1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Funny Face (Stanley Donen, 1957) Paramount; R1

3. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

4. Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

5. They Live By Night from Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

6. Artists and Models from Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection - Vol. 2 (Various, 3 Discs) Paramount; R1

7. The Winning of Barbara Worth from Gary Cooper MGM Movie Legends Collection (Various, 4 Discs) MGM; R1

8. The Godless Girl + Redskin from Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (Various, 4 Discs) National Film Preservation Foundation; R1

9. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

10. Magnificent Obsession (Douglas Sirk ’54 and John M. Stahl ’35) Carlotta; R2 PAL

Comments: There were many exclusions in my 2007 list by virtue of the sheer volume of impressive releases (both individual films and box sets): they have poured out like a continuous lava flow, although one still hopes that someone, somewhere, will finally realize that there’s still practically no Gremillons, Borzages, Boettichers, Sjostroms, Kinoshitas, John M Stahls out there, just to name a few great directors missing in action. Criterion’s down market Eclipse series has been a great boon to collectors - the Samuel Fullers, the Louis Malle documentaries, the Raymond Bernards would all have made my 10 list in another year. And much as I have severe ideological problems with my Hearst-like countryman Rupert Murdoch, I reluctantly concede that the Fox wing of his global empire has produced some box sets of stellar quality, most notably the gargantuan Ford collection, but also many that might have made the mighty 10 in previous years, too: the John Brahm Horror Classics, the Tyrone Powers, the long overdue Alice Faye Collection, as well as a goodish quota of westerns, noirs and musicals which have all been most welcome additions to the collection. Warner Bros, Paramount and even bare-bones Universal boxes have maintained high quality transfers in most instances. It has been a vintage year.

1. Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 4 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL

2. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

3. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

4. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

5. The Documentaries of Louis Malle (Louis Malle, 6 Discs) Criterion; R1

6. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

7. Jordan Belson - 5 Essential Films (Jordan Belson, Various) CenterforVisualMusic.org; R0

8. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

9. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

10. Fires on the Plain (Kon Ichikawa, 1951) Criterion; R1

Comments: I haven't summoned up the reserves to get buy the Ford At Fox box yet – no doubt it would have featured on this list. The Twin Peaks Gold box is also high on my wish list. Eclipse has been the best news of the year. The Raymond Bernard films were an exciting rediscovery, and hats off to Milestone for doing right by Charles Burnett.

Daryl Chin
Brooklyn, NY
Daryl Chin is an artist and writer living in Brooklyn, New York who has been on the board of directors of NewFest and Apparatus Productions, co-founded the Asian-American International Film Festival, and began his career as Managing Editor of Film Culture Magazine in 1976-77.

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

2b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

3. Un chant d'amour (Jean Genet, 1950) Cult Epics; R1

4. Jordan Belson - 5 Essential Films (Jordan Belson, Various) CenterforVisualMusic.org; R0

5. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

6. Avant-Garde 2: Experimental Cinema 1928-1954 (Various, 2 Discs) Kino; R1

7. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) Kino; R1

8. Jean Renoir 3-Disc Collector's Edition (Jean Renoir, 3 Discs)

9. Nathalie Granger (Marguerite Duras, 1974) Blaq Out; R0

10. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

David Collinge
Millersburg, OH -- USA

1. Sansho the Bailiff/Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

2. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

3. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

4. The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) Criterion; R1

5. Ivan’s Childhood (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962) Criterion; R1

6. Le Silence de la mer (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1949) MoC; R2 PAL

7. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

8. Diary of a Lost Girl (G.W. Pabst, 1922) MoC; R2 PAL

9. Two-Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman, 1971) Criterion; R1

10. Marketa Lazarová (Frantisek Vlácil, 1967), Second Run, R0

Eric Cotenas
Sacramento, CA -- USA

1. Performance (Donald Cammel/Nicolas Roeg, 1970) Warner; R1

2. Peking Opera Blues (Tsui Hark, 1986) Joy Sales; R0

3. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

4. Viol du Vampire [Limited Edition 2 DVD Release] (Jean Rollin, 1967) Encore; R0 PAL

5. Bullet in the Head [2 DVD Special Edition] (John Woo, 1990) Joy Sales; R0

6. Les Enfants Terrible (Jean-Pierre Melville & Jean Cocteau, 1950) Criterion; R1

7. Yojimbo/Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa, 1961 + 1962) Criterion; R1

8. Horror Rises from the Tomb (Carlos Aured, 1972) BCI; R1

9. Two-Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman, 1971) Criterion; R1

10. 10:30 P.M. Summer (Jules Dassin, 1966) MGM; R1

Comments: At this point, any disc of Performance is welcome.  In spite of a transfer that is stretched from 1.66:1 to 1.78:1 (not cropped), Viol du Vampire looks beautiful and has extensive extras including a commentary and interviews and a great production booklet (not just an insert).  10:30 P.M. Summer is barebones but a revelation as a motion picture and a beautiful transfer.  Horror Rises from the TombB is a beautiful, complete transfer and goes the extra mile with bonus features.  Bullet in the Head allows integration of deleted scenes and the alternate ending.  Not as many extras as hoped for on the Teshigahara set but cheaper than the combined cost of the three separate R2 releases. 

