Just Missed the Cut - 2003 Top 100 DVD Census

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

This futuristic Spielberg film divided audiences, but DreamWorks' 2-disc set is a undeniable winner for fans of this modern fairy tale.
2001, DreamWorks / 2 Discs / DVD Release 3/5/02 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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American Beauty

Writer Alan Ball and director Sam Mendes both made a big splash with American Beauty, their first Hollywood production. The offbeat postmodern drama about a dysfunctional family won the much-coveted Best Picture Oscar, in addition to earning accolades for screenplay, direction, cinematography, and lead actor Kevin Spacey. Dreamworks' DVD does not contain deleted scenes (per Mendes' wishes) but it does feature the flawless video and audio that we've come to associate with the studio, an audio commentary, and a making-of featurette.
1999, DreamWorks / 1 Disc / DVD Release 10/24/00 / SRP $19.99 / LAST YEAR: 32
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Apollo 13: Collector's Edition

Ron Howard's engaging drama is loaded with extras, including an audio commentary from the real-life Jim and Marilyn Lovell! Universal's Collector's Edition DVD is one of the best single-disc releases out there, and with a newly-lowered price, this sucker is a steal.
1995, Universal / 1 Disc / DVD Release 2/24/98 / SRP $19.99 / LAST YEAR: NR
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The Blue Planet: Seas of Life - Collector's Set

The BBC's acclaimed miniseries explores under the sea, as the eight episodes cover everything from plankton to penguins. The series' incredible photography looks great in anamorphic widescreen, and the set even includes some additional features.
2001, BBC / 4 Discs / DVD Release 8/27/02 / SRP $74.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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The Bridge on the River Kwai: Limited Edition

David Lean's classic war film looks as wonderful as ever in this two-disc Limited Edition set. The supplements include a very good Making-of Documentary.
1957, Columbia/TriStar / 2 Discs / DVD Release 11/21/00 / SRP $39.95 / LAST YEAR: 80
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Carl Theodor Dreyer: Criterion Collection Set

Day of Wrath, Ordet, Gertrud, and the documentary Carl Th. Dreyer - My Metier in a four-disc Special Edition set.
1943-1964, Criterion / 4 Discs / DVD Release 8/21/01 / SRP $79.99 / LAST YEAR: NR
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The French Connection: Five Star Collection

William Friedkin's intense drama about New York City detectives on the trail of a drug bust remains engaging over thirty years later. Fox's Five Star set includes a number of documentaries, deleted scenes, and audio commentary from the director and stars.
1971, Fox / 2 Discs / DVD Release 9/25/01 / SRP $26.98 / LAST YEAR: 81
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From Hell: Director's Limited Edition

Kicking 2-disc set for this atmospheric Jack the Ripper tale starring Johnny Depp. Like other Fox 2-disc sets, it's going to be bouncin' like a bad check at some point.
2001, Fox / 2 Discs / DVD Release 5/14/02 / SRP $29.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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A Hard Day's Night: Collector's Series

Even if the final product didn't live up to expectations (and the initial press release), Miramax's 2-disc set of this beloved Beatles debut film is still impressive (and long overdue). Cast and filmmaker interviews and DVD-ROM features are among the extras that are included. While the missing audio commentaries, short film, trailers, outtake and original audio track option certainly disappoint fans, the windowboxed anamorphic widescreen transfer is first-rate video quality.
1964, Miramax / 2 Discs / DVD Release 9/24/02 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Jerry Maguire: Special Edition

Offering great improvement over the blocky static menus and mediocre audio/video quality of one of Columbia/TriStar's first DVD releases, the Jerry Maguire Special Edition also includes a commentary with the film's writer/director Cameron Crowe and stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zelwegger. You can even watch the four as they watch the movie for the commentary. You might even say this DVD completes you.
1996, Columbia/TriStar / 2 Discs / DVD Release 4/30/02 / SRP $27.95 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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JFK: Special Edition Director's Cut

Oliver Stone's momentous speculative drama features an ensemble cast and 17 minutes of additional footage. This 2-disc set, also available in the Oliver Stone Collection, also includes audio commentary from the director and multimedia essays.
1991, Warner Bros.. / 2 Discs / DVD Release 1/6/01 / SRP $24.98 / LAST YEAR: 99
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Jurassic Park: Collector's Edition

A perfect blend of science, action, and a world of imagination, Jurassic Park is one of the most magnificent films of all-time, and Universal's DVD will give any home theater a great experience.
1993, Universal / 1 Disc / DVD Release 10/10/00 / SRP $26.99 / LAST YEAR: 59
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Legend: Ultimate Edition

Better late than never, Universal's 2-disc set for Ridley Scott's experimental fantasy film, finally arrived last spring. The DVD is overflowing with extras, but that packaging is horrendous!
1986, Universal / 2 Discs / DVD Release 5/21/02 / SRP $24.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Mr. Show: The Complete First and Second Seasons

Sketch comedy comes to life with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk in HBO's DVD set of all ten episodes from the first two years of "Mr. Show." The set includes commentaries on all the episodes and a featurette.
1995 - 1997, HBO / 2 Discs / DVD Release 6/4/02 / SRP $34.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection

New Line's eight-disc Platinum Series contains all seven films in the horror series featuring cultural icon and diabolical villain Freddy Krueger. The original film, written and directed by master of macabre cinema Wes Craven, is the highlight of the set and includes an audio commentary, but all seven films are presented in anamorphic widescreen and with both original audio and 5.1 remixes. The bonus disc ("The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia") includes documentaries, interviews, and DVD-ROM goodies.
1984-1994, New Line / 8 Discs / DVD Release 9/21/99 / SRP $104.82 / LAST YEAR: NR
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Notorious: Criterion Collection

Early Hitchcock lacks the intrigue of Vertigo and the character development of Rebecca, but Criterion's DVD presents a pristine print with several interesting extras.
1946, Criterion / 1 Disc / DVD Release 10/16/01 / SRP $39.99 / LAST YEAR: NR
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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The Coen Brothers' comic mayhem is in full force here. While the Buena Vista disc doesn't have a lot of extras, video and audio get high marks, and many find the movie a lot of fun.
2000, Touchstone / 1 Disc / DVD Release 6/12/01 / SRP $22.99 / LAST YEAR: NR
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Psycho: Collector's Edition

One of Hitchcock's most riveting and powerful thrillers in a quality disc from Universal.
1960, Universal / 1 Disc / DVD Release 3/6/01 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: NR
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The Silence of the Lambs: Criterion Collection

Long out of print, a number of voters chose the Criterion Collection disc for Jonathan Demme's film. It almost made the cut, but a greater number of voters selected the in-print MGM Special Edition.
1991, Criterion / 1 Disc / DVD Release 7/15/98 / SRP $39.99 / LAST YEAR: 96
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The Sound of Music: Five Star Collection

The hills were alive with this two-disc Fox Five Star Collection, but like other Fox 2-disc sets, this one is out of print and tough to find.
1965, Fox / 2 Discs / DVD Release 10/10/00 / SRP $26.99 / LAST YEAR: NR

Speed: Five Star Collection

The non-stop adrenaline rush that is Speed remains a winning action film, and Fox's two-disc Five Star Collection release (the last in the line) packs a punch with cast interviews, an audio commentary, the HBO First Look special, extended scenes, and additional on-set making-of material. Flawless video and the Oscar-winning soundtrack is stellar in both DD and DTS.
1994, Fox / 2 Discs / DVD Release 7/30/02 / SRP $26.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Sports Night: The Complete Series

"Sports Night" undoubtedly gets filed away in the "Good Shows Unfortunately Cancelled" department, but if anything, that just makes Disney's DVD release of the entire series even more sweet (and surprising). The forty-five episodes of this clever comedy from writer Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, "The West Wing") appear over six discs and are priced-to-own.
1998 - 2000, Buena Vista / 6 Discs / DVD Release 11/5/02 / SRP $59.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Director's Edition

A multi-disc set re-release from Paramount?! Whoa, that's heavy...if you're into the whole Star Trek movie thing.
1982, Paramount / 2 Discs / DVD Release 8/6/02 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Tron: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition

Over two decades after it was made, Tron holds up less as a film than it does as a breakthrough in the use of computer animation in cinema. If it no longer seems the high-tech and experimental project it was, it is responsible, nonetheless, for inspiring Toy Story director John Lasseter to pursue computer animation. The deluxe 20th anniversary treatment that this atypical Disney fare received was a pleasant surprise for its cult fanbase. Disc One features very clean anamorphic video and an intense surround sound experience, and Disc Two's 90-minute documentary is as interesting as Tron itself.
1982, Disney / 2 Discs / DVD Release 1/15/02 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Unforgiven: Special Edition

Clint Eastwood's Best Picture winning Western Unforgiven in a 2-disc Warner Special Edition. Fans are pleased.
1992, Warner Bros. / 2 Discs / DVD Release 9/24/02 / SRP $26.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Vault Disney

All four releases in the stellar "Vault Disney" line received votes. The quantity of features is surpassed by the quality of them, as some of the most entertaining and interesting supplements are included on these four 2-disc sets of films from they heyday of live action Disney.
1957-1961, Disney / 2 Discs / DVD Release 5/7/02 / SRP $29.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
THE PARENT TRAP - BUY THIS DVD
POLLYANNA - BUY THIS DVD
OLD YELLER - BUY THIS DVD
SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON - BUY THIS DVD

Walking with Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs, alive and well, in a six-part BBC series.
2000, BBC / 2 Discs / DVD Release 4/18/00 / SRP $29.98 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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Wild Strawberries: Criterion Collection

Leave it to Criterion to do a classy DVD for one of Ingmar Bergman's greatest masterpieces.
1957, Criterion / 1 Disc / DVD Release 2/12/02 / SRP $39.99 / LAST YEAR: N/A
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The Wizard of Oz

Words like "magical" and "timeless" are thrown away far too much (just check the back of a Disney direct-to-video sequel sometime), but they genuinely deserve to be applied to The Wizard of Oz.
1939, Warner Bros. / 1 Disc / DVD Release 10/19/99 / SRP $24.98 / LAST YEAR: NR
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