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page created: 3/21/01
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The 2nd Annual Bitsy Awards!

Outstanding Achievements in DVD for 2000

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BEST DVD - OVERALL

		Fight Club: Special Edition (20th Century Fox) Is this the best DVD of 2000? Really, honestly and truly? You betcha. This is one of the few DVDs that's a near perfect experience any way you slice it. From the moment you pop this puppy into your player, you're in for a ride. Every inch is a testament to what's possible on DVD with time, money, creativity and a great film to support. Should everyone who has a DVD player own this? Absolutely. Fight Club... it's not just a DVD, it's a punch in the gut.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box (Buena Vista/Pixar) Everything about this 3-disc set makes it a must have. Pixar and DVD were made for each other - we can't wait until Monsters, Inc. arrives on DVD chock full of goodies. A 2-pack of just the films is also available for those crazy few who'd rather pass on the extras. And, just this week, individual movie-only editions were released as well. Don't miss 'em. Gladiator: Signature Selection (DreamWorks) He's only using a sword to knock out his enemies, so Russell Crowe can't quite beat Ed Norton and Brad Pitt out of our top DVD spot. But that doesn't mean he's a schlep. This is one mighty fine DVD and has rightly become the single largest selling DVD in the history of the medium. Loaded with great picture and sound and a Colosseum-full of extras, Gladiator is another must have. But then... given the sales numbers, you probably already own it! Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition (Artisan) A great film, a wonderful package and the damn thing's heavy enough with goodies to choke a T-1000. If 3 different versions of the movie, fun-filled menu screens and extras on every aspect of the making of this film doesn't turn you on... you've been terminated.

BEST DVD - READER'S FAVORITE

Fight Club: Special Edition
(20th Century Fox)

Some 937 readers sent in their picks and, after all the tallying, Fight Club ran away with it by a large margin. Other titles most often mentioned included Gladiator, T2: The Ultimate Edition, Se7en and Criterion's Beastie Boys. Hey... we told you there were a lot of great DVDs last year! Thanks to everyone who participated!

BEST DVD - SPECIAL EDITION

		Men in Black: Limited Edition (Columbia TriStar) This is just a fun, fun, fun DVD. It was put together with a nice sense of humor and it's packed to the gills with extra features. And how can you knock the sexy "book case" package design?
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Rushmore (Criterion/Buena Vista) The film itself makes this a must buy, but the wonderful commentary track, MTV promos and documentary push it into a whole new level of DVD fun. We're also fans of the cartoonish art design and insert poster. Excellent. Six Days in Roswell: Special Edition (Synapse) This is a little seen gem on DVD that more people should check out. Not only is the film wonderful, but Synapse went out of their way to pack the seams with fun special edition material. Aliens and Americana - how can you go wrong? Plus, bowling will never be the same for us. Se7en: Platinum Series (New Line) Surprise! Instead of just re-packaging the old Criterion laserdisc, New Line started from scratch. And who would have thought they'd actually manage to top the laser? Nobody... and that was a surprise. With new commentary tracks, a sparkling new transfer, awesome audio options and some ultra-cool new special edition material (along with some of the laser supplements too) New Line once again shows us that they're at the top of their game.

BEST DVD - STANDARD EDITION

		The Decalogue (Image) The late Krzysztof Kieslowski created this series of 10 films, each based on one of the Ten Commandments, for Polish television over a decade ago. Since then, they have been virtually impossible to see in the United States... until now. Sure, there are no extras... but then this is the Best DVD - Standard Edition category, right? If you consider film an art form, The Decalogue is an undeniable masterpiece.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Kwaidan (Criterion) This is simply a wonderful film. From the haunting opening credits to its creepy and stylized ghost stories, this film grabs you and doesn't let go. You'll still be thinking about it for months after the disc is done spinning. A treat.

