cinema review

020 Star Wars: Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

The original trilogy has now been announced for a September 2004 release, but in the meantime you can tide your Star Wars jones with the first two episodes of the prequel trilogy. While Attack of the Clones doesn’t contain a documentary as compelling as “The Beginning” on The Phantom Menace disc, there is still much to interest fans of the film: deleted scenes with newly completed special effects, the twelve part documentary series from the StarWars.com web site, trailers, tv spots, and other looks at various aspects of the production, from the special effects to the editing and sound design. Add a commentary track from Lucas and Co. and you’ve got a great Star Wars release that is sure to garner many repeat viewings.

019 Adventures of Antoine Doinel: Criterion Collection

François Truffaut’s Doinel series features five films: The 400 Blows, Antoine and Colette, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, and Love on the Run. Also included are a generous amount of television interviews, film excerpts, and other material that offers information regarding Truffaut’s cinema and looks at the films in the series. The fifth disc contains even more supplements, making this one of Criterion’s best boxed sets.

018 Se7en: Platinum Series

Se7en was one of New Line’s first DVD releases, but this 2-disc “Platinum Series” release blows the old flipper away. The best part of the set is the new transfer supervised by director David Fincher, and the film has never looked better. Matchng the gorgeous transfer is the film’s soundtrack, in either Dolby Digital or DTS. The rain effects in the beginning of the film make this disc the perfect demo to show off your surround sound setup. The set includes a whopping FOUR commentary tracks, making-of material, deleted and extended scenes, an alternate ending, and a featurette on colour timing that is a must-see for anyone who’s interested in how a film is transferred from film to DVD. Se7en: Platinum Series is a stunning, stunning release.

017 Almost Famous: Untitled Bootleg Cut

Almost Famous was released in a pretty good single disc edition back in 2000, but this new “Bootleg Cut” blows the previous version away. You can view either the original theatrical cut (as on the previous disc) or the new director’s cut which features 36-minutes of extra footage. This isn’t fluff, either - these new scenes really enhance the already great film. The new set includes a commentary by writer/director Cameron Crowe & his mom, Alice Crowe, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, the complete shooting script (with Crowe’s notes), Crowe’s original articles for Rolling Stone, and a third disc - a CD featuring songs by the film’s fictional band “Stillwater.”

016 Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Ultimate Edition

While the “Extreme” edition also appears on the Top 100, it’s this earlier “Ultimate Edition” is the one that DVD fans prefer. The first disc features three different cuts of the film (via seamless branching), plus an audio commentary culled from interview footage and promotional material. Disc two offers one of the most detailed looks at the making of a film ever put on disc. Besides a few long video features (from various television broadcasts), the disc also includes a compendium of text, still frame, and video clips that are exhaustive (and exhausting!), marking this as the definitive release of the film on DVD. While the “Extreme Edition” offers a superiour transfer, and other features, true fans of the film would want to own both versions in order to get the whole story. That is, until the next “Super-Duper Extra Special Extremely Ultimate Edition” is released next year.

015 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Criterion Collection

Criterion’s release of this cult classic is another definitive release. You almost can’t go wrong by picking up anything from Criterion, but this release really takes advantage of the advantages of DVD over previous home video formats. The two-disc set includes three audio commentaries: one with director Terry Gilliam, another with the stars and producer, and one with the gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (from whose writing the film was adapted). Also included are a number of documentaries, deleted scenes (with director commentary), and packaging artwork by the insane Ralph Steadman.

014 Pulp Fiction: Collector’s Edition

Pulp Fiction finally gets its proper respect with this 2-disc “Collector’s Edition.” Fans may be disappointed by the lack of an audio commentary with director Quentin Tarantino, but between the subtitle trivia track (have I mentioned how great these are and how they should be more common?) and an hour long interview on the Charlie Rose Show with the director. Also included are deleted scenes (hosted by Tarantino) and an assortment of trailers and still galleries.

013 Looney Tunes Golden Collection

At long last Warner Bros.’s classic Looney Tunes cartoons are available on DVD in this terrific four-disc set. Warner also released a two-disc “Premiere Collection” at the same time (containing the cartoons, but not extra features, of discs three and four from this set) and thankfully DVD buyers sent Warner the message that they would prefer more large sets like this one. The set includes 56 cartoons totaling nearly seven hours of animation, plus another six hours of documentaries split over the four discs, with select audio commentaries, music-only tracks, and more. With 1,100 classic cartoons in their library, it’ll take Warners nearly 20 years to release them all if they released a set like this per year, and fans of the cartoons are sure to complain about omissions from each set, but there are so many great shorts here, and they’re presented so well, with so many interesting extra features that it’s hard to find anything negative to say about the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

012 Citizen Kane: Special Edition

Arguably the best film ever made, Citizen Kane looks great on DVD, thanks to Warner’s extensive restoration. Details that used to be hidden in shadows are now visible. Seeing Kane on DVD is like seeing the film for the first time. Disc one offers two commentary tracks: one from film critic Roger Ebert (arguably one of the best commentary tracks ever recorded), and another from Peter Bogdonovich (with some great anecdotes), plus a second disc containing the American Experience documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane, the attention paid to this film really paid off. Also included is the original theatrical trailer which introduces the RKO Radio Theatre players.

011 Black Hawk Down: Deluxe Edition

The Black Hawk Down: Deluxe Edition has not one, but TWO discs of supplemental features. The first platter includes three audio commentaries and a crisp anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film. The second two discs contain documentaries about the making of the film, PBS specials putting the film’s events in their historic context, deleted scenes, photo galleries, video diaries - just about everything you could possibly imagine. This set just barely missed the Top 10, but that’s not because it lacks special features.

