What are some of the best?

[SirReel]

Hey all!

OK, now I realize many of you have listed your favorite movies all over the place on this board sparking many a debate, verbal war and liquidation of friendships. However, I am greener than Kathy Bates' tomatoes to the DVD world and I'm looking for some direction.

This past Sunday Mrs. SirReel hooked me up with a brand new DVD player for my B-day. The balance of my friends and family were in on it as I rec'd a few good movies too; Platoon, The 5th Element, Fight Club & The Matrix.

My request from the schmoes is; I'd like a tried and true list of DVD's that you all think a movie buff such as I SHOULD own...

THANKS!
SirReel.

[This message has been edited by SirReel (edited 08-23-2000).]

[Crynot]

Probably the coolest DVD I've seen out there is The Abyss - I know it's an older movie but the DVD is Fresh! You've got Fight club which is also a great one - Being John Malkovich is good.

I personally look for DVD's with Commentary. October is a HUGE month for DVD releases including American Beauty, which I can't freakin wait for.

Crynot

[Silent Bob]

I'm saving up all my money to get final destination, mission to mars, toy story toy box, magnolia, scream boxed set, pulp fiction, pitch black, american beauty, hollowman, and chicken run /ubb/smile.gif

[Brock Landers]

One failsafe name in DVD production is Criterion Collection, I have enjoyed every film I have purchased of theirs from "The Seventh Seal" to "This Is Spinal Tap". They put out great classics and fresh new stuff, examples: "The Seven Samurai" and "Rushmore"...I could go on and on...

[Brock Landers]

I forgot to say that if you really like Horror, Hammer Films or any hard to find stuff than Anchor Bay Entertainment is another name to look for. Films like "Halloween", "Dracula: Prince of Darkness", "Tex", "They Shoot Horses Don't They".

Elite Entertainment puts out lots of cult films like "Re-Animator" & "Evil Dead".

[Brock Landers]

REMEMBER: "THX" IS JUST ANOTHER MONEYMAKING SCHEME BY GEORGE LUCAS. IT DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE FILM, IT JUST RAISES THE PRICE TO THE STUDIO'S AND CONSUMERS. STUDIO'S PAY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DUPED INTO BELIEVING THAT THX MEANS SOMETHING...of course the logo speaker blow-out sequence before the film is sort of impressive...

[Silent Bob]

So Brock, Criterion Collection just puts tons of extras on old films?

[This message has been edited by Silent Bob (edited 08-25-2000).]

[Brock Landers]

Actually...as far as the Criterion Collection is concerned, sometimes they have no extras...as is the case with their releases of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro" they don't do anything but re-transfer the film and trailer. Then there is the case of the french film "Diabolique" which had new subtitles but nothing else. The polar opposite to that coin would be John Woo's "Hard Boiled" which has buku extras, trailers and info about Hong Kong Action Cinema. Some of their newer releases like "Rushmore" and "Chasing Amy" also feature quite a wide variety of extras. I usually just buy their stuff because they keep the director's vision whole...showing the film the way the director would want it seen...check out Scorcese's "Last Temptation Of Christ", the extras bite but the film itself is loving transfered through the partnership of Marty S. and the gang of folks at Criterion...

[Brock Landers]

note: New Line Cinema seems to be the leader in extras and features though, incorporating scripts and extra computer junk as well as the usual videos, trailers and commentaries...check out the box set of "Nightmare On Elm Street"...it rocks...was John Depp ever that young?

[DarkLight]

Brock Landers,

Thanks for all the info, guy! You certainly know your DVD trivia and have been very helpful.

DL

P.S. I loved your series with Chest Rockwell. Are you going to make a new series?

[cow]

SirReel, some good DVDs that you should look into are
Jaws 25th anniversary
The Green Mile
Baveheart
One Flew Over The Cuckoos nest
Sixth Sense

These are some of my favorites, i also personaly enjoy ones with out-takes or deleted scenes

[Brock Landers]

Reed and myself have been throwing around ideas concerning a so-called "reunion" film, perhaps a sequel to our smash hit "Angels Live In My Town" and the subsequent sequels "Angels II: Brock's Big Score" & "Angels III: Her Oral Majesty". While we have done many others, these were the highpoints of our joint partnership in adult. You might remember the sequel I made to my first film "Spanish Pantalones" where I revisited my spanish accent and perhaps even perfected it. Like I have said before, I will have a bit part, cameo-driven, in "Charlie's Angels" and am working with Burt Reynolds on a whole new concept concerning the well received "Smokey & The Bandit" series with a twist of "Stroker Ace", "Cannonball Run" & "The Big Doll House". There seems to be a lot of retro interest out there, so I may as well cash in like everyone else...

