|
Acquarello
Washington DC
USA
1a.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
1b.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 2: Children
(1937-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
3.
L'Enfance-nue
(Maurice
Pialat, 1968) Masters of Cinema Series; R2 PAL
4.
Alexander Kluge - The films
for cinema (Eight 2-disc DVDs) Edition Filmmuseum; R2 PAL
5.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
6.
Rat-Trap
(Adoor
Gopalakrishnan, 1981) Second Run DVD; R2 PAL
7.
José Luis Guerin: Innisfree/Tren
de sombras/Unas Fotos en la ciudad de Sylvia
(4 Discs) Versus
Entertainment; R2 PAL
8.
Chikamatsu Monogatari /
Uwasa No Onna
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2
PAL
9.
Nathalie Granger
(Marguerite Duras, 1972) Blaqout/Facets, R1
10.
Bill Douglas Trilogy
(1972-1978, 2 Discs) BFI/Facets; R1
Comments: A lot of great, rare
films released on DVD this year so coming up with a list was
easy…paring it down to ten was a challenge.
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco, CA
USA
1.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
2.
Satantango
(Béla Tarr,
1994) Facets Video; R1
3.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
4.
Silent Ozu: Three Family
Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
5.
The General: Ultimate 2-Disc
Edition
(Buster Keaton, 1927) Kino; R1
6.
White Dog
(Samuel Fuller,
1982) Criterion; R1
7.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
8.
Harry Langdon: Three's a
Crowd/The Chaser
(Harry Langdon, 1927) Kino; R1
9.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann,
1950) Criterion; R1
10.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
Alex Barrett
Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey
England
1.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer,
1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
2.
BFI 75th Anniversary Box Set
(Play.com Exclusive) (Melville, Renoir, et al., 10 Discs) Bfi; R2
PAL
3.
BFI 75 Anniversary Box Set -
European Cinema
(Amazon.co.uk Exclusive) (Davies, Rivette, et
al., 10 Discs) Bfi; R2 PAL
4.
BFI 75th Anniversary Box Set
- A Centenary of British Film (MovieMail Exclusive) (Powell, et
al., 10 Discs) Bfi; R2
5.
La Notte
(Michelangelo
Antonioni, 1961) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
6.
The Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; R2 PAL
7.
The Devil, Probably
(Robert Bresson, 1977) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
8.
The Hourglass Sanatorium
(Wojciech Has, 1973) Mr Bongo; R2 PAL
9.
Identification of a Woman
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1982) Mr Bongo; R0 PAL
10.
The Phantom Carriage/The
Image Makers
(Victor Sjöström/Ingmar Bergman, 1921/2000); Tartan
R2 PAL
Comments: A few of these discs have
been chosen for the films rather than the discs themselves, and the
three BFI boxsets have been included for their combination of great
films with low prices.
Vampyr gets my top vote not only because of
my love for Dreyer, but also because of the staggering package of
fantastic extras assembled. I have recently been watching a lot of
Antonioni, and it felt like a good year to be a fan of his work. It
was also good to have my favourite Bresson released, along with
another film from Wojciech Has, who is quickly becoming one of my
favourite directors.
Noel Bjorndahl
Winmalee, Australia
1.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
2.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse
Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
3.
Intégrale Jacques Demy
(12 Discs) Arte Video; R2 PAL
4.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
5.
Midnight
(Mitchell Leisen, 1939) Universal; R1
6.
There's Always Tomorrow
from
Douglas Sirk Collection
(3 Discs) Koch Media; R2 PAL
7.
Miss Julie
(Alf Sjöberg,
1950) Criterion; R1
8.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
9.
Verboten!
(Samuel Fuller,
1959) Warner- Fr; R2 PAL
10.
The Search
(Fred
Zinnemann, 1948) Warner- Fr; R2 PAL [note this was released in ’07,
but for the purposes of this poll we are counting it as ‘08]
Comments: Pieces of eight
everywhere this year, with France and other European sources
frequently supplying the largest booty. I suspect the
Murnau/Borzage
Collection would have headed my top ten but it has only just been
dispatched. Others edged out this year (by a whisker) were: three
films by the great, neglected Victor Sjostrom - Terje Vigen,
Ingeborg Holm and The Outlaw and His Wife (Kino, R1);
A Time to Love
and a Time to Die (Carlotta, R2);
Stranger on Horseback (VCI, R1-not
the best transfer but a good Tourneur long out of circulation);
Desert Fury (Lewis Allen, DV1, an unusually bright colour copy from
this obscure R4 Australian source);
Vampyr
(Dreyer, Criterion, R1);
Alice Faye Collection Vol 2 (Fox, R1);
The Thief of Bagdad (Korda/Powell
et al, Criterion R1-an exquisite copy);
El Cid (Anthony Mann, The
Miriam Collection, R1);
The Devil, Probably (Bresson,
Artificial Eye, R2);
Satyajit Ray Collection
Vol.1 (Artificial Eye, R2);
much improved Special Editions of two important Minnelli musicals -
An American
in Paris and
Gigi, Warner Bros, R1;
Warner Bros Western
Classics Collection (especially
The Law and Jake Wade and
The
Stalking Moon) R1; The World in His Arms (Raoul Walsh, from
The
Gregory Peck Film Collection, Universal, R1);
The Red Balloon (Lamorisse,
Criterion, R1) and
The Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou Hsiao-Hsien,
IFC, R1); and
Stavisky (Alain Resnais, Studio Canal R4).
Tom Charity
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
L'Enfance-nue
(Maurice
Pialat, 1968) Masters of Cinema Series; R2 PAL
3.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
4.
An Autumn Afternoon
(Yasujiro Ozu, 1962) Criterion; R1
5.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
6.
Pierrot le fou
(Jean-Luc
Godard, 1965) Criterion; R1
7.
Verboten!
(Samuel Fuller,
1959) Warner- Fr; R2 PAL
8.
Quiet City/Dance Party, USA
(Aaron Katz, 2006-07) Benten Films;
R1
9.
The Big Trail
(Raoul
Walsh, 1930) 20th Century Fox; R1
10.
Satyajit Ray Collection
Vol.1
(3 Discs) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
Daryl Chin
Brooklyn, New York
USA
1.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
2a.
J'Accuse
(Abel Gance 1919) Flicker Alley; R1
2b.
La Roue
(Abel Gance, 1923) Flicker Alley; R1
3.
Chikamatsu Monogatari /
Uwasa No Onna
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
4.
The Dragon Painter (William Worthington, 1919)
Milestone; R1
5a.
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
5b.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4
Discs) Criterion; R1
6.
Happiness/The Last Bolshevik
(Alezandr Medvedkin, 1934;
Chris Marker; 1992) Icarus; R1
7.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
8.
Glitterbox: Derek Jarman x 4
(4 Discs) Zeitgeist; R1
9.
Griffith’s Masterworks Vol. 2
(5 Discs) Kino; R1
10a.
Black Widow
(Nunnally Johnson, 1954) 20th
Century Fox; R1
10b.
Dangerous Crossing
(Joseph M. Newman, 1953) 20th
Century Fox; R1
10c.
Daisy Kenyon
(Otto Preminger, 1947) 20th
Century Fox; R1
10d.
Moontide
(Archie Mayo, 1941) 20th Century
Fox; R1
10e.
Road House
(Jean Negulesco, 1948) 20th
Century Fox; R1
10f.
Boomerang!
(Elia Kazan, 1947) 20th Century
Fox; R1
Eric Cotenas
Sacramento, CA
USA
1.
