Each year in August HT Magazine publishes it's top 100 DVDs List. Well, this year they changed up their format and grouped DVDs in several categories. They were the following: Best TV on DVD, Best Music, Best Extras, Best Video, Best Audio, and Best Overall, and one dumb category for good DVD packages, for not so good movies.
First off, why bother devoting the time and space to packages for crap movies? If Revenge of the Vampire Dinosaurs is in a special gold tin set, with loads of extras, it's still crap in a shiny package.
My biggest gripe however, is with the best Audio DVD choices. Here is the best Audio DVDs they chose ranked in order from 20 to 1, with 1 being the best followed by my comments as to why I agree or disagree and my ranking.
20. Daredevil - Good enough action picture, but doesn't really come to mind as a mind numbing audio expeience. At least it's high on the list, but it doesn't make my top 20. Dropped
19. X2 X-men United - Love the movie, love the comic, love the actors, love the actors they chose to play the parts. A wonderful audio experience during Professor X's whispering into everyones minds, and the many battle scenes, also don't forget the exploding dam. Movin up. (17)
18. Apollo 13 DTS - Light ojn overall surround experience outside of the few rocket takeoffs, which are nice, but the lack of quantity is enough to warrant concern. Sorry, just off the list. Dropped
17. Pirates of the Caribbean - Good, movie, some worthy audio, but not deserving of the list. Dropped
16. Twister SE DTS - Well underated here, c'mon their f-in tornados. (4)
15. Desperado Superbit - Convincing war scenes, Top 20? Dropped
14. Speed 5 Star Coll. - Keanu Reeves and Movies don't mix, but this has some good audio Top 20? Dropped
13. Cast Away - WTF?!!! Not even top 40. Dropped, Kicked, Slammed
12. Matrix Reloaded - Did HT Mag have to group these together to strengthen their stance? Where's the orginal Matrix?, with audio as good and a plot to boot. Dropped
11. Matrix Revolutions - see #12 Dropped
10. Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Reference Material, no problem with it being here. The pod scene is becoming classic amongst HTers. (7)
9. Gladiator - More reference stuff, love the discrete DTS (6)
8. Patriot Superbit - Good, even great but not at #8. (13)
7. Lord of the Rings Two Towers - This one deserves to be higher up than its predecessor. Again grouping like sequels, what are the odds? (12)
6. Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring - see #7 (14)
5. Black Hawk Down Superbit - Earplugs anyone?, this one rattles your fillings, It may deserve an even higher ranking. (3)
4. T2 Exteme Edition - with T3 out is this this he final DVD release of T2? Anyway.. it my be a lttle overated at #4, but is very solid reference material. Oh yea... and where is T3 on the list? (15)
3. U-571 - DEEP Bass, but are these DVDs only a Subwoofer test? A little high at #3 (16)
2. Master and Commander - Incredible Canons that rock your boat and house, but little else impresses in the remainder of the film. Just not enough going on for it to be rated #2. Newer doesn't mean better. (20)
1. Saving Private Ryan DTS - Wow they managed not to screw up the #1 choice, you'd be hard pressed to find a better sounding DVD. (1)
Other DVDs that SHOULD have made the cut.
Independence Day (5)
End of Days (10)
Bad Boys II (17)
Jurassic Park Trilogy (11)
Terminator 3 (9)
True Lies (8)
Kill Bill (18)
LOTR Return of the King (2)
Good list.I love Independence Day but thought it could've been a little better,audio wise.The shoot-out at the end of "Open Range" is stellar.Not just the shots,which are cool,but the way they echo. if you haven't seen this yet,crank it up when you do.Unfortunately,for audio spectacle,there isn't much in the rest of the movie.
Haha I was thinking True Lies too. I have the Laserdisc, and man the Harrier scene is just freaking sweet!
Days Of Thunder is also very convincing, but I don't know, comparing my DVD to my LD, it just seemed the louder I turned up the DVD, it just got louder it didn't get "involving" like the LD. But still a damn fun movie either way...nothing like the sound of engines blasting.
What about something with great music, like some of the Vangelis music, like Blade Runner or 1492: Conquest Of Paradise?
Is there a DVD of The Memphis Belle? Again the engine thing is always good, especially good old fashioned props.
The first true "Hi-Fi" I ever heard, was on a friends brothers system...big 7 foot Martin Logans, playing T2. Man that mini gun was just so sweet....hearing the bullets hit the ground individually (well sorta )....really got me interested.
I hear The Matrix in Laserdisc. I think I may try and find that one.
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I agree with most of your comments. However, Cast Away deserves a high ranking. The plane crash into the ocean was extremely intense. The screaming engine plunging into the water near Tom Hanks was deafening. In terms of intensity, this scene is second only to the D-Day Invasion in the opening of Saving Private Ryan.
The rest of the Cast Away had incredible ambiance of wind, waves and other island sounds to capture the sense of solitude. While the remainder of the film is devoid of explosions, without a high-end audio system, this movie loses a significant portion of its impact.
I only own a few DVDs that possess excellent audio/video or a fantastic story. It is nice to have a few of these films on hand to share with friends/family.
Third Element
Saving Private Ryan
Cast Away
Gladiator
Bugs Life
Monsters Inc.
XMEN
The Good The Bad and The Ugly
Ground Hog Day
Gattaca
I had been considering buying some of the higher definition “Superbit” films, but will probably just wait for HD DVD. I wish I had Third Element and Gattaca in the “Superbit” format.
Yes I hear days of thunder, Pearl Harbor and Gone in 60 should be creepin' up there.
Where is the new Top Gun 6.1 DTS? I just bought it and it soudns awesome with the exception of a few parts and I think that I just dont have my speakers set up right for it. I Have a centre for my rear centre and the vocals/music come too strong in some of the songs in the movie. It will be like one guitar or one synth sound blaring my rear centre haha. Other then that its spectacular. Master and Commander sounded awesome, definately one of the best couple audio scenes ive heard but the movie itself is missing quite a bit. I do agree with dropping cast away, mr hanks only movie i would buy based on the premise of surround would be forrest gump which would probably be pretty good in dts during the war.
TWISTER in 6.1 is my next hunt. If anyone knows where to find it even in 5.1dts for a good price could you let me know?
Appearently this is a "Top 20 LFE tracks" rather than best sound overall.
__________________ "Practically every one of the Top 40 records being played on every radio station in the United States is a communication to the children to take a trip, to cop out, to groove. The psychedelic jackets on the record-albums have their own hidden symbols and messages as well as all the lyrics of all the top rock songs. And they all sing the same refrain: 'Its fun to take a trip. Put acid in your veins' ."
HT Ragazine's Top 20 DVDs
)....really got me interested.
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