2004 has been a surprisingly good year for DVDs, with a number of unexpected gems showing up, both vintage and contemporary.While this year has done little to shake off my opinion that many DVD studios are populated by greedy, conscience-deprived bean-counters who have no conniptions about releasing multiple versions of the same film in an attempt to make buyers double-dip (the advent of separate PG-13 and R-rated versions of some films in the US being an all-new low point), for the discerning customer there have been a number of excellent releases that prove to be well worth the money. With such a plethora of excellent films, transfers, audio mixes and bonus materials, it remains quite difficult to find many releases that offer all four in one package. I have, therefore, chosen to split this article into four different categories, concluding with a final selection of "good all round" packages. Films Because I don"t visit the cinema as regularly as some of my fellow writers, I have chosen to include in this category films that debuted on DVD this year. As such, some of these films were actually released theatrically prior to 2004. 1. Arriving in the UK just in time to make the list, Pixar score yet another hit with The Incredibles. Helmed by Brad Bird of The Iron Giant fame (fame?), The Incredibles" action-packed tale of superheroes is filled with laughs, tension, excitement and emotion, easily Pixar"s best film since the original Toy Story in 1995. 2. Love him or hate him, you can"t deny that Michael Moore"s style is effective, and Fahrenheit 9/11 represents the ultimate in emotional manipulation tactics. While Moore and his film have as many detractors as they have fans, they provide an insightful look behind doors at American politics, delving into the seedier side of the events of the last four years that those who are here put on the spot would rather you didn"t see. 3. One can make the argument that Quentin Tarantino"s films don"t have a single original element in them, but by combining elements from a multitude of different genres and eras he has created one of the best popcorn films of the year with Kill Bill Volume 2. The Western counterpoint to Volume 1"s take on Eastern cinema, Volume 2 may lag a little in terms of pacing but it remains a highly entertaining romp with just enough genuine sincerity to add emotional punch where required. 4. Sylvain Chomet"s Les Triplettes de Belleville harkens back to a moment in the history of animation that has otherwise completely died out. In an age where CGI dominates, Belleville is adamantly 2D, doing what traditional animation does best and creating a completely surreal world filled with caricature and exaggerated posing. With its decidedly French style that recalls the work of Jacques Tati as well as mid-20th century Disney, Belleville represents a triumph of the image over the spoken word, with barely a line of dialogue spoken in the whole movie. This is an outstanding piece of work and one that points at where the medium of animation could go in the hands of a visionary director such as Chomet. 5. Fifth place was a close battle between Hero, In My Skin and Lost in Translation, but eventually Hero won out. With its highly enjoyable blend of martial arts, subjective storytelling and eye-popping use of colour, it, like Les Triplettes de Belleville, shows just what can be achieved when imagery is allowed to take precedence over the written word. A film that has result in as much political debate as box office sales, it may not be as clever or as politically motivated as some would you have believe, but it remains a fantastic example of the sheer spectacle that cinema is capable of. Image Quality 1. Underworld may be a bit hit and miss when it comes down to actual storytelling, but the film is stunning to look at and Columbia Tristar"s R1 Unrated Extended Cut DVD features a transfer that is close to reference quality, presenting the high-contrast, almost monochromatic cinematography at its finest. If nothing else, this disc, which also features one of the loudest Dolby Digital tracks in existence, is the perfect way to show off your expensive new home theatre system. 2. Criterion continue their virtually spotless track record with an excellent transfer for Georges Franju"s Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux Sans Visage), making the 45-year-old film look virtually as good as new. Showing that black and white photography has the ability to look absolutely stunning on DVD, Criterion"s new transfer is a true revelation for anyone who had to put up with the beat-up, murky copies that have circulated until now. This release soundly trounces every other release of the film to date. 2. Metrodome"s R2 UK release of Monster presents the film with an incredible transfer, using the highest possible bit rate to maintain the film"s grain structure and get away with as little filtering as possible. The result is an incredibly film-like transfer, and one of the best of the year. DTS 5.1 audio presents the relatively flat mix in crystal-clear quality and serves as an excellent showcase for BT"s powerful score, easily the composer"s best work to date. 4. Fox"s UK release of Thirteen deserves special mention for the phenomenal improvements it makes on its US counterpart. Shot on 16mm film stock, the American transfer was a nightmare of compression artefacts, clumsy noise reduction and general lack of definition. The UK version, by contrast, is a breath of fresh air, with perfectly controlled encoding and a brilliant reproduction of the natural film grain, with plenty of detail to boot. UK transfers are generally not significantly better than their US counterparts, and in many cases are in fact inferior, but this would appear to be an excellent exception to the rule. 5. Underworld"s perfect partner in crime is the equally vapid but relatively entertaining remake of Dawn of the Dead. Universal"s R1 Unrated Director"s Cut DVD features a very strong transfer that shows off the film"s high-contrast, saturated, gritty photography in an extremely positive way. Like Underworld, the film also has a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 track that makes the most of all the film"s screams and explosions. Audio Quality 1. For sheer DTS thrills, you can"t beat Hero. Featuring deep bass, surround effects a-plenty and some genuinely imaginative moments of audio design (just check out that fight in the chess house), the film is easily this year"s best example of 5.1 audio mixing. Although in terms of video quality no release seems to match the Japanese 2-disc edition, it would seem that all versions include the same sumptuous DTS track. 2. Dario Argento"s latest thriller, The Card Player, may not come close to matching the splendour of his 1970s hits, but the Czech R2 DVD, by Hollywood Classic Entertainment, contains one of the best audio mixes of the year. Featuring a pounding full bit rate DTS track, The Card Player becomes a slightly more enjoyable affair when all the unearthly shrieks, gunshots and Claudio Simonetti"s effectively rhythmic score are pounding out from all five speakers. 3. Audio design has always figured heavily in Quentin Tarantino"s films, and Kill Bill Volume 1 is no exception. Although all releases seem to be somewhat disappointing in terms of image quality, their DTS audio mixes are superb across the board, seamlessly sliding between bombastic, over the top music and genuinely subtle sound effects design. 4. A perfect example of what you can achieve by simply making a soundtrack incredibly loud, what Underworld"s Dolby Digital 5.1 mix lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for in terms of sheer aggressive eardrum-pounding. The perfect solution for how to spend a relaxing evening in front of the TV? No, but it"s sure to make your fellow home theatre system geeks green with envy when you show off just how loud your speakers can go. 5. Finally, demonstrating just how good a simple mono mix can sound, I"ve reserved a special spot for Criterion"s Videodrome release. While those who demand full 5.1 remixes on every single DVD they purchase, Criterion"s decision to respect the original film by leaving it as it was intended to be heard has to be respected, and the presentation is virtually flawless: a real triumph of single-channel mixing. Extras Everyone will no doubt be crooning over New Line"s Extended Edition release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King this year, so I"ve decided to ignore it in favour of some other releases that would otherwise be unfairly losing out on their moment in the spotlight. All of the packages listed below are excellent, and it was difficult to arrange them in order of quality, so rest assured you can"t go wrong with any of these releases. 1. Anchor Bay have pulled out all the stops with their R1 Ultimate Edition of Dawn of the Dead. Presenting three very different cuts of the film on three discs - George A. Romero"s preferred cut, the unrated theatrical version; the lengthy Cannes extended cut; and Dario Argento"s more action-oriented Italian cut - zombie fans are presented with a case study of the ways in which editing can completely alter the tone of a movie. There"s more to come, however, with three different feature-length commentaries and a fourth disc chock-full of documentary materials, including Roy Frumkes" fabled Document of the Dead. 2. Having taken its sweet time to reach us, Columbia Tristar"s special edition of Panic Room does not disappoint. Spread over a whopping 3 discs, the extras cover every aspect of the production, with some extremely insightful production demonstrations that lend a fresh eye to the technical aspects of filmmaking. The highlight, however, is the superb writers" commentary featuring screenwriter/producer David Koepp and special guest William Goldman, who wax lyrical about any and every aspect of screenwriting that comes to mind. Goldman"s comments about scooters and Gigli (see "Turkey of the Year", below) deserve to be played and replayed for years to come. 3. Criterion"s release of Videodrome pulls out all the stops, presenting the film with a solid transfer that only narrowly missed being included in the A/V Quality line-up. The real joys, however, are to be found in the bonus features. Two superb commentaries, one featuring David Cronenberg and cinematographer Mark Irwin, the other featuring Debbie Harry and the delightfully intellectual James Woods, are presented on the first disc, along with Cronenberg"s 2000 short Camera, while the second disc is filled to the brim with insightful archive materials and new features produced specially for the DVD. The highlight has got to be the so-called "Bootleg Video" section, which provides uncut presentations of the various dodgy porn and snuff videos that Max Renn peruses in the film, for which the accompanying commentaries are worth the price of admission alone. 