Le Femme Publique
(Andrjez Zulawski, 1984) Mondo Vision; R0
2.
Chungking Express
(Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Criterion; R0
3.
Icons Of Horror: Hammer Films
(Terence Fisher, Seth Holt, et al., 2 Discs) Sony; R1
4.
The Skull
(Freddie
Francis, 1965) Legend Films; R1
5.
Pieces
(J. P. Simon,
1982); Grindhouse Releasing; R1
6.
Beyond the Door
(Ovidio
G. Assonitis, 1974) Code Red; R1
7.
The Frightened Woman
(Piero Schivazappa, 1969) Shameless; R2
8.
Alain Delon – 5-Film
Collection
(Various, 1967-1984) Lionsgate; R1
9.
Belle Toujours
(Manoel de
Olivera, 2006) New Yorker; R1
10.
Killer’s Moon
(Alan
Birkinshaw, 1977) Redemption; R0
Comments:
Le Femme Publique
tops several categories for me. It’s a discovery (previously
unavailable subtitled) with great packaging, extras (commentary,
booklet, and soundtrack). Legend Films unearthed a gorgeous
scope transfer of Freddie Francis’
The Skull
(one of many neglected
Paramount vault titles). No extras but, in this case, an OAR
copy is truly enough. Sony’s Hammer set makes available on the
DVD format for the first time in the US four of Columbia’s elusive
Hammer holdings (all but one were available on tape cropped and, in
the case of JEKYLL, censored).
Belle Toujours
was not only
interesting in itself but has gotten me interested in seeing more by
the director.
Chungking Express
has been well-represented on DVD but Criterion finally gives it
first class treatment.
Alain Delon – 5-Film
Collection
gives us the opportunity to see some of his lesser
known films in anamorphic transfers (SWIMMING POOL and DIABOLICALLY
YOURS had dubbed tape releases but they are hard to find). Code Red
went above and beyond with
Beyond the Door
providing two commentary
tracks and interviews making this EXORCIST rip-off worth seeing
again. Shameless Entertainment assembled the longest cut of Piero
Schivazappa’s kitschy piece of S&M psychedelic erotica (previously
available in its US Audubon Films version in only fair quality).
Redemption made me reassess the grim proto-slasher
Killer’s Moon
with fresh eyes (and ears due to the enjoyable yet frank
actor/director commentary). The same goes for Grindhouse Releasing’s special edition of J.P. Simon’s
Pieces. While the
anamorphic transfer and optional Spanish track (with wisely-replaced
original score by Librado Pastor) do not scrub off any of the grime
of this laughably absurd unrated gorefest, the 5.1 “Vine Theater
Experience” track assured me that the film’s rabid fans were
laughing at the same inanities I was (and a few new ones). No
Hitchcocks on my list because I’m a bit “Hitchcocked Out” and will
probably not get around to picking some of those up until the New
Year (I still haven’t checked out the BLADE RUNNER set) but to prove
I’m no philistine, I did vote for Criterion’s SALO and
Vampyr
in the
“double dipping” section.
Ali Dagher
Dearborn, Michigan
USA
Red Cliff
(John Woo, 2008) Mei Ah - Blu-ray; Region-free
Marshall Deutelbaum
West Lafayette, Indiana
USA
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
Gaumont Le cinema premier
1897-1913, Vo1. 1
(Guy, Feuillade, et al., 7 discs) Gaumont; R0
PAL
3.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
4.
Emile Cohl: L’Agitateur aux
mille images (Emile Cohl, 2 Discs) Gaumont; R0 PAL
5.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
6.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
7.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
8.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
9.
Kim Ki Young Collection
(4 Discs) The Korean Film Archive/Taewon Entertainment; R0
10.
Anthology of Polish
Experimental Animation (3 Discs, 40 Films) Polskie Wydawnictwo
Audiowizualne, R0 PAL
Comments: 2008 has been a
remarkable year for the release of silent film on DVD. So many
excellent films that were impossible to see outside of a film
archive have become available for home viewing over the past year.
Karim Drissi
Sacramento, CA
USA
1.
The Wire: Complete Series
(2002-08, 23 Discs) HBO; R1
2.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
3.
The Fire Within
(Louis
Malle, 1963) Criterion; R1
4.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
5.
Mishima: A Life in Four
Chapters
(Paul Schrader, 1985) Criterion; R1
6.
The Delirious Fictions of
William Klein - Eclipse Series 9
(3 Discs) Criterion; R1
7. JCVD (Mabrouk El Mechri, 2008)
Gaumont; R2
8.
Generation Kill
(2008, 3
Discs) HBO; R1
9.
Redacted
(Brian De Palma,
2007) Magnolia; R1
10.
Her Name is Sabine
(Sandrine Bonnaire, 2007) Film Movement; R1
Comments:
Simply put, I am fond of these ten DVD releases as they represent
some of the very best that was offered cinéastes during the calendar
year of 2008. To be sure,
The Wire: Complete Series
tops
my list not only because of its above-average DVD presentation, but
also because it constitutes one of the greatest works of art
produced in recent years. Sadly,
The Wire has more or less gone
unnoticed in many circles. For those who are unwilling to think of
television as anything but the junk food equivalent of cinema, this
show is not for you. For those who are open to the possibility of a
television programme transcending its medium in order to showcase
genuine artistry at work, give this show a chance.
Best Blu-ray:
1.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
2.
Halloween
(Rob Zombie, 2007) Genius/Dimension; Region-free
3.
The
Adventures of Robin Hood
(Michael Curtiz, 1938) Warner; R0
4.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner; Region-free
5.
A Nightmare
on
Elm Street
(Wes Craven, 1984) Alliance; RA
Samuel Frederick
Pendleton, SC
USA
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
Berlin, die
Sinfonie der Großstadt & Melodie der Welt (Walther Ruttmann,
1927, 1929) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL
3.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913)
(5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
4.
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
5.
The General: Ultimate 2-Disc
Edition
(Buster Keaton, 1927) Kino; R1
6a.
Vampyr
(Carl
Th. Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
6b.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer, 1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
7.
L’Argent
(Marcel L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R0
PAL
8.
Bill Douglas Trilogy
(2 Discs) Bfi; R2 PAL
9.
Gerhart Meier:
Das Wolkenschattenboot (Friedrich Kappeler, 2007) Pelican Films;
R2 PAL
10.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann, 1950) Criterion; R1
Best Blu-ray
1.
The Nightmare
Before Christmas
(Henry Selick, 1993) Walt Disney; A
2.
Bottle Rocket
(Wes Anderson, 1996) Criterion; A
3.
Mad Detective
(Johnnie To & Wai Ka-fai, 2007) Masters of Cinema; Region-free
4.
Michael
Clayton
(Tony Gilroy, 2007) Warner; Region-free
5.
Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; B
6.
Caché
(Michael Haneke, 2005) Artificial Eye; Region-free
7.
Encounters at
the End of the World
(Werner Herzog, 2007) Image; A
8.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
Stuart Galbraith IV
Kyoto, Japan
1.
Charlie Chan Collection,
Volume 5
(Various, 5 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood
Collection, Vol. 2
(Wellman, Curtiz, et al. 3 Discs) Warner; R1
3.
Alain Delon – 5-Film
Collection
(Various, 1967-1984) Lionsgate; R1
4.
Forgotten Noir & Crime Vol. 4
(Various, 3 Discs) VCI; R1
5.
Kabei – Our Mother
(Yoji
Yamada, 2008) Shochiku Home Video; R2 NTSC
6.