BEST DVD - BOXED SET

		Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box (Buena Vista/Pixar) In this day of mega-DVD special editions, the bar for quality has been raised awfully high. But Buena Vista and Pixar's The Ultimate Toy Box may very well be the most impressive convergence yet of superior DVD audio and video quality and truly outstanding supplemental materials. Add to that the fact that this set contains BOTH Toy Story and Toy Story 2, and it's very easy to argue that The Ultimate Toy Box was one of the biggest DVD events of 2000. Better still, it's one the whole family can enjoy. Trust us - they don't call it "ultimate" for nothing.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
The Fantasia Anthology (Buena Vista) A classic animated film of yesterday (Fantasia) and a modern animated classic (Fantasia 2000) come together here in tremendous DVD quality with MANY hours worth of awesome behind-the-scenes material. Information pours from this set and soaking it all in is a film fan's pleasure. Treasures from American Film Archives (Image) As a fan of film in general, how do you not love this set? Its 4 discs contain more than 11 hours of rare films, dating from 1893 to 1985. But this isn't your typical Hollywood fare. What you've got here are independent and art films, political ads, training films, documentaries - rarely seen all. This is an amazing look back at American history through film. And the set comes with a 150-page guidebook as well. Truly a treasure.

BEST DVD - DIRECT PORT FROM LASERDISC

		Boogie Nights: Platinum Series (New Line) This isn't an exact translation of the laserdisc, because the documentary about John Holmes had to be dropped at the last minute for legal reasons. Still, this is a great DVD release. PTA and company even give us a nice (and very appropriate) Easter egg hidden in the color bars - schwing!
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Special Edition (Buena Vista) Again, this isn't quite a exact port, considering that the DVD version doesn't include the MTV shorts director Henry Selick also created. But everything else from the laserdisc is here. And just having Frankenweenie and Vincent on DVD is good enough for us.

BEST DVD - VIDEO (FILM TO DIGITAL TRANSFER)

		North by Northwest (Warner Bros.) Digital restoration doesn't exactly save the film from the ravages of time, but when you're looking to see a classic film in your home, digital restoration is the way to go. North by Northwest looks absolutely beautiful on DVD. If only it could look this good in a theater.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Any Given Sunday (Warner) Warner's film transfer team is doing amazing work for DVD. It's no mistake that 3 Warner titles are mentioned in this category. Any Given Sunday is crisp, clean, vibrant and utterly breathtaking to watch. Too bad the movie wasn't a little better. Gladiator: Signature Selection (DreamWorks) Director Ridley Scott is a strikingly visual filmmaker and his dark, atmospheric landscapes have never looked better than they do on this DVD. There's amazing contrasts to be found here between vibrant and muted textures, colors and lighting. Cinematographer John Mathieson's work simply shines. Ultra cool. Three Kings (Warner) If you're looking for rich color, Three Kings is the disc to pick up. This DVD just spills color at you. The film's unconventional camerawork and filming techniques shine in the digital medium, making for a wonderful viewing experience. Sleepy Hollow (Paramount) Tim Burton's films always look beautiful (have you seen the trailer for Planet of the Apes? Man!). Here, he goes for the monochromatic look and, with deep blacks and stark whites, gives us a scary retelling of a classic American tale. This transfer just goes to show you how great a film with less color can look on DVD.

BEST DVD - VIDEO (DIGITAL TO DIGITAL TRANSFER)

		Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (Disney/Pixar) Whether you buy the 2-pack, The Ultimate Toy Box or the newly released movie-only editions, these two films look absolutely beautiful on our favorite format. When you watch Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on DVD, you're seeing the images in the very same quality that the animators who worked on them did. With digital filmmaking becoming more and more common, we look forward to even more impressive digital-to-digital transfers in the future.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Tarzan (Buena Vista) When it comes to digital animation on DVD, Disney's kicking butt and taking names. Tarzan is just as beautiful as the Toy Story films and, with its more traditional look, it deserves just as much praise.

