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)
