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

[AxelH]

A tough job - whittling this down to ten...

1)THE WIZARD OF OZ (Warner Bros) – A mind-boggling trip through the making of and legend created by one of the greatest films ever made.
2)CITIZEN KANE (Warner Bros) – The single greatest technical masterpiece in Cinema’s golden age, restored and explored like never before. Introducing a whole new generation to the genius of Welles
3)THE GODFATHER TRILOGY (Paramount) – The perfect marriage of Technology and Artistry. Maximum use of disc space, incredible transfers and a thoroughly enthralling set of extras. Also just plain amazing films.
4)LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – EXTENDED (New Line) – The ultimate mastery of the DVD format. Will only be surpassed by subsequent entries in the LOTR epic.
5)THE ART OF BUSTER KEATON (Kino) – As complete a library as one could possibly assemble for the first and greatest master of comedy…in one package!!!
6)SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN: S.E. (Warner) – A testament to what is possible in restoration. A kaleidoscope of Technicolor magic, restored by the good folks at Lowry Digital. Accompanied by a historical record of “The Musical” as a genre that should have its own three disc set.
7)PULP FICTION:C.E. (Alliance Atlantis) – Arguably the most influential film of the last 20 years, presented with enough extras to keep even the most ADD-rattled QT fan busy for days
8)THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Criterion) – The big C packages the most heartfelt and sincere film of the new millennium in the most heartfelt and sincere package imaginable.
9)THE FRENCH CONNECTION (20th Century Fox) – This “5-Star” Edition gives a new gloss, and a new understanding to the greatest crime/action film of the last century
10)WEST SIDE STORY: SE (MGM) – The Jets, the Sharks… MGM makes up for the initial lackluster release with a nuclear blast of retro-hip. Musicals have never been so dangerous and fun. Terrific colors and amazing sound.

 

[DannyS]

1: Brazil Criterion Collection.

quite simply, the first comprehensive and absorbing DVD produced. Superb movie, superb collection of supplements . Quality AND Quantity. a rarity in DVD nowadays

2: Lord Of The Rings Fellowship Of The Ring Extended Version .

see Brazil Criterion Collection

3: Se7en New Line Platinum series

So much thought and care has gone into this 2 disc set. The menus just creep you out, and the movie blows you away. Once again, superb restored transfer, and supplementals that suck you into the movie. you'll feel emotionally drained by the end.

4: Fight Club.

One of the first Groundbreaking DVD's. The Menu design was indicative of the movie, and the spplementals exhausting.
One of the first to boast Dolby EX and DTS ES sound too.

5: T2 Ulitmate edition

If you take a look at this 2 disc set, the title "ultimate" is justified. From the metal slipcase to the 3 versions of the movie via seamless branching (a feature not used enough) it reeks of quality. Then come the supplementals..Reams and reams of them. It took me about a month to get through them.

 

[P and SO]

1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition.
-- Brilliantly produced set, fitting the movie perfectly. Perfect transfer, a sublime amount of extras, and the most gorgeous packaging you could imagine, this was the culmination of all things DVD. It could only go downhill from here.

2. E.T. - Ultimate Gift Set.
-- Longer documentary than the 2-disc set, and way, way cooler packaging design. The movie looks great, and I can only describe it as "strange" to finally have this immortal classic in my collection.

3. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
-- Ironically, the set is a whole lot better than the movie itself. Witness the great fly-on-the-wall, no talking heads documentary "The Beginning".

4. Brazil: Criterion Collection.
-- If you ever find anyone questioning Terry Gilliam's genius, show them Brazil. If you ever find anyone denying the potential of DVD, show them the extras disc on the Brazil: Criterion Collection.

 

[WadeB]

In NO particular order:

FOTR extended: A beautiful film in a beautiful package. The benchmark of special editions. All great films need at least 4 discs!

SW Episode II AOTC- The best transfer that doesn’t come from Pixar. A reference must.

Monster’s Inc. : THIS is the best transfer. Tweeter will sell a lot of Plasmas with this as a demo. 3D like picture, dynamic sound. Also reached new heights of animation technology with all that blue hair.

Toy Story box: The best of the Pixar films, 2 is even better than 1. There is a wealth of info here about the animation process. We watch these again and again and again at my house.

Out of Sight: Great soundtrack, a smart and sexy film. Still one of my favorite commentary tracks. Film makers could learn a lot listening to Soderburgh here.