4. The Italian 2-disc special edition release of Lilo & Stitch is a fantastic affair, featuring an excellent commentary and nearly four hours" worth of documentary materials, giving an intimate look at the process behind the creation of this excellent modern-day Disney release. With the US special edition delayed until some point later in 2005, now would be the perfect time to buy this superb Italian version and in doing so give Eisner"s executives the middle finger for continually pushing this title back. 5. Finally, arriving just in time to make the list, Criterion"s new restoration of Fritz Lang"s M is an excellent affair, providing not only the film"s most satisfying audio-visual presentation to date but also including a mass of extra features, including a retrospective documentary on the film"s history at the hands of various censors and producers, an insightful interview with Lang conducted by William Friedkin, recordings of original lectures on the film by editor Paul Falkenberg, various essays and galleries, and an excellent commentary by scholars Eric Rentschler and Anton Kaes. All-round Favourite Packages While none of these releases would take home top accolades in every single category, they as a whole represent my favourite overall packages of the year. 1. Criterion"s Videodrome package is an overall superb effort, finally giving one of David Cronenberg"s most celebrated works the presentation it deserves. From the unique packaging, designed to look like a Betamax cassette, to the near-perfect transfer, to the crisp mono soundtrack, to its revealing bonus features, The Criterion Collection #248 belongs on everyone"s shelf. 2. It may not be completely unedited, as the title and packaging would suggest, but even so, The Ren & Stimpy Show Uncut - The The First and Second Seasons is an excellent release. With previously unseen footage restored to a number of cartoons, and an entire episode, Man"s Best Friend, banned for over a decade, finally making its appearance, plus a number of hilarious commentaries by crazed Canadian John Kricfalusi and his wacky pals, cartoon fans the world over owe it to themselves to add a copy of this 3-disc set to their collections. 3. Want to know what the Disney studio got up to during the Second World War? Walt Disney Treasures: Walt Disney on the Front Lines is like a trip back in time, presenting a huge number of their cartoon shorts, as well as a feature-length movie, Victory Through Air Power, uncut and remastered for the first time. Gasp as Donald Duck warns us about the evils of Nazism, hark at the Seven Dwarfs hawking bonds, and marvel as Donald Duck embarks on a career in the US army. With the benefit of hindsight, it"s easy to dismiss these cartoons as misleading and syrupy (barring the highly disturbing Education for Death), but when taken in their proper context they remain a fascinating document of the period. 4. Disney scores yet again with their Platinum Edition Gift Set of Aladdin, delivering a thoroughly enjoyable film with a very good presentation and solid extras (which improve on those of last year"s The Lion King Platinum Edition in every way), along with a nicely-illustrated although lightweight book, an "exclusive" (i.e. mass-produced) 35mm film frame, and brand new illustrations of the main characters by their original supervising animators. The package may be a complete gimmick - none of the box set"s contents are as exclusive as Disney would like you to think - but given the surprisingly low price, it really is an excellent set. 5. Its image quality may be a little disappointing and the bonus features are only marginally better than those included on the film"s Western releases, but the Japanese version of Kill Bill Volume 1 deserves to be seen by anyone who thought the standard Western cut was good. With more gore, more animation and a significantly extended cut of the fight in the House of the Blue Leaves - in full colour no less - the Japanese cut greatly improves the film by substantially upping the ante and over-the-top violence. Although no-one will be particularly surprised if Quentin Tarantino eventually releases "full-strength Kill Bill" outside Japan, for the time being this remains the only way to experience what is in my opinion a vastly superior version of this extremely enjoyable movie. Turkey of the Year Okay, I know this film was released in 2003, but since I didn"t do one of these round-ups last year I felt I just had to include it here. In many ways, it doesn"t feel as if it was over a year ago that I came into contact with Gigli, the full horror of which cannot possibly be understood unless you have seen the film for yourself. Judging by its box office returns, however, it would seem that word of mouth was enough to steer people away - a true shame, given that the full effect of experiencing this Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez monstrosity cannot ever be successfully put into writing. Without a doubt the worst film I have ever paid to see (yes, I would rather sit through The Matrix Reloaded again than endure this blot on the movie-making landscape), this train-wreck of a film sees Affleck and Lopez"s gangster characters holding hostage/babysitting a young man with autism, a disorder that is inexplicably played here for laughs. Other highlights include Lopez"s character (a member of that special group of lesbians that is capable of hopping the fence upon finding the right man) discussing the various merits of penises and vaginas, Ben Affleck removing a corpse"s thumb with a plastic knife, and Al Pacino and Christopher Walken both thoroughly embarrassing themselves in walk-on parts. The film even ends with a beach party as Affleck and the newly heterosexualized Lopez drive off into the sunset. Historical note: Gigli, for a brief period in time, had the dubious honour of holding IMDB"s #1 position in their Bottom 100 list, before settling into a slightly less discomfiting 22nd place. The Singing Detective, (BBC, Region 2) Not so much a ‘whodunit’ as a ‘whatdidtheydo’, Dennis Potter’s landmark 1986 television series The Singing Detective constructs a complex web based around Michael Gambon’s Philip Marlow, a writer of pulp crime fiction, hospitalised with severe psoriasis, whose fevered brain tries to piece together traumatic events from his childhood, which become entangled with characters from his current circumstances and his fiction-writing. Potter’s best work still displays an intelligence and a willingness to innovate that is rarely seen in TV drama nowadays. Packaged as a 3-DVD set by the BBC with a superb commentary and numerous documentaries, this heralds a long-awaited series of releases that will surely lead to a welcome rediscovery of one best British dramatists ever to have worked in television. One From The Heart, (Fantoma, Region 1) It’s doubtful that Coppola’s great folly will ever be considered amongst his best works, but the fine Region 1 DVD release and reconstruction of One From The Heart has led to it being re-evaluated at long last. Even if in its slightly re-worked state it still doesn’t measure up to Apocalypse Now or The Godfather, the new DVD release – handsomely packaged with an extensive series of making of’s, documentaries and deleted scenes – at least provided me with more pure enjoyment than almost any other release this year. A gloriously colourful film, stunningly photographed by Vittorio Storaro, a superb score by Tom Waits and the presence of the lovely Terri Garr (hey, I"ve made worse declarations this year) render the rather thin and asinine plot completely irrelevant. The film bust Coppola’s Zoetrope Studio and his dreams of pioneering a new way of making films, but what a glorious failure! Luis Buñuel Box Set, (Warner Bros, Region 2) It’s not a perfect release, with absolutely no extra features, but Warner’s first Luis Buñuel Box Set is nevertheless one of the more welcome and necessary releases during the year for a major director whose work has thus far been surprisingly poorly represented on DVD. The set contains three deliciously subversive films, Belle de Jour, Diary of a Chambermaid and The Milky Way - each of them sinking the boot into the hypocrisy of bourgeois morality, class attitudes and organised religion. The lack of supporting features is disappointing, but the transfers themselves look far better than you could reasonably have expected. We can all look forward to a second Warner 3-DVD Buñuel set early next year containing That Obscure Object Of Desire, Phantom Of Liberty and The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie. Ozu - The Noriko Trilogy, (Tartan, Region 2) While you could never consider the films Late Spring and Early Summer in any way lesser to Ozu’s masterwork – they are certainly masterpieces in their own right – the combination of all three films of The Noriko Trilogy in Volume 1 of Tartan’s Ozu Collection raises Tokyo Story to a new level entirely, informing and deepening the brilliance of the director’s most celebrated film in a way that any number of extras on the Criterion edition of the film could never do. Together the three films chart a young woman’s attempts to grow and adapt to family expectations and changing attitudes towards marriage and families in post-war Japanese society. At the same time, the pure simplicity of the scenarios keeps the films relevant, acting as a mirror to our own lives and relationships. Tartan’s transfer of the films to DVD is patchy with some technical faults and there is little in the way of extra features, but nothing can take away from the sheer brilliance of the director’s vision and the depth of his talent is never so evident as in this trilogy of films. 2046 (Mei Ah, Region 3) Just squeezing in at the last moment, the Mei Ah Limited Edition of 2046 certainly isn"t the best quality disc of the year, but my most enjoyable theatrical experience of the year translates reasonably well onto the Hong Kong disc. An absolute dream of a film, it achieves the almost impossible – producing a film every bit as good as In The Mood For Love and getting an amazing performance out of Zhang Ziyi. It"s repetitive, precious and wrapped up in itself, but it"s everything cinema is about - recreating a mood or an emotion through a blending of images, words and music and no-one does that better than Wong Kar-Wai. This is a film to get completely lost in. It"s also a film to see in a movie theatre if possible (it"s released in the UK in January), but if you just can"t wait, this Hong Kong set isn"t at all bad. I"ve a feeling that we"ll see better DVD editions than this and if so, one of them is already practically guaranteed a place on my list next year. CASABLANCA R2 (Warners) A candidate for the title of most enjoyable film ever made, Casablanca looks better and better as the years go by. An example of Classic Hollywood star power at its most intense, it presents a collection of cliches and renews them before your eyes. Bogart was never more charismatic, Bergman never more gorgeous and there are flavoursome contributions from Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt and the immortal Claude Rains. Warners" DVD is stunning with one of the finest black and white restorations I"ve ever seen and some judiciously chosen extra features including two riveting commentaries and some entertaining featurettes. FILM NOIR CLASSIC COLLECTION R1 (Warners) Now that popular interest in film noir is at a pitch not equalled since the 1970s, it"s an appropriate time for Warner to celebrate their quite staggeringly good back catalogue with a box of five films. These were the very good Murder My Sweet and Gun Crazy, the exceptional The Set-Up and the plain bloody brilliant