BEST DVD - AUDIO

		U-571: Collector's Edition (Universal) U-571 delivers not only thunderous Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, but a bone-jarring DTS 5.1 mix as well. These two tracks are an incredible sonic assault, with thrilling dynamic range and tremendous low frequency. The DTS mix features slightly better low end and smoother panning, both of which serve to enhance the clarity and realism of the audio experience. But whichever track you choose, if you're not blown away, it's time to replace your sound equipment. The rattling groan of submarine bulkheads collapsing under the force of exploding depth charges will keep your head spinning long after the movie's over. What a treat!
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Gladiator: Signature Selection (DreamWorks) Here's another DVD with a two-pronged digital audio assault on the senses. Gladiator includes a Dolby Digital Surround EX-encoded 5.1-channel soundtrack as well as a DTS-ES discrete 6.1 soundtrack. The DTS track, in particular, features tremendous dynamic range and clarity, and aggressively takes advantage of the new surround back channel. From the thunder of firing catapults to the metallic chime of swords being sharpened in the bowels of the Roman Colosseum, this is an awesome sonic experience. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition (Artisan) Looks like dual Dolby Digital and DTS tracks are all the rage these days, and Artisan's new T2 DVD's definitely got 'em. The Dolby Digital is of the EX-encoded 5.1 variety and is every bit as good as the 5.1 track on the original DVD release was. And while the DTS isn't the discrete 6.1 mix the packaging claims, the 5.1 track you do get adds a definite measure of additional clarity and naturalism to the soundfield. Excellent DVD audio either way. Se7en: Platinum Series (New Line) As long as we're talking about dual audio mixes on DVD, why not try Se7en's Dolby Digital Surround EX-encoded 5.1 and DTS-ES discrete 6.1 soundtracks? Both provide excellent subtlety to the audio experience of the film, with the DTS track adding the expected measure of additional realism and dynamic range. Once again, excellent DVD audio.

BEST DVD - MENUS

		Mission: Impossible 2 (Paramount) Paramount's not known for their thrilling menu work, but these are definitely among the coolest screens we've ever seen. Not only is the film-themed computer interface nifty to look at, it adds a nice twist to the interactivity that definitely gets you in the right mood to view the film. Unique and nicely done.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
This is Spinal Tap: Special Edition (MGM) This DVD is worth a look just for the thrill of hearing the members of British heavy metal act Spinal Tap riffing over the menu screens. Plus, when the boys in the band aren't talking, we get a few of their songs (played in their entirety) to entertain us. Cheers! The Rocky Horror Picture Show (20th Century Fox) Lips, hips and plenty of film-themed fun. What more could you ask for? Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition (Artisan) You know... on ANY other film, this kind of brute-force approach to DVD navigation would be way over-the-top. But given the fact that T2 is, itself, a brute-force kind of movie, there's no denying the fact that these menus work perfectly here.

BEST DVD - "MAKING OF" FEATURETTE OR DOCUMENTARY

		Magnolia: Platinum Series (New Line) Mark Rance's wonderful documentary about the making of the film, from start to finish, is one of the best things ever presented on DVD. PTA shows us both his best side and his worst, and never seems to be bothered by either one. If you haven't seen this documentary, you should soon.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Gladiator: Signature Selection (DreamWorks) You can take your pick on this disc - we loved the featurette look at composer Hans Zimmer's scoring nightmares, the Gladiator Games: Roman Blood Sport Learning Channel documentary and Spencer Treat Clark's text and picture diary of the production. Just go by this disc if you don't already have it. Final Destination: Platinum Series (New Line) The specific piece we're impressed with is Test Screenings. Wow - to think that a hand-picked audience of everyday Janes and Joes has THAT much influence on a feature film is both refreshing and scary as hell. The great thing is, the test screening process actually helped to make this flick a better film. But imagine the films that the process destroys...

BEST DVD - PACKAGING

		The Sopranos: The Complete First Season (HBO) Since the beginning of the DVD format, the studios have been trying to figure out how to get their multi-disc sets into new and exciting cases. For our money, we'd like to see this set-up used more. Lift the lid and simply pull the discs out. Plus, it's not too bulky, it stores easy and just looks damn cool. Ba-da-bing!
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
The Bridge on the River Kwai: Limited Edition (Columbia TriStar) It looks like a book, but when you open this nifty little package's cover... BLAM!... there's your 2 discs and an ultra-cool reproduction of the film's original theatrical souvenir book. Remember when films had souvenir books? Sweet.

BEST DVD - STUDIO


	New Line Boogie Nights, Se7en, Final Destination, Magnolia, Frequency, The Cell and Love and Basketball. These are just a few of the Platinum Editions that were must-have DVDs last year. New Line consistently puts out great discs, with excellent quality and extras that compliment the films they support. And isn't that the most important thing with DVD? Although some of the films themselves were less than impressive, the discs caught our eye and helped make New Line our pick for Best DVD Studio of 2000.