010 Casablanca: Special Edition

Is it a coincidence that every film for which Roger Ebert supplied an audio commentary track has made the Top 100 list (or a runner-up)? Casablanca is another serious contender for the title of “Best Film” of all time - with a newly restored transfer, a second disc containing documentaries about the making of the film, a long look at Humphrey Bogart’s life and career (hosted by his wife, Lauren Bacall) and other newsreel footage, Casablanca is finally available in a definitive edition that is sure to be on this list for years to come.

009 The Godfather DVD Collection

Take the DVD, leave the cannolis. While some may have complained that the films weren’t available separately, the Godfather Trilogy is a great DVD package. All three films feature an audio commentary with director Francis Ford Coppola, and the included fifth disc of extras (The Godfather: Part II was split across two discs to maintain image quality) that offer deleted scenes and other insights into the making of the trilogy. The first two discs are supposed to be released in 2004 as separate releases for those who didn’t want the criminally underrated Godfather: Part III (which is really quite good, if not as grand in scope as the first two parts - heck, even Sophia Coppola, as the Don’s daughter, wasn’t as bad as critics have said). While the video transfers for the first two films are passable, but flawed, the new discs may or may not feature a new transfer cleaned up by Lowry Digital (who did a wonderful job with North by Northwest and the Adventures of Indiana Jones), depending on which press release you read. In any case, the fifth disc of extras is unique to this set and is worth the price alone.

008 Band of Brothers

One of the best television miniseries in the history of the medium is given a splendid presentation on DVD. The six discs feature two episodes a disc, plus a disc of extras material which features interviews with the actual men of Easy Company. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the film takes over where Saving Private Ryan left off, following Easy Company from boot camp through the end of the war. The set is beautifully packaged in an elegant tin, and is a remarkable achievement.

007 Brazil: Criterion Collection

Criterion’s three disc edition of Terry Gilliam’s dystopian Brazil contains two versions of the film: the superiour director’s cut and the “Love Conquers All” version that someone at Universal hacked together without the director’s input. It’s interesting to see how editing alone can completely change a film. The other disc contains the supplemental features that cover all aspects of the film’s design and production (although be warned that the meat of these features are all still-frame based - so be prepared to press your remote often). The only downside is that this is a direct port of the laserdisc version, which means that the transfer is not enhanced for widescreen televisions.

006 Toy Story & Toy Story 2 - The Ultimate Toy Box: 3 Disc Collector’s Set

The first Toy Story film proved that computer generated features could thrive at the box office. On DVD, Pixar’s first and third films are packaged together in a great boxed set, along with a third disc of extra material, designs, a look behind the scenes at Pixar, outtakes, an audio commentary for each feature, and more. Both films are digitally transferred right from the computer. This is one of the great DVD sets that can be used as a benchmark for compelling extras and great DVD presentation.

005 The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark / Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

One of the last major film franchises to appear on DVD, and the best-selling DVD boxed set so far (at least until Star Wars is released in September), The Adventures of Indiana Jones was released as a four disc set, with the first three containing the films, plus a fourth disc for extras. The transfers (cleaned up by Lowry) and remastered audio look and sound terrific, and the fourth disc, while hardly definitive, provides some great behind the scenes material along with newly shot documentaries. Unfortunately Spielberg has yet to provide an audio commentary track, but the documentary contains enough information to satiate the casual viewer. Thankfully Spielberg didn’t feel the need to digitally alter the film from its original version, other than removing the reflection of a snake (showing that there was a pane of glass between the cobra and Indy) and a prop that released the boulder that chased Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

004 Fight Club (Special Edition)

Fight Club was the first special edition DVD that felt truly special. It was my first two-disc set - nowadays even the cheesiest action movies get two discs by default - but back in the summer of 2000, the Fight Club package was truly special. Consider the ways in which this set kicks ass: four commentary tracks, deleted scenes and outtakes, multi-angle features, numerous making-of featurettes that showed pre-production, planning, special effects, and post-production, trailers, a stunning anamorphic transfer, and oh yeah, the film was one of the best of 1999. While this 2-disc version went out of print for a short while, it’s now back with a vengeance.

003 Alien Quadrilogy

When I first read the press release for the nine-disc Alien Quadrilogy set, I thought I was reading some make-believe fanboy list, and not an actual press release from a studio regarding a product that would be available for sale. Each of the four films gets a sweet two disc special edition, plus there’s a ninth disc chock full of even more extras than you can shake a stick at (not that I would recommend shaking a stick at your DVDs). There are multiple versions of each film, commentaries, behind the scenes features, long documentaries, still galleries, multi-angle features, trailers, tv spots, interviews - I’ll be here all day if I tried to list it all. Seriously, just imagine everything you could ever possibly want in a DVD: the Alien Quadrilogy has it. It is the new benchmark by which all future multi-film sets will be measured. Now if they could just do something about that absurd fold out digipak packaging, which stands close to five feet tall when unfolded…

I should also mention that Fox has released each of the films in a separate 2-disc set for those who don’t want all four. The ninth disc of bonus features is unique to the Quadrilogy boxed set, though.

002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Platinum Series Extended Edition

The first “Extended Edition” of the Lord of the Rings saga raised the bar for DVD releases, and The Two Towers continues with the same excellent features that made the first Lord of the Rings Extended Edition great: multiple commentary tracks, an impressive six hour documentary covering all aspects of the film’s production, and a cut of the film that enhances and enriches the story (the Star Wars: Special Editions these aren’t).