Out of the Past and The Asphalt Jungle. The technical presentation of each film is quite stunning and although the extras are limited, the commentary tracks are insightful and detailed enough to render anything else pretty redundant. Frankly, if you can play R1 and haven"t got this set, then you"re insane. THE INGMAR BERGMAN COLLECTION R1 (MGM) MGM may have been inconsistent in the quality of their releases but they certainly win a special award for customer care. When they originally released this box set, two of the films were misframed. Admirably, MGM admitted the mistake and pulled the set, re-releasing it with the corrected transfers a few months later. The results were highly impressive. The films include some of Bergman"s best - Persona, Hour of the Wolf, Shame - and two which are at least interesting - The Passion Of Anna, The Serpent"s Egg - in beautifully remastered versions, accompanied by extras which were a little oblique in places but always interesting. GONE WITH THE WIND R1 (Warners) Not the greatest film ever made and certainly not great art but MGM"s 1939 blockbuster is still a hugely entertaining trash masterpiece. Made with the kind of loving care which was the hallmark of Golden Age Hollywood and acted with brilliance by Vivien Leigh and the great Clark Gable, it"s way overlong but somehow that doesn"t matter. It"s the kind of film which invites the audience to sit back and wallow, even if their better instincts tell them otherwise. It"s certainly never looked as heavenly as it does on this Warner Special Edition 4-Disc set. The picture quality is breathtaking. Making the DVD even better are a range of bonus materials, from an interesting commentary to lengthy documentaries, which will enhance everyone"s viewing of the film and may reveal some new information even to people who"ve seen it more times than they can count. THE MARTIN SCORSESE COLLECTION (Warners) One of the best filmmakers of his generation gets a fine accolade with this six disc collection, containing five films. I"ve always considered Goodfellas rather overrated and eclipsed by its companion piece Casino, but this 2-Disc SE is certainly a fine package. Of the four remaining films, there are two good ones - After Hours, Who"s That Knocking On My Door? -, an exceptional one - Alice Doesn"t Live Here Anymore - and Mean Streets, Scorsese"s masterwork and a film which is so extraordinary that words can"t do justice to it. The DVDs offer excellent picture and sound quality and extras which enhance but don"t overpower the films - Scorsese himself offers surprisingly brief but always worthwhile contributions. Runner-ups include the Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection and the Universal Monster Legacy series. A special mention also for Anchor Bay"s Norman Warren Collection, a loving tribute to a little-known filmmaker. top 10 films of 2004 1. Lost In Translation For once the hype was justified. Sofia Coppola"s second film is an absolutely entrancing love story between two mismatched Americans stranded by fate in a Tokyo hotel. We eavesdrop as they make friends, pass the time together, explore their alien surroundings and slowly, tentatively fall in love. Scarlett Johansson gives a beautifully subtle performance and Murray matches her while at the same time doing his funniest work since Groundhog Day. Not since The Fabulous Baker Boys has a film had me quite so powerfully under its spell. Lost In Translation is the best film I saw in 2004. 2. Open Range After a decade in the wilderness with only a couple of decent films to show for it (Tin Cup and Thirteen Days), Kevin Costner thoroughly redeemed himself with this magnificent western, which is at least the equal of his justly lauded Dances With Wolves. It"s a simple tale of independent cattle grazers taking on an evil rancher but it"s not the story that makes this film great, it"s the way it"s told. This is a beautifully constructed piece of cinema. Costner opens the film quietly, lazily, letting us get to know the characters and get to like them, then he slowly, confidently builds suspense, taking time out for lovely little digressions like the chocolate and cigars scene, before unleashing a stunning climactic gunfight which does for the western what the Normandy landing in Saving Private Ryan did for war films. A lot of people ignored this movie on its release and it failed dismally at the British box office but the word is slowly getting out. 3. Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy It was a good year for comedy, with Napoleon Dynamite, Starsky And Hutch and Dodgeball providing the kind of huge laughs that have become all too scarce recently. Then there was Anchorman, which topped them all and earned its place among comedy legends like Life Of Brian, This Is Spinal Tap and Austin Powers. Will Ferrell is absolutely hysterical as Ron Burgundy, the colossally pompous TV newsreader who is outraged when he"s forced to take on a female co-host, played by Christina Applegate. After this and Elf, Ferrell seems poised for comedy superstardom. It"s not his show alone though. Many of the funniest moments belong to his news team colleagues, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and David Koechner. The scene where they take turns trying to seduce Christina Applegate had me laughing as hard as I ever have at a film. 4. Garden State A wonderful little film from sitcom star and first time writer/director Zach Braff, Garden State conceals beneath a witty, cynical shell a deeply felt romance between a young man who numbs himself to life and a girl who embraces it. This could have gone wrong in so many ways that it"s a small miracle how well it works. Natalie Portman is simply outstanding. Garden State also makes the best use of music I"ve seen recently, the track Let Go by Frou Frou being a perfect choice. 5. Napoleon Dynamite It was a landmark year for independent American films, with The Passion Of The Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 both becoming box office phenomenons and Saw, Open Water, Super Size Me and Garden State also finding large audiences. Napoleon Dynamite, a no-budget comedy about an obnoxious high school geek was a late summer smash in the States that outgrossed several expensive, would-be blockbusters. Its appeal? Simple. It"s hilariously funny, blending dumb jokes and smart satire as deftly as Beavis And Butt-head and South Park. 6. The Aviator After a string of boring, cliche-ridden showbiz biopics (Beyond The Sea, De-Lovely, The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers), Martin Scorsese demonstrated how to do it right with his Howard Hughes movie, the best film of its kind since The People Vs Larry Flynt. Consistently engrossing and entertaining for all of its three hour running time, this also manages to do more than skim the surface of its subject, contrasting Hughes" visions and triumphs with his tragic descent into mental illness. Leonardo DiCaprio does his best work for years and Cate Blanchett is downright brilliant as Katherine Hepburn. The film is beautifully photographed by Robert Richardson. 7. Japanese Story One of the surprises of the year was this slow-burning Australian drama. In arguably her best performance, Toni Collette plays a moody geologist who reluctantly agrees to take a Japanese visitor on a tour of the Outback. Just when you think you know where the story is going, something happens (which I won"t give away and you shouldn"t try to find out) that changes everything and takes the film into uncharted territory. A film of startling emotional power. 8. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Writer Charlie Kaufman"s screenplays have always been original and quirky - sometimes amusingly (Being John Malkovich) and sometimes just perplexingly (Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind) - but with the superb Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze, he proved he could channel his oddball sensibility into telling a touching, human story. With Eternal Sunshine, directed by his other regular collaborator Michel Gondry, he uses a premise out of a Philip K Dick sci-fi thriller to tell a love story and the result is not only startlingly original but amazingly romantic. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are both as good as they"ve ever been. 9. Infernal Affairs II Alan Mak and Andrew Lau"s Infernal Affairs is one of the best cop thrillers of recent years but its prequel tops it. Putting most cookie-cutter sequels to shame, this is an amazingly ambitious film which broadens the scope of the original and deepens its characters while telling an entirely different story. It"s a gangster epic stretching across the 1990s, a turbulent decade in Hong Kong"s history which saw the British colony return to Chinese rule. Eric Tsang, who plays the deceptively sweet-faced gang boss Sam, created possibly the most memorable character of the year. Even if you normally avoid subtitled films or think you hate Hong Kong movies, give this series a try. 10. Wonderland Here"s a grim little tale - the story behind the 1981 Wonderland slayings, the most brutal multiple murder Los Angeles had seen since the Manson case. But what a fascinating story it is and what superbly drawn characters. Val Kilmer is terrific as ex-porn star John Holmes, an overgrown adolescent who unwittingly sets the horrible events in motion, while Kate Bosworth, previously known for such lightweight fare as Blue Crush and Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, delivers an eye-opening performance as his child-like girlfriend. 10 worst films 1. House Of The Dead Come back Resident Evil, all is forgiven. Paul WS Anderson"s brain-dead zombie video game adaptation and its equally crap sequel are masterpieces compared to this unwatchable film based on Sega"s light-gun shoot-em-up. Director Uwe Boll compensates for his inability to stage an action scene even semi-competently by including the worst use of Matrix-style bullet time effects yet, bizarrely cutting in clips from the video game and turning up the heavy metal soundtrack until you want to flee the cinema. It doesn"t get much worse than this. 2. The Triumph Of Love If House Of The Dead is mainstream trash at its most unendurable, The Triumph Of Love is arthouse preciousness at its most insufferable. Based on a 200-year-old French play, the story involves Mira Sorvino wandering around a country estate, telling the rest of the cast she"s in love with them - to what end I have no idea. Billed as a sophisticated farce, it isn"t witty or clever or charming or remotely funny. Two hours of this drivel and you"re almost ready to beg for House Of The Dead instead. Almost. 3. Sylvia Movie biopics are rarely interesting and usually contain less information or insight into their subjects than a 30 minute documentary on the Biography Channel. The worst examples tend to be about artists or showbiz people and concentrate on the miserable private lives of their subjects. Even by this genre"s low standards, Sylvia is an endurance test. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a miserable woman who gets involved with a man who makes her more miserable. Because they"re famous poets, we"re supposed to care. If you need a dose of Gwyneth Paltrow, check out Sky Captain or her amusing straight-to-video stewardess comedy View From The Top. This is just torture. 