Life After Tomorrow
(Gil
Cates Jr. and Julie Stevens, 2006) Arts Alliance America; R1
7.
Pete Seeger: The Power of
Song
(Jim Brown, 2007) Genius; R1
8.
Perry Mason – 50th
Anniversary Edition
(5 Discs) Paramount; R1
9.
Icons of Adventure
(Terence Fisher, et al. 2 Discs) Sony; R1
10.
The Three Stooges
Collection, Vol. 3: 1940-1942
(Various, 2 Discs) Sony; R1
Blu-ray Top 10
1.
Dr. No
(Terence Young, 1962) MGM; A
2.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner; Region-free
3.
How the West
Was Won
(Hathaway, Marshall, Ford, 1962) Warner; A
4.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
5.
A Passage to
India
(David Lean, 1984) Sony; A
6.
Great
Expectations
(David Lean, 1946) ITV; Region-Free
7.
Lonesome Dove
(Simon Wincer, 1989) Genius; A
8.
Planet of the
Apes 40th Anniversary Collection
(various, 1967-1973) Fox; A
9.
The Boys from
Brazil
(Franklin J. Schaffner, 1978) ITV; Region-Free
10.
Bob Hope
Collection My Favorite Brunette / Son of Paleface
[HD DVD]
(Elliott Nugent, Frank Tashlin, 1947, 1952) BCI/Navarre; Region-Free
Chris Galloway
Puyallup, WA
USA
1a.
Mishima: A Life in Four
Chapters
(Paul Schrader, 1985) Criterion; R1
1b.
Patriotism
(Yukio
Mishima, 1966) Criterion; R1
3.
Zodiac: Director’s Cut
(David Fincher, 2007) Paramount; R1
4.
Brand Upon the Brain!
(Guy Maddin, 2006) Criterion; R1
5.
Vampyr
(Carl Th.
Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
6.
Rear Window: Legacy Series
(Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) Universal; R1
7.
The Spy Who Came in From the
Cold
(Martin Ritt, 1965) Criterion; R1
8.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
9.
Mon oncle Antoine
(Claude
Jutra, 1971) Criterion; R1
10.
Aki Kaurismäki's Proletariat
Trilogy – Eclipse Series 12
(3 Discs) Criterion; R1
Comments: Admittedly I’m leaning
heavily towards Criterion and after going through the list of DVDs
that I’ve seen released this past year over and over I have to be
honest and say they released most of my favorite DVDs (based on
technical merits,) still delivering the best transfers (like the one
for the heavily damaged “Vampyr”) and supplements. I felt their
releases of “Mishima: A Life in Four
Chapters” and “Patriotism”,
together, were their best efforts, not only offering strong
transfers and excellent insight into their respective films through
their supplements, but also offering a wonderful and incredibly
thorough, if not at all flattering, examination of a complex man.
Criterion also delivered some real gems in their Eclipse line, most
specifically with their Aki Kaurismaki box set. Universal rarely
impresses me but they did do a nice job on their Hitchcock
re-releases, “Rear
Window” being my favorite of their batch of
Legacy Series titles, and they put an extensive amount of effort
into their “Touch
of Evil” release, including three versions of the
film. And it’s very rare where a DVD for a bigger, recent film
stands out, but Paramount’s release for the director’s cut of David
Fincher’s “Zodiac” presented supplements that thoroughly covered the
film and actual
Zodiac case and was easily one of the more
satisfying releases I went through this year.
Best Blu-ray
1.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
2.
Iron Man
(Jon Favreau, 2008) Paramount; A
3.
The
Proposition
(John Hillcoat, 2005) First Look; A
4.
From Russia
With Love
(Terence Young, 1963) MGM; A
5.
The Visitor
(Thomas McCarthy, 2007) Anchor Bay; A
Jerry Gerber
New York, NY
USA
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
3.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
4.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
5.
White Dog
(Samuel Fuller,
1982) Criterion; R1
6a.
Chikamatsu Monogatari /
Uwasa No Onna
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2
PAL
6b.
Ugetsu Monogatari / Oyu-Sama
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
7.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
Satyajit Ray Collection Vol.1
(3 Discs) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
9a.
Make Way For Tomorrow
(Leo McCarey, 1937) BaC; R2PAL
9b.
J'Accuse
(Abel Gance
1919) Flicker Alley; R1
10a.
Le Deuxième Souffle
(Jean-Pierre Melville, 1966) Criterion; R1
10b.
La Signora di Tutti
(Max Ophüls, 1934) RHV; R0 PAL
Best Blu-ray
1.
Baraka
(Ron Fricke, 1992) MPI; A
2.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
3.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
4.
How the West
Was Won
(Hathaway, Marshall, Ford, 1962) Warner; A
5.
The Dark
Knight
(Christopher Nolan, 2008) Warner; A
Peter Henne
San Pedro, CA
USA
1.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
2.
Colecao Glauber
Rocha (8-Discs, including Terra em Transe, Antonio das Mortes,
et al.) Versatil; R0
3.
Jean-Luc
Godard: 3-Disc Collector's Edition
(3 Discs) Lionsgate; R1
4.
Love on the
Ground
(Jacques Rivette, 1984) Bluebell; R2 PAL
5.
Vampyr
(Carl
Th. Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
6.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
7.
Le Gai savoir
(Jean-Luc Godard, 1968) Koch Lorber; R1
8.
The New World –
The Extended Cut
(Terrence Malick, 2005) New Line, R1
9.
Judex / Nuits Rouges
(Georges Franju, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
10.
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
Comments: My voting
factors included having English subtitles, whether the title had
been released previously in a decent edition, my guess of how likely
and fast an improved edition will come out, image/sound quality, and
cost to a U.S. consumer. Note: three of the four feature films in
the Rocha set were released by Versatil in 2008, and the widescreen
films are letterboxed but non-anamorphic. Some DVDs from this year I
look forward to watching:
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set; Red
Desert (BFI);
La Notte (MoC);
Douglas Sirk
Collection 2
(Carlotta);
The Long Day Closes
(BFI);
La Signora di Tutti
(RHV); Private Vices Public Virtues (Jef).
Peter Hourigan
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
1. Manoel de Oliveria 100 anos
(21 Films) Zon Lusomondo; R2 PAL
2.
Intégrale Jacques Demy
(12 Discs) Arte Video; R2 PAL
3.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
4a.
La Roue
(Abel Gance,
1923) Flicker Alley; R1
4b.
J'Accuse
(Abel Gance
1919) Flicker Alley; R1
5.
Silent Light
(Carlos
Reygadas, 2007) Tartan; R2 PAL
6.
Solitary Fragments
(Jaime Rosales, Spain 2007) Cameo Media; R0 PAL
7.
In the City of
Sylvia
(José Luis Guerín, 2007) Cameo Media; R0 PAL
8.Toutes Les Nuits
(Eugene
Green, 2000) Arcades; R2 PAL [Late Dec. ’07 release qualifies for
this poll – ed.]
9.
4 by Agnès Varda
(4
Discs) Criterion; R1
10.
Mon oncle Antoine
(Claude Jutra, 1971) Criterion; R1
Comments: With several unbelievably
rich and invaluable box sets (giving me a “cheating” total of about
50 films) the honour has to go to de Oliveira – surely one of the
most amazing careers – still going strong at 100. An impeccable,
compactly packed set, accessible to non-Portuguese speakers for the
most part. Otherwise, it’s great to acknowledge several wonderful
discoveries DVD made possible for me this year.
