The year 2006 has seen the release of some outstanding movies on DVD, and I've made a list of those I found to be the best. My criteria included the artistic merit of the movie, the enhancement value of the bonus materials, and the picture and sound quality. I applied these criteria in a completely subjective fashion, and the result is a personal, idiosyncratic list of my own favorites that doesn't necessarily reflect the popular wisdom. In alphabetical order, here are some of the best DVD movie releases for 2006.
The 400 Blows Criterion Collection DVD
One of best movies ever made about adolescence, The 400 Blows (1959) is a lyrical and accessible movie that appears on most lists of great films. The movie is semi-autobiographical, and I imagine that's one of the reasons it has such a strong emotional pull. It feels free-flowing and spontaneous, and even though writer-director François Truffaut avoids sentimentality, he fills his movie with warmth and humor. The Criterion Collection includes two audio commentaries: one by Truffaut's longtime friend Robert Lachenay and the other by cinema professor Brian Stonehill.
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Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier DVD
Beginning with winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, Francis Ford Coppola stunned the film world in 1979 with his brilliant Apocalypse Now. Years later, the footage shot in the 1970s was reedited and released in 2001 under the title Apocalypse Now Redux. The main difference between the versions is that Redux contains 49 minutes of footage not included in the earlier release. Both versions are available on this DVD set. I've always been fascinated by Coppola's masterpiece, and Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier has deepened my understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary film.
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Brokeback Mountain DVD
Brokeback Mountain (2005) is a melancholy drama about forbidden love that was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie has one of the best screenplays ever, elegant direction, interesting locations and memorable performances. In the role of Ennis del Mar, Heath Ledger's naturalism reminded me of Marlon Brando at his best. I was so impressed with Brokeback Mountain that it came as no surprise when, at the Academy Awards ceremony, Ang Lee won Best Director, Gustavo Santaolalla got Best Original Music, and Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana won Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Capote DVD
Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the title role of Capote (2005), a biopic covering the years of Truman Capote's life when he was researching and writing In Cold Blood. One of my favorite kinds of movie is the character study, and Capote is an outstanding one. In the film, Capote is a narcissistic genius who lies and ruthlessly manipulates people in his quest to create art and achieve fame. He gets what he wants, but the price is high. I was impressed that despite having to play an unlikable character, Hoffman manages to make him not altogether unsympathetic.
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Double Indemnity DVD
Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944) is a great classic Hollywood movie and a seminal film noir. Insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) becomes obsessed with femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), and they hatch a plot to murder her husband and collect his life insurance. The film is highly atmospheric and has sparkling dialogue, such as "How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?" On the two-disc Special Edition DVD, the movie looks great, and there are some excellent bonus materials, including two separate audio commentary tracks.
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The Double Life of Véronique DVD
Krzysztof Kieślowski was one of the great filmmakers of the late 20th century, and his The Double Life of Véronique (1991) is a mesmerizing movie. It's about a young Frenchwoman and her Polish doppelgänger, and Irène Jacob gives a superb performance, playing both characters. The film features unusual locations, splendid cinematography and evocative music. The bonus materials on the Criterion Collection two-disc DVD set are outstanding and include a scholarly audio commentary by Annette Insdorf that is one of the all-time best.
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