The Matrix: “Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: on aisle 5, presenting . . . the DVD!”

Fight Club: This just blew me away and after watching all the extras with a friend, he ran out and bought a DVD player.

Braveheart: The blood, that speech, those kilts! I still get goosebumps.

U-571: The best LFE track yet. Shake your house, frighten your cat and annoy your neighbors.

The Godfather Collection: I’m gonna make you a DVD you can’t refuse.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Tough to whittle down!

Not in order but here are my top ten;

1. The Princess Bride, great love story, one of my all time favourites

2. Big Trouble in Little China

3. The Rock

4. T-2 the Ultimate edition

5. Die Hard trilogy

6. Hopscotch

7. Murder by Death

8. Back to the Future

9. Armageddon

10. The Matrix

Good stuff all...

 

[Aaron Silverman]

When is the deadline for poll responses?

 

[Bill Burns]

(listed in order from greatest to least)

1. Insomnia (Christopher Nolan’s remake; widescreen edition; Warner Bros.)

Reason: an evocative, captivating film with strong, weighty performances from Robin Williams, Al Pacino, and Hillary Swank, this DVD has the finest live action video transfer I've seen (of more than 700 discs viewed to date). Fine detail is extraordinary, color reproduction and gradation without flaw, and contrast right on target. Among the bonuses is a "shooting continuity" commentary I find innovative and very welcome.

2. Tarzan: Collector's Edition (animated; Disney)

Reason: as emotionally valid as The Lion King but deeply human, and therefore very prominent in my heart, this film is a stellar achievement, and Disney's best, in my judgment, since Bambi. The scene in which the mother ape places baby Tarzan's hand on her heart is among the most emotional I've encountered in animation. The Collector's Edition two disc package (I haven't viewed the single disc release) has many worthy supplements, but the video quality is the real star here (audio is terrific, as well). Fantastic color reproduction, rich and deep, excellent detail, no noticeable edge enhancement to detract from its film origins -- this is the best an animated film has looked on DVD (I should note here that while I've seen the Toy Story discs, I have not seen Shrek or Monsters, Inc. on DVD, so cannot compare this disc to those).

3. A Star is Born (George Cukor's version of 1954; Warner Bros.)

Reason: a brilliantly envisioned musical telling of this story, with one of Judy Garland's best realized film performances. All actors in the film shine, and this devout restoration finally suggests, with its complete soundtrack and innovative use of still photography and bits and pieces of "found" elements, the truly epic vision of George Cukor's masterpiece (a word I use very sparingly). Listen to Judy sing "The Man That Got Away" and see if you don't carry her away in your heart. Warner's disc is a fantastic, deeply film-like recreation of this CinemaScope epic, and the DVD-18 also provides a number of terrific supplements on its flipside (the film occupies a single dual-layered side). I couldn't recommend this more highly.

4. Them (Warner Bros.)

Reason: fans of 50's monster films should rejoice, as this DVD, bolstered by an image beautifully restored by Lowry Digital, is everything you could hope for in a giant insect feature. Stylish menus, absolutely flawless B&W photography (I first watched it unaware it had been restored, and literally could not believe my eyes), a fun story ... and giant ants. Ya' gotta love giant ants (we have those, too, in Florida, not just giant mosquitos).

5. Ben-Hur (William Wyler's 1959 version; Warner Bros.)

Reason: Charlton Heston; MGM Camera 65; DVD-18. What more could you ask? The film doesn't look quite as phenomenal as I'd like, but at 2.76:1, you can only expect so much at NTSC (anamorphic SDTV?) resolutions. This belongs in every collection (now if we can only manage a proper restoration of that other MGM Camera 65 epic, Raintree County, and, regardless of its printing history, first and foremost make it available at its full 70mm AR of 2.76:1, perhaps in addition to a 35mm reduction presentation to better preserve its theatrical history).

6. Rebecca (Criterion Collection)

Reason: Alfred Hitchcock's exquisitely crafted visual canvas of murderous deceit and Victorianesque melodrama (no, not Vertigo -- I await a definitive anamorphic edition of that from its 65mm restoration elements, but its current disc remains pleasing) is finally represented with a perfectly restored B&W transfer in this terrific entry from Criterion (not to be confused with Anchor Bay's edition, which I have not seen). Joan Fontaine, one of the loveliest actresses to ever work in film, has never looked lovelier, even in Technicolor. Fans of Lawrence Olivier will also complain of little in this presentation. While savoring the image, don't overlook the smorgasbord of terrific supplements, among them a telephone interview with Ms. Fontaine herself.