Dave Kehr
New York, NY
USA
[Alphabetical]
Come Drink with
Me
(King Hu, 1966) Weinstein; R1
Douglas Fairbanks: A
Modern Musketeer
(5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
Easy Living
(Mitchell Leisen, 1937) Universal; R1
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs) Paramount; A
Griffith’s Masterworks Vol. 2
(5 Discs) Kino; R1
How the West
Was Won
(Hathaway, Marshall, Ford, 1962) Warner; A
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4
Discs) Criterion; R1
Man of the West
(Anthony Mann, 1958) MGM; R1
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
Sleeping Beauty
(Clyde Geronimi, 1959) Walt Disney; A
Craig Keller
Princeton, NJ
USA
1.
The Last Letter
(Frederick Wiseman, 2002) Zipporah Films; R0
2.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer,
1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
3.
Boarding Gate
(Olivier
Assayas, 2007) Magnet; R1
4.
Blast of Silence
(Allen
Baron, 1961) Criterion; R1
5.
L'Enfance-nue
(Maurice
Pialat, 1968) Masters of Cinema Series; R2 PAL
6.
Le Gai savoir
(Jean-Luc
Godard, 1968) Koch Lorber; R1
7.
Police
(Maurice Pialat,
1985) Masters of Cinema Series; R2 PAL
8.
Pierrot le fou
(Jean-Luc
Godard, 1965) Criterion; R1
9.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
10.
The Sixth Side of the
Pentagon / The Embassy
(Chris Marker, 1968 & 1973) Icarus; R1
Comments:
I could have chosen ten random Frederick Wiseman films as the
releases of the year. The impulse to give Lionsgate props for the
four-film Jean-Luc Godard Collector's Set is checked by the fact
that the soundtracks to both Détective and Hélas pour moi have been
converted to mono, from their virtuosic and essential original
stereo mixes (the earlier film retaining the stereo mix on its
Optimum R2 UK release). Swap out any of the above with Kino's
Griffith’s Masterworks Vol. 2; or Criterion's release of Tati's
Trafic
or
Martha Graham on Film or
Lubitsch Musicals; or Fox's
release of Walsh's
The Big Trail
or the Murnau, Borzage and Fox box;
or IFC's no-frills releases of Hou's Flight of the Red Balloon or
Korine's Mister Lonely or Rivette's Ne touchez pas la hache; or
VCI's sets of Eason's and Brower's The Phantom Empire, Ford's This
Is Korea!, and Tourneur's Stranger on Horseback. In a year in which
it's easier to come by
L’Argent
than it is money, it's painful to
distribute non-voting shares.
Blu-ray
1.
How the West
Was Won
(Hathaway, Marshall, Ford, 1962) Warner; A
2.
Chungking Express
(Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Criterion; A
3.
Mad Detective
(Johnnie To & Wai Ka-fai, 2007) Masters of Cinema; Region-free
4.
Caché
(Michael Haneke, 2005) Artificial Eye; Region-free
5.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs)
Paramount; A
Adam Lampe
Darwin, Northern
Territory
Australia
1.
A Man Escaped
(Robert Bresson, 1956) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
2.
Vampyr
(Carl
Th. Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
3.
Cluny Brown
(Ernst Lubitsch, 1946) BFI Video; R2
4.
Midnight
(Mitchell Leisen, 1939) Universal; R1
5.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
(Albert Lewin, 1945) Warner;
R1
6.
La Ronde
(Max Ophüls, 1950) Criterion; R1
7.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse
Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection
(8 Discs) MGM; R1
9.
The Naked Prey
(Cornel Wilde, 1966) Criterion; R1
10.
La Notte
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL0
Comments: Along with
A Man Escaped,
Artificial Eye also released the majestic
Lancelot du Lac
and the bleak but unshakable
The Devil, Probably. They were also essential purchases
for 2008.
A Man Escaped,
though, is my favourite Bresson film, and A.E.’s inclusion of the
excellent documentary The Road to Bresson nails this release
to the top of my list. The greatness of Lubitsch is preserved by the
Eclipse set of early musicals, which shows a group of playful
talents (inc. Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald) at their peak.
Cluny Brown, on the other hand, is a wise and optimistic final
statement, somewhat underrated in my view, worth revisiting in BFI’s
sturdy, no-frills release. Indeed, 2008 was a good year for comedy.
Leisen’s
Midnight, for example, was the best in a quartet of comedy
DVDs from Universal, including the welcome release of a decent
transfer of Billy Wilder’s
The Major and the Minor. One of the more
controversial releases of the year was the
Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection. Fortunately, my Collection was undamaged, and all the
DVDs played perfectly. My heart goes out to those who didn’t get a
fully functional set, because this was one of the most important
releases of the year, in spite of its flaws. The most essential
element in the collection was the restored prints of The Lodger,
Sabotage and Young and Innocent, along with the excellent
commentaries for each film. These transfers fully eclipse those on
Concorde Home Entertainment’s Alfred Hitchcock: The Early Years. One
hopes MGM will release more restorations and special editions of
Hitchcock films, especially from his pre-Hollywood era, and take
more care in how they are packaged.
Adam Lemke
www.moviemiser.com & DVDBeaver
contributor
Syracuse, NY
USA
1.
White Dog
(Samuel Fuller, 1982) Criterion; R1
2.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
3.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
4.
In the City of
Sylvia
(José Luis Guerín, 2007) Cameo Media; R0 PAL
5.
Princess
(Anders Morgenthaler, 2006) Tartan; R2 PAL
6.
Inside
(Alexandre
Bustillo & Julien Maury, 2007) Genius; R1
7.
Quiet City/Dance Party, USA
(Aaron Katz, 2006-07) Benten Films; R1
8.
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
9.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse
Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
10.
Spaced: The
Complete Series
(Edgar Wright, 3 Discs) BBC; R1
Blu-ray
1.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
2.
Dirty Harry
Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Various, 5 Discs) Warner;
Region-free
3.
There Will Be
Blood
(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) Paramount; A
4.
Chungking Express
(Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Criterion; A
5.
Sleeping Beauty
(Clyde Geronimi, 1959) Walt Disney; A
6.
CJ7
(Stephen Chow, 2008) Sony; Region-free
7.
Juno
(Jason Reitman, 2007) 20th Century Fox; A
8.
Baraka
(Ron Fricke, 1992) MPI; A
9.
30 Days of
Night
(David Slade, 2007) Sony; A
10.
Faces of
Death
(John
Alan Schwartz, 1978) Gorgon; Region-free (just for existing)
Comments: My collection grew by almost 700 DVD’s this year and every
year I ask myself the same question when selecting my #1 choice…
what disc will I still be watching 10 years from now? The choice was
simple, as Fuller’s masterpiece is as biting today as it was 26
years ago and as it will be 10 years from now…cinema, pure and simple
and of the highest order.
Murnau, Borzage,
Boetticher,
Lubitsch, and
Ozu
boxsets all get a nod -- here’s hoping that companies continue
recognizing directors over actors/genres with the sets that they
release. Some of the best films of 2008/2007 get nods including
In the City of
Sylvia,
WALL•E
and
There Will Be
Blood. Props to Benten
films for releasing top-notch indie films in well-crafted editions.
The rest of my favorite viewings this year were edgy genre films
that pushed the limits of the medium, and as a result, were forced
to exist outside of the big screen.
Inside,
Princess,
Red, Trigger Man, Rogue, Boachi Bushido:
Code of the Forgotten Eight and The Lost were just a few
of the films that came into light on the small screen in 2008. I
praise the efforts of Criterion and MoC, but the folks at Dark Sky,
Severin, Synapse, and Dimension Extreme continue to earn my respect
with their edgy distributions… I wish these brave companies the best
of luck in ’09… keep taking risks and releasing these movies!
