Stefan Halley

This year there was a bumper crop of great releases.  As more and more companies start putting out cult classics and rarely seen films, the harder it gets to choose the best DVDs I’ve seen.  There are so many great titles and special editions released this year.  I’m sure I’m leaving off several titles but they must not have made that good of an impression on me then.

10. Deadwood Season 2 – I love this series and HBO does what it always does for their DVD releases; puts out a great set with loads of extras.  Deadwood taught me how to love westerns again.  This is one must see series and I can’t wait to add season three to my collection next year.

9. Night Watch – Russia puts out lots of weird stuff every year.  This year was no exception.  After a long wait, we finally got the vampire epic Night Watch released in the States.  I was happy to be rid of my crappy all region version.  Day Watch can’t get here soon enough.

8. Animaniacs Seasons 1 & 2 – One of my favorite cartoons of all time, I was thrilled when Warner Brothers finally released the first two seasons on DVD.  I can finally learn all the countries in the world.

7. Wordplay – I honestly didn’t expect to like Wordplay very much.  A documentary about crossword puzzles doesn’t exactly scream excitement.  Boy was I wrong.  If you haven’t seen this movie then you’re missing one of the best releases this year.

6. Next Door – The Danger After Dark label is releasing some of the best horror titles the world has to offer.  Next Door is a gritty, disturbing thriller that left me on the edge of my seat.  It has to be seen to be believed.

5. Old Boy 3-Disc Edition – Old Boy would have made my list regardless.  The three-disc version is a must own.  One of the best films I have ever seen is now packed with extras and includes a copy of the original manga all in a great collectors tin.

4. Apocalypse Now: Complete Dossier – This is the must own version of the film.  I’ve never owned Apocalypse Now and I now have both versions in one set.  Now if they would just release a version with the Heart of Darkness included.

3. Cinema Paradiso Limited Collector’s Edition – Includes both the U.S. and international releases of the film plus tons of extras.  I loved this movie as a kid and this edition is simply incredible.

2. The Pinky Violence Collection – I never even knew I liked 60’s Japanese exploitation films until I got this amazing set.  This four-disc set has some great women in prison/chick biker gang classics. 

1. James Bond Ultimate Editions – With the release of Casino Royale, Bondmania is exploding and MGM/Sony has released all twenty of his films in four great collections.  Each film gets a two-disc treatment and is digitally re-mastered.  This is one set every Bond fan must own.

Honorable Mention: Amazing Stories, Shakespeare Behind Bars, Pusher Trilogy, Hard Candy, Head Trauma, King Kong Extended Edition, Frank Capra Collection, Feast, Justice League, The Boondocks, Masters of Horror

Michael Edwards

Wow. A 10 Best List. It’s tough enough taking a chance of getting someone’s goat by forcing my opinion of certain DVD’s down their throats, as I occasionally do… get their goat that is. But now I’m going to actually dig deep into my self-absorbed psyche and try to fill out a 10 Best of 2006 list… and perhaps even justify them.

Picking 10 of the best DVDs of any year is a difficult task if for no other reason than how to set the criteria. I mean, do I choose them based on my favorite movies? Should I forgo whether or not the movie is any good and list them by the packaging and special features? Or narrow that down by the best buy for the buck? Plus, there’s the added pressure of the derision some readers may give me because I picked a certain release and (God forbid) left their favorite off the list. Hmmmm…. This is going to take some thought. It almost seems like the best way to go is either reducing the list to the best DVD releases of a certain day (say, October 5th, 2006) or increasing it to make it the Best 5,382 DVD Releases of 2006.

I don’t think Stefan will let me get away with a list that long, so here I go…. Top 10:

10. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid: 2-Disc Collector’s Edition (20th Century Fox) - Simply put, Redford & Newman make an excellent team onscreen and it’s a shame they made so few movies together. This re-release offers some terrific supplemental materials including a brand new documentary feature mixed in with all of the older promotional featurettes.