7. The Walt Disney Treasures discs (particularly the animation collections)

Reason: an ongoing series produced and hosted by Leonard Maltin, these limited edition tins contain some of the most delightful (and innovative) theatrical short subject animation you'll find. Until the WB Looney Tunes, Merry Melodies, and Tom and Jerry collections arrive, these stand atop the animation hill for both quality and value of content. I particularly recommend the now OOP Silly Symphonies collection.

8. Dances With Wolves: Extended Cut (MGM's new Special Edition release)

Reason: while I haven't yet seen the disc, for the phenomenal quality of the film itself, and its long awaited availability in extended cut form on DVD (those of us with the laserdisc boxed set of this cut have long dreamt of what the film might look like anamorphically encoded), this is simply among the very best pictures in existence, and belongs in every collection. Once I've had a chance to view the disc, I'll briefly update here with thoughts on the transfer, which might further recommend this release to DVD enthusiasts (UPDATE: the transfer is pleasing, with its biggest fault the edge "halo" or enhancement trouble that plagues many releases; these artifacts are only noticeable against bright backgrounds, and in this film that usually means the sky, and only in medium shots or close-ups; colors are well defined but feel underpumped, lacking sparkle -- this is likely an intentional choice by the cinematography, but even the loveliest skies feel more like Dorris Day than Vivien Leigh, if you see what I mean -- pastels and the occasional rich blue or pink lay claim over the passionate palettes of a Gone With the Wind, and aside from that the browns, yellows, and grays of the countryside are nicely, somewhat somberly rendered; the visual approach of this "low budget epic" is a nice one, and works well with the material, but it doesn't dazzle the eye. The DVD is a great improvement over the laserdisc, particularly in image stability and fine detail -- note those stars on the night Costner's character sees a comet flash across the sky! Gorgeous -- and the two hours or so I've experienced of Kevin Costner and Jim Wilson's commentary -- there's another commentary, as well -- has proven delightful and very informative; this set is highly recommended).

9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Cut, four-disc release; New Line)

Reason: the most extensive supplementation yet seen for a single film on DVD, and also a very pleasing transfer (with a slew of sound options and commentaries), this release pushes the art of DVD itself forward. The film is excellent, as well, and it looks as though the remaining two in the trilogy will receive similar treatment on DVD.

10. Gladiator (Ridley Scott; Dreamworks)

Reason: a majestic, flawlessly entertaining, beautifully realized epic (Joaquin Phoenix is of particular note for his evocation of Roman Emperor Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, here played by the unmatched Richard Harris), which on this DVD finds an exemplary representation of the theatrical experience; gorgeous sound, and a video transfer second only to Insomnia for sheer visual quality; color reproduction is particularly excellent. I feel as if I'm drinking, not watching, this film, so saturated with sheer quality is its presentation. Scott's commentary is also intriguing and proves a very worthwhile supplement.

 

[JohnRice]

I'm taking the thread title literally and picking what I think are the most notable DVDs, not necessarily just the movies I think are best.


These are in no particular order.


The Man Who Wasn't There. Not only because of the beautiful and well handled transfer, but also largely for the 45 minute interview with Roger Deakins. A feature that I find far more valuable than most extras on any other DVD.


Metropolis (Kino). Finally (mostly) restores one of the visual pioneers in film history. Thanks largely to DVD, we can all see pretty much what this classic was meant to be 75 years ago.


The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. A rare, if minor use of seamless branching, but mostly for the clever use of extras. The subtitle track with little known facts from Pinky Carruthers is one of the best uses of DVD technology I have seen yet.


T2 - Ultimate Edition. Entirely for the extensive use of seamless branching. This feature is not taken advantage of nearly often enough.


Blood Simple. For the "commentary" track that so completely is in fitting with the intent of the film makers.


Legend - Ultimate Edition. If not for this DVD release, I would have always thought this film was completely awful. Being able to see the Director's cut and interviews explaining the changes made to the US release is one of the most informative examples of the movie industry, other than my last pick.....


Brazil - Criterion Collection. Both this and Legend are the best examples I know for explaining the politics and many other obstacles in the movie industry. They are both chilling examples of the power and importance, both good and bad, of film editing.

 

[TommyT]

1. LOTR: Fellowship/Ring, Spec Ext Ed - The sheer amount of content & the new version of the film make it the best DVD to date.