BEST DVD - MUSIC (NON-LIVE)

		Beastie Boys (Criterion) For close to two decades now, The Beastie Boys have been redefining music and how we experience it. This DVD gives us some of their greatest videos, with optimal sound and video. And these extras are amazing - definitely cutting edge for music presentation on DVD. Everything about this disc is dope. Miss it and you're ill.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (20th Century Fox) If you haven't seen this film in a theater with a billion mutant Halloween escapees, then you really haven't seen this film. But if you want to bring the party into your living room, this DVD packs one heck of a punch. You get cool commentary tracks, great sound and video quality and some fine archive material as well. You can even learn to Time Warp with the best of them via the audience participation track. Don't miss it. A Star is Born (Warner Bros.) Aside from The Wizard of Oz, this has got to be Judy's greatest film. She was robbed the Oscar, of course, but when you go against Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, your chances of getting one are slim. Warner's DVD presents the film in beautiful Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, excellent video and with a few choice extras to make it an even greater experience.

BEST DVD - MUSIC (LIVE/CONCERT)

		The Paris Concert for Amnesty International (Image) Re-issued by Image in 2000 with dual Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, The Paris Concert for Amnesty International is THE must-have live music experience on DVD. It's packed with 171 minutes worth of great performances by the likes of Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, Alanis Morissette, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and more. And it's got a cool multi-media feel as well. Highly recommended.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago (Columbia Music Video) Jeff Buckley's electric performance at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago from 1995 is an absolutely transcendent experience. Buckley died young, after recording only 2 albums, but his legacy is still impressive. This DVD features Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, PCM stereo, an interactive discography, an EPK on the artist and previously unreleased acoustic versions of 2 of his songs, including the haunting Last Goodbye. Trust us - pick this one up. Manilow Live (Image) No kidding - Barry rocks hard on DVD! This DVD release of a recent live performance features 25 songs, full-length audio commentary by Manilow, a biography and discography of the artist and audio in Dolby Digital 4.0 and DTS 5.1. And it's also in anamorphic widescreen to boot! Whether you like Barry's schtick or not, this disc is impressive. And we bet you'll know almost every song he sings too...

BEST DVD - AUDIO COMMENTARY

		The Perfect Storm (Warner Bros.) Sebastian Junger - The film was neat, but the book was so much better. Here, we get a look at the truth of the stories the film focuses on and also find out where the film deviated and went "more cinematic". Every film based on a novel should have a commentary like this on DVD.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Three Kings (Warner Bros.) Charles Roven and Edward McDonnell - Just because of Chuck Roven, this commentary is worth listening to. Every aspect of the film is covered here and it comes at you a mile a minute. Plus, it's fun. So you have informative on one side, fun on the other. Why wouldn't want to listen to this track? Fight Club (20th Century Fox) All 4 commentaries - You've got director David Fincher solo on the first commentary, Fincher, Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and Helena Bonham Carter on the second commentary, novelist Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls on the third commentary and other members of the production crew on the fourth (including the director of photography, the costume designer and the effects supervisor among others). What more could you want? Se7en: Platinum Series (New Line) All 4 commentaries - Here we go again... you've got director David Fincher and actors Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman on the first commentary, Fincher, author Richard Dyer, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, editor Richard Francis-Bruce and New Line president of production Michael De Luca on the second commentary, Fincher, director of photography Darius Khondji, production designer Arthur Max, editor Richard Francis-Bruce and author Richard Dyer on the third commentary, and Fincher, sound designer Ren Klyce, composer Howard Shore and author Richard Dyer on the fourth commentary (along with 5.1 music and sound effects cues). Need we really say more?

BEST DVD - DOCUMENTARY

		For All Mankind (Criterion) This excellent, 90-minute documentary on the Apollo moon missions features tons of never-before-seen footage taken by the astronauts in space, and is narrated by them as well. The full frame video quality is excellent and the 5.1 audio mix makes Brian Eno's score even more compelling. You also get some cool extras, like a commentary track with the director and astronaut Gene Cernan, famous NASA sound clips, footage of rocket launches, and a gallery of paintings by astronaut Al Bean (with his own audio commentary as well). There's even a subtitle track that identifies the astronauts you're seeing on screen. Ultra cool.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
American Movie (Columbia TriStar) Is this really a documentary or a sham? Who cares - it's brilliant either way. Not only do we get to see Mark Borchardt trying to get his dream of making a movie off the ground but, lucky us, we get to see his film Coven in all its twisted and silly glory. And there's a good commentary with the filmmakers (along with Mark and his buddy, Mike) as well. A must-see DVD treat. Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns (Warner Bros.) You have to admire Warner and PBS for putting out a 10-disc box set of this documentary. Just for the sheer volume of this thing, it's worth checking out. But is it entertaining? If you like baseball... you bet it is. Everything is covered, from the origins of the game, all the highs and lows, the commercialism and even why we love the dang sport in the first place. Sooner or later, Ken Burns is going to chronicle everything in America, so it's only fitting that this piece stands up nicely next to his Jazz and The Civil War (we'd love to have the latter title on DVD, by the way). So how long do you suppose until Burns gives us Apple Pie: A Film by Ken Burns?