Irina Lutsky
Chicago, IL
USA
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set (12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
3.
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood
Collection, Vol. 2
(Wellman, Curtiz, et al. 3 Discs) Warner; R1
4.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann,
1950) Criterion; R1
5.
La Signora di Tutti (Max
Ophüls, 1934) RHV; R0 PAL
6.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
7.
Tyrone Power Matinee Idol
Collection
(Hathaway, Litvak, Roy, et al. 5 Discs) 20th Century
Fox; R1
8.
Chikamatsu Monogatari /
Uwasa No Onna
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
9.
Ugetsu Monogatari / Oyu-Sama
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
10.
Miss Julie
(Alf Sjöberg,
1950) Criterion; R1
Comments:
I feel very fortunate to finally be
able to watch Borzage’s Lucky Star and Street Angel in decent
quality and finally retire my barely watchable non-commercial
copies. I can also retire the Spanish edition of Seventh Heaven,
too. The entire set is heaven on earth.
L’Argent was a real treat –
the decadent opulence of the late silent era at its best. The Tyrone
Power set was a real eye opener – the actor had an incredible range;
his comedic chemistry with Loretta Yong has to be seen to be
believed. The famous Ophul’s camera did not fail to dazzle again in
a fabulous
La Signora di Tuttii. I was grateful to TCM for releasing
more pre-codes. I hope to see more released next year – we have some
serious pre-code gaps that need to be closed. Kenji Mizoguchi is
always a treat.
Tom Mahaffey
Troy, Michigan
USA
1.
Imitation of Life --
Universal Legacy Series
(John M. Stahl, 1934) Universal; R1
In a different era, Freidi
Washington may well have been the first female African-American
Oscar winner.
2.
Rocco and His Brothers
(Luchino
Visconti, 1960) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
Great transfer, first class
production by Masters of Cinema with the beautiful Claudia Cardinale.
3.
Night of the Shooting Stars
(Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, 1982) Koch Lorber; R1
Excellent storytelling highlights
this Taviani Masterpiece.
4.
Breath
(Kim Ki-duk, 2007)
TaeWon Entertainment; R3
Another intriguing tale by the
director of The Isle & 3-Iron
5.
Ugetsu Monogatari / Oyu-Sama
(Kenji Mizoguchi, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
Beautiful scenery, flawless camera
work and outstanding direction.
6.
The Lodger
-- from
Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection
(1927) MGM; R1
Considered Hitchcock’s “First
Hitchcock” film, I was mesmerized by the images and fine
storytelling.
7.
Antonio Gaudi
(Hiroshi
Teshigahara. 1984) Criterion; R1
I was completely blown away by the
sheer volume of work, as well as the educational value of this
wonderful film.
8.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
Standout was Wings, I really
loved this actress and the true to life feeling the film conveyed.
9a.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer,
1932) Criterion; R1
9b.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer,
1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
I prefer the more raw/natural look
of the MOC version but I have to admit the improved English text is
a real standout on the Criterion edition.
10.
Four Minutes
(Chris
Kraus, 2006) Petit Peche; R2 PAL
Very strong acting by both female
leads.
Blu-ray Top 10
1.
Juno
(Jason Reitman, 2007) 20th Century Fox; A
2.
Hellboy II:
The Golden Army
(Guillermo del Toro, 2008) Universal; A
3.
Slither
(James Gunn, 2006) DutchFilmWorks; B
4.
Night of the
Living Dead
(George A. Romero, 1968) Optimum; B
5.
30 Days of
Night
(David Slade, 2007) Sony; A
6.
The Day the
Earth Stood Still
(Robert Wise, 1951) 20th Century
Fox; A
7.
Tell No One
(Guillaume Cantet, 2006) Europa Corp; B
8.
Mad Detective
(Johnnie To & Wai Ka-fai, 2007) Masters of Cinema; Region-free
9.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
10.
No Country for
Old Men
(Coen Bros, 2007) Miramax; A
Gregory Meshman
Atlanta, GA
USA
1.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
2.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
3.
Before the Rain
(Milcho
Manchevski, 1994) Criterion; R1
4.
Road House
(Jean
Negulesco, 1948) 20th Century Fox; R1
5.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann,
1950) Criterion; R1
6.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
7.
Judex / Nuits Rouges
(Georges Franju, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
8.
Fox Western Classics
(Henry Hathaway, et al., 3 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
9.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
10.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
Comments: I’m yet to go Blu, but
this year I cut back on my purchases, especially from other regions,
so my choices mostly come from region 1. Content of
Murnau, Borzage box should get the first place, but terrible packaging
caused me to move it to last. I had to track it down at a local B&M
store to avoid damaging it during shipping.
John Nelson
Frederick, MD
USA
1.
Death of a Cyclist
(Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955)
Criterion; R1
2.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
3.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
4.
Warner
Gangsters Collection, Vol. 4
(Various, 6 Discs) Warner; R1
5.
The Darjeeling
Limited
(Wes Anderson, 2007) 20th Century Fox; R1
6.
The Clouded
Yellow
(Ralph Thomas, 1950) Eureka; R2 PAL
7.
Man on Wire
(James Marsh, 2008) Magnolia; R1
8.
The Devil, Probably
(Robert Bresson, 1977) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
Best Blu-ray
1.
Zulu
(Cy
Endfield, 1964) Paramount; Region-free
2.
Black Narcissus
(Powell &
Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
3.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner;
Region-free
4.
Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; B
5.
The Ipcress
File
(Sidney J. Furie, 1965) 101 Distribution; Region-free
6.
An American
in Paris
(Vincente Minnelli, 1951) Warner; Region-free
Comments: I’m
reluctant to say that these are in any order. Suffice it that these
are a grouping of favorites.
Another note, in 2008 I purchased some Blu-Ray titles, but not
owning a suitable player, I viewed these on a friend’s compatible
system
Jason Overbeck
Los Angeles, CA
USA
1.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
2.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
3.
L'Enfance-nue
(Maurice
Pialat, 1968) Masters of Cinema Series; R2 PAL
4.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
5.
You the Living
(Roy
Andersson, 2007) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
6.
The Devil, Probably
(Robert Bresson, 1977) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
7.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse
Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
The Small Back Room
(Powell & Pressburger, 1949) Criterion; R1
9.
Alice in the Cities
(Wim
Wenders, 1974) Axiom; R2 PAL
10.
Andre Techine Boxset
(3
Discs) Lions Gate; R1
Best Blu-ray
1.
The Third Man
(Carol Reed, 1949) Criterion; A
2.
There Will Be
Blood
(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) Paramount; A
3.
Sunshine
(Danny Boyle, 2007) 20th Century Fox; A
4.
Bottle Rocket
(Wes Anderson, 1996) Criterion; A
5.
Chungking Express
(Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Criterion; A
Pat Pilon
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
1.
Postwar Kurosawa - Eclipse
Series 7
(5 Discs) Criterion; R1
2.
Sukiyaki
Western Django
(Takashi Miike, 2007) Geneon; R2 NTSC
3.
M
(Lee
Myung-se, 2007) KD Media; R3
4.
Time +
Breath
SE: Limited Edition
(Kim Ki-duk, 2007) Taewon; R3
5.
Classic Sci-Fi
Ultimate Collection Vol. 1+2
(Various, 6 Discs) Universal; R1
6.
High and Low
(Akira Kurosawa, 1963) Criterion; R1
7.
Baraka: 2-Disc
SE
(Ron Fricke, 1992) MPI; R1
8.