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Blade Runner - The Final Cut  (Ridley Scott, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

3. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

4. Class Relations (Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL

5. Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terrence Davies, 1988) BFI; R2 PAL

6. Palms (Artour Aristakisian, 1993) SecondRun; R2 PAL

7. Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Early Works: Kasaba / Clouds of May (2 Discs) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL

8. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

9. Why Has Bodhi-Darma Left for the East? -- Director’s Deluxe Edition (Yong-Kyun Bae, 1989) Milestone; R1

10. Jordan Belson - 5 Essential Films (Jordan Belson, Various) Center for Visual Music.org; R0

Comments: As usual, I restricted myself from voting for MoC titles.  My choices are a mixture of DVD quality, my love for the film in question, and sometimes its rarity on home video. I wish I had room for Treasures III, Lionsgate’s Jean Renoir Collector’s Edition, Gaumont's Histoire(s) du Cinéma, Criterion’s Mouchette (with its excellent Bresson documentaries), Facets’ Architecture series, and even the barebones Muriel from Koch Lorber, among many others.  For me, Ford At Fox’s scale trumped Blade Runner’s lavish extras, partly because the latter so heavily favored fandom over critical appreciation.

1a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

1b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

2. Hitler: A Film from Germany (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1978) Facets; R1

3. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

4. The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (3 Films, 5 Discs) AnchorBay; R1

5. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

6. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1 - Also valued - Two-Lane Blacktop (Hellman, 71) Criterion; R1, Sans Soleil + La Jetée (Marker, 62/83) Criterion; R1, Mala Noche (Van Sant, 85)

Criterion; R1

7. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985, 4 Disc Set & 184 Page Book) MoC; R2 PAL

8. Pier Paolo Pasolini Vol.2 (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 3 Discs) Tartan; R2 PAL

9. Muriel (Alain Resnais, 1963) Koch; R1

10. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Absurda/Rhino; R1

Comments: The order of this list is more or less arbitrary. 2007 proved to be a great year for avant-garde cinema and the German New Wave. The work of the DVD companies listed above on those particular titles is nothing less than heroic. I applaud both the usual suspects (Criterion, Masters of Cinema), as well as the underrated but highly ambitious lesser-known companies (Fantoma, Filmgalerie 451, Cinéart) for their remarkable efforts.  As for 2008, I already look forward to Criterion’s Pierrot le fou, Kino’s Paradjanov set and AE’s The Devil Probably with impatience and enthusiasm. My biggest wishes and hopes for the next year are Godard’s 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her and more Brakhage from Criterion as well as Rivette’s Out 1, Resnais’ Providence and the films of Jack Smith and James Benning.  

1. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

2. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Absurda/Rhino; R1

3. Bigger than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956) BFI; R2 PAL

4. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960) Criterion; R1

5. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

6. House of Games (David Mamet, 1987) Criterion; R1

7. Overlord (Stuart Cooper, 1975) Criterion; R1

8. Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 (Various, 4 Discs) Warner; R1

9. The Jazz Singer: Three-Disc Deluxe Edition (Alan Crosland, 1927) Warner; R1

10. August Underground's Penance [Snuff Edition] (Fred Vogel, 2007) Toe Tag; R1

Comments: The Criterion selections speak for themselves, with Wilder’s best film topping the list with an absolutely stellar DVD presentation.  Also, the 2-disc DVD edition of Lynch's Inland Empire (Absurda/Rhino), which features over three hours of bonus material, is a staggering descent into cinematic otherness.  To be sure, 2007 was a great year for Narusians.  Specifically, three more films from Naruse's canon were released on DVD this year, with both Criterion and BFI delivering solid editions of some of Naruse's best work.  The other selections on my list are equally swell, but special mention must be made of Fred Vogel and his team of cohorts at Toe Tag Pictures.  With cinematic endeavors such as August Underground's Penance, Toe Tag’s films are at the fore of the American underground horror movement.  More to the point, their continued excellence -- in not only creating great horror films, but also releasing said films themselves with DVD presentations comparable to the home video output of Hollywood -- should be cause for celebration amongst bold horror film aficionados.  Overall, the contrast between Old Cinema and New Cinema could not be more distinct in terms of the films on my list.  On the one hand, there is the poignant cinematic richness of Naruse and Wilder; on the other hand, there is the audacious digital zeal of Lynch and Vogel.  In the end, every selection is a wonderful piece of cinematic entertainment.  All one need do now is climb to the nearest hilltop and proclaim: "Le cinéma est mort.  Vive le cinéma!"  P.S. While the main feature is rather genteel in its mediocrity (offensive blackface sequences and timeless musical numbers notwithstanding), Warner's 3-disc DVD edition of The Jazz Singer is listed primarily because of its exceptional extras.

