Our Favorite DVDs of 2006

2006 was a good year for DVDs. Besides all of last year’s best films being released, some old-school favorites were given a facelift and re-released, with bonus content and a sharper picture. We’ve compiled our top 10 list of DVD releases for the year: The movies that deliver a punch, that give you a laugh and make your heart beat faster. It was a drama-heavy year, so only two comedies made the list - and neither are comedic in the usual sense of the word. There were a couple of interesting experiments, and a couple of old favorites made a return. This list compiles our picks - the ones we considered the best of the bunch. Read on and decide if you agree. If not, tell us what you think we missed.

Miami Vice - We all remember the TV show, but the movie goes well beyond anything we saw Don Johnson & Philip Michael Thomas do back then. Director Michael Mann creates a truly seductive story of undercover cops who are incredibly tempted to go over the edge. The action in Miami Vice is intense and the violence is explosive. Cinephiles will get a kick out of the bonus interview with Mann, where he describes his new filming techniques.

The Devil Wears Prada - It’s a chick flick, but we enjoyed it anyway. There’s plenty of usual “young girl trying to make it in the big city” stuff, but it’s kind of fun. The main reason is Meryl Streep’s portrayal of a high-powered fashion expert with an icy stare and acid tongue. Her scenes are cutting and funny; they made us actually feel good for her assistant when she gets away from that torture and have her big city adventures. The kicker for The Devil Wears Prada are the deleted scenes - they’re funny and make you cringe for those poor girls.

V For Vendetta - Is it political allegory disguised as an action film, or is it the other way around? That’s just one question you’ll ask yourself while watching V For Vendetta. It’s 2020 and a disfigured survivor of government experiments, code-named simply “V,” takes revenge on the fascist rulers who destroyed him. (Or did they create him?) Standout bonus features include surprising commentary by Natalie Portman and a mini-feature on Guy Fawkes, the real-life historical figure who inspired V.

Brazil - It’s already an acknowledged masterpiece, but this 2006 release of this dark, satirical comedy is a fully restored animorphic transfer. Brazil is the story of a low-level government worker unhappy living in a society
that’s inexplicably dominated by some type of ducts. When a bureaucratic mistake gets his neighbor executed, he’s swept into a weird terrorist group — one that citizens only seem to view as a minor inconvenience. Black humor and satire abound and mix well with the strange, beautiful visuals. Director Terry Gilliam adds an educational commentary track describing the struggle he faced to make this movie.

James Bond Ultimate Collection Vol. 4 - Adding this one feels like cheating, since it’s actually five movies. We can’t help it, though — this box set collects some of the very best 007 film appearances. With Casino Royale making a splash, interest in Bond is high and we’re no exception. The first Bond film, Dr. No, is a great 60s-style adventure; likewise with From Russia With Love, long held as one of the best Bonds. Tomorrow Never Dies is a fun 90s romp, and Moonraker and Octopussy are campy fun, though they show their age. Multiple extras are included to keep the Bond completest happy.

A Scanner Darkly - An all-star cast was filmed, then painted over using comuter animation, in this classic Philip K. Dick story. The strange look fits this surreal story of an undercover cop addicted to the drug he’s trying to shut down. A Scanner Darkly throws layers of paranoia on top of each other: The paranoia of drug addicts, the paranoia of honest citizens during a government crackdown. The ending was surprise and left us wondering if all that paranoia wasn’t justified after all. There’s an extended explanation of the animation technology used for that weird, queasy look that we found fascinating.

Capote - This award-winning drama sucks you into a tale of rural murder as seen through the eyes of a sophisticated New Yorker. Set in the 1950s, viewers absorb the details of a brutal and shocking homicide as they’re introduced to the man who seems to want to get to the heart of the story, though for selfish reasons. The relationship that grows between writer Truman Capote and the killers, as well as the families of the victims, is powerful and moving cinema.

Seven Samurai - Another acknowledged classic, Seven Samurai finally got the star treatment it deserved this year. This 3-disc set collects an incredible digital transfer of the original film, as it was released in Japan — all 207 minutes of it. There’s a third disc with all kinds of extras and insight into the influence of this seminal work. The seminal story of seven very different warriors hired to protect a poor farming town from a marauding gang never looked so good.

Inside Man - This tense drama and crime caper is just too good for words. The film throws you one curve ball after another, with everyone having dark secrets and all of them coming out in the most amazing and satisfying ways.

When The Levees Broke - It’s a four-hour look at the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, broken into 1-hour chapters. You wouldn’t believe one of America’s biggest cities could be reduced to this. Watching the people struggle to rebuild their lives & navigate what’s left of their city is both inspiring and heartbreaking; seeing the inadequate response of the US government to this national tragedy is shocking and appalling. No extras of note here, but Spike Lee’s direction hammers the destruction home so effectively, you don’t even notice.

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