The Last Emperor
(Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987) Criterion; R1
9.
Les Vampires
(Louis Feuillade, 1915) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
10.
Poultrygeist:
Night of the Chicken Dead
(Lloyd Kauffman and Michael Herz,
2008) Troma; R0
Comments: Buying
habits have changed for me, as Blu-rays have become my primary buys
(though unfortunately I'm limited to region A only), but this year
saw some nice releases. My number one is essential for Kurosawa
fans and it's terrific to see some of his smaller, earlier films
finally make it onto decent DVDs. The rest of my selections have
good transfers and audio presentations, as well as a good selection
of extras (save for the Sci-Fi collection, which is priceless in
itself). I had to include that last one simply to give props to Mr.
Kauffman and his consistently packed discs, even if his releases
have the obvious technical shortcomings. He's one of the only
directors out there that's willing to show the warts of low-budget
filmmaking, and the extras in here are terrific. I also have to
give props to Eclectic DVD for producing
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter
on Blu-ray. Who knew a small movie from my hometown would end up on
Blu-ray?
Best Blu-ray
1.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
2.
Casino Royale
(Martin Campbell, 2006) Sony; A
3.
The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre
(Tobe Hooper, 1974) Dark Sky; A
4.
Sunshine
(Danny Boyle, 2007) 20th Century Fox; A
5.
3:10 to Yuma
(James Mangold, 2007) Lionsgate;
Region-free
6.
Chungking Express
(Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Criterion; A
7.
Protégé
(Derek Yee, 2006) Deltamac; Region-free
8.
The Fall
(Tarsem Singh, 2006) Sony; Region-free
9.
Ray
Harryhausen Collection
(Varions, 4 Discs) Sony; A
10.
Live and Let
Die
(Guy Hamilton, 1973) MGM; A
Luc Pomerleau
Gatineau, Québec
Canada
1.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
2.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
3.
Le Deuxième Souffle
(Jean-Pierre Melville, 1966) Criterion; R1
4.
Judex / Nuits Rouges
(Georges Franju, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
5.
Earrings of Madame de…
(Max Ophüls, 1953) Criterion; R1
6.
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
7.
Pierrot le fou
(Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) Criterion; R1
8.
The Phantom Carriage/The
Image Makers (Victor Sjöström/Ingmar Bergman,
1921/2000); Tartan R2 PAL
9.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann, 1950) Criterion; R1
10.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer, 1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
Comments: The Welles
re-issue is exemplary: relevant commentaries (not always a given), 3
versions for cinephiles to play endless comparison games, and other
substantial extras. I am surprised to list westerns, a genre I used
to dislike -- except for isolated works by Hathaway, Mann and Hawks
-- but
Boetticher is a revelation. As for Ophuls and Melville,
other titles released by Criterion and Second Sight could also have
found their way on the list. I chose the Ozu Box set over the
beautiful
An Autumn Afternoon
simply because it makes available works from his formative period,
including at least one true masterpiece. Several other titles could
well have made the final cut, like This Sporting Life, Abel Gance's
La Roue
or the James Stewart Western Collection.
Luiz Rocha
São Paulo
Brazil
1.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home Video; R2 NTSC
2.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 2: Children
(1937-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku
Home Video; R2 NTSC
3.
Aki Kaurismäki's Proletariat
Trilogy – Eclipse Series 12
(3 Discs)
Criterion; R1
4.
The Round-up
(Miklós Jancsó 1966) Second Run; R0 PAL
5.
Rat-Trap
(Adoor
Gopalakrishnan, 1981) Second Run DVD; R0 PAL
6.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
7.
4 by Agnès Varda
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
Makoto Sato
Complete Works
(6 Discs) Siglo Japan; R2 NTSC
9.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
10.
Min Byung Hoon
Collection Boxset
(3 films, 3 Discs) Taewon; R3
Comments:
This selection is not solely based on picture quality, as I take the
whole package into consideration when selecting, but I am also
valuing some of the rich, new material that was unknown to me and
released this year in acceptable and affordable packages.
Best Blu-ray
1.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs) Paramount; A
2.
The Third Man
(Carol Reed, 1949) Criterion; A
3.
Bottle Rocket
(Wes Anderson, 1996) Criterion; A
4.
Dirty Harry
Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Various,
5 Discs) Warner; Region-free
5.
Mad Detective
(Johnnie To & Wai Ka-fai, 2007) Masters of Cinema; Region-free
This very basic Blu-ray selection
was based on a mix of film value (considering the unimpressive
availability of valuable films released in a quality HD transfer),
picture quality and package content. Unfortunately, the whole BD
catalogue is still depressively short of good classics and
contemporary quality films. I am happy Criterion and MoC took a step
in the BD direction...
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago, Illinois
USA
1.
Intégrale Jacques Demy
(12 Discs) Arte Video; R2 PAL
2.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
3.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
4.
Satantango
(Béla Tarr,
1994) Facets Video; R1
5.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Gaumont Columbia Tristar; R2 PAL
6.
Mélo
(Alain Resnais,
1986) Kino; R1
7.
White Dog
(Samuel Fuller,
1982) Criterion; R1
8.
Judex / Nuits Rouges
(Georges Franju, 2 Discs) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
9.
The Horse Thief
(Tian
Zhuangzhuang, 1985) Chinese Follow Me; R0
10.
The Delirious Fictions of
William Klein - Eclipse Series 9
(3 Discs) Criterion; R1
Bill Routt
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
1.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer,
1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
2.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
3.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 2: Children
(1937-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
4.
The Big Trail
(Raoul
Walsh, 1930) 20th Century Fox; R1
5.
Gaumont Le cinema premier
1897-1913, Vo1. 1
(Guy, Feuillade, et al., 7 discs) Gaumont; R0
PAL
6.
La Roue
(Abel Gance,
1923) Flicker Alley; R1
7.
Nerven (Robert Reinert ,
1919) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL
8.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
9.
J'Accuse
(Abel Gance
1919) Flicker Alley; R1
10.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Gaumont Columbia Tristar; R2 PAL
Comments: Some year! Especially for
people like me, who are hopelessly entangled in the past. God bless
Flicker Alley, Lobster, Editions Filmmuseum, Carlotta and Digital
Meme in addition to Criterion and Masters of Cinema (and even the
Collection RKO). I wish there was space to include the
Boetticher
set, the Varda set, the Demy set, the
Lubitsch Musicals, the
Shepitko set, Saved from the Flames, the Melies set, Kid Commotion,
Jirochiki the Rat,
Satantango; and well,
There's Always Tomorrow.
Slant Magazine - Staff
New York, NY
USA
1.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
2.
The Wire: Complete Series
(2002-08, 23 Discs) HBO; R1
3.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
4.
The Godfather: The Coppola
Restorations
(Francis Ford Coppola, 5 Discs) Paramount; R1
5.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
6.
Earrings of Madame de…
(Max Ophüls, 1953) Criterion; R1
7.
Glitterbox: Derek Jarman x 4
(4 Discs) Zeitgeist; R1
8.
The Last Emperor
(Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987) Criterion; R1
9.
Vampyr
(Carl Th.
Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
10.
Wall-E
(Andrew Stanton,
2008) Walt Disney; R1
Best Blu-ray
1.
WALL•E
(Andrew Stanton, 2008) Walt Disney; A
2.
The Man Who
Fell to Earth
(Nicolas Roeg, 1976) Criterion; A
3.
The Third Man
(Carol Reed, 1949) Criterion; A
4.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs)
Paramount; A
5.