2. Re-Animator, Millennium Ed - Simply the funniest horror film ever. The cast & crew had a lot of fun making this movie & it really shows during their commentary track.

3. The Godfather Series - Francis Coppola has something interesting to say about EVERY scene from all 3 films (yes, even Part 3!) during his commentary tracks.

4. Terminator 2, Ultimate Ed - Some of the best menus I've seen & is the closest DVD has come to LOTR/Fellowship for an extended version that's equal or superior to the theatrical.

5. Monty Python/Holy Grail, Spec Ed - My choice for the funniest film ever. The extras are some of the funniest ever committed to disc.

6. Traffic, Criterion - Just a great film, compelling, great script & well directed & acted. The multi-angle feature on disc 2 is quite fascinating.

7. Fight Club, Orig DVD Vers - It's just a bloody shame that Fox decided to strip this one down & make it 1 disc. The 2nd disc has some great extras that I still watch.

8. Boogie Nights, New Line Platinum - Has great commentary tracks, esp the cast & director.

9. Se7en, New Line Platinum - One of the great chillers of the '90s. The doc on the creation of Doe's notebooks makes this one worth buying.

10. Do the Right Thing, Criterion - Still Spike's best & Criterion did a great job with the DVD.

 

[Jason Kleeberg]

Here goes...

Fight Club SE - Possibly the best DVD ever, with over 15 making of featurettes. This one sets the bar for any DVD that comes after it.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - Not until you've perused this whole DVD do you realize how much fun Kevin and the gang had making this movie. Also includes over 30 deleted scenes!

Jackie Brown SE - Worth the wait. Tarantino's most underrated work comes to life with the perfect DVD.

Windtalkers DC - Never have I seen such an improvement on such a lackluster first release. Finally Windtalkers comes to life, with 3 discs to back it up.

Tombstone - Vista - How the west was won. Tombstone shines on the spectacular 2 disc release.

Boogie Nights - Perfect packaging, thoughtful menus, and intuative commentary make this a must own for anyone's collection!

Royal Tenenbaums - Like someone said, no list is complete without a Criterion, and this is my pick. A great movie with copious amounts of extras make this a sure favorite.

Donnie Darko - Never did such a small release grab such a great DVD treatment. Finally, an independent film done right on DVD.

Jason Kleeberg, Home Theater Forum

 

[Jeff Swearingen]

I whittled through my 400 DVD collection to try to find some of my picks for best...

...in no particular order...

Citizen Kane
Back to the Future trilogy
LOTR: Fellowship Extended Edition
Sports Night
The Civil War
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Vertigo
North by Northwest
Metropolis (1927)
Lawrence of Arabia
Walt Disney Treasures
E.T. Collector's Set
Brazil (Criterion)
Band of Brothers
The James Bond Collection
The Godfather Collection
Singin' in the Rain 2-disc
Close Encounters 2-disc
Snow White Platinum Edition
The Blues Brothers Extended Edition
Seven Samurai (not the best dvd but who cares - its Seven Samurai!)
The Fantasia Anthology
Dr. Zhivago
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Star Trek II

OK so I ended up with 25 top picks and intended to just have 10 or so...

 

[JoeMKal]

1. LOTR Fellowship EE
imo the best DVD package ever, not only is it one of my favorite movies, everything on the DVD's is of the highest quality, and it has more features than any other DVD I have encountered

2. Brazil CC
my favorite movie of all time, and the epitome of why criterion is the best DVD sudio of all time ...imo

3. Lawrence of Arabia CE
a remastered classic, and one of the best adventure movies of all time

4. Fight club SE
a great movie, and absolutely loaded with features

5. Star Wars EP 1&2
despite being disapointing are great examples of excellence in the DVD format

I would have to disagree with Memento LE, part of being a great DVD is having logical, easy to use menus, most of the standard features are hidden like easter eggs, unless of course you consider the confusion/torture part of the experience of the movie

 

[Rodd Sato]

1. Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring (4-disc Extended Edition)

Possibly the best looking and sounding DVD out there right now. The two extras discs give great insight into the making of the film.

2. Fight Club (2-disc SE)

Awesome. Just awesome. Especially the opening credits. The extras disc is one of the best I've seen. Your collection is not complete without this now out-of-print gem.

