The 2006 Golden Gavel Awards
On February 5th, 2007, DVD Verdict announced their Golden Gavel awards for the best DVDs of 2006. The reviewing staff of DVD Verdict each drafted a list of their ten picks for the best of the year, and those lists were compiled into a master list based on the rankings given to each film. 140 DVDs appeared on the lists from the 23 voting staff members, and from those nominees emerged the ten winners.
Read our review (Appellate Judge Dan Mancini)
Criterion releases a three-disc salute to the most enduring of Kurosawa's classics, and makes us all wish they would do this for every title in the director's catalog. Sure, you've seen it before, but never like this. Kurosawa takes his sweet time building up his army, and this extended, restored release makes every moment compelling. The transfer is excellent, the audio is clearer, and the extras meet and exceed a Kurosawa (and most film) fan's expectations. This is a package impossible to resist. Yoi ga deki mashita!
Votes:
1st: 7
2nd: 3
5th: 1
6th: 1
7th: 2
If ever a disc set should be on the Golden Gavel list based on sheer numbers, this is certainly it. Fourteen discs makes for a hefty package, and for fans of the Man of Steel, it's well worth it. Two versions of both Superman: The Movie (the 1978 theatrical cut and the 2000 extended edition) and Superman II (the 1980 theatrical version as well as the new director's cut) are the star attractions, along with Big Blue's triumphant return to the screen, Superman Returns. (Oh yeah, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace are here too, but don't let that stop you from buying it.) And extras? Even Superman might have trouble getting through all of them.
Votes:
1st: 2
2nd: 1
3rd: 1
4th: 1
5th: 1
6th: 1
10th: 1
Read our review (Judge Ryan Keefer)
A theatrical film left incomplete at the time of its release returned in a Director's Cut that flushed out much more to incomplete storylines, and completely changed perception of some characters of the film. Rarely does a director's cut create such a vastly different film experience, upping the importance and impact of the picture, as this does. The package is pretty much perfect, with DTS sound, audio commentary, an extensive look at the production (including a brief look at a failed Scott project), and you've got a keeper, and another in Charles de Lauzirika's epic library of outstanding DVD productions.
Votes:
1st: 3
3rd: 2
4th: 1
Read our review (Appellate Judge Dan Mancini)
Despite the controversial decision to re-frame the movie at 2.0:1, it's never looked so good, and having both the original and redux versions is a huge plus. If the only gripe people have on a set is that it didn't include something you couldn't get, than you've done an outstanding job. Kim Aubry has worked with Francis Ford Coppola to pull together as much as they could possibly get for one of the definite war movies of all-time. Combine that with a commentary track from the verbally active director, and it's safe to say that this is as good as it will get. It's almost worth buying just for the featurette on Walter Murch and the birth of surround sound.
Votes:
2nd: 1
3rd: 1
5th: 2
6th: 3
Read our review (Judge Dennis Prince)
Of all the criticisms leveled at Peter Jackson's 2005 remake—of which there were many—no one said that it was too brief. But that didn't stop the cinematically loquacious director from adding another quarter-hour to the film and releasing yet more bonus material to chronicle its making. Do we at DVD Verdict think that was a bad thing? Well, it's #5 on our Golden Gavels, so it's safe to say the answer is no.
Votes:
2nd: 2
4th: 1
6th: 1
Read our review (Judge Joel Pearce)
Tartan video decided to throw everything it could into this double-dipped release, and the verdict is magnificent. Housed in a metal tin with one of the film's many riveting sequences on it, the film boasts three (count 'em) commentary tracks, an improved picture and much-improved audio, and a lot of reminiscing by the stars and others in Park Chan-wook's amazing tale of vengeance that contained enough twists and turns to be one of the better film experiences in recent memory.
Votes:
2nd: 1
3rd: 1
5th: 2
Read our review (Appellate Judge Rob Lineberger)
Krzysztof Kieslowski's powerful, universally loved meditation on personality and reality is the sort of material that brings out the best in the DVD masterminds at Criterion. Liner notes that are more like a Master's thesis, short films, and documentaries that methodically teach you about the life and work of Kieslowski—this is like film school in a box.
Votes:
1st: 2
2nd: 1
Read our review (Appellate Judge Brendan Babish)
When Criterion throws its weight behind some of the more modern favorites, the result is usually genius. This is one of those times. The DTS track sounds great pumping all that arena rock out there, the packaging is great, and there are a lot of pieces that look at the film before, during and after, featuring a lot of "Where are they now?" moments about the cast. Another great job from Criterion.
Votes:
1st: 1
4th: 1
5th: 1
9th: 1
10th: 1
Read our review (Appellate Judge James A. Stewart)
Orson Welles wasn't around to make sure it's perfect, but this version of the movie—a testament to his monumental hubris and bitter need to prove his legacy in every surviving frame—comes the closest to realizing his vision for the story of a man who seeks clues to his own past.
Votes:
1st: 1
4th: 1
5th: 1
9th: 1
Read our review (Appellate Judge Mike Pinsky)
Another early '06 that people have seemingly forgotten about, David Cronenberg's telling of a tale about a small-town restauranteur who may have a sinister past is both a droll dissection of American male identity and a clear-eyed summary of David Cronenberg’s career (even as it surprisingly veers away from many of his expected tropes). Cronenberg explains himself eloquently on the commentary track, which became one of the year's most necessary listens, and there is a long look at the production of the film, and a really nice piece on the reception it received at Cannes. Cronenberg's most mainstream film to date might be his best, so why shouldn’t it be a crucial DVD for 2006?
Votes:
1st: 1
3rd: 1
6th: 1
10th: 1
Our readers selected this sordid German silent film as our Jury Voice winner. The 1929 film by George Pabst tells the tale of Lulu, a dancer who uses sex to get everything she wants. It was reviled and heavily censored in its day, so it's the perfect film to be lovingly restored and appropriately dolled up on DVD by Criterion.
