Top 100 DVDs Census: 1-10

9) Snow White: Platinum Edition
DVD release: 10/9/01, Film: 1937, Walt Disney Pictures
As the promotions for this DVD went, before there were Ariel, Simba, Aladdin, or even the lasting image of Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, there was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Sixty-four years after making its debut on the silver screen, as the first feature-length animated film, Snow White became another first: the premiere DVD release in Disney's Platinum Collection. The Platinum Collection is Disney's top line of DVD releases, showcasing the versatility of the DVD format by cramming as much as they can onto 2 little 5-inch discs. Billed as "An Immersive DVD Experience", Snow White certainly does not disappoint, from its audio commentary which pieces together interview clips with Walt Disney himself. Snow White paved the way for such cherished films as The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. The good news is that Snow White is an indication of the amazing DVD treatment those films will get when the Mouse House finally gets around to releasing them to the DVD format. Featuring a remarkable restored transfer, Snow White looks 64 years young and its video quality matches most brand new films' DVD transfers. And in terms of extra content, Snow White is heads-and-shoulders above almost anything else on the format: featuring hours and hours of insight into the making of the film and even more so, the significance of Snow White in terms of Walt Disney Pictures' legacy.
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8) The Matrix
DVD release: 9/21/99, Film: 1999, Warner Brothers Pictures
Whoa.
Not even the best of Keanu Reeves impressions can do justice to the phenomenon that is the DVD of The Matrix, the 1999 action/sci-fi film with a huge following. Consider that even though over two years have passed since the film made its debut on DVD, in which time we've seen studios consistently outdo themselves in terms of audio/video quality and innovation, The Matrix remains among the top 10 DVD releases of all time. For many, The Matrix was the first DVD purchased, or perhaps even the reason they got into DVD. And even though the quantity of extras doesn't compare with today's gargantuan releases, the people still have a special place for The Matrix in their collection with its beautiful anamorphic widescreen transfer, shattering 5.1 Dolby track, and handful of worthwhile extras including an audio commentary. Its status as one of the best all-time selling discs is a sign of its quality as a film, as well, since although such a DVD release is on par with say, Mission: Impossible 2, people voted for this one for its innovative concepts and offbeat parable.
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7) Gladiator
DVD release: 11/21/00, Film: 2000, DreamWorks Pictures
Every once in a while, there comes along a bad movie that everybody seems to like. In 2000 that movie was Gladiator. Instead of having an original and/or interesting plot, the makers of Gladiator felt it would be better to have lots of violence and use the stylistic approach of quick cuts in fight scenes. Nevertheless, Spartacus...er, Gladiator was a huge success at the box office and inexplicably enough, heralded as the Best Picture winner at the Oscars. (I know it was a bad year, but come on...) Now one thing that is indisputable is the quality of the 2-disc DreamWorks DVD release for the film. As always, DreamWorks delivers on outstanding picture and sound (DD and DTS on the same release, one of the first DVDs to encourage the current trend). Also included are a second disc of extras. Gladiator became the best-selling DVD of all-time, a title which has since been handed over like half a dozen time in the past two months, and remains a favorite among the home viewing public.
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"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"