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Alexander Kluge - The films for cinema (Alexander Kluge, 16 Discs) Edition Filmmuseum; R0 PAL

3. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

4a. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

4b. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Second Sight; R2 PAL

5. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

6. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

7. Marketa Lazarova (Frantisek Vlácil, 1967), Second Run, R0

8. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

9. Wim Wenders’ Road Movies (Wim Wenders, 3 Discs) Madman; R4 PAL

10a. Diary of a Lost Girl (G.W. Pabst, 1922) MoC; R2 PAL

10b. Hitler: A Film from Germany (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1978) Facets; R1

10c. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

10d. Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terrence Davies, 1988) BFI; R2 PAL

Comments: As always, what’s been missing and what is now available is my major criterion for the choices. I always feel I left something out…but that’s the nature of this game. Currently, I long for Borzage and Ophuls and Gremillon (as well as more pre-nouvelle vague) and more Japanese films other than Ozu, Naruse, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa. I appreciate the appearances of Bunuel’s Mexcian films, the pre-codes from Warner, the noirs from Warner and Fox. I think Eclipse has been a grand addition from Criterion.

1. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

2. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

3. Jan Svankmajer - The Complete Short Films (Jan Svankmajar, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

4. Talking Silents: The Downfall of Osen & Tojin Okichi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1935 & ‘30) Digital Meme; R0

5. Le Silence de la mer (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1949) MoC; R2 PAL

6. Fires on the Plain (Kon Ichikawa, 1951) Criterion; R1

7. The Party and the Guests (Jan Nemac, 1966) Second Run; R2 PAL

8. Black River (Kobayashi Masaki, 1956) Wild Side; R2 FR PAL

9. Inn at Osaka (Gosho Heinosuke, 1954) Kinokunya; R2 JP

10. Battle of Okinawa (Okamoto Kihachi, 1971) AnimEigo; R1

Comments: This was probably the best year for film on DVD yet.  So many rare gems, it really warrants a top fifty or so rather than a top ten.  All sorts of amazing short film collections from Europe, small label releases of obscure genre filmmaking, and a ton of outstanding, and sadly unsubtitled, Japanese releases must go unnamed.  Again, I value DVD for getting out rarities that wouldn't otherwise stand a chance of exposure.

Brisbane, Australia

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

3. The Documentaries of Louis Malle (Louis Malle, 6 Discs) Criterion; R1

4. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985, 4 Disc Set & 184 Page Book) MoC; R0 PAL

5. The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (3 Films, 5 Discs) AnchorBay; R1

6a. Sansho the Bailiff/Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

6b. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

7. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

8. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

9. Marketa Lazarová (Frantisek Vlácil, 1967), Second Run, R0

10. Jan Svankmajer - The Complete Short Films (Jan Svankmajar, 3 Discs) BFI Video; R2 PAL

Comments: It is tough selecting individual titles when box-sets offer so much.  Nos. 1 & 2 are pretty firm, with the ‘Ford at Fox’ Collection nudging the 1^st spot from ‘Berlin Alexanderplatz’, mainly due to scope.  The Louis Malle set gets No.3 for ‘Phantom India’, while the remainder could be ordered differently depending upon my mood at the time.

1. Un chant d'amour (Jean Genet, 1950) Cult Epics; R1

2. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

3. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

4. Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969) Criterion; R1

5. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

6. Spring in a Small Town (Fei Mu, 1948) Cinema Epoch; R1

7. The Alfred Hitchcock Box Set (Alfred Hitchcock, 3 Discs) Lion’s Gate; R1

8. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

9. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

Hi-Def

1. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (4 Discs) Warner/BBC; USA

Comments: The R1 arrival of Un chant d'amour and Kenneth Anger's influential shorts made it a landmark year for short films on DVD. The release of Bernard's epic Les Misérables and Fassbinder's mammoth Berlin Alexanderplatz made it equally noteworthy for long movies. The stuff in-between wasn't half-bad either...