4. The Whole Ten Yards I loved Jonathan Lynn"s gangster farce The Whole Nine Yards but its sequel is a comedy dead zone that knows it has no reason for existing and sits there, embarassed, on the screen for an hour and three quarters. The cast, given nothing funny or interesting to do, kill time any way they can. Bruce Willis takes his clothes off and shows off how lean and chiselled he"s become, while Matthew Perry proves he"s become so accomplished at bumping into things that maybe someone should enter him in Robot Wars. This joins Analyze That and Dumb And Dumberer in the pointless, unwanted sequel hall of shame. 5. Fat Slags / Sex Lives Of The Potato Men Every once in a while, the British film industry gets the idea that it"s going to revive the Confessions-style sex comedies of the seventies and the result usually fails to reach even their low standards. These two examples, apparently targeted at northern audiences who made Chubby Brown a star (northerners should protest that they"re not completely undiscerning) are no exception. Fat Slags is boring, unfunny and atrociously made and Sex Lives Of The Potato Men tops it by being all that and quite disgusting too. Pity Johnny Vegas (Sex Lives) and Jerry O"Connell (Slags) who have too much talent to be wasted in such dross. The similar-sounding, Newcastle-set School For Seduction is more of a chick flick and, while not recommendable, has enough redeeming qualities to spare it from this list. 6. The Grudge You know what jump scenes are: those sequences in all horror movies where a character wanders around a deserted house / barn / summer camp, is startled by something that turns out to be a cat / owl / prankster, breathes a sigh of relief and then gets jumped by a ghost / zombie / killer. Imagine a movie made up almost entirely of jump scenes and you"ve got The Grudge, in which Sarah Michelle Gellar and several other people we never get to know wander around, getting attacked by ghosts. Why do the ghosts attack everyone who comes to their house? Why are the ghosts the victims of the original crime and not its perpetrator? Why do the ghosts, which could presumably grab anyone at any time, toy with the major characters? Why do some of their victims die and others disappear? What do the ghosts do when they attack you? I don"t think director Takashi Shimizu (who remade his own Japanese film) cares, just so long as he has an excuse to have people wander around, getting attacked by ghosts. If this isn"t the worst film of the year, it has to be the most annoying and the most over-rated. 7. Christmas With The Kranks Here"s a comedy filled with the Christmas spirit. A couple who miss having their grown-up daughter at home decide that instead of spending a lonely Christmas without her, they"ll skip the holiday and spend the money on a cruise. When their neighbours find out they won"t be joining in the (apparently compulsory) Christmas festivities, they subject the couple to a persecution campaign normally reserved for convicted child molesters. And the film seems to agree with the neighbours! By the end, the Kranks have seen the error of their ways and resolved to never again leave their ghastly plastic snowman in the basement. This film made me want to throw snowballs at the screen. Great big ones with stones in them. 8. Thunderbirds After their triumphant 2003, British production company Working Title had a very mixed 2004. Shaun Of The Dead was an unqualified smash hit but Wimbledon missed it obvious June release to tie in with the tournament and underperformed in September, while Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason was a success but the derision it received and the misgivings of its cast may have killed the franchise. The biggest blow was the disastrous performance of Thunderbirds at the summer box office - in America it failed to crack the weekly top ten. It"s not hard to see why. The classic puppet adventure series is re-imagined as an idiotic kiddie flick in which the Thunderbirds and their pilots barely feature. Instead we get three annoying children, stupid comedy villains and a title song by Busted. Jonathan Frakes" once promising directing career looks like it"s headed in the same direction as Leonard Nimoy"s. 9. Wondrous Oblivion This is the kind of worthy, horribly patronising message movie that I thought the British film industry had stopped making. A cricket-obsessed youth in 1960s London befriends his new West Indian neighbours and learns it"s wrong to be racist... especially when your neighbours are friendly and wise and want to help you with your cricket, teach you life lessons and re-awaken your mum"s repressed sexuality (without actually crossing the line to adultery), while all the white people you know are either bumbling nitwits who learn to outgrow their prejudices or evil, sneering Aryans. The film"s commercial prospects can"t have been helped by a poster which looked like an advert for washing powder. 10. Honey / You Got Served Wassup dog! Grab yo shorty n check out dese bangin filmz yall. Dey iz dope. Dey iz kickin. Dey iz da bomb. If you understood all that, you"re probably the target audience for Honey and You Got Served, you probably liked them and I hope you"re not reading this when you should be doing your homework. If you didn"t understand it, be sure to avoid these laughably written, horribly acted, Disneyfied, PG-13 rated, inner city hip hop dramas like you would avoid a car load of scowling gang bangers with Uzis. Word. 10 good films you didn"t see 1. Cellular I have no idea why this clever, edge-of-the-seat action thriller flopped at the box office but make sure you don"t miss it on DVD. Kim Basinger is the kidnapped woman who manages to call a random stranger"s mobile phone and enlist his help in rescuing her. A wildly inventive script keeps the suspense at fever pitch. 2. Jersey Girl Kevin Smith"s first film not to feature Jay and Silent Bob and copious swearing died a grim box office death, perhaps thanks to its falling star Ben Affleck. It"s a shame because this little charmer about a widowed father is one of Smith"s best and proof that he isn"t a one-trick pony. Affleck is also as good in this as he"s been for a long time. 3. The Station Agent A completely charming independent comedy starring Peter Dinklage (the chldren"s book writer from Elf) as a dwarf who loses his best friend and inherits a disused railway station in New Jersey. Planning to live a solitary life there, he finds himself pestered by divorcee Patricia Clarkson and gregarious hot dog vendor Bobby Cannavale, neither of whom appear able to take a hint. A sweet film about the importance of friendship. 4. Shattered Glass The true story of journalist Stephen Glass and how he fooled America"s highly respected New Republic magazine into printing more than two dozen completely fictional articles. Star Wars star Hayden Christensen jumps at the chance to show he can act while rising indie star Peter Sarsgaard is outstanding as his editor. 5. My Summer Of Love Two teenage girls from very different backgrounds meet one balmy English summer in Yorkshire and their instant friendship turns into romance and then into a scarily obsessive relationship that excludes all others. A fascinating, intoxicating and unnerving movie and the best British film of the year. 6. Spartan David Mamet making an action film? Yes, he wrote and directed this hard-bitten thriller starring Val Kilmer as a secret service agent in the ruthless, Jack Bauer from 24 tradition. He"s assigned to locate the president"s daughter when she disappears and is presumed kidnapped by white slavers but wouldn"t you know, there"s a conspiracy afoot! Actually, despite the occasional hints that Mamet is aiming for serious themes, there"s not a lot between this and 24 and the main pleasure comes from watching Kilmer kick ass. If you check this one out, try and keep track of how many sidekicks Val loses. 7. The Human Stain Robert Benton"s thoughtful drama opens with college professor Anthony Hopkins being sacked from his tyrannically PC campus after he is unfairly accused of racism. The bitter irony of this is later revealed in the boldest and most genuinely surprising plot twist in years. The story is also concerned with his May to December romance with abused wife Nicole Kidman. Not a perfect film, with an ending that seems like a cop-out, but still very worthwhile and criminally under-rated. 8. Before Sunset Making a sequel to 1995"s romantic hit Before Sunrise seemed like a terrible idea but director Richard Linklater pulled it off and turned this semi-improvised two-character piece into one of the art-house hits of the year. A total delight. 9. The Prince And Me The success of The Princess Diaries opened the gates for a slew of movies aimed at pubescent girls, most of which starred either Hilary Duff or Lindsay Lohan. The general rule is Lohan"s are worth seeing (especially Mean Girls) and Duff"s are best avoided (especially Cheaper By The Dozen). The Prince And Me, starring thinking man"s babe Julia Stiles, is probably the best to date. Directed by Martha Coolidge, who made Rambling Rose and Real Genius, it"s a genuinely charming romance between a Danish prince and an American college girl. Although it meanders towards the end, it transcends its tweenie genre and it"s worth a look even if you don"t wear a training bra and listen to Busted. 10. The Company Robert Altman"s study of a Chicago ballet company feels like a dramatised fly on the wall documentary. There"s no story as such, just a glimpse at what a year in the life of such a company might be like - on stage, in rehearsals, in the offices of its director, in the private lives of its dancers. An experiment that pays off, this is a fascinating experience. 10 disappointments 1. I Heart Huckabees The talented David O Russell disappears spectacularly up his own arse, taking a fine cast including Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts with him. Is this a satire of philosphical navel gazing? A navel gazing satire of philosophy? A philosophical satire of navel gazing? Russell trying to do Charlie Kaufman and failing? Maybe you can figure it out. Take some aspirin with you. 2. Finding Neverland Monsters Ball director Marc Foster follows it with a shameless tear-jerker in which Johnny Depp does the sort of man-child routine Robin Williams used to do in the nineties. Playing JM Barrie, he befriends some lonely children who inspire him to write Peter Pan. Some loved it but I cringed from its sentimentality. 3. The Manchurian Candidate Jonathan Demme"s glum, lengthy remake of the acclaimed 1962 conspiracy thriller concentrates on making political points and forgets to create suspense or entertain. The decision to focus more closely on the brainwashing plot and the seriousness with which it"s taken only serve to expose how silly it actually is. 4. Switchblade Romance This French slasher film wants to follow in the footsteps of 1970s classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It"s grim and gory enough but ultimately it"s no more successful than Wrong Turn or the Texas Chainsaw remake and for the same reasons: it"s too slick and too plainly a retread over familiar ground. It still sort of works for most of its running time but the final twist is a jaw-dropping insult to the intelligence. 