6) The Godfather DVD Collection
DVD release: 10/09/01, Films: 1972, 1974, 1990, Paramount Pictures
Two of the greatest films of all time. And Godfather III also.
Some feel that Paramount did a disservice by releasing Francis Ford Coppola's immortal trilogy which introduced America to the Corleone crime family. Nevertheless, most people were more than willing to pay the extra money for the letdown of Part III in order to own the first two films. The Godfather (#3 on the American Film Institute's Greatest American Films list) launched the career of Al Pacino, earned Marlon Brando an Oscar for his flawless portrayal of a flawed character, and even helped Abe Vigoda land a role in Good Burger. The Godfather Part II was responsible for getting Robert De Niro's only Oscar to date (well, besides Raging Bull, but since when does that count?! Wasn't that mostly black & white...) for portraying the young Vito Corleone, being the only sequel on AFI's list, and doing the impossible by matching and even surpassing the quality of the first film. And there's also Godfather III. The box set provides hours of extras, which show how bizarre the circumstances were for creating what would become a staple of American film history, from Paramount not wanting Al Pacino for the role of Michael to the studio hiring a backup director for the anticipated firing of Coppola. Perhaps the best thing about the set (besides the movies themselves and their timeless quality) are the three audio commentaries that the director provides for the Trilogy he will be most remembered for.
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5) Se7en: Platinum Series
DVD release: 12/26/00, Film: 1995, New Line Entertainment
The movie that put David Fincher on the map of big-time directors. The movie that intrigued many and disgusted just as many. Originally released as a flipper barebones disc, New Line re-visited this 1995 thriller late in 2000. The result: one of the finest 2-disc sets released to date. Containing four audio commentaries, a brand new pristine anamorphic transfer (Fincher et al actually went back to get the colors and framing of some shots perfected), 5.1 DD and DTS, and a second disc of storyboards, notes, featurettes, and more, the Se7en Platinum Series DVD is everything a fan of this film could want.
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4) Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Ultimate Edition
DVD release: 8/29/00, Film: 1991, Artisan Entertainment
Like The Godfather Part II and Toy Story 2, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is widely considered every bit as good as its predecessor, if not better. Ten years after being a huge box office hit, Terminator 2 (like the other mentioned sequels) finds itself among the Top 10 DVDs of all-time. This Ultimate Edition lives up to its name by offering as many extras as you can think of. All the perks that come with some DVDs are here - DTS & DD, THX-certification, even one of those cool nonstandard THX trailers. Originally released as two discs, you know mostly find it as just one DVD-18: a dual-layered, double-sided disc of fun!
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3) Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
DVD release: 10/16/01, Film: 1999, 20th Century Fox
Like we didn't see this one coming. In April of 2000, fans and movie enthusiasts across the nation were very upset with George Lucas' decision to only release Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace on videocassette. (Most pretended they didn't really run out and buy it on video.) What ensued was several petitions, several canned Lucasfilm studio responses, and much speculation regarding when the DVD would ever come. Fanboys renounced George Lucas, venomously bashed the artistic merits of The Phantom Menace, and vowed to never buy a Star Wars film on DVD. Finally this past October, 18 months after its video debut, Episode I came to the coolest home video format ever in a nice 2-disc set. The reason for the delay was not--to most fans' dismay--due to the inclusion of a Jar Jar-less cut of the film. Instead, the "something special" that Lucasfilm wanted to do for the DVD was to go back and finished deleted sequences with special effects. Well, the finished scenes were okay, but most felt probably not worth the wait (the revisionist in George would disagree). Instead what did catch most people's attention was the hour-long feature "The Beginning" on Disc 2 which documented the progress of the first film in the Star Wars saga (which is really the fourth to be made) from the casting of Jake Lloyd and the haircut of Ewan McGregor to the energy-filled premiere in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans which prompted excited profanity-laced cries from producer Rick McCallum. Everyone bought the DVD too. And while some still complain about how bad of a movie Episode I is ("I only bought it for demo material"), the film is enjoyable enough, and the DVD satisfying enough to make this the third most-heralded DVD release of all time. Now, George, when we do get the original trilogy, can we not have Greedo shoot first?
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"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

2) Toy Story & Toy Story 2: The Ultimate Toy Box
DVD release: 10/17/00, Films: 1995, 1999, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Who would think that a movie about toys that come to life when their owner's not around would give a kickstart to the world of computer animation films and be responsible for 2 of the most beloved films of the 1990s? Well, Pixar Animation Studios for one. And if we've learned anything from Pixar, it's that they sure know what they're doing. As recently as last month, they continued on the flawless streak of success with the release of Monsters, Inc. -- one of the year's most wittiest and heartfelt films. And as if that wasn't enough, Pixar is entirely enthusiastic about their DVDs, which is really cool since their theatrical material is just begging for quality DVD presentation. All-digital transfers, two of the best Dolby Digital soundtracks to date, and several hours of extras make the Ultimate Toy Box hard to beat. And unlike the complaint some would make about Episode I as a movie or even those who just don't get the appeal of Fight Club, these two films are universally praised by film critics and audiences alike. The only unfortunate thing is that so many opted for the less expensive Toy Story 2-Pack which lost everything but the movies and the Pixar shorts. Since stores practically gave away the 2-packs, many Toy Story fans are missing out on what may very well be the best combination of video/audio quality, movie quality, and extras quality.
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1) Fight Club
DVD release: 6/22/00, Film: 1999, 20th Century Fox
David Fincher and Brad Pitt fans are among the most fortunate of DVD collectors. The 1999 collaboration of the two who worked on Se7en four years earlier produced what in the DVD community's minds is the single greatest DVD release to date. Quotable, hip, and ultrastylistic, Fight Club is the one of those movies you either love or hate. And most people love it. Hence, the reason it's the #1 DVD of all-time according to people. The 2-disc set is Jack's smirking revenge to a mild box office performance. The film has found a huge audience on DVD, and the loads of commentaries, on-set vignettes, and other extras pose a threat to my theory, which is: people just like this DVD cause they can pause it and find subliminal shots of Tyler and stuff.
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"I wanted to destroy something beautiful."