1. Alexander Kluge - The films for cinema (Alexander Kluge, 16 Discs) Edition Filmmuseum; R0 PAL

2. Pistolary! Films and Videos by Peggy Ahwesh (Peggy Awesh, 3 Discs) Video Data Bank; R1

3. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

4. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Second Sight; R2 PAL

5. The Documentaries of Louis Malle (Louis Malle, 6 Discs) Criterion; R1

6. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

7. Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 4 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL

8. Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (Various, 4 Discs) National Film Preservation Foundation; R1

9. Thomas Koerfer Edition Box (Thomas Koerfer, 8 Discs) Koerferfilm.com; R0 PAL

10. Japanese Anime Classic Collection (Various -- 55 Films, 4 Discs) Digital Meme; R0 NTSC

Craig Keller
Princeton, NJ -- USA

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985, 4 Disc Set & 184 Page Book) MoC; R0 PAL

3a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

3b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

4. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Absurda/Rhino; R1

5. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

6. Hitler: A Film from Germany (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1978) Filmgalerie 451; R0 PAL

7. Alexander Kluge - The films for cinema (Alexander Kluge, 16 Discs) Edition Filmmuseum; R0 PAL

8. Class Relations (Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL

9. Eloge de l'amour + Notre musique + Prière pour refuzniks 1+2 (Jean-Luc Godard, Various) Cahiers du cinema; R2 FR

10. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

http://www.criticalflicker.org.uk

1. Tabu: Story of the South Seas (F.W. Murnau, 1931) MoC; R0 PAL

2. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

3. Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 (Various, 4 Discs) Warner; R1

4. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

5. Ivan’s Childhood (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962) Criterion; R1

6. Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (Various, 4 Discs) National Film Preservation Foundation; R1

7. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

8. Marketa Lazarová (Frantisek Vlácil, 1967), Second Run, R0

9. Early Bergman (Ingmar Bergman, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

10. Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) MoC; R2 PAL

1. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

2. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

3. If... (Lindsay Anderson, 1968) Criterion; R1

4. Jan Svankmajer - The Complete Short Films (Jan Svankmajar, 3 Discs) BFI Video; R2 PAL

5. Ivan’s Childhood (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962) Criterion; R1

6. Brute Force (Jules Dassin, 1947) Criterion; R1

7. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

8. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

9. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960) Criterion; R1

10. W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (Various, 5 Discs) Universal; R1

Comments: Vol. 4 of Warner’s film noir collections was their best yet: a rich vein of obscure treasures such as Andre De Toth’s searing Crime Wave and Jack Bernhard’s completely bonkers Decoy, with strong transfers and great commentaries. It was Criterion’s year, though, with their Eclipse line getting into full swing. The Late Ozu box was manna from heaven, but the other Eclipse sets, especially number 4, the Raymond Bernard set, were all essential purchases in 2007. There was also a torrent of Criterion deluxe editions to cope with, including Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole and two superb Jean-Pierre Melville releases, Les Enfants Terrible and Army of Shadows, which would make 11, 12 and 13 on my list. There was also a range of excellent Region 2 releases in 2007, including BFI’s definitive and lovingly compiled Jan Svankmajer - The Complete Short Films and the French release of Godard’s mind-blowing Histoire(s) du Cinéma. Indeed, surrealists are advised to check out BFI’s compilation of naturalist Jean Painleve’s short films, also released in 2007, the instructive and intensely weird Science Is Fiction/The Sounds of Science.

Adam Lemke
Syracuse, NY
http://www.moviemiser.com

1. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960) Criterion; R1

2. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

3. Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terrence Davies, 1988) BFI; R2 PAL

4a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

4b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

5. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

6. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Absurda/Rhino; R1

7. The Monster Squad [2-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition] (Fred Dekker, 1987) Lionsgate; R1

8. From Beyond (Stuart Gordon, 1986) MGM; R1

9a. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Mario Bava, 5 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

9b. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 2 (Mario Bava, 6 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

10. The Free Will [2-Disc Special Edition] (Matthias Glasner, 2006) Arthaus; R2 PAL

Best Hi-Def

2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Warner; USA

Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition (Ridley Scott, 5 Discs) Warner; USA

1. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

2. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

3. Stranger than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984) Criterion; R1

4. Edvard Munch: Special Edition 2-DVD Set (Peter Watkins, 1974) New Yorker; R1

5a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

5b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

6. La Jetee/Sans Soleil (Chris Marker, 1962 and 1983) Criterion; R1

7. The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: 1934-1936 (Various, 2 Discs) Sony; R1

8. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

9. Emperor's Naked Army Marches on (Kazuo Hara, 1987) Facets; R1

10. Two-Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman, 1971) Criterion; R1

Comments: Virtually every DVD I get is Region 1, so I didn’t even try to factor in anything else.  My list is inevitably dominated by Criterion: I could also have included Sansho the Bailiff and Ace in the Hole.  They’re not the only great R1 studio, but they are the best.  Edvard Munch, however, would have been #1 if not for the fact that New Yorker released the film (in a shorter cut) last year.  I consider both releases must-owns, one for the 174-minute version, 1 for the 220-mintue version of one of the greatest films ever made.   

1. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960) Criterion; R1

2. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

3. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

4. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

5. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

6. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

7. The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948) Criterion; R1

8. The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) Criterion; R1

9. Les Enfants Terrible (Jean-Pierre Melville & Jean Cocteau, 1950) Criterion; R1

10. Brute Force (Jules Dassin, 1947) Criterion; R1

Tom Mahaffey
Troy, Michigan

1. Nachtblende (Andrzej Zulawski, 1975) New Entertainment; R2 PAL - Excellent acting by all. You can’t go wrong with a movie starring Romy Schneider and Klaus Kinski

2. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1 - Wonderful storytelling by a master of Japanese Cinema.

3. Diary of a Lost Girl (G.W. Pabst, 1922) MoC; R2 PAL - Great packaging plus you get Louise Brooks

4. Ecoute le Temps (Alante Kavaite, 2007) Dogwoof; R2 PAL - An original murder mystery with Emilie Dequenne of Rosetta fame.

5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer [2 DVD SPECIAL EDITION] (Tom Tykwer, 2006) Pathe; R2 PAL - Kept my attention from start to finish with an interesting storyline and some beautiful visuals.

6. Edvard Munch (Peter Watkins, 1974) MoC - R2 PAL - Another A+ job by Masters of Cinema.

7. Fox Family (Lee Hyeong-Gon, 2006) MK Pictures; R3 - Very cool Korean comedy-musical

8. Reincarnation (Takashi Shimizu, 2006) Tartan; R2 PAL - An intelligent and well crafted horror film.

9. Madeinusa (Claudia Llosa, 2006) Film Movement; R1 - A gem of a film, with great scenery, plus I like the idea of having a couple of days a year where God cannot see your sins.

10. Angel-A (Luc Besson, 2005) Optimum; R2 PAL - Great chemistry between Rasmussen and Debbouze.

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (4 Discs) Warner/BBC; USA

2. Transformers (Michael Bay, 2007) Dreamworks

3. Disturbia (D.J. Caruso, 2007) Dreamworks

4. An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981) Universal

5. The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982) Universal

1. Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition (Ridley Scott, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

2. If... (Lindsay Anderson, 1968) Criterion; R1

3. O Lucky Man! (Lindsay Anderson, 1973) Warner; R1

4. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

5. The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (3 Films, 5 Discs) AnchorBay; R1

6a. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Mario Bava, 5 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

6b. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 2 (Mario Bava, 6 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

7. The Sergio Leone Anthology (Sergio Leone, 8 Discs) MGM; R1

8a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

8b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

9. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) Criterion; R1

10. The Threepenny Opera (G.W. Pabst, 1931) Criterion; R1

Colma, CA -- USA

1. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985, 4 Disc Set & 184 Page Book) MoC; R0 PAL

2a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

2b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

3. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

4. Raymond Bernard - Eclipse Series 4 (Raymond Bernard, 2 Discs) Eclipse; R1

5. Straight Time (Ulu Grosbard, 1978) Warner; R1

6. Un chant d'amour (Jean Genet, 1950) Cult Epics; R1

7. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

8. Fox Horror Classics Collection (John Brahm, 3 Discs) Fox; R1

9. Witchfinder General (Michael Reeves, 1968) MGM; R1

10. The Jazz Singer: Three-Disc Deluxe Edition (Alan Crosland, 1927) Warner;

1. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Mario Bava, 5 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

2. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 2 (Mario Bava, 6 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1

3. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

4. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

5. Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969) Criterion; R1

6. If... (Lindsay Anderson, 1968) Criterion; R1

7. Who Can Kill a Child? (Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, 1978) Dark Sky; R1

8. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1976) Criterion; R1

9. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

10. Straight Time (Ulu Grosbard, 1978) Warner; R1

1. Early Bergman (Ingmar Bergman, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

2. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

3. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) Criterion; R1

4. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

5. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

6. Sansho the Bailiff/Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

7. The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock, 1938) Criterion; R1

8. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

9. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) Criterion; R1

10. Jean Renoir 3-Disc Collector's Edition (Jean Renoir, 3 Discs) -- Bargain of the Year!

Pat Pilon
Ottawa, Canada

1. The Sergio Leone Anthology (Sergio Leone, 8 Discs) MGM; R1

2. I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK (Park Chan-wook, 2006) CJ Entertainment; R3

3. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

4. Yojimbo/Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa, 1961 + 1962) Criterion; R1

5. Ultimate Versus 3-Disc Set (Ryuhei Kitamura, 2000) Media Blasters, R1

6. The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006) Warner; R1

7. Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948) Criterion, R1

8. Casino Royale [uncut] (Martin Campbell, 2006) Sony (Korea), R3

9. Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969) Criterion; R1

10. Pan's Labyrinth -- Two-Disc Platinum Series (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) New Line; R1

Best Hi-Def

1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Special Package) [Blu-ray] (Steven Spielberg, 1977) Sony; All Region