5. I, Robot Although it was one of the summer"s biggest blockbusters, I found I, Robot as monotonous and machine-like as the androids it"s about. Director Alex Proyas displays little of the style he demonstrated with The Crow and Dark City and Will Smith just goes through the motions. Even Van Helsing"s CGI looks less cartoon-like. 6. Layer Cake Matthew Vaughn, producer of Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch directs his own gangster film and it falls unsatisfyingly between tongue-in-cheek Guy Ritchie pastiche and straight, Get Carter-style drama. 7. The Big Bounce When George Armitage, director of Grosse Pointe Blank, tackles an Elmore Leonard novel with a cast including Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman and Gary Sinise, you have a right to expect something a little more substantial or at least more entertaining than this forgettable piece of fluff. The picturesque Hawaiian locations and femme fatale Sara Foster"s bikini-clad body are the film"s best assets. Straight to video in the UK and deservedly so. 8. She Hate Me OK, I get what Spike Lee is trying to say about corporations and whistleblowers but what the hell is he trying to say about men and women and sperm donors and lesbians and relationships and bisexuality? And how do the Mafia tie in? Lee is one of America"s most intelligent and compelling directors but sometimes he messes up big time and generally it"s when he starts musing about sex (see also Mo" Better Blues and Girl 6). 9. The Passion Of The Christ Mel Gibson caught flak for his negative portrayal of the Jewish high priests but it was his depiction of the Roman soldiers as sneering goons out of a Rambo movie that proved to be the most distracting flaw in his laudably ambitious passion play. That and his determination to put Jim Caviezel"s Christ through torments that would have killed him at least six times over. Rarely has "less is more" been more appropriate. 10. Bride And Prejudice Gurinder Chadha"s Bollywood version of Pride And Prejudice might have been something special if she"d had the courage of her convictions. The Bollywood stuff works nicely but she waters it down with a hefty dose of bland, transatlantic rom com. We had enough of those this year, thank you. 10 guilty pleasures 1. Welcome To The Jungle (aka The Rundown) "Have fun", Arnold Schwarzenegger tells The Rock in his brief cameo in Welcome To The Jungle. The Rock takes his advice and delivers the kind of highly entertaining, kick-ass entertainment that Arnold himself might have made twenty years ago. In his first non-barbarian role, the former WWE wrestler shows major star potential. Besides his physical presence, he"s funny and very likeable. A few more films like this (rather than his disappointing follow-up Walking Tall) and the action star vacuum left by the Governor of California will be filled more than adequately. 2. Eurotrip Four American college students tour Europe in this wonderfully lewd and politically incorrect slob comedy, which deserves comparisons to Bachelor Party and Revenge Of The Nerds. The filmmakers poke fun at every conceivable European stereotype and gets away with it by making its Yank heroes the butt of most of the jokes. Britain is represented by Vinnie Jones as a deranged football hooligan who makes the kids sing the Manchester United song.... which sounds rather familiar! 3. Highwaymen This is a brutal revenge thriller from the director of The Hitcher, starring Jim Caviezel as a vigilante cruising the freeways of America in a hunt for a serial-killer whose weapon is his car and who murdered Caviezel"s wife. Rhona Mitra plays the innocent woman who unwittingly comes between them. Very much in the style of seventies and eighties B-movies, with no irony, no special effects and little humour. Highwaymen is lean, mean and well worth checking out. 4. Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! A sweet romantic comedy that doesn"t quite work because its Hollywood hunk is far more likeable than the smalltown nerd the heroine is supposed to realise is the one for her, this is still good fun and it"s an excellent showcase for the star quality of Kate Bosworth. An excellent actress who was terrific in Wonderland and Beyond The Sea, she has a dazzling, girl-next-door appeal that calls to mind Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire. 5. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Barely released in Britain in February - I had to go to Croydon to see it - this Adam Sandler produced comedy stars Saturday Night Live graduate David Spade as, yes, a former child star who hires a family to teach him what a normal childhood might have been like. Very much in the mould of other Sandler-produced films like Deuce Bigalow and The Waterboy, this is a cute little comedy with some very big laughs, the We Are The World-style charity song at the end (sung by a host of real former child stars) providing the biggest. 6. After The Sunset Pierce Brosnan and Woody Harrelson are so much fun to watch and the locations are so gorgeous that you can just about ignore the facts that the script is just a warmed up mishmash of every other heist movie ever made and Brett Ratner can"t direct action to save his life. 7. Ella Enchanted With a better director than Tommy O"Haver, this charming live action Shrek might really have been something but his flat direction kills a lot of the humour. Even so, this comic fairy tale still provides plenty of fun and should amuse adults as well as children. 8. Exorcist: The Beginning Well I liked it! "Course, I liked The Final Conflict, Stigmata and Bless The Child too. I"m a sucker for quasi-religious horror hokum about priests battling the devil. How could I not like one that threw killer hyenas into the mix? By all accounts Paul Schrader"s unreleased version is better but this will do for cheesy thrills. 9. Torque I said this would make my guilty pleasures list and here it is. Martin Henderson plays a badass biker on the run from the cops and other badass bikers in this two-wheeled spin-off of The Fast And The Furious. If it wasn"t for the awful, CGI-created climax, this might rank higher up the list. 10. My Boss"s Daughter David Zucker"s old-fashioned farce bypassed cinemas in the UK but it"s more amusing than most comedies that played in multiplexes this year. Ashton Kutcher is roped into housesitting for his scary boss (Terence Stamp), who warns him not to leave so much as a smudge. You can guess the rest but it"s done well and there are some big laughs. Top 10 at the box office 1. Shrek 2 Funnier and more inventive than the original Shrek, this was deservedly a big hit with audiences of all ages. Few grown-up films have this much wit. Now pray for mercy from... Puss In Boots. 2. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban Alfonso Cuaron took the third Harry Potter film in a slightly darker direction which is just as well as the formula is starting to wear a little thin. Entertaining enough but these movies just can"t support their two and a half hour running times. 3. Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason If you were dragged to this awful sequel by your girlfriend, I hope you"re still together. How did a film which practically no one admitted to liking become the third highest grossing hit of the year? 4. The Incredibles At two hours, Pixar"s sixth feature film is far too long and it"s a step down from the sublime Finding Nemo but it"s still solid family entertainment with a razor sharp wit and a timely message about the way modern society shuns excellence and champions mediocrity (see no. 3). 5. Spider-Man 2 Sam Raimi topped his entertaining Spider-Man movie with a richer, more involving and more confident sequel pitting Spidey against Alfred Molina"s Dr Octopus and his own insecurities. This is how to do a comic book superhero movie - others take note. 6. The Day After Tomorrow Roland Emmerich"s megabudget eco-disaster movie is good, destructive fun for an hour with super duper special effects laying waste to Manhattan and Los Angeles. Unfortunately when that"s finished, there"s an hour of talking, shivering and CGI wolves still to come. 7. Shark Tale The third computer animated film in the top 10 and easily the least of them. Still, it"s pleasant enough and if my mate"s 6-year-old is anything to go by, it certainly kept the kids happy. 8. Troy While his fellow German Roland Emmerich swamped New York, Wolfgang Petersen sacked Troy with the aid of Brad Pitt, a wooden horse and several thousand computer-generated soldiers. Highly enjoyable. 9. I, Robot See under disappointments. 10. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Another amiable kids" film with a short running time and enough sly jokes to keep older folk amused. I can"t remember a thing about it but I wasn"t bored. Rouge In 2003 two shining stars of Hong Kong cinema that once burnt so bright were sadly taken from us in tragic circumstances as individual as the stars themselves. Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui are two of the finest actors to grace our screens, and Stanley Kwan"s 1987 adaptation of Lilian Lee"s novel sees the handsome playboy and classic beauty fuse together via a powerful chemistry in this haunting romantic tale that examines relationships in two very different eras of modern society. Beautifully photographed, the striking sets and assured direction allow the leads room to blossom, with Leslie playing a role not dissimilar to others he is well known for but rarely has he hooked the audience so soon. This is however Anita"s film, with her character rarely off screen she is asked to touch upon every spectrum of subtle emotion and does so with a consummate ease you can"t help but wish Fleur"s ghost would pay you a visit one dark and lonely night. The DVD from IVL is part of the Fortune Star remastered series, and has been chosen here not because the quality and range of extras stand out, but due to this being the first satisfying DVD release of the film. Video quality is never breathtaking but rarely do Hong Kong films of this vintage look so good, while the DTS and Dolby 5.1 remixes are respectful to the original stereo track which is also present. Extras are minimal but do include a short but above all informative and engaging interview with director Stanley Kwan. Like the film this bonus feature is subtitled in English. Particular care is given to the films packaging which is themed around the stars and pays tribute to them through included photo booklets and bookmarks. The One Armed Swordsman Trilogy There have been numerous Shaw Bros. DVD releases in their native Hong Kong this year, with excellent restoration work being undertaken by Celestial Pictures and then brought to the DVD format via their relationship with IVL. Though some may even be the better films, none are quite as significant as Chang Cheh"s original 1967 One Armed Swordsman picture which launched Jimmy Wang Yu to legendary status along with the director and its title character. The action packed and highly imaginative sequel Return of the One-Armed Swordsman and later re-imagining of the hero with slightly overbearing homo-erotic undertones in New One-Armed Swordsman are also included in this set looking better than they probably deserve to so many years on and still providing great entertainment with equal measures of character drama along the way. The original is not only a great film, but set the framework for so many future productions, both at Shaws and elsewhere around the world. Fans of Hong Kong cinema owe it to themselves to see these films, and fans of cinema in general wouldn"t hurt to do the same. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly In 2003 Leone fans were blessed with special editions of his Once Upon A Time In... contributions so in 2004 it seemed appropriate the most famous of his early spaghetti westerns receive similar treatment. Clint Eastwood stars as Blondie, the supposed man with no name who learns of a buried treasure which he sets out to find in the backdrop of civil war America. Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef star alongside the veteran of Leone pictures competing for the gold, double-crossing their way across the cruel deserts of the west and using the sad fate of the confederate and southern armies to their advantages. The exquisitely composed widescreen photography combines with Morricone’s unforgettable score to create a film that could engage purely on an audio/visual level, and is now restored to match Leone"s original Italian cut and has been brought up to date through new voice performances (for the additional scenes) by the surviving stars and loving restoration from a team of technical wizards. A simple plotline is brought to life however by the gripping characters and the tragic historical setting in which their storyline weaves itself, allowing for sensational action set pieces in amongst comic relief and commentary on the value of war. Looking better than even before the R1 SE is packaged well and comes with an informative commentary track and second disc of extras which are somewhat light in detail but most welcome for their inclusion of new interviews with Eastwood and Wallach. Throwdown While Leone was often influenced by the style of Kurosawa this Johnnie To film is an ode to the great master. Drenched in style with sublime neon-lit photography and a wonderful soundtrack which really sets the atmosphere we see the problems, ambitions and steadfastness of three regular people placed into a world ruled by Judo. This allows for many human characteristics to be explored through a storyline that moves along at a swift pace and is punctuated by several bouts of the martial art which teaches us a lesson in how to live through our setbacks. Full of sequences worthy of your favourite moments on screen, the acting is superb throughout and the deceptively slight plot develops on repeat viewings. A huge leap in quality over To"s generally favoured 2004 action title Breaking News this choice is, along with several other examples this year including One Nite In Mongkok, a fine example of why 2004 was a good year for Hong Kong cinema. Certainly the best Hong Kong film that I have seen in 2004 (Kung Fu Hustle and 2046 are the only serious contenders for said crown that I can think of and am yet to see) and as my choices this year show, 2004 was also a very good year for DVDs from Hong Kong and Throwdown is another excellent example. Complete with a stylish slipcover and foldout-digipak with booklet that maintain the themes of the picture, we are treated to excellent audio and visual quality along with an engaging, informative 40-minute interview with the director (fully subtitled in English). Ikiru One of Kurosawa"s most beloved pictures was also the first of several high-quality Criterion Collector"s Editions of the master’s work to be released in 2004. Technically superb as you might expect with Kurosawa"s keen eye for composition and use of music on display, Ikiru translates so well around the world because like the very best of his work its themes are truly international and, in a sad way utterly timeless. An elderly gentleman is diagnosed with stomach cancer, giving him 6-12 months to live out the rest of his life which as the narrator points out, is a life that up to now has barely even begun. As it transpires very few of us truly "live", a fact the majority are painfully aware of at various points in their lives and one that is brought to light for the film"s protagonist in the cruellest of ways. Choosing to make amends in what little time he has left the audience is witness to only half of the old man"s humble adventures, with his greatest work played out via the conversation that unfolds over the course of his wake. Showing every aspect of human nature Kurosawa"s film also attacks the bureaucracy of the modern workplace, with a sequence in which a small party from the public are sent from section to section ringing so entirely true for someone who has been on both sides of the fence, while looking at every facet of humanity with sequences of pure joy and complete disdain as the truthfulness of the events portrayed is so intensely accurate. The Criterion release is a two-disc set boasting a restored transfer that strikes a fine-line between looking good and maintaining some level of nostalgia for those who like their print damage. The extras are few but always high in quality, with a commentary track that can be a little dry but is worth sticking out, and a bonus disc featuring two excellent documentary features from Japan running a total of two hours. Two very obvious choices are the long-awaited Star Wars Trilogy which I watched from start to finish almost as soon as they were in my hands, and Return of the King: Extended Edition which although still firmly sealed is a dead cert for being one of the finest releases of the year. There were some fine examples from the American studios in the final week of release. Garden State from 20th Century Fox is a DVD filled with several high-quality extras including commentary from the writer/director Zach Braff who truly astonishes with this debut. Not only does he give Natalie Portman her best role since Leon but he shows a vision rarely attributed to first-time directors and delivers one of the best films of the year as a result. A comedy of an altogether different kind is Anchorman. Will Ferrell has seen his career skyrocket in the last two-years and deservedly so but his efforts on Anchorman are probably the best example of his comic talent so far despite being of a strictly love/hate variety. Providing you"re of the former this is a must-purchase full of hilarious bonus features and an entirely second feature length film that although not as consistent as the main feature, is a bloody good laugh all the same. Earlier in the year Columbia Tristar impressed with a run of special edition releases, including Panic Room, Black Hawk Down and Boyz N" The Hood. Somewhat unwarranted spite flew their way for choosing to make the former titles three-disc affairs, but the end-results more than justified the additional disc with hours worth of bonus material specially created for the sets. From the same studio Hellboy also impressed with extensive bonus material on both the theatrical and director"s cut editions, while Spider-Man 2 also showed how to do a blockbuster release on DVD first time round. Now all we need is that long-debated SE of Fincher"s The Game to arrive in 2005... Clerks. 10th Anniversary Edition was very close to making the final line-up but is let down by poor decisions on the bonus features presentation. They shoot hours worth of new bonus material in widescreen, and then fail to enhance the footage for widescreen TVs. This bothers me no end and along with a rather pointless second disc with a terrible, utterly lazy presentation of the original cut and a commentary track filled with the sounds of the human digestive system ruined one of the more promising special edition releases of the year. Tartan - I know what you"re thinking, NTSC>PAL transfers and some shoddy release tactics but, they have improved beyond all realistic expectations in the past year with the deal made between them and DTS proving to be the turning point. No longer do fans of Asian or indeed any world cinema begin to fear the worst when Tartan are attached to a title, instead the prospect of subtitled commentaries and ported special feature content from the native countries DVD release springs to mind...something that cannot be said for studios we used to expect so much more from (*cough*Premier Asia*cough*). There is still room for improvement, but if they can achieve half the leap forward in 2005 to what they managed in 2004, we should have a very exciting year ahead of us. ADV Films - The proliferation of Anime on DVD here in the UK continues to both surprise and please, with ADV Films leading the way in terms of quality and quantity. Not only are they bringing their licensed content from their American cousins to these shores, but we are seeing series licensed especially for these shores with releases that mimic their Geneon R1 counterparts and go that step further by offering UK fans exclusive (and often superior) artwork. The recent introduction of series collections should begin paving the way to more "Limited Edition" style extras, while the recent line of live-action titles leave much to be desired but can only improve with time. MVM are also to be congratulated in their efforts to maintain a steady release rate (an area US stalwarts like Bandai are completely lacking on this side of the Atlantic) but their quality control is still in need of some improvements. Fox UK - Out of all the major players who operate on both sides of the Atlantic Fox are the only studio who regularly go that one step further for their British customers. Not only is the quality of each and every major release an absolute pleasure, but on a frequent basis we are seeing exclusive two-disc editions of their biggest titles arriving at the same time as our American friends make do with a single-disc offering. The Day After Tomorrow, Garfield and I, Robot are just three recent examples with the second disc not only being exclusive to R2-4 audiences, but also featuring some of the most compelling and indepth bonus material you could ask for on a major blockbuster release. The UK exclusives continue throughout their TV on DVD range, with the complete series of Roswell, Millennium and Murder One out there, available to buy right now while the R1 releases are barely into the second (or even first) seasons. Warner USA - Another major player their Region 1 efforts this past year have earned them somewhat legendary status amongst fans of classic cinema. Where the likes of MGM and Universal fumble the release of their much loved classics Warner have shown a love and dedication to the numerous classics in their catalogue and released them not only on discs that have seen immense man hours go into them, but at a price even the most cautious of DVD spenders wouldn"t sniff at. With many more to come in the initial few months of the New Year they can only go from strength to strength, and with any luck those of you interested in more recent hits should begin to see some long-awaited special editions hit the shelves in 2005. Labels that disappointed… Hong Kong Legends - Now don"t get me wrong, the quality across the HKL range of titles hasn"t decreased this year with many excellent discs including John Woo’s long awaited Bullet in the Head. But, where HKL have maintained a good level of quality, several new contenders have arrived on the scene to compete and are trumping them in more ways the one. Most notably we have the Fortune Star High-Def remastered transfers for many classic Hong Kong movies which have been licensed to Fox in America and IVL in Hong Kong. These transfers are not only superior to the majority of Hong Kong Legends own remastering efforts, but are available for incredibly low prices thanks to the retail price adopted by Fox, and to a lesser degree IVL. The latter however are releasing the more interesting titles, with an eclectic range of Hong Kong cinema that goes beyond the martial arts and contemporary action thrillers HKL seem intent on restricting themselves too. It"s not all about the quality though, a strange thing to say but for two years now fans have put up with Hong Kong Legends cut down, single title per month release strategy that when combined with their frankly boring choice of genre pictures is a total disappointment. 