I figured I'd start a post for those of you that are getting your first DVD player for Christmas. Although my taste in DVDs may not reflect your's, and although the DVDs I select may not necessarily rank in the best films of all time, they are still the ones I'd like to recommend that were released this past year...

I left off the obvious choices (Phantom Menace, etc) because those will end up in your collection anyways (assuming you're a film lover as well.)

Lastly these films were meant to be viewed on a large TV (preferrably 16x9) with at least a dolby digital 5.1 sound system. That said...

1. Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut 2-DVD set (& Stillwater CD)
Along with the never before seen 35 minutes of footage that is seamlessly edited back into the film, the commentary that features among others Cameron & his mother, this is a must have DVD for anyone that either loves music of any kind, or movies.

2. Do The Right Thing: Criterion 2-DVD set
An incredible new 16x9 transfer with a commentary track that brings you into the film. There will never be another version of this film on DVD. DTRT is my choice for the best film of the 2nd half of the 20th century.

3. Rebecca: Criterion 2-DVD set
Alfred Hitchcock's finest work, it won the best picture Oscar in 1940. I fell in love with Joan Fontaine after seeing this film in the early 1990's while working at a video store. Same as with the DTRT DVD set, I also own the LD box sets for DTRT and Rebecca (which I paid $125 for each). However with the new restoration of this set, I had to own it as well. If I was allowed to only own two DVDs, they would be the ones I'd choose.

4. Oliver Stone 15-DVD set
Although it doesn't include all of his films, it still is an great retrospective of his work. Most of the 10 films included include a commentary, and Oliver Stone's no-holds-barred commentaries are worth the price of admission alone.

5. Stanley Kubrick re-released 9-DVD set
The first box set was awful, but the new one was remastered and restored to the glory that it deserved.

6. The Goonies
Don't laugh. A underappreciated film. Directed by Richard Donner (who went on to film the Lethal Weapon series immediately following Goonies), and produced by Steven Spielberg. The reason it makes my top 10 list for the end of the year is that you'll play it for everyone that's ever seen the movie. Why? The commentary track. It doesn't hurt that it's also 16x9 & dolby digital 5.1 as well. "Hey you guys!!!"

7. Godfather Trilogy 5-DVD set
I have been saving this for a rainy day. Even though I haven't seen it yet on DVD (which goes to say for about 50 of those that I own), I know from what I've read that it's as good as it gets.

8. Die Hard Trilogy 6-DVD set
Fox got it right the 2nd time around. I also bought the first box set (no extras, no 16x9), but as soon as I heard they were re-releasing it as a 6-DVD set, I sold it. A must have set for anyone that enjoys popcorn.

9. Se7en: Platinum Series 2-DVD set
David Fincher's tour de force. I'd paid $125 for the Criterion laserdisc boxset about a year earlier. To have it on DVD is a dream. Everything you wanted (and didn't want) to know about how this film was created. Amazing.

10. Lawrence Of Arabia / Bridge On The River Kwai ('00nov27) / Doctor Zhivago
All three David Lean films are 2-DVD sets loaded with extras. I only wish more films were like these. Lean was a genius.

So there it is. Just my opinion. There were a lot of great films released on DVD this year, but I'm suspecting there will be better editions (with more features) of them coming out in the future (Traffic, Memento, etc)

Coming in 2002... looking forward to New Line's Infinifilm DVD set for "Lord Of The Rings," Dreamworks' 2-DVD "A.I.," Buena Vista's upcoming 4-DVD Vista Series set for "Pearl Harbor," and Cameron Crowe's "say anything," "Jerry Maguire," and "Vanilla Sky" - all due to be done up like the Almost Famous Untitled bootleg edition.


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m @ http://www.bashirshakur.org
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