9. (Tie) The Lady & The Tramp / The Little Mermaid (Disney) - While a lot of Disney’s direct to DVD sequels aren’t the best, the treatment they give to their classic animated features are usually stellar. Such was the case with both of these releases in terms of the final transfer and the unbelievably long list of supplemental materials offered.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Extended Edition (Disney) - Besides the fact that the film did such a great job of capturing the spirit of C.S. Lewis’ book, at least according to my wife (an avid reader of the series), I forgave Disney’s double dip of this title because the added scenes really did flesh out some of the smaller details of the story. And the added documentary gave me a much stronger appreciation of the work that went into making this film.

7. Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (Paramount) - While I admitted in my review as not having been as captivated by this film as some of the masses, I do appreciate the artistic way in which it was presented. This new release gave audiences the opportunity to see both versions of the film (the original theatrical vs. the 2001 ‘Redux’) and let them decide which they preferred. And again, I cannot snub my nose at the special features that fill this wonderfully designed 2-disc set.

6. Six Feet Under: The Complete Series (HBO) - This series certainly had its ups and downs (mostly downs I guess for the clients) throughout its five year run. But even at its worst, the writing and performances offered an entertaining hour with each episode. I add this one to the list mostly because of the series itself, but also in part because of the unusual packaging. The five seasons come in a box designed to look like a side view of a grave, complete with artificial grass on the top. In the middle of the ‘grass’ is a small inset headstone bearing the name of the series and the years that it aired. Inside you get all of the episodes and all of the special features that were available on the individual sets, plus both of the CD soundtracks that were released, and a memorial book with epitaphs for the characters. 

5. Double Indemnity: Universal Legacy Series (Universal) - I’ve always considered this to be a film noire classic, and one of the few times we see Fred MacMurray in a serious role. This new release from Universal delivered the film with a pristine transfer and the two commentaries from noted film historians gave me a newer appreciation of the film as a whole. I almost took some credit away for the inclusion of the 1970’s remake with Richard Crenna, but…..

4. (Tie) Frankenstein 75th Anniversary Edition / Dracula 75th Anniversary Edition (Universal) - Both of these films offer a fine example of the creativity and imagination that USED to be the way of things in Hollywood. They have withstood the test of time and are considered by many to be classics in every sense of the word, something you don’t find often in the horror genre. When I first heard they were being re-released I thought to myself, “Why? There are so many DVDs out there…” But when I saw them I understood. Both are filled with newly created documentaries and featurettes, the films have been beautifully restored, and the packaging is very handsome. One of the best inclusions is the Spanish version of “Dracula” (I’ll let you guess which set it is on…), which was filmed at the same time as its American counterpart, using the same sets but shooting at night. Not to discount the performance of Bela Lugosi, but I found parts of this version to be stronger than the one American audiences are more familiar with.

3. The Twilight Zone The Complete Definitive collection (MPI) - What more can I say about the original “Twilight Zone”, created, hosted, and largely written by Rod Serling. It was a great series that had a terrific 5 season run and while it may not have been the first anthology series, it certainly had an impact on those that came after. I used to tape the episodes in syndication (being the geek that I am) and used to be proud to say that I had every single episode but one. I even had a purchased copy of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, which was actually a short French film that was used as the series finale. I’m sad to say that I still do not own this awesome set, but one of these days I’m going to hint at it strongly enough and someone with a heart of gold will send it my way. (By the way, feel free to email me for my address…..)

2. Seven Samurai: The Criterion Collection (Criterion) - Akira Kurosawa…3-Disc Edition… need I say more?

1. (Tie) The James Bond Ultimate Edition: Volumes 1 - 4 (MGM) - Okay, technically it’s not really a tie… but there are four separate editions. I’m only a casual fan of the James Bond series. I like the movies… but I don’t LOVE the movies. However, the film geek in me went nuts when I saw these glorious collections, each with 2-disc versions of five of the movies. Collectively, they deliver all twenty of the official James Bond movies, only leaving out the newest one with Daniel Craig. Now, I did say ‘official’ so you won’t find the 1967 spy spoof “Casino Royale” with David Niven in the role of 007 or Sean Connery’s 1983 “Never Say Never Again.” I kind of wish the former were included though, if for no other reason than to see Woody Allen as ‘young Jimmy Bond.’ These two exclusions aside, all four of these sets deliver re-mastered versions of the films and an ungodly amount of extra materials for each individual title. And they are packaged in such a way as to take up as little room on the shelf as possible, which is always a plus in today’s crazy world of DVD collecting. 

