The Ten Best DVD Releases of 2004
by Drew Morton
1. The Star Wars Trilogy
Granted, the commentaries were a tad disappointing, Lucas’s continual “tweaking” became a bit grating, and there were some errors in the audio transfer of A New Hope but George Lucas’s long awaited trilogy was the DVD event of 2004. The films have never looked better (thanks to a terrific restoration job by Lowry Digital) and the bonus documentary (along side the hours of additional extras) is truly one of the best in depth documentaries ever produced for DVD. It is one of the crown jewels of any DVD collections and easily collects my pick for DVD of the year.
2. Fanny and Alexander: The Criterion Collection Five-Disc Set
Criterion is never a DVD studio to disappoint, out of their hundreds of releases I could count probably less than ten that really got the short end of the stick. Ingmar Bergman’s swan song, Fanny and Alexander, is not one of them. Released by Criterion in both two-disc and five-disc sets, the five-disc edition is one of the most heavily packed releases I’ve ever seen. Complete with the theatrical version and the six-hour miniseries Bergman cut for Swedish television, Criterion has accompanied the film with commentary, featurettes, shorter documentaries and even a feature length documentary “The Making of Fanny and Alexander”. Criterion, in short, has given Bergman’s most accessible film an outstanding treatment.
3. Gone with the Wind: Four-Disc Set
The restoration work done on this classic could even put Lowry Digital’s work to shame. Utilizing a negative scanning process delved deeply into on a documentary enclosed on the DVD, technicians at Warner Brothers have performed yet another beautiful restoration on a timeless classic. Granted, the film stands as a work of excessive melodrama today, but it is still a milestone of film history in terms of production and scope, something the four-disc set acknowledges immensely throughout its heaps of extra features.
4. Seinfeld: Volumes One and Two
Next to the “holy trilogy”, the infamous show about nothing was probably the second most awaited DVD release of the year. It disappointed in terms of extras and, especially the first season, transfer wise, but the shows were finally available to long time fans and to those who are unfamiliar with the genesis of, arguably, the best television show ever.
5. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition)
While it was not my favorite of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, the extended editions of Jackson’s films have been some of the best DVD releases of the past three years. Case in point: I have not even finished sorting through the entire four-disc set. It’s loaded with endless commentaries, documentaries, and featurettes but, as always, the main attraction here is the added material, resulting in a film almost an hour longer. Granted, some of the scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor and the transitions between some of the added scenes are a little shaky but, for fans of both the movies and the books, these extended cuts are the definitive editions.
6. The Rules of the Game: Criterion Collection
Yet another jewel of cinema given a fully loaded DVD release thanks to Criterion. Jean Renoir’s classic, while not this critic’s favorite (see Grand Illusion for that honor) finally gets the transfer and un-cut honor it deserves. Ripped off in “loving homage” by Altman in Gosford Park, Renoirs film chronicles the social codes between the French upper crust and their servants in a biting and bittersweet satire.
7. The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth and Fifth Seasons
Like Seinfeld, it was not until after the third season that The Simpsons solidified its creative voice. Sure, there were great episodes in those first three seasons but, for the next four years or so, almost every episode was a winner. So are the DVD sets, which come with added scenes, featurettes, and commentaries on every episode. This year was truly the year of great animated TV releases with the release of Ren and Stimpy, Looney Tunes, and Batman: The Animated Series. However, The Simpsons sets takes the rank for being the most consistent in terms of episode quality and the weight of their extra features.
8. The Film Noir Classic Collection: The Asphalt Jungle, Gun Crazy, Murder My Sweet, Out of the Past, and The Set-Up.
After checking out this set I can not wait for Warner Brother’s gangster set. Granted, many of the releases were short changed in terms of extras (a commentary accompanies all the films), but the transfers and just getting these films on DVD for the low price of forty bucks makes this set a must for the noir lover. Some of the films are weaker (Gun Crazy) than others (The Asphalt Jungle and Out of the Past) but all of them are worth watching.
9. Martin Scorsese Collection: After Hours, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, and Who’s That Knocking at my Door.
Another great set released by Warner Brothers in terms of film selection and extras. The most prized here, of course, is the special edition treatment of Goodfellas but many of the other films have their share of extras (each film comes with director commentary and, in some cases, much more). The films are also works of a cinematic genius. With this being said, I can’t wait for MGM’s re-issue of Raging Bull.
10. (A Three-Way Tie) Panic Room: Special Edition, La Dolce Vita: Special Edition, and Master and Commander: Collector’s Edition.
Alright, my final choice was a bit of a cop out. I skimmed the DVD releases of the year and found a few more than ten worthy of praise. Call it a cheap, but I’m listing the three aforementioned titles as my number ten choice of the year. In other words, I couldn’t pick one and than list the rest as “Honorable Mentions”. Panic Room was a stellar release in terms of its scope of extras. Many of the featurettes got a bit technical, but the commentaries and documentaries were top notch. La Dolce Vita, while a little on the weak side in terms of extras (God how I hate commentaries by Richard Schickel), is worth noting purely for release of a classic film and the restoration work done for the DVD release. Master and Commander, in either DVD form (the collectors edition or bare-bones release), was, next to the Lord of the Rings release, was the most intense home theatre experience of the year. The additional features and documentaries just propel this to the year’s best.