The Dark
Knight
(Christopher Nolan, 2008) Warner; A
6.
Iron Man
(Jon Favreau, 2008) Paramount; A
7.
Bottle Rocket
(Wes Anderson, 1996) Criterion; A
8.
The
Proposition
(John Hillcoat, 2005) First Look; A
9.
Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(Tim Burton, 2007) Paramount; A
10.
Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(Steven Spielberg,
2008) Paramount; A
Vic Spicer
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
1.
Antonio Gaudi
(Hiroshi
Teshigahara. 1984) Criterion; R1
2.
Brand Upon the Brain!
(Guy Maddin, 2006) Criterion; R1
3.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
4.
Land of Promise: British
Documentary Movement 1930-1950
(H. Jennings, et al., 4 Discs)
Bfi; R2 PAL
5.
My Winnipeg
(Guy Maddin,
2007) Seville; R1 CA
6.
Bill Douglas Trilogy
(2
Discs) Bfi; R2 PAL
7.
An Autumn Afternoon
(Yasujiro Ozu, 1962) Criterion; R1
8.
Postwar Kurosawa - Eclipse
Series 7
(5 Discs) Criterion; R1
9.
Ashik Kerib
(Sergei
Paradjanov, 1988) Kino; R1
10. Five Films by Dario Argento
(5 Discs) Anchor Bay; R1
Per-Olof Strandberg
Helsinki, Finland
1.
Identification of a Woman
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1982) Mr Bongo; R0 PAL
2.
La Notte
(Michelangelo
Antonioni, 1961) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
3.
Trafic (Jacques Tati,
1971) Criterion; R1
4a.
A Man Escaped
(Robert
Bresson, 1956) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
4b.
The Devil Probably
(Robert Bresson, 1977) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
4c.
Lancelot du Lac
(Robert
Bresson, 1974) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
5.
The Watchmaker Of St. Paul
(Bertrand Tavernier, 1974) Optimum; R2 PAL
6.
La vie de Jésus
(Bruno
Dumont, 1997) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
7.
Le Deuxième Souffle
(Jean-Pierre Melville, 1966) Criterion; R1
8.
Lubitsch Musicals - Eclipse
Series 8
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
9.
Vampyr
(Carl Th.
Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
10.
The Fire Within
(Louis
Malle, 1963) Criterion; R1
Comments:
I should have included Taviani's
KAOS from Koch Lorber, but the
transfer is not the best standard. Many films are still unopened,
and I can't judge the two Pialat movies from Eureka/MoC, or
Borzage's
The River published by the Edition Filmmuseum. I believe
that they should be in the list.
1.
Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; B
2.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs) Paramount; A
3.
Fanny &
Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1983) SF DVD; B
4.
Cassandra's
Dream (Woody Allen, 2007) Scanbox; Region-free
5.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner;
Region-free
6.
No Country for
Old Men
(Coen Bros, 2007) Miramax; A
7.
Sleeping Beauty
(Clyde Geronimi, 1959) Walt Disney; A
8.
Le Grand bleu
/Atlantis
(Luc Besson 1988/93) Gaumont; Region-free
9.
Body Heat
(Lawrence Kasdan, 1982) Warner; Region-free
10.
Days of Being
Wild
(Wong Kar-wai, 1990) Mega Star; Region-free
The Blu-ray list is
from a very limited range. That's why there are two recent films
there. The following could also get a mention:
How the West
Was Won (Warner),
The Stendhal Syndrome (Blue Underground),
La Haine (Studio Canal), and
Baraka (MPI)
Randall Strachan
Lancaster, CA
USA
1.
Val Lewton Horror Collection
with Martin Scorsese Presents… Documentary
(6 Discs) Warner; R1
2.
Blast of Silence
(Allen
Baron, 1961) Criterion; R1
3.
Portrait in Black/Madame X
(Michael Gordon, David Lowell Rich) Universal; R1
4.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
Comments: It was a fairly dismal
year for SD releases and I’ve been concentrating on Blu-ray because
of its dazzling visuals, sound and stability but, releases are
coming too slowly. Let’s get Barry Lyndon, Vertigo,
Days of Heaven,
Citizen Kane etc. out there!!
Best Blu-ray
1.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs)
Paramount; A
2.
The Nightmare
Before Christmas
(Henry Selick, 1993) Walt Disney; A
3.
Casino
(Martin Scorsese, 1995) Universal; Region-free
4.
Dark City
(Alex Proyas, 1998) New Line; A
5.
The Adventures
of Baron Munchausen
(Terry Gilliam, 1989) Sony; Region-free
6.
Gattaca
(Andrew Niccol, 1997) Sony; Region-free
7.
Bonnie and Clyde
(Arthur Penn, 1967) Warner; Region-free
8.
Michael
Clayton
(Tony Gilroy, 2007) Warner; Region-free
9.
Bram Stoker’s
Dracula
(Francis Ford Coppola, 1992) Sony; Region-free
10.
Interview with
the Vampire
(Neil Jordan, 1994) Warner; Region-free
Daniel Stuyck
Austin, TX
USA
1.
Intégrale Jacques Demy
(12 Discs) Arte Video; R2 PAL
2.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913)
(5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
3.
Coffret Jacques
Rozier
(5 Discs) Arcades; R2 PAL
4.
The Furies
(Anthony Mann, 1950) Criterion; R1
5.
Demi-tarif
(Isild Le Besco, 2003) Tamasa Diffusion; R2 PAL
6.
Bruce Baillie Volume I (5 films) Self-Published; R0
7.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women - Eclipse Series 13
(4 Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
L'Enfance-nue
(Maurice Pialat, 1968) Masters of Cinema Series; R0 PAL
9.
Come Drink with
Me
(King Hu, 1966) Weinstein; R1
10.
The Case of the Grinning Cat
(Chris Marker, 2004) Icarus;
R1
Mikkel Leffers
Svendstrup
Odense, Denmark
www.dvdsnak.dk
1.
Larisa Shepitko - Eclipse
Series 11
(2 Discs) Criterion; R1
2.
Vampyr
(Carl
Th. Dreyer, 1932) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
3.
La Notte
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961) Masters of Cinema; R0 PAL
4.
The Jørgen Leth
Collection #19-21: The Fiction Films (Leth, 1979 - 1992) DFI; R0
PAL
5.
The Jørgen Leth
Collection #12-18: Travel Films (Leth, 1981 - 2002) DFI; R0 PAL
(Only made a top 5
this year, since I’ve mostly bought Blu-ray!!)
Best Blu-ray
1.
A Fistful of Dollars [Italian
release] (Sergio Leone, 1964) RHV; Region-free
2.
The Third Man
(Carol Reed, 1949) Criterion; A
3.
Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; B
4.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
5.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs) Paramount; A
Comments: In
2008 High Definition really broke the barrier, Blu-ray won the HD
war, and more and more interesting titles were made available.
Nothing beats RHV and Digital Film Labs restoration of Leone’s
seminal spaghetti masterpiece
A Fistful of Dollars.
Both Criterion and MoC entered the HD market in style with great
releases, and 2009 will be an exciting year to follow both
companies. On the SD front the Danish Film Institute released two
more Jørgen Leth boxes containing 9 films in wonderful quality. MoC
delivered the best releases ever of Dreyer’s
Vampyr
and Antonioni’s
La Notte. 2008 has once again been a great year for
film aficionados, and 2009 looks no less promising.
Gary Tooze
Toronto, Canada
1.
Vampyr
(Carl Th. Dreyer, 1932) Criterion; R1
2.
