Posted on: Wednesday, December 29, 2004
All the best DVDs from '04
By Forrest Hartman and Mark Robison
Reno Gazette-Journal
There's no way to watch every DVD released each year, but we do our best. Critics Forrest Hartman and Mark Robison run down 2004's cream of the crop.
New works
Director Anthony Minghella added another great film to his resumé with "Cold Mountain," a Civil War story about a Confederate soldier (Jude Law) and the girlfriend (Nicole Kidman) he leaves behind. The movie plays like a sexier version of Homer's "Odyssey," and the cast, which includes Oscar winner Renee Zellweger, is outstanding. There were many great films released on video this year, but this two-DVD effort earned top honors with its extra features. The best is "Words & Music of Cold Mountain," a 90-minute show featuring live performances of the movie music and readings from the novel.
When it comes to comedy, "Love Actually" gets our vote. The film balances multiple romantic plot lines in an intelligent, but never daunting, fashion. The talented cast includes Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Kiera Knightley. And the DVD has great extra features, including an audio commentary and a huge batch of deleted scenes that are just as good as what's in the movie.
OK, OK. Tolkien nuts are probably wondering why we haven't mentioned "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Platinum Series Special Extended Edition." For one thing, that name is just too long. For another, the extras are even longer. None of us has yet plowed through the set's four packed discs, which include a cut of the film that's more than four hours long. It's gotta be great, right?
Library titles
How long you've been waiting for the original "Star Wars" trilogy to arrive on DVD? Since the format was invented. Twentieth Century Fox's four-disc set — including "Star Wars" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), and "Return of the Jedi" (1983) — would have been great if it included only the movies. But that fourth disc is filled with extra features.
Our runner-up is another film that should have been released on DVD long ago: director Steven Spielberg's Holocaust epic, "Schindler's List." Watching this 1993 best picture Oscar winner is an emotional experience, and the DVD special features add weight. The best is a lengthy documentary built around interviews with Jews who were saved by Oskar Schindler.
Documentaries
Lots of high-profile documentaries came out on DVD in 2004, but our favorite is one you likely don't know: "Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers & Tides." Goldsworthy creates art anyone can marvel at, and he creates it in nature, such as breaking and reattaching icicles into interesting patterns or building a stone wall that snakes through the countryside. Inspiring.
For all of the bluster and fear regarding "Fahrenheit 9/11," it's riveting filmmaking. The movie savages the Bush administration with humor and anger and scattershot barbs that sting all sides. Al Gore should be ashamed. Lots of extras including a hilarious look at Arab standup comics.
Television series
"Seinfeld" — containing seasons one and two in one set and season three in another — was the cream of TV DVDs this year. The comedy about self-absorbed New York singles is among the funniest in TV history, and the DVDs are packed with extras such as commentaries, documentaries, subtitle fact tracks, bloopers, deleted scenes and more.
Our runner-up was "The Gilmore Girls" seasons one and two, which are light on extras but highly re-watchable as a smart, original mother and daughter navigate an eccentric small town.
"Star Trek," the original series, is also on boxed sets. Previously, you could only buy the show two episodes at a time. Now you can pick them up a season at a time, which is way more affordable.
Children's films
Jack Black doesn't coax visions of Mr. Rogers, but he did star in the most creative children's DVD of 2004: "School of Rock." Black plays a down-and-out rock musician who poses as a substitute teacher to score some extra cash. Only thing is, his curriculum is centered on AC/DC, Deep Purple and rock-band training. As directed by Richard Linklater, the film is charming, sweet and just plain funny.
Also, the best of the Harry Potter films, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," was released in November. Alfonso Cuaron took the Potter franchise in a darker direction than former director Chris Columbus dared. The result is an artistically superior product. DVD extras include a complex game that will keep youngsters busy.
Animated releases
We got two more waves of the great Disney Treasures series in 2004. Among the titles were the second volumes of "Mickey Mouse in Living Color" and "Mickey Mouse in Black and White," plus "The Chronological Donald" and "The Complete Pluto." Each two-disc set boasts a wealth of cartoon shorts, and extras include numerous tidbits from film critic Leonard Maltin.
If you prefer Warner to Disney, you're still in luck. The "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2" unleashed another batch of classics from Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner and Sylvester & Tweety. The four-disc set is packed with commentaries, documentaries and rarities.
For film snobs
The year's most powerful DVD was the three-disc reissue of "The Battle of Algiers." The based-on-history 1965 film is exciting from the opening minute, as Muslim natives use terrorism to battle a Western occupying force. The extensive extras show how the Pentagon used it to prepare for the Iraq war.
Three extra-laden two-DVD sets tie for runner-up: "Short Cuts" (Robert Altman's sprawling 1993 drama about unhappy Los Angeles couples), "M" (Fritz Lang's 1931 thriller about a child serial killer) and "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" (Sergio Leone's crazed 1966 spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood).