J.E. Smith

Needless to say, a “Best DVDs of the Year” list is completely different from a “Best Films” list, and comprises a whole different set of criteria. These choices are highly personal, reflecting the DVDs I was most delighted to see released in the last year. Your mileage may vary.

10. How I Met Your Mother: Season One - This was a toss-up with the first season of My Name is Earl for the Best New Sitcom release, but even though Earl is more experimental and daring, Mother is simply more consistently funny. Even beyond the terrific cast and the sharp writing, this show has a nice “lived-in” quality that makes you feel like you’re really watching these characters lives develop. It’s not quite an all-time classic – yet – but it is a highly underrated and wonderful show that deserves more attention.

9. The Flash: The Complete Series – Never released on VHS (except for a couple of token episode compilations), The Flash was in no way a slam-dunk for a DVD release. It was never a popular favorite, and is remembered more by comic book geeks than the population at large. It was flawed, no doubt – the early episodes are routine crime dramas with the guy in the red bodysuit plugged in. But around the mid-season mark the show starts to really take shape and it becomes mostly wonderful, with John Wesley Shipp terrific in the title role. Biggest bummer here is that there are no special features – none whatsoever – but really, you can’t complain. The episodes look incredibly sharp and colorful, and frankly it’s a small miracle this got released on DVD at all, so shut up and enjoy.

8. Brick – Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this wonky, wonderful film noir masquerading as a teen angst-a-thon. Be sure to put up the subtitles so you can catch all the rapid-fire dialogue, and be sure to check out writer/director Rian Johnson’s top-notch commentary track. One of the smartest releases of the year.

7. The Tick Vs. Season One – Not just the best version of the Tick – and I’m including the original comic book in that assessment – but one of the greatest superhero cartoons of all time. Finally. Episode 11, “The Tick Vs. the Mole Men,” is missing, but who cares – it was the weakest episode of the season, and won’t be missed by anyone but the obsessive completists. Now where the heck are seasons Two and Three?!?!

6. Mirrormask – Evocative, creepy as hell, and thoroughly wonderful, this Neil Gaiman-scripted fantasy is a wonder to behold. Sure, it’s “Gaiman-lite,” but still nifty as all get-out, and kid-friendly, so it’s a good way to warp the minds of any youngsters you know. Lots of good extras here, but buy the movie is the star attraction. Besides, how many times does a comic book artist (Dave McKean in this case) get to direct a feature film?

5. Doctor Who: The Beginning – Even if I weren’t a Doctor Who fanatic, I would probably have to put this essential 3-disc set on my list. The first three Who serials, from back in 1964 (the show debuted the day after Kennedy was shot) have been given a digital spit-polish resulting in amazing clarity, and the special features are abundant and wondrous. Honorable mention goes to the Tom Baker classic “Genesis of the Daleks,” also released in ’06.

4. Wordplay – The best documentary of the year, a loving appreciation of puzzle geeks, and the New York Times crossword editor (Will Shortz) who is their god. Might even make a comic book fan feel a little less of a nerd, and the plethora of extras will keep you just as entertained as the main feature.

3. Ultraman Vol. 1 and 2 – Well, this was a no-brainer. The show that fried my adolescent brain in the ‘70s is finally released on DVD, and these wildly vivid adventures of a silver superhero and the rubber monsters he fights still thrill and delight, even when you can see the zippers up the back. This release was controversial, the elements deriving from a Thai vendor who has no real authority to sell the series in America, but frankly, I don’t care – Tsuburaya has never shown any interest in the U.S. market, and while they could release an absolutely pristine version of the series here, chances are they never will, so these are more than compensation.

2. Shogun Assassin – Derived from two entries into the Japanese Sword of Vengeance series (better known here as Lone Wolf and Cub), this 1981 Roger Corman concoction has never received a proper (legal) video release – until now. Surreal, solemn, and unbelievably violent, this is a must-have for any fan of the genre.