2. Hairspray (Two-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition) [Blu-ray] (Adam Shankman, 2007) New Line; All Region

3. Heroes - Season 1 [HD DVD] (2006, 7 Discs) Universal; USA

4. Ratatouille [Blu-ray] (Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava, 2007) Walt Disney

5. Transformers (Michael Bay, 2007) Dreamworks

Luiz de Rocha

São Paulo, Brazil

1. Three Films By Hiroshi Teshigahara (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 4 Discs) Criterion; R1

2. Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist (Various, 4 Discs) Criterion; R1

3. Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy - Eclipse Series 6 (Carlos Saura, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

4. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

5. Sansho the Bailiff/Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

6. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse Series 3; R1

7. Mouchette (Robert Bresson, 1970) Criterion; R1

8. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Criterion; R1

9. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) Criterion; R1

10. La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995) Criterion; R1

Comments: There are some other great releases that could be in this list, but the lack of English subtitles make them difficult to compete with Criterion, MoC, and other labels. I am happy with Criterion's releases this year and I believe that such classical and poignant movies packed with such care and substantial supplements to accompany them are hard to ignore on a Top Ten list.

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) Tartan, UK

2. Jin-Roh (Hiroyuki Okiura, 1998) Bandai, Japan

3. Ghost In The Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995) Bandai, Japan

4. Avalon (Mamoru Oshii, 2001) Bandai, Japan

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977) Sony, USA

Comments: I thought Blade Runner would certainly make into this list, but the VC-1 transfer is disappointing and the package is quite simple. Since Sony made a real beautiful package for "Close Encounters" (one of the best packages for blu-ray to date) with a nice quality booklet, a good AVC transfer and a pack of extras, I can't just ignore all the care put into this release, even though I don't care much about the movie...

"Seventh Seal" is in my opinion is the best hi-def release. It is the first true classic released on Blu-Ray and the quality is good, coming with the SD DVD for comparison as well. But in this case the film value is most relevant.

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago, Illinois

1. Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 4 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL

2. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

3. Martin Arnold: The Cineseizure (Martin Arnold, 4 films) Index; R0 PAL

4. Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (Various, 4 Discs) National Film Preservation Foundation; R1

5. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

6. Discovering Cinema (Learning to Talk & Movies Dream in Color) Flicker Alley; R0

7. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) Kino; R1

8. Sawdust and Tinsel (Ingmar Bergman, 1953) Criterion; R1

9. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

10. Five Dedicated to Ozu (Abbas Kiarostami, 2004) Kino; R1

Comments: Although I just discovered it came out last year, I'd still like to give a special mention to Ken Jacobs' long awaited and finally completed Star Spangled to Death.

1. Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 (Various, 4 Discs) Warner; R1

2. Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (Various, 4 Discs) National Film Preservation Foundation; R1

3. Coffret Douglas Sirk (Douglas Sirk, 8 Discs) Gaumont; R2 PAL

4. My Way Home (Miklós Jancsó, 1965) Second Run; R2 PAL

5. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

6. The Story of the Kelly Gang (Charles Tait, 1906) National Film & Sound Archive, Madman; R0

Comments: My last vote is for an Australian box containing a DVD and a book which I co-authored. The set appears to be available only in Australia and has not been covered on DVD Beaver.

Slant Magazine Staff
NYC, New York
http://www.slantmagazine.com/index.asp
 

1. I Am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1964) Milestone Film; R1

2. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

3. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

4. Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Charles Burnett, 2 Discs) New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque; R1

5. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD (Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, 2007) Turner; R1

6. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1976) Criterion; R1

7. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse Series 3; R1

8. Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) Kino; R1

9. The First Films of Samuel Fuller (Samuel Fuller, 3 Discs) Eclipse; R1

10. The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (3 Films, 5 Discs) AnchorBay; R1

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (4 Discs) Warner/BBC; USA

Per-Olof Strandbeg
Helsinki, Finland

1. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse Series 3; R1

2. Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961) Criterion; R1

3. Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition (Ridley Scott, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

4. Cría Cuervos (Carlos Saura, 1976) Criterion; R1

5. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

6. Jean-Luc Godard Box Set (Jean-Luc Godard, 11 Discs) Universal; R2 PAL, Nordic

7. Mouchette (Robert Bresson, 1970) Criterion; R1

8. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) Criterion; R1

9. Three Films By Hiroshi Teshigahara (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 4 Discs) Criterion; R1

10. Sawdust and Tinsel (Ingmar Bergman, 1953) Criterion; R1

Daniel Stuyck
Texas

1a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

1b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1

2. Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 4 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL

3. Me and My Brother (Robert Frank, 1968, w/ Book) Steidl, R0

4. Chantal Akerman Collection (Chantal Akerman, 5 Discs) Cinéart; R2 PAL

5. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

6. La lit de la virge (Philippe Garrel, 1968) re:Voir; R2 PAL

7. Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terrence Davies, 1988) BFI; R2 PAL

8. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) Criterion; R1

9. Two-Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman, 1971) Criterion; R1

10. Blade Runner - The Final Cut - Ultimate Edition (Ridley Scott, 1982) Warner; R1

Mikkel Leffers Svendstrup
www.DVDsnak.topcities.com
Odense C Denmark

1. Jørgen Leth Collection 1 – Anthropological Films (Jørgen Leth, 5 Films) Danish Film Institute; R0 PAL

2. Blade af Satans Bog (Carl Th. Dreyer, 1921) Danish Film Institute; R0

3. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Absurda/Rhino; R1

4. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) Kino; R1

5. The Boss of it All (Lars von Trier, 2006) Nordisk Film, R2 PAL

6. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

7. No Room to Die (Sergio Garrone, 1968) Raro Video, R2 PAL

8. Fires on the Plain (Kon Ichikawa, 1951) Criterion; R1

9. Track of the Cat (William A. Wellman, 1954) Paramount; R2 PAL

10. Yankee (Tinto Brass, 1966) Koch Media; R2 PAL

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Warner; USA

2. Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Ridley Scott, 1982) Warner; USA

3. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006), Universal; UK

4. Army in the Shadows (Jean Pierre Melville, 1969) Universal; DK

5. The Big Lebowski (Coen brothers, 1998) Universal; DK

Comments: In 2007 I’ve spent a lot of time with the new HD formats! And regardless of the format war, the best release this year was Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in glorious High Definition. The best SD DVDs of the year were the two Danish Jørgen Leth boxsets from The Danish Film Institute (they are English friendly).

Gary Tooze

Toronto, Canada

1. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1

2. Mikio Naruse Collection (Mikio Naruse, 3 Discs) BFI; R2 PAL

3. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) Criterion; R1

4. Late Ozu (Yasujiro Ozu, 5 Discs) Eclipse; R1

5. Sansho the Bailiff/Gion Bayashi (Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) MoC; R2 PAL

6. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Various, 5 Discs) Warner; R1

7. Mouchette (Robert Bresson, 1970) Criterion; R1

8. Berlin Alexanderplatz (R.W. Fassbinder, 1980) Criterion; R1

9. Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 4 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL

10. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) Sony; R1

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Warner; USA

2. Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Ridley Scott, 1982) Warner; USA

3. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (4 Discs) Warner/BBC; USA

4. Spiderman High Definition Trilogy (Sam Raimi) Sony; USA

5. Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete First Season (Various, 10 Discs) Paramount; USA

Trond Trondsen
Calgary, Alberta -- Canada

Masters of Cinema

1. Stranger than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984) Criterion; R1

2. Kamome Diner (Naoko Ogigami, 2006) Tae Won Entertainment (Korea); R3

3. Frans Zwartjes: The Great Cinema Magician (1968-74, 2 Discs) Filmmuseum; R2  PAL

4. Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2005) Kino; R1

5. The Bothersome Man (Jens Lien, 2006) Film Movement; R1

6. Secret Sunshine (Lee Chang-dong, 2007) Art Service Korea; R3

7. Twin Peaks Definitive Gold Box (David Lynch & various, 1990-92) Paramount; R1

8. Marketa Lazarová (Frantisek Vlácil, 1967), Second Run, R0

9. Into Great Silence (Philip Gröning, 2005) Zeitgeist; R1

10. Radiant City (Gary Burns & Jim Brown, 2006) Alliance; R1

Best Hi-Def Disc

1. Blade Runner - The Final Cut(Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition) (Ridley Scott 2007) Warner, USA

2. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (4 Discs) Warner/BBC; USA

3. Babel (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006) Paramount, USA

4. Serenity (Joss Whedon, 2005) Universal, USA

5. The Host (Joon-ho Bong, 2006) Magnolia, USA

(Blu-ray is region-coded, HD-DVD is not. I therefore avoid Blu-ray)

Comments: Comments: Other highlights this year were The Films of Kenneth Anger, (Fantoma, R1) and the Ken Loach Collection (Sixteen Films, R2). I have refrained from voting for our own Masters of Cinema releases, but personal favorites there were Shoah (Lanzmann, 1985) and Sansho Dayu (Mizoguchi, 1954).  Some main wishes (and likely releases) for 2008 are Belle toujours (Manoel de Oliveira, 2006), Wise Blood (Huston, 1980), Dutch Harbor (King and Moya, 1998), Providence (Resnais, 1977), Crossroads (Kinugasa, 1928), as well as proper R1 presentations of the incredible Ohikkoshi (Shinji Sômai, 1993) and the brilliant, and vastly underrated, Barking Dogs Never Bite (Joon-ho Bong, 2000)... and anything else with Bae Doo-na in it, for that matter.

