Top 100 DVD Census (2005 Edition) - Vote Now For Your Top 10 (1 Viewer)

[ZacharyTait]

I don't care that I'm posting after the deadline, I just want everyone else to see what I think. After all, it's about sharing opinions.

Top 10 DVD's

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Editions - The gold standard.

2. The Star Wars Trilogy - Finally! The making-of documentary should have been released into theaters, as it is Best Documentary quality.

3. The Adventures of Indiana Jones - Everyone's favortie archeologist is home on the best format ever.

4. The Godfather Collection - This is an offer you shouldn't refuse. Worth it for the commentaries alone.

5. The Ultimate Matrix Collection - Everything you ever wanted to know about the best sci-fi trilogy since the original Star Wars. The lack of commentaries by the W brothers keeps this from #2.

6. The Back to the Future Trilogy - Since I have the corrected versions, I can count this among the best DVD's ever made.

7. Die Hard Trilogy - A vast improvement over the original discs. Despite many knockoffs, John McClane remains the ultimate cinema cop.

8. Alien Quadrilogy - Only the fact that I don't really care for 3 and Ressurection keep this low on the list. Other than that, it's film school in a very, very, long case.

9. Toy Story: Ultimate Toy Box - Just the first two discs would have been enough, but Pixar went and got the kitchen sink and threw that in too.

10. Almost Famous: Bootleg Edition - Just the fact that the Director's cut is superior to the theatrical cut (which was my favorite film of 2000) warrants inclusion on this list. Everything else is icing on the cake, especially the feature with Stairway to Heaven.

Honorable Mention:

Gone with the Wind: 4-Disc Set - I've only rented this so I can't put it on my top 10 until I own it.

Fight Club: Platinum Series and Se7en: Platinum Series - David Fincher and Co. show how DVD should be done.

Citizen Kane and Casablanca SE - Both are worth it just for the Roger Ebert commentaries.

Black Hawk Down Deluxe Edition - While the first two commentaries are cool, the third one with the guys who were there in real-life kicks ass.

Three Colors Trilogy - Miramax actually did justice to these three wonderful films, unlike some other DVD's they've done.....

Schindler's List Gift Set - Not much depth, but I would have been satisified with just the movie. The crappy case keeps this off the top 10.

Boogie Nights: Platinum Edition - If every Special edition was like this.....

Terminator 2 Ultimate Edition and Extreme Edition - Put the two editions together and you get just about everything you want to know about Terminator 2.

Top TV Shows DVDs

1. Freaks and Geeks: The Yearbook Set - Best $127.50 I ever spent.

2. The Simpsons Season 1-5 - Best. TV. Show. Ever. Season 4 is arguably the greatest season of any show in history.

3. Friends Seasons 1-8 - The best live action comedy ever. Sure the material replicates itself on every set, but what you get is the best Friends you'll ever have.

4. Futurama - While not as popular as it's big brothers, Groening and Co. must be commended for their TLC of this series.

5. Band of Brothers - Awesome 10-part miniseries housed in quite possibly the coolest case ever.

6. Sports Night - No extras, but you get the entire series, which is a bonus unto itself.

7. The West Wing - I suspect that when Season 4 comes out, it'll be the last season many fans of this series will buy.

8. The Sopranos - High price point aside, it's the best way to spend time with the best Mafia family since the Corleones.

9. 24 - The DVD format is even better for watching the real time events unfold.

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The ultimate cult show that deserved better.

 

[Jough]

Fah, I forgot to post that voting was closed!

However, since I won't be working on the final results site until after I get home tonight I will let any stragglers post a list until after "24" is over tonight, at 10PM EST.

So if you didn't get to post your list yet, now's your chance.

 

[Jough]

Okay, voting is closed.

I'm going to try to get the site up this week, but there's still 110 blurbs to write, 160 screenshots to capture, plus some introductory material, etc. So it'll take me awhile.

But I'm on it.

 

[Elijah Sullivan]

Looking at my list, written a month ago, I'm already itching to re-write it. :b

 

[troy]

Any update on this?

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Same here...

 

[Jough]

I'm working on it. Paid work has been a bear lately, but I hope to finish up the site this week/end.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It's tough to pick ten, even tougher to try to put them in order. Keep in mind that these are so close together they might as well be ranked equally.