1. Forbidden Planet – The greatest of all ‘50s science fiction films finally gets a DVD release worthy of its place in history. The print of the film is absolutely gorgeous, and the extras, while a little light on factual info, are entertaining. If you’re feeling opulent, spring for the tin-case edition with the mini-lobby cards and the little model of Robby the Robot. You know you want to, you big geek.

Ethan Nahte

BEST:

1. Huff (TV Series)
2. M.A.S.H.
3. American Gun
4. KISSology
5. Dead Bodies
6. Death Tunnel
7. Elizabeth I (mini series)
8. The Garden
9. Land of the Blind
10. Scream Queen

WORST:

Machined
Curse of Lola
Don’t Move
Wasabi Tuna
Blackwater Valley
Mercenary For Justice
Parts of the Family
Boxed
Bare Naked Survivor
Womb Raider

David Rasmussen

Best Animes of 2006 (The 10 Best List)
This year the Editors talked to all of us about making top ten lists to end the year, which is nice and all. EXCEPT one person’s top ten may not be another’s. I.e. everyone has a top ten list. So in alphabetical order I’m going to give you my recommendations for Best Animes of 2006.  In order of alphabet now, in order, which ironically enough happens to start with the best Anime you are NOT watching if you dont live in Japan.

Aria the Animated Series - From Aria, the undervalued forgotten shojo manga that ADVManga has given up on comes Aria the Animated Series, the equally undervalued forgotten anime that ADVFilms isnt touching yet (which came with a second season called Aria the Natural).

Remember to give ADV lots and lots of e-mails this coming year, because Aria the Manga should continue, and Aria the Anime should launch. So for heaven’s sake ADV either run the damn series or stand aside, relinquish your rights to it, and let ANOTHER studio do it! One or the other, ADV, in our lifetime!

Azumanga Daioh - The Anime series that is 26 episodes of fun, exploring the three years of life in the English class of Miss Yukari, is in a thinpack available for one easy purchase. Where can you go wrong with that? Sometimes compared to as the “Seinfeld” of Anime (only without the racist ranting at the comedy club by Sakaki) this has to be on your list for the new year if you haven’t gotten it already.

Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex - Two seasons going on three based on the cult classic movie turned TV series from Shirow Masamune can’t be wrong the PS2 slash PSP games can be wrong, but not the Anime or the PSP UMD Anime (the game, just the game, is wrong).

Ichigo Mashimaro (Strawberry Marshmallow) - The situation of five young women (11-12 and older) may not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world, but its a damn good show even if it is seemingly a really short series clocking in at only a handful of episodes and 3 DVDs. Recommended.

Kiddy Grade - I really haven’t seen this one but it’s on my to watch list for 2007, and it’s on the recommendations list of more than a few associates I know in the know. So, you know, check it if you can.

Marmalade Boy - In abit I’m going to recommend Ultra Maniac (the latest from the creator of this series), so if I recommend one you should also get recommended the other. And since TOKYOPOP has done you the service of making owning this as easy as buying a three pack of mega episode collections you should have an easy time acquiring this series (and by NOW these packs should be at a lower more affordable price if they knocked the price down).

Read or Die - Basically a “sequel” to the Manga, I have only seen the iceberg tip of it but I like what Ive seen. If you liked the manga version youll go for the Anime version.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - I am only now getting into the full meat and potatoes of the review, yes, but this series is on the top ten of most serious reviewers (and as you see the reviews spin out you’ll see why). One of the major essentials of the industry, Revolutionary Girl Utena is an experience that has to be seen to be believed. Watch for future reviews (yes, yes, I’ll snap down and get to it) to find out why its worth your time to check out.

Tactics - A show about the supernatural and dysfunctional “team” of spirit hunters might not sound so christmas-y, but it’s good nevertheless (even if the lead and his demon eating goblin partner at times seem to be so yaoi slash fic material to me).

Ultra Maniac - A practical girl who suddenly finds herself with an impractical friend who is a witch in training from the magical world turns over a series from the creator of Marmalade Boy (recommended earlier) worth checking out.  Whimsical, funny, romantic and well done from writing to animation. Now in complete box set for those who want it all.

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