Your Opinion- The Best DVD

[DMann2003 0]

Next March will mark the 10th Anniversary of our favorite home video format, DVD. In that decade we've watched DVD move from a niche market into the overwhelming choice for home theater viewing.

 

Which begs the question, what in you opinion is the best DVD released since the format's introuduction? I'd say try and limit it to just feature films, though if you want to post a favorite TV DVD or Music DVD release go ahead. I'd also shy away from box sets if possible. The best choice should be a combination of film value, picture & audio presentation and, of course, extras (I'd value quality over quantity, some DVD's these days like to cram a ton of 'special features', very few of which are actually special.)

 

I'd have to say that overall one of the best DVD releases was the Clerks X Anniversary DVD, granted for a 16mm black & white film the picture won't be prisitine, but video and audio are probably best they can look, and the supplements are both informative, but real funny too.

 

So go ahead, what are your picks?

[snuffbox 0]

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Criterion Collection.

[Youth N Asia 0]

The HBO Band of Brothers mini series

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Cannibal, The Musical simply for having the greatest commentary track of all time.

 

Seriously though, it depends on what you want. Commentaries, alternate/deleted scenes, behind the scenes features, etc. I've got a soft spot for the Fight Club 2 disc edition (the one in the brown paper wrapper). The multiple angles of scenes, the deleted and alternate scenes, and the commentaries are all well done and entertaining if not informative. The only quibble I have is that they spliced together Helena Bonham Carter's commentary and the Norton/Pitt commentary. Not a major problem though, and you could tell that everyone (especially Pitt) enjoyed the process of making the movie. Plus the [ackaging itself is very good (the cheery Pitt with the thumbs-up) and the liner notes detailing how the book became a movie (complete with negative critic reviews) are a fairly good read for being simple filler material.

 

Clerks X and Band of Brothers are very well done as well.

[spman 0]

The Terminator 2 set in the metal slipcase is about as definitive as anyone could ever possibly want, although I think it lacks commentary from Cameron or Schwartzenegger, but what are you gonna do?

[DMann2003 0]

The Terminator 2 set in the metal slipcase is about as definitive as anyone could ever possibly want, although I think it lacks commentary from Cameron or Schwartzenegger, but what are you gonna do?

 

Well, that one does have a pieced together commentary from actors and crew-people (including Arnold and Cameron) but it's mainly from interviews done for the film.

 

However the T2 Extreme Edition has a James Cameron/William Wisher audio commentary, one of the best I've ever heard too.

[Guest Askewniverse]

Clerks X is one of my favorites. It has just about everything you could ask for.

 

Criterion's recent 3-disc release of Seven Samurai is really good. As of now, I'd say it's the best overall DVD this year.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

The Terminator 2 set in the metal slipcase is about as definitive as anyone could ever possibly want, although I think it lacks commentary from Cameron or Schwartzenegger, but what are you gonna do?

Agreed.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

In my opinion, the best anime DVDs so far are the Excel Saga DVDs, mainly for the pop up AD-Vidnotes that explain all the references and such that makes the show even funnier

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Definitely the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition DVDs. The Extended Cuts of the film, four commentary tracks, and about 12 hours of documentaries on each of the three films.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I'll give a shout out to the Seinfeld sets. There are more features on those things than you could ever need.

[razazteca 0]

The Akira 2-disc special edition in the metal case.

 

Features:

Disc 1: The Feature:

Capsule Option - English Translation Of Graffiti

Scene Access

THX Optimizer

THX Certified

 

Disc 2: Bonus Material:

Akira Production Report

Akira Sound Clip by Geinoh Yamashiro Gumi

Interview of Director Katsuhiro Otomo

Over 4,500 Stills of Production Materials

Over 100 Stills of Akira Glossary

Original Teasers and Trailers

Interviews of Restoration Staff

Video:

Widescreen 1.78:1 Color (Anamorphic)

Audio:

ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1

JAPANESE: Dolby Digital Surround

Subtitles:

English

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

The Akira 2-disc special edition in the metal case.

 

I've got that one and it's very good, but I just didn't like the movie. It may be sacrilege and it may just be because it's been a while since I've seen it, but parts of that movie (including the ending) just make no damn sense to me at all. Everything production-wise is very good about it, but it's almost like the plot tries to be too smart for it's own good, and loses cohesion as a result.

 

This should have gone into the anime thread, but I saw this and wanted to get that off my chest.

[In Credible 0]

The Wire Seasons 1-3

[razazteca 0]

The Akira 2-disc special edition in the metal case.

 

I've got that one and it's very good, but I just didn't like the movie. It may be sacrilege and it may just be because it's been a while since I've seen it, but parts of that movie (including the ending) just make no damn sense to me at all. Everything production-wise is very good about it, but it's almost like the plot tries to be too smart for it's own good, and loses cohesion as a result.

 

This should have gone into the anime thread, but I saw this and wanted to get that off my chest.

Congratulations you just described 70% of all anime the ending is always overbooked and is lost in translation. The main reason I chose Akira was the use of music in the dramatic parts of the film from the fight with the clowns and the scene where the toys come alive. The score to the film itself is art for the ears...John Williams masterbates to this music.

[Youth N Asia 0]

While I love The Wire and have them on DVD, the fact that the extars are either non existant or suck doesn't win it over for me.

[Anakin Flair 0]

Definitely the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition DVDs. The Extended Cuts of the film, four commentary tracks, and about 12 hours of documentaries on each of the three films.

 

The only thing I didn't like about them was no Viggo Mortenson on commentary, which I found a bit odd. Other than that, a great choice.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

The first thing that came to mind was Batman Returns (and, to a lesser degree, Batman Forever). I'm referring to the snazzy 2-disc editions. The audio and visual are perfect and flawless - really amazing given their age [Returns, especially]. There's great extras involved as well, which I won't go into detail here. You'll look it up if you wanna know.

 

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, something-anniversary edition, which features interviews with all the kids aaaand they get a commentary track. Nifty.

 

Fear and Loathing, two disc, would've been another good one, though of course already mentioned.

[MrRant 0]

KRULL

[Jonathon 0]

Lost Season 1 Box set. Great, episodic viewing, just the right amout of special features.

[gWIL 0]

The 4-disc Dawn of the Dead set.