[Brock Landers]

Back on the topic of well-made DVDs i.e. maintaining a balance between presentation, film transfer and extras...here's one to start off my list...(oh, and I'm working off memory so I may forget a name or fact occasionally)

- "The Minus Man" starring Owen Wilson (star of "BottleRocket", "Shanghai Noon" & "Permanent Midnight") Brian Cox ("Rob Roy" & "Rushmore" to name a few...this guy is in tons of films and is always good), Mercedes Ruehl, Dwight Yoakum ("SlingBlade"), Janeane Garofolo ("Mystery Men") and the detective from "The Thirteenth Floor" ...co-written & directed by the director of "BladeRunner"...this film helped start out "The Shooting Gallery Film Series" in a big way. [Shooting Gallery has been called "a godsend for filmgoers" by Roger Ebert...some other good TSG films include "Croupier" (an amazing Mike Hodges ("Get Carter") film, "Orphans" (directed & starring the best actor winner at the Cannes Film Festival for "My Name Is Joe")]...DVD features film, trailers, commentary, cast bios & famous serial killer profiles (example: Bundy, Son of Sam, Boston Strangler, Manson, etc...) This film is about a serial killer who really is a nice guy...I have personally watched it at least five times and it keeps getting better, it really has a lot to think about...a smart thriller/drama...lots of good actors and even a first-time role for Sheryl Crow as a drug addict (very natural acting)...

[The Troll Man]

Minus man is brilliant film and excellent DVD, includes that theatrical trailer and a nice touch is info on serial killers...
Along the same lines, try Felicia's Journey (Bob Hoskins) which comes with recipes!
Criterion selection... well they put out Robocop director's cut so you really can't complain /ubb/smile.gif New ID4 disc is well put together, the Hellraiser/Hellbound Ltd Edition will be great so long as they use the same versions of the films as are already released (Hellbound includes the "Kirsty's room" scene previously only ever available on Japanese Laserdisc) and not forgetting the Army of Darkness and Halloween double-discers from last year...

Oh and the "director's cut" of Léon is worth a place in any collection, even if it is short on extras!

[VIRGIL]

Drooling still over possible release of LEGEND with original scenes... all three hours....

Other good ones include:
LEON (previously mentioned by troll)
The Abyss (mentioned too many times)
Dog Day Afternoon
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (so clean)
ANY CRITERION (specially Shock Corridor)
Blues Brother Collectors Edition (11mins of extra film)
Labrynth (making of..)
Dark Crystal (making of, Deleted scenes)
Predator
The Shining... which is not widesreen but can be found as such...
Nightmare box set
Die Hard Trilogy
Nightmare Before Christmas
The Re-animator
Anything from the Dario Argento collection
Eyes Wide Shut (unless you haven't read the book)
Black Sunday
Debbie Does Dallas Collectors Edition (I only say this because there is a making of documentary with a cool interview with Debbie herself, gives insight to the film... which is uh, why i bought it... yeah)

NEW RELEASE:
Magnolia
Leon (again, i can't stress this enough)
Sound of Music Special Edition
-Don't knock me for liking this beautiful but definately scary movie
Tarzan special Edition

[The Troll Man]

If I'm wrong please correct me, but I heard somewhere that the Shining was originally made in 4:3 ratio when everyone else was going widescreen cos Kubrick was, well, like that /ubb/wink.gif and any widescreen version has just had overlaid black bars (so you actually see less of the picture!)... could be just a rumour though...

Otherwise, with you totally! Watch out for PC Friendly discs, because they can promise loads of extras but fall short by having links to websites instead of on-disc extras (the much hoped for Jackie Chan injury map on Rush Hour for example) plus you don't get access unless you have a DVD-ROM, the program itself is very unstable etc...