MOVIES:

1. The Fantasia Anthology - worth every penny. Some of the best animation of all time, along with all of the supplements you'd ever want or need. If I'm trapped on a desert island with only one DVD release, this is probably it.

2. Almost Famous: Untitled - the best director's cut I own. The commentary track is priceless, I like that they include the original cut as well, but the Untitled version is far and away one of my all time favorites.

3. Lost Horizon - my favorite Frank Capra movie, it's amazing that this lesser known gem is on DVD at all. It hasn't been kept in the best shape, but Bob Gitt, the UCLA archive, and Columbia pictures have done what they can to bring the film as close to its original version as possible, and the DVD commentary serves as a fascinating insight into the field of film restoration and preservation, and why it's important.

4. Citizen Kane - I know this always goes on everyone's best movies ever list, but my memory of this film goes back to catching it one night at 2am on PBS when i was in middle school, and being totally taken by it, before I knew what a legendary film it was. So I guess I'm fortunate in that I can watch it as a movie and not just as a piece of history. The DVD looks as good as I've ever seen the film, the commentaries are great (especially Ebert's), and the bonus documentary is great to have.

5. Spartacus: The Criterion Collection - Though it's not my favorite Kubrick movie of all time (some would even argue with it being called a Kubrick movie), it is the best treatment any of his films have gotten on DVD. The restoration looks gorgeous, and the supplements are great. While I love the cast/crew commentary, the commentary recreated from Dalton Trumbo's script notes is an absolutely fascinating window into the filmmaking process. I've yet to hear another commentary that does what that one does as well as it does.

6. Lord Of The Rings: Extended Edition Trilogy - Even if the films were released as the theatrical versions but with all of the special features, these movies would make my list. But for the care put into these longer versions and then the incredible rounds of bonus documentaries, commentaries, galleries, etc, this has to be one of the best sets ever, the set that raises the bar for all new films.

7. Traffic: The Criterion Collection - One of my favorite films of recent years. Soderbergh's commentaries are always worth the price of admission, but the other commentaries included here are equally valuable. A great piece of cinema worth holding on to.

8. Wonder Boys - Though light on the special features, this has become one of my all time favorite movies, and certainly one of the more frequently watched titles in my collection. If anything, I'm kinda glad there isn't much as far as features go. The filmmakers do such a wonderful job of so perfectly creating these characters and their world that I'd hate to see the illusion shattered.

9. The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) - All around incredible release, perfect movie, great behind the scenes stuff, all sorts of cool archival material, basically a perfect release.

10. Sunrise - I never even thought I'd have this on DVD, much less looking as good as it does here. A treasure that no classic film lover should be without. I hope in the future Fox makes it easier for people to get a hold of this film.

HONERABLE MENTION: Gone With The Wind: Collector's Edition - there's really no reason why this couldn't be on the top ten, but inevitably something is always left off. My only reason for leaving it off is that I don't watch this as much as any of the other films on the list. But even if I don't get to see it as much as I'd like, the film itself is an incredible achievement and the DVD release is nothing short of outstanding.

TV SHOWS

1. Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Six - I got into the show when my Buffy addicted roommate convinced me to watch a few episodes with him. After watching the first half of this season, I had to go back and start from the very beginning. Some people will argue this isn't Buffy's best season, but for me, this is where it began.

2. The West Wing: Season Two - Possibly the best WW season ever. WB has done a great job with all of the releases thus far, so it's hard to single out one season to put on the list. Any WW release will do you just fine.

3. The Honeymooners: The Classic 39 - At long last!

4. Sports Night: The Complete Series - Couldn't imagine not having this. Absolutely nothing as far as special features go, but it's one of the best written and acted sitcoms I've ever seen, and holds up well with repeated viewings.

5. A Personal Journey Through American Movies With Martin Scorsese - This was originally produced as a BBC mini-series, and is still one of the most easily-accessible guides through American film that you can get. While not ever film highlighted here is in print, you'll never be in a bad spot watching any of the films here you can get a hold of.

 

[troy]

Is it done yet?

 

[ZacharyTait]

Any updates? I would offer to help, but I don't have a DVD-ROM on my PC.

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[Mike D]

Have I missed the announcement? Could somebody post a link to the results in this thread please?

 

[troy]

I second the motion.

 

[troy]

Do any of you know what happen to Jough?

 

[Mike D]

Until somebody else decides to compile the replies and post the results, just use last year's list [link and combine with the best of 2004 [link as you see fit.