

With that being said - Here's my list

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition
"This DVD personifies perfection"

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
"The clarity of the video transfer and the power of its audio make this DVD a great choice to show off your system to your friends and family."

Blade II
"An ultimate workout for your home theatre."

Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition
"The first DVD to have a truly outstanding menu."

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: Vista Series
"A package that pleases both the DVD Enthusiast and the casual viewer."

Tombstone: Vista Series
"The audio on this DVD is like inviting a herd of stampeding horses into you’re living room."

X-Men 1.5
"Finally, a re-release that’s worth picking up."

Black Hawk Down
"Audio that makes you want to take cover behind your own couch."

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte Des Loups)
"The vivid French countryside is captured brilliantly by the immaculate video transfer."

Beauty and the Beast: Platinum Edition
"Simple. This is just a great package."

 

[John^Lal]

1)Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Gift-Special Extended Edition. Nothing comes close to having as much information about a great film. I still haven't seen everything. If anything says DVD it's this

 

[CaptDS9E]

1- Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring Extended cut 4 disc set

"Great picture, great sound (dts track is awesome), the film is even better with new footage, some of the best in depth and facinating extras on any dvd"

2-The Rock Criterian Edition

"One of the best action movies on dvd. The DTS Soundtrack is reference quality , and the picture is top notch as well. "

3-Pearl Harbor Directors Cut
"Some didn't like the movie, but i did. Even if you did not like it you can deny that until LOTR:Extended edition came out this was the top directors cut dvd out. Once again top notch video quality and sound. Also very original packaging"

4-SW:Attack of the Clones

"What can i say except refrence quality in all aspects of presentation"

5-Beauty and the Beast Platnum edition(disney)

"The classic i remember from my childhood in all of its glory. Stunning picture, fun extras, and multiple versions of the film. Why cant more movie studios do releases like this"

6-The Matrix

"The first original demo dvd to show dvd off to your friends. It still is one of the most used discs even after so many releases. Show anyone the lobby scene and they will be hooked on dvd forever"

7-24:Complete first season

"Was my favorite show last season, and then the dvd set came out. Watching it from the start in all its widescreen glory made me appreciate the show even more. Bring on Season 2, 3 and hopefully more"

8-Gladiator

"A Excellent movie, excellent transfer, and a awesome DTS soundtrack. I must have watched it 10 times in the first few weeks i had it in my hands"

9-Farscape DVD's

"A Excellent tv show that adv films took to another level. The transfers are stunning, the brand new 5.1 sound tracks make the show even more enjoyable then it already was"

10-Titan AE

"One of the best animated releases on DVD. Stunning transfer and one of the best DTS soundtracks out on DVD. Not to mention a pretty good animated adventure. Definately refrence"

 

[Thomas D]

I just did a "list of my favoritie 10 movies on DVD that I own". Here's two of them.

North by Northwest
Not only is it one of Hitchcock's best films, but the restoration efforts make it look like it was filmed just last year.

Minority Report
A movie so good, I almost purchased it twice.

-Thomas Deeny, TheSnakeFarm.com