Ross Wilbanks
Charlotte, North Carolina
 

1. Alexander Kluge - The films for cinema (Alexander Kluge, 16 Discs) Edition Filmmuseum; R0 PAL - For the overpour of a little-seen & important film-maker.

2a. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1 (Kenneth Anger, 5 Films) Fantoma; R1

2b. The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2 (Kenneth Anger, 6 Films) Fantoma; R1 - For complete collections of an important film-maker with beautiful transfers.
3. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1 - Other key sets offering swaths of a film-maker’s oeuvre include: Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Gaumont PAL), Jean Renoir (Lion’s Gate; R1), The Mario Bava Collection Vol. 1&2 (Anchor Bay; R1), The Looney Tunes Collection: Volume 5 (Warner; R1) for the Robert Clampett disc, Hiroshi Teshigahara: 3 Films (Criterion; R1) for the shorts

4. Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist (Various, 4 Discs) Criterion; R1 - For stitching together pieces of history.  Two other sets that do this are:  Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection (Milestone/New Yorker; R1), The Chantal Akerman Collection (CineArt; R2 PAL)

5. Class Relations (Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL - Other key films released:  When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Criterion; R1), Early Spring (inside the Late Ozu Boxset) (Eclipse; R1), Berlin Alexanderplatz (Criterion; R1), Theorem (BFI; R2 PAL), Army of Shadows (Criterion; R1)

6. Cocorico monsieur Poulet (Jean Rouch, 1974) Editions Montparnasse; R2 PAL - Thin transfer but I am grateful for the inclusion of Cemeteries on the Cliff & Hippopotamus Hunt on the disc. Other key films released:  Wittgenstein (BFI; R2 PAL), Distant Voices, Still Lives (BFI; R2 PAL), Nathalie Granger (Blaq Out; R0), Angel Face (Warner; R1), Ace in the Hole (Criterion; R1) 

7. Invisible Adversaries (Valie Export, 1977) Index; R0 PAL - Other unearthed films:  Marketa Lazarova (Second Run; R2 PAL), Overlord (Criterion; R1), Kisses (Yume; R2 PAL), Tattoo (Yume; R2 PAL), Le Silence de la mer  (MoC; R2 PAL)

8. The Third Part of the Night (Andrzej Zulawski, 1971) Second Sight; R0 PAL - Other films unearthed due to their great transfers:  Threepenny Opera (Criterion; R1), Arabian Nights (Universal; R1), Cobra Woman (Carlotta; R2 PAL), Hot Blood (Universal; R2 PAL), Nosferatu (thanks for not using a PAL port) (Kino; R1)

9. Harry Partch: Enclosure 8 (Harry Partch, 2007) Innova; R0 - Other themed collections of note:  Soviet Propaganda (Jove Films; R1) (despite the horrible menu navigation), Experiments in Terror 2 (Other Cinema; R0), As She Likes It (Female Performance Art from Austria) (Index; R0 PAL), American Slapstick (Image/AllDay; R1), Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934 (National Film Preservation Foundation; R0)

10. Pier Paolo Pasolini Vol.2 (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 3 Discs) Tartan; R2 PAL - Other film-maker collections of note:  Esther Williams (Warner; R1), Louis Malle Documentaries (Eclipse; R1), Which Way to CA? (Index; R0 PAL) (‘bad home movies’ and more from Kurt Kren, plus an excellent documentary on him No Danube)

Nick Zegarac

Windsor On. Canada

1. UA 90th Anniversary Prestige Collection (Various, 110 Discs) MGM; R1 – an epic array of the studios most respected catalogue titles packaged to perfection inside a handsome fold out sleeve

2. Ford At Fox - The Collection (John Ford, 21 Discs) Fox; R1 – everything the master craftsman did at the studio neatly bundled into one utterly memorable set

3. James Bond Ultimate Collector's Set (Various, 42 Discs) MGM; R1 – deluxe repackaging of the restored Bond titles making this the ultimate franchise collection of the year

4. Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition (Ridley Scott, 5 Discs) Warner; R1 – it’s about time; all the various versions of this sci-fi classic available in one attaché with a barrage of extras to boot

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition) (Steven Spielberg, 1977) Sony; R1 – minor edits, major benefits plus a refurbished transfer for improved clarity on all versions.