2005 should yield better results from the label, as they too are now a licensee of the Fortune Star High-Def masters which begin with their January DVD release of Warriors Two, but whether they can ever return to their former glory will come down to their willingness to adapt and go that extra mile in the swamped Asian film market. Premier Asia - Oh dear, I"m not being nice am I?! Hong Kong Legends sister label started off well, Bichunmoo was their debut title and remains to this day an excellent release. Since then however we"ve been treated to the International Cut on two of their releases, a shoddy looking transfer on Volcano High, and the apparent cash-in single disc edition of The Grudge (Ju-On) prior to the long-planned two-disc special edition that will presumably appear sometime in 2005. Out of a frankly pathetic three releases this year, only Champion proved to be half-decent with the original cut and full special edition treatment, but even then the extras were lacking and the Bey Logan/Mike Leeder audio commentary a poor substitute for a subtitled filmmakers track. Tartan was the first to set this precedent in the UK and Premier Asia seriously needs to follow suit, because their less than dynamic duo just don"t cut it. Fox USA - I"ve seen a lot of Fox Region 1 discs this year and an equal number for the already applauded Fox Region 2 efforts. On the whole there is little to separate them, range of extras, release dates, even pricing on both sides of the Atlantic is to be commended. Where Fox USA disappoint is their dubious release tactics on high-profile blockbusters including Garfield, I, Robot and The Day After Tomorrow - with single-disc R1 editions arriving simultaneously with double-disc R2 editions. Good news for British DVD supporters but of course bad for our American friends and R1 importers, who have also seen previous double-disc R1 editions removed from the market only to be replaced by stripped down movie-only editions. Of course the Region 1 market will eventually see these recent R2 double-disc editions ported over, but there is more to the Fox USA story that has bothered me this year. Namely the irksome American fetish with Pan & Scan transfers, something the majority of studios either mostly flat out ignore (kudos Columbia Tristar) or bow to with the release of separate Widescreen and Full Screen editions (BVHE, Universal, Warner etc). Fox however insist on those godforsaken flippers placing the widescreen version on side two of all things, with the Pan & Scan monstrosity on the first side. This not only introduces the problem of disc care for the consumer, but also raises doubts in the technical quality of the transfer, with the temptation clearly there to go for single-layer sides and lower the manufacturing costs even more (a single-layer double sided disc is cheaper to manufacture than a dual-layer single sided disc, which is why back in the early days of DVD many longer films were released as flippers). These trends appear to be continuing well into 2005, with single-disc R1 editions of Alien Vs. Predator being duped by a double-disc R2, and the double-sided releases effecting most titles including the relatively obscure pictures like I Heart Hucakabees. New Line deserve much of the same criticism levelled at Fox for their Widescreen/Full Screen approach, as while they don"t use flippers they have begun a new trend whereby they sacrifice DTS audio in favour of placing both transfer options on a single dual-layered disc. This practice has even led to the oft maligned EIV trumping them on several occasions. Universal - On both Region 1 and 2 this year we have seen some disturbing trends continue and expand. The worst of these is the studio"s tendency to re-release a movie purely as a promotional push for the sequel. Combined with some utterly ridiculous special edition tags, the likes of The Bourne Identity, Pitch Black and more recently Meet the Parents have seen reissues this year which despite what the marketing might say, are either inferior to the original editions or barely worth a second purchase with additional puff pieces, missing extras from the original releases and in the case of The Bourne Identity a distinct lack of audio oomph with the DTS track cut out. Universal are also the guiltiest of releasing multiple editions of a single title the first time round, with Rated, Unrated, Widescreen, Fullscreen, Giftpacks, Limited Editions and what have you appearing all at once on Region 1. Moving to the UK side of things we see the same trend with the reissues to promote sequels, but the multiple editions is something we fortunately lack though quite often that comes at the expense of a cut-down DVD release that offers some combination of the multiple versions released in America. Warner UK - For their shoddy treatment of the UK market with poor use of their American parent"s good work. It may not be completely their fault, rights to certain titles are held by different studios in the UK so when their classic titles arrive here in box set form we often see a reduced number of films included. This I can accept, but to charge the UK consumer more and to then reduce the included extras and frequently not include the original mono soundtracks shows complete disrespect for their market. Hitchcock, The Marx Brothers, both suffered as did many more with present day movies also suffering as we saw a sad excuse for a Mystic River DVD release in comparison to the R1 this year. The Best of the Best Hellraiser: Lament Configuration Box Set What would Christmas be without demons and the worst evil Hell ever spat out? Of course, the pleasures of Hellraiser work all year round, which makes Anchor Bay’s limited edition box set all the better. A genuine work of art, it would be hard for any fan of the macabre not to want this. The ‘Bay has always catered to cult aficionados, and this collection of the first three Hellraiser films, is certainly a contender for the years best box set. Clive Barker’s truly horrifying horror film is a genre landmark; with lots of barf-worthy gore to match its deep intellectual core. Part II, the aptly-titled Hellbound, isn’t quite as special; yet it’s no Freddy’s Revenge either. Which leaves us with the woeful Hell on Earth - one chapter too many, but certainly worth a reappraisal. Any horror fan should have this in their collection. Anchor Bay’s work on the Hellraiser trinity continues to raise the bar for competitors, with a set boasting remastered transfers, several audio options a piece, and plenty of bonus material. After all, what fan would complain about two Barker commentaries for his classic original? For that matter, who doesn’t rejoice at Doug Bradley’s collaboration throughout? The set is stuffed, and the inclusion of Barker’s “lost” short films is the cherry on top. A work of demonic brilliance. Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan DVD Collection This is what I’ve been waiting for - a definitive collection of all things Friday the 13th. While “definitive” may be too strong a word for Paramount’s box set, it was certainly worth the wait. Comprising the first eight films (before “The Mountain” sold their rights to New Line), this is a fun trawl through 80’s splatter culture; and a novel way to witness the highest body count in franchise history. The quality is variable depending on which film you watch, but can you deny the sheer entertainment value these films possess? Bad movie-making has never been so compulsively enjoyable. Put on your hockey masks, grab a cold one, and sit through the slasher genre at its most iconic... The Region 1 box set is actually hit-and-miss, but horror fans will find it hard to resist. The transfers are good for the most part (appearing to be similar in quality to their previous incarnations), and only the sound truly irritates (only Part VII: The New Blood gets 5.1; the rest are mono or 2.0). If you can get past the controversy of these films being cut, this is a very entertaining box set. With commentaries for 4 of the films, and several hours of featurettes, this is definitely the best treatment of the franchise to date. It’s doubtful we’ll get this collection in Europe, so for fans with multi-region players, this is the only way to go. Jason Vorhees would be proud! Slacker (Criterion Collection) From the woods of Crystal Lake, to the suburban pastures of Texas. Richard Linklater’s seminal work is one of the key independent features of modern cinema. Usually dismissed as “the film that inspired Clerks”, it has slowly matured into a cult classic, and gave birth to a promising new talent; a talent cemented with Linklater’s mainstream hit School of Rock. Shot for way under $30,000, the picture is a strange one, but also clever and full of memorable moments. Slacker doesn’t possess a narrative really - it’s a patchwork of many different stories, with the camera following the inhabitants of a Texan town. We’ll linger with a person or group for several moments, before following someone else. And so on. The amount of personalities introduced is relentless, and always involving. If someone bores you, just wait for the camera to peel off, and follow their story instead. Most called this device “ingenious”, and with Linklater’s sure-handed direction, it is largely successful. A bona-fide gem, every enthusiast of indie cinema should check-out Slacker. Is it any wonder that Criterion’s two-disc set is crammed with bonus material? A hallmark for quality, the determined team have given this little-seen opus the royal treatment. The Region 1 disc includes several commentaries with Linklater, cast and crew. There’s a retrospective documentary, an essay, photo galleries, and best of all, Linklater’s first full-length film - It’s Impossible to Learn How to Plough By Reading Books. If you haven’t guessed from that wacky title, it’s an existential slice of weirdness, that is for determined cinephiles only. Topping it all off, is Criterion’s work on the main feature itself. Miraculously, they’ve made an ultra-low budget film made over ten years ago look brand new. A truly fabulous package. Spider-Man 2 I love this film. Anyone who read my geek-ridden review will know this. Sam Raimi’s blockbuster has taken its