The Films of Budd Boetticher
(5 Discs) Sony; R1
3.
Murnau, Borzage and Fox Box
Set
(12 Discs) 20th Century Fox; R1
4.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
5.
Douglas Sirk
Collection 2
(8 Discs) Carlotta; R2 PAL
6.
L’Argent
(Marcel L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
7.
The Devil Probably
(Robert Bresson, 1977) Artificial Eye; R2 PAL
8.
Atonement
(Joe Wright, 2007) Universal; R1
9.
Touch of Evil: 50th
Anniversary Edition
(Orson Welles, 1958) Universal; R1
10.
This Island
Earth
(Joseph Newman and Jack Arnold, 1955) Universal; R2, 4,5
Best Blu-ray
1.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
2.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner;
Region-free
3.
Into the Wild
(Sean Penn, 2007) Paramount, Region-free
4.
The Godfather –
Coppola Restoration Giftset
(Francis Ford Coppola, 4 Discs) Paramount; A
5.
From Russia
With Love
(Terence Young, 1963) MGM; A
6.
An American
in Paris
(Vincente Minnelli, 1951) Warner; Region-free
7.
The Third Man
(Carol Reed, 1949) Criterion; A
8.
Red Desert
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) Bfi; B
9.
Transformers
(Michael Bay, 2007) Paramount; A
10.
Planet
Terror
(Robert Rodriguez, 2007) Genius; Region-free
Comments: Narrowing this to 10 selections in both categories
was next to impossible - I could have easily added 20 more to each
section. It borders on irresponsible that I haven't included any MoC
Mizoguchi packages, or Eclipse boxsets. I don't think I need much
defense for my eventual choices -
Atonement's inclusion is
essentially because the film impressed me so greatly (as did that
HD-DVD) - I really hope it surfaces on Blu-ray soon.
This Island
Earth is a personal favorite and seeing it in widescreen was one of
the many unique pleasures of the year. I was admittedly VERY keen on
the Blu-ray format, this year, and get a huge thrill seeing timeless
classics reach 1080P. There is no way that the first Blu-ray of an
Antonioni film is not making my list. I certainly don't want to give
the impression of a total snob and honestly found enjoyment in such
films as
Transformers
and
Planet
Terror
on Blu-ray. Just shy of
selection was Endfield's
Zulu
which looks just unreal - easily
forgetting it is almost 45 years old. I'm hoping for more Noir in
2009 along with a healthy crop of important masterpieces put to
high-definition disc.
Ross Wilbanks
Charlotte, North Carolina
USA
1.
Georges Méliès: First Wizard
of Cinema
(1896-1913) (5 Discs) Flicker Alley; R1
2.
Intégrale Jacques Demy
(12 Discs) Arte Video; R2 PAL
3.
Bruce Baillie Volume I
(5
films) Self-Published; R0
4.
Hiroshi Shimizu Film
Collection Vol. 1: Landscape
(1933-1941, 4 Discs) Shochiku Home
Video; R2 NTSC
5.
La Signora di Tutti (Max
Ophüls, 1934) RHV; R0 PAL
6.
Griffith’s Masterworks Vol. 2
(5 Discs) Kino; R1
7.
4 by Agnès Varda
(4
Discs) Criterion; R1
8.
American Slapstick Vol.2
(3 Discs) Facets; R1
9.
Silent Ozu: Three Family
Comedies - Eclipse Series 10
(1931-33, 3 Discs) Criterion; R1
10a.
L’Argent
(Marcel
L'Herbier, 1928) Masters of Cinema; R2 PAL
10b.
The Long Day Closes
(Terence Davies, 1992) Bfi; R2 PAL
10c. Dariusz Kowalski: Optical
Vacuum (4 films) Index; R0 PAL
10d.
Nerven (Robert Reinert
, 1919) Editions Filmmuseum; R0 PAL
10e.
Douglas Sirk Collection
(3 Discs) Koch Media; R2 PAL
10f.
Douglas Sirk Collection
(8 Discs) Carlotta; R2 PAL
10g.
Caught
(Max Ophüls,
1949) Second Sight; R2 PAL
Comments:
Avoiding the clustering of last years list, each label of note -with
exceptions to the exceptional releases- is represented. Most labels
here have 2 to 3 more releases to check out for 2008. Exciting
boxset releases from Manoel De Oliveira and Jose Luis Guerin still
to arrive.
Nick Zegarac
Windsor, Ontario
Canada
1.
An American
in Paris
:
Two-Disc SE (Vincente Minnelli, 1951) Warner; R1
Warner’s Ultra-Restoration process
resurrects one of the true American musical classics to its rightful
place among the supreme cinematic achievements of the 20th century.
Spectacular image. S’wonderful movie.
2.
Abbott & Costello: The
Complete Universal Pictures Collection
(1940-1955, 15 Discs)
Universal; R1
Universal provides some expert
historical commentaries, revised transfers on select titles and
virtually all of the A&C movies made at their studio. Vintage comedy
at a collectable price.
3.
Quo Vadis: Two-Disc SE
(Mervyn
LeRoy, 1951) Warner; R1
Another fine ultra-restoration
effort from WB with Nero and Rome, both burning bright in vintage
Technicolor!
4.
Gigi: Two-Disc SE
(Vincente
Minnelli, 1958) Warner; R1
A photo-chemical remastering effort
of one of the best musicals ever made. Thank heaven for films like
Gigi!
5.
The Godfather: The Coppola
Restorations
(Francis Ford Coppola, 5 Discs) Paramount; R1
Superbly revisited in stunning new
transfers that reveal so much more image detail and clarity than
ever before available.
6.
The Fall of the Roman Empire:
3-Disc Collectors Edition
(Anthony Mann, 1964) Miriam Col.; R1
Long overdue release of a truly
epic and sobering movie about Rome’s fateful debauchery that
presumably led to its demise.
7.
Warner Bros. Home Front
Collection
(Various, 3 Discs) Warner; R1
Long overdue rescue of Irving
Berlin’s patriotic This Is The Army from Public Domain hell, plus
stunning transfers on Hollywood Canteen and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
Superb audio commentary on This Is The Army, plus a very informative
documentary on Warner Bros. at war.
8.
High Noon: 2-Disc Ultimate
Col. Edition
(Fred Zinnemann, 1952) Lionsgate; R1
Long overdue restoration of a
classic western.
9.
El Cid: Two-Disc SE
(Anthony Mann, 1961) Miriam Col.; R1
One of the most impressive epics
ever made in a beautifully restored and re-mastered transfer. Superb
extra features on Samuel Bronston and composer Miklos Roza.
10.
Bette Davis Collection:
Volume 3
(John Huston, et al. 6 Discs) Warner; R1
Probably the best of the Davis box
sets, featuring some of her most memorable performances in very
clean looking transfers.
Best Blu-ray
1.
How the West
Was Won
(Hathaway, Marshall, Ford, 1962) Warner; A
Worth a look over its’
SE counterpart, if only for its ‘smile-box’ supplement that
faithfully recreates something of the true Cinerama effect.
2.
Nixon
(Oliver Stone. 1995) Buena Vista; A
Hopkins gives a
watershed performance in a transfer that is at last worthy of this
great Oliver Stone tragic epic.
3.
L.A.
Confidential
(Curtis Hanson, 1997) Warner; A
4.
Casablanca –
Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Michael Curtiz, 1942) Warner;
Region-free
5.
Black Narcissus
(Powell & Pressburger, 1947) ITV; Region-free
Head and shoulders above the lousy Criterion effort, exhibiting
stunning visual clarity and
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