Which one has been the best so far? Purely in terms of the effort put into producing it, I think I’d pick Brazil in all its 3 disc glory. What are everyone else’s picks?
I don’t know the Brazil disks, but the Beasty Boys double disk set was quite interesting (seriously over produced in my opinion, but …)
I’m with you on the Brazil set. Another good one is the 2-disc Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas package. A few good deleted scenes, some “behind the scenes” stuff with Hunter, Gilliam, and Depp and three different commentary tracks from Gilliam, Depp & Del Torro, and Hunter. The movie obviously isn’t for everyone, but I think fans would enjoy the extras in the Criterion edition.
Brazil all the way, though I wouldn’t give up any of my Criterion discs.
Can someone clue me in as to what’s so special about Criterion discs? I only have a few, but near as I can tell, they aren’t particularly spectacular as compared to other major releases.
When Criterion first started, in the era of Laserdiscs and crappy pan and scan VCR tapes, they made a name for themselves producing spiffy letterboxed LD’s of classic and foreign films, minus the crackling soundtracks and visible rips in the film.
I just popped in to scream Brazil!
I see that I’m a bit late.
Never mind limiting the field to Criterion releases – I think the Criterion release of Brazil stands out as the best DVD release ever.
I don’t own any Criterion DVDs because of the price point, but the only one I really REALLY want is Brazil. I’ve only seen it once, and it was an old VHS rental copy, so I desperately want to see Gilliam’s intended cut of the movie, and of course all the extras that people rave about so much.
Well… Brazil.
But to keep things from getting bogged down, I’d also like to say a word or two in favor of Criterion’s Rebecca, which has some great extras: informative critical commentary, screen tests for actresses up for the main role, and 3 radio plays of the story (one with Orson Welles, another with Ronald Coleman and Ida Lupino, and a third with Olivier and Vivian Leigh).
The Third Man is also an amazing version. The film itself is impeccable. With so much shadow, it’s remarkable how well the image was made to look every scene. The specials are perhaps not the greatest Criterion has done, but having the alternate opening to the movie is much appreciated (and results in a completely different spin to the story), and some of the radio play stuff is wonderful. The Bogdanavich interview is worth a look, as is an opportunity to actually see Karas playing that (insipid?) zither.
Well, I was going to say Brazil until I opened this thread. But now, just to be different, I’ll say the Criterion edition of Carnival of Souls is topnotch as well.
I was going to say Carnival of Souls. I went to KU and our soundstage is the Herk Harvey stage (Herk directed CoS). There is an extra on the Criterion of our departmental building when it was still Harvey’s studio done with a fish eye lens. It’s very cool, especially if you’ve been there or, as I did for two years, practically lived there.
Great Expectations
Richard III (Olivier)
The Seventh Seal
Wonderful releases of far more important films than Brazil.How can those films be more or less important than Brazil?
I can see a film being important if it had an effect on history and society but I don’t see any of those films or Brazil having such an effect.
I think a film’s “importance” can be judged on the influence that it has on the art of filmmaking.
Brazil is a very important film – it changed all the rules, and and has been a profound influence for many many filmmakers.
According to the IMDB, The Seventh Seal has been referenced in 24 films since its release in 1957, while Brazil has been referenced in 47 films since its release in 1985. So by that measure, Brazil has had much more influence. (Interestingly, the short subject Mr. Murakami’s Garden references The Seventh Seal and Brazil – and no other films. So I guess at least one filmmaker rates Gilliam and Bergman as equals. 
Far be it from me to cast aspersions on Bergman – He’s one of my favourite directors, and one of the few whose autobiographies occupy space on my bookshelf. That being said, I think Brazil is a much better film that The Seventh Seal, for my money. I’ve seen The Seventh Seal maybe three times, and I think I’m done. (I can’t count how many times I’ve screened Through A Glass Darkly, on the other hand…) Brazil is a film that you can keep going back to and getting more from.
Anyway… that’s a bit of a hijack. We’re talking about great DVD releases of films – not DVD releases of great films. The Criterion releases of The Seventh Seal and Great Expectations can’t really compare with the CC Brazil – sure, they’re great transfers, and much easier on the eye than earlier releases.
Doesn’t really compare with two versions of the film, two documentaries, the half a dozen most important artists involved with the production giving their perspectives on the film, storyboards for unshot material, and more. The first time I saw the Criterion release of Brazil, I just about fell over.
I’d have to vote for Brazil as well, though the Criterion Life of Brian is also very good. On the other end of the spectrum, Criterion’s release of Time Bandits is mediocre at best, and was blown away completely by the new special edition (non-Criterion) just released.