3. Star Wars - Attack of the Clones

A mediocre movie, but due to the digital nature of it, it looks great on a high def screen. Eye candy for the masses. The extras disc is packed with great features as well.

4. Monsters Inc.

The best Pixar DVD yet. Amazing looking animation with vibrant colors that jump off the screen in 3D. As usual, the extras disc has great features including a look inside Pixar's HQ and two fun shorts, "For the Birds" and "Mike's New Car".

5. Akira (LE Tin)

Best anime DVD out there right now, IMO. This standard of Japanese animation has stood the test of time. The transfer looks outstanding for an "older" anime film. The cool extras include making of featurettes and interactive white pill pop-ups which you can turn on while viewing the film. The collectible "tin can" makes this the complete package.

6. Moulin Rouge (2-disc SE)

Another great looking DVD with outstanding extras. This is a movie with good replay value.

7. Boogie Nights (2-disc New Line Platinum Series)

One of my favorite movies of all time. John Holmes ain't got nothin' on Dirk Diggler. PT Anderson's breakout film with some interesting deleted scenes, especially the one where it shows how Dirk trashed his 'Vette.

8. Saving Private Ryan (DTS version)

Storming the Beach at Normandy. See it. Hear it. 'Nuff said.

 

[chrisMCG]

Hmm. A tough choice.

I'd have to say that some of my favorite DVDS are the following.

Fight Club - The 2-disc is still the best DVD to date. The movie is a cult success, the audio and video are great and let's not forget all of the supplements, including the numerous audio commentaries!

This is Spinal Tap - This disc is one of my all-time favs, not only for the hilarious movie but for the commentary that is done in character! Not to mention the hour and a half of deleted scenes too.

Toy Story - The Ultimate Toy Box - Again, looks like this one is on here quite a bit, but what the hell can you say about this Pixar release - it's everything shy of your own studio included in the box.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Criterion Collection - It usually takes me a while to put a disc on the top of my pile, but this disc has got it all. Great features, great packaging, great movie.

Mallrats - Collector's Edition - While I may not have loved the film, I definitely loved the DVD that came included with it. The video commentary is great, as are the loads of other special features included with this disc.

Other worthwhile discs

Star Wars discs
Robocop Criterion
Chasing Amy Criterion
Lord of The Rings 4-disc
Swingers: Collector's Edition

 

[JohnTRU]

Easy post for my first;

1) LOTR:EE - Not just because the film was longer (and better), but for the hours upon hours of stuff to wade through on discs three and four. And for the ability to wade through the stuff without ever being bored and the fact I was always amazed as to what was on the screen. Can't wait for the next two. Could the three of them together ever be topped?

2) Almost Famous: The Bootleg Cut - My favourite movie fleshed out and made that so much better. For a brilliant commentary also. And a Stillwater cd!

3) The Last Waltz: SE - Because older films such as this that tend to be forgotten for a period of time, should be reusrrected with utmost care and respect. And they all deserve to look and sound as good as this. And we must thank the makers because now we can rewind back and forth to laugh at Van Morrison's suit without worrying about the tape wearing out.

4) T2: UE - Three versions of a kick-ass movie, and its movie school in a box on disc two.

5) Se7en: Platinum Series - (or deluxe special edition here in Oz) "Mastering for the Home Theatre". A simple little featurette that summed the advantages of dvd up for me better than any article or webpage ever could. For a brilliant transfer and amazing sound. For four commentaries.

6) This is Spinal Tap: SE - not only the best commentary out there, but it has the funniest damn menus ever.

7) Band of Brothers - Because I don't have 'From the Earth to the Moon' and it shows to full effect the potential for tv shows on dvd, given the right amount of care.

8) A Bug's Life: CE - OOP now and being replaced by a Nemo cash-in, this dvd package demonstrates the genius of Pixar like no other. My favourite film of theirs by a country mile.

9) The Best Bits of the Late Show: Champagne Edition - Not sure if I can include Region 4 only releases, but what the hell. For the six-hour commentary with the entire cast of this brilliant and hysterical Aussie tv show. A commentary that is, on occasion, funnier than the feature. For the hidden surpise deep into the photo gallery, re: Shirty's real identity. For Grassby, Grills, Nudge & Plumb, Joan Kirner, Shitscared, the Ah-Nuld impersonation ("my new book - it's called 'A Man and his Moofies'") and so much more. Under-appreciated in its day. Has hopefully found a second wind on dvd.

10) I can't make up my mind on this one, so we'll call it a tie.