place in the lonely “best sequels” category, and according to most of us, is the best comic book adaptation to date. Spidey wears that title with pride, in a film that beats its predecessor to a bloody pulp. Throw in a diabolical villain, some breathtaking action, and touching performances, and you have this years most successful popcorn thrill-ride. Hollywood filmmakers are advised to learn from Spider-Man 2’s example. A modern classic. The 2-disc “Special Edition” is hardly the most comprehensive release of 2004, but it still comes with must-own status. The movie itself looks and sounds pretty spectacular, with one of the better 5.1 tracks in recent memory. The extras are no kick in the Spider-Pants either. Two commentaries, a two-hour documentary, several featurettes, and a fine assortment of trailers. Not only that, you can purchase the limited edition gift set, which exudes comic book cool. Shazam!! Hellboy: Director’s Cut Guillermo del Toro is very underrated as a filmmaker. Blade II, in my opinion, is a work of art, and he keeps the comic mojo going strong with the quirky fantasy gem Hellboy. Dismissed by many who didn’t “get” its peculiar charms, it’s a darkly funny and exciting slice of exuberant fiction. Ron Perlman’s performance will linger in the memory, and del Toro’s razzle-dazzle makes the film breathtaking in its beauty. Hardly perfect, but certainly different. With this longer cut, can you really turn it down? Columbia’s 3-disc “Director’s Cut” takes the level of extras to new extremes. In fact, there’s probably too much here for one film. Many, many hours of documentary material collide with plenty of photo galleries, trailers, a new commentary by del Toro, the theatrical cut on disc 3 (with cast “video commentary”), and yet more fact-based content. If Hellboy gets you hot, then this’ll give you a fever... The Contenders What didn’t make the grade, but are still worth owning? -- Clerks - 10th Anniversary Edition - My favourite comedy film of all time, is given this packed 3-disc set. Kevin Smith’s classic has never looked or sounded better. -- Star Wars Trilogy - A little-seen trilogy about some farm boy saving the galaxy. For some reason, it’s a must-own DVD. Can’t think why. -- Return of the King: Extended Edition - The end of the road for Peter Jackson’s wondrous achievement. Now 48 minutes longer, and more lavish, it really does impress. I might finish my review before New Years. -- Firefly: The Complete Series - Joss Whedon is a genius. Every geek knows this, and his aborted sci-fi series is an outstanding achievement. A great box set too. -- Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season - Oh boy! One of the most memorable sci-fi TV shows, this fan favourite has finally made the leap to DVD. The box set isn’t perfect, but it was great to see these episodes again. -- The Ultimate Matrix Collection - Three doses of Wachowski mayhem, and Keanu Reeves looking constipated. Warner Brother’s get credit for making this box set the most detailed yet. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind I"m not a Jim Carrey fan, sure there have been some very funny films with him in the starring role - Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself and Irene spring to mind - and it"s rare for me to like his "serious" roles, but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind took me by surprise and has become my favourite film of the year. At it"s most basic it"s a love story, but it borrows elements from many different films and genres and pushes it far beyond merely being another romance and instead develops into a quirky heartwarming tale of love, loss and two people"s struggle to move on. Carrey plays the part of Joel Barish and is joined by Kate Winslett in the role of his ex-lover, Clementine Kruczynski. When their relationship breaks down they undergo a procedure to completely erase any memory of each other in order to make a clean break, but when they meet again the love that brought them together in the first place resurfaces. The Region 1 DVD is the best so far and features the film presented as you would expect with a good anamorphic transfer and both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. The extras are by no means exhaustive with the best of the bunch being a commentary by director, Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufmann which is definitely worth a listen. Lost In Translation Sofia Coppola"s second visit to the director"s chair resulted in one of the most haunting films of 2004. It is a tale of two very different people feeling alone in Tokyo and finding each other - it"s not a love story and the relationship between the two leads played by the wonderful Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray is very much one of friendship rather than anything more. One of the criticisms levelled at the film is that nothing really happens, and while this is true, Lost In Translation is not a film that requires a plot, instead it"s a film for people to relate to and it works perfectly without the need to fall back on a convoluted storyline. Others also find that other than the leads the rest of the characters are nothing more than stereotypes and caricatures - some even make the accusation that the film is racist - but those that believe this fail to see Coppola"s intentions. Murray plays actor Bob Harris, in Tokyo to film a whisky commercial, Johansson plays Charlotte - the new wife of a photographer who is left to her own devises in a hotel while her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) goes out to work. Both Bob and Charlotte are feeling lost in a strange culture and it"s only their new found friendship that keeps them sane. Coppola"s direction is perfectly subdued and this helps to keep the film completely grounded - the visuals are as haunting as her previous film, The Virgin Suicides and the wonderful music chosen by Coppola is perfectly suited to the style of filmmaking on show. By all rights the DVD is a disappointment - the picture is anamorphic, but very dull and the audio isn"t particulary impressive given the fantastic soundtrack the DVD producers had to work with. However despite this the film more than makes up for the DVD presentation and easily makes this release one of my favourite of the year. Curb Your Enthusiasm (Seasons 1 and 2) Larry David, one of the brains behind one of the best American sitcoms of all time, Seinfeld, takes centre stage in this fantastic comedy based on his own life. Fans of Seinfeld will almost certainly be aware that the character of George in that series was based largely on real events, no matter how far fetched, that happened in Larry David"s life and after watching Curb Your Enthusiasm and seeing David in the flesh it makes George an even more believable character. It"s sometimes cringeworthy and the improvised nature of the show means that sometimes things don"t quite work, but this kind of failure is rare and every single episode makes you clench your fists as you see David walk from one self-created problem to another. What really makes it work is the fact that David says pretty much what you may be thinking but wouldn"t say in a given situation but there"s so much more to it than that. Cheryl Hines play"s Cheryl David - Larry"s long suffering wife and she helps to balance out the sometimes shocking things Larry does - she is the only person who can make him see reason. There is also an impressive guest cast including ex-Seinfeld regulars Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ted Danson, Michael York and others - most of whom play themselves. The DVD releases of Season One and Two are largely extras free - the first season includes the pilot episode, but other than that there are no commentaries or bloopers or anything else we"ve come to expect. Instead there are just the 10 episodes in each series presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Curb Your Enthusiasm is hugely entertaining - it may take time to get into it, but once you"re past the initial impression of occasionally flaky acting your perseverance will pay huge dividends. Kill Bill (vol 1 and 2) It is probably cheating to include both DVDs here, but until Quentin Tarantino gets around to releasing the full, final cut, the only way we can appreciate the full Kill Bill story is with both discs. Kill Bill is almost certainly overrated - they are not perfect films by any stretch of the imagination and the change in styles between the two doesn"t sit well with some fans, but even so, in terms of entertainment I certainly don"t feel let down. Kill Bill is very much a film you just have to sit down and enjoy - there"s no hidden meaning and it is just the sum of it"s parts. Combining many genres and styles and harking back to the classic Shaw Brothers films, Tarantino"s latest movie is everything you"d expect from a self-confessed movie geek. It"s often brutal, but the level of violence is always darkly humourous and while you may grimmace at some of the on-screen events the gore and action is so over the top that it feels almost like a live-action Tom and Jerry cartoon on speed. The performances are flawless throughout - Uma Thurman is perfectly cast as The Bride, and David Carradine has just the right amount of "cool" as the Bill of the film"s title. The change of pace between the two volumes is notable - the first is very much an intense action flick, while the second slows the pace and becomes more about the story. The DVD releases are a mixed bag - I personally went for the basic Region 1 discs as these are the films I saw in the cinema. Completests may want to investigate the Limited Edition Japanese releases which don"t jump into black and white and come packed to the brim with additional features. I for one can"t wait to see what Tarantino does to bring both stories into one full-length cut. OldBoy To round off my favourite DVDs of the year we have Park Chan-wook"s Korean revenge film, OldBoy. Mysteriously kidnapped and forced to spend 15 years in isolation, Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-shik) spends his time in captivity planning his revenge on the unknown person who took him off the streets and locked him away. When finally released he sets about disovering the identity of this man with the help of a young Sushi chef, Mido (Kang Hye-jeong), whom he meets shortly after his release. OldBoy is a very intense and stylish film, but thankfully this style compliments the plot rather than swamps it, and Park Chan-wook"s previous film, the hit Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance cements Chan-wook"s reputation as a very strong Korean director. There are some wonderful sequences in the film and a few moments where you"ll struggle not to cover your eyes as the events take place on screen and the film"s final shocking revelation blows everything else out of the water and suddenly makes everything slot into place. OldBoy is one of my favourite Korean films - it is more stylish than almost any Western film I can think of and yet doesn"t fall into the common melodramatic trap that usually plagues Korean movies. |
2009年3月19日星期四
"Top DVDs of 2004 | HdBluDVD.Com - More HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, DVD Information"
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