BEST DVD - ANIME

Princess Mononoke
(Buena Vista/Miramax)

When the people speak, the studios should listen... and that’s exactly what happened here. Buena Vista originally planned to release this film on DVD without the original Japanese audio. But an online movement of anime and DVD fans spoke out, and the studio quickly learned that American DVD consumers want and expect more. We may not have gotten all those nifty special edition features released on home video in Japan, but just having this beautiful film presented to us on DVD in such quality makes it a winner. Lesson learned: studios... know your DVD audience.

BEST DVD - TV SERIES PRESENTATION (TIE)

		The X-Files: The Complete First & Second Seasons (20th Century Fox) This was an easy choice. Fox did more to promote the release of TV product on DVD with these 2 sets than any other studio thus far. You get EVERY episode, in order, an entire season at a time, complete with interviews with series creator Chris Carter, TV spots, featurettes, deleted scenes, special effects footage - you name it. In short, X-Files fans will get everything they could want and then some on these multi-disc sets. And the video and audio quality is even better than the original network broadcasts. Highly recommended.
		The Sopranos: The Complete First Season (HBO) Picking up on Fox's lead, HBO delivered an amazing DVD release of The Sopranos' first season. Also a multi-disc set, the episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen, with excellent Dolby Digital 5.1 audio as well. Supplemental materials include audio commentary on the first episode by series creator David Chase and moderator Peter Bogdanovich, a 77-minute interview with Chase (also by Bogdanovich), 2 behind-the-scenes featurettes, trailers for each episode, text plot summaries for each episode and more. Even the Feds couldn't dig up this much material!

MOST SURPRISING DVD

		Six Days in Roswell: Special Edition (Synapse) Yeah… we had a hand in getting this one on DVD. But we didn't have any idea just how much stuff was going to be packed onto this thing. We thought a straight movie-only edition would have been fine, but director Roger Nygard and DVD producer Don May, Jr. went much further, turning in a special edition disc that totally blew us away. Beautiful mastering, fun menus and enough funny supplementary material to choke a well-bred horse.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Walking with Dinosaurs (Warner Bros./20th Century Fox) The BBC and The Discovery Channel set out to do the impossible - produce a documentary series on dinosaurs, that felt as if a film crew had simply gone back in time 65 million years to catch the real creatures in action. The result is a marvel - 6 half-hour episodes full of living, breathing prehistoric creatures, with narration by Kenneth Branagh. And it's in anamorphic widescreen too! This disc was originally released by Fox and is now distributed by Warner. Either way, don't miss it. Waking the Dead (USA) This is a beautiful and haunting film, made all the more impressive on DVD for its extras, which include almost 45 minutes of deleted scenes, a "making of" featurette, feature-length audio commentary by the director and several unique music cues from the score on the menus pages. Nice. Galaxy Quest (DreamWorks) Here's a fun and funny spoof of Star Trek and its fan following, featuring a great cast, terrific audio and video quality on DVD and a starship-full of extras, including deleted scenes, featurettes, Easter eggs, a Thermian language audio track (no kidding) and the dreaded Omega 13 (beware!). A great disc.

BEST USE OF DVD FEATURES

		Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition (Artisan) Artisan's super-ultra T2 DVD features not one, not two, but THREE different versions of the film, all included on a single side of a single disc, and all with dual Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks! Damn, do we ever love seamless branching!
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Se7en: Platinum Series (New Line) How's this for a cool extra - a whole section on the process of mastering this film for home theater. You get featurettes on audio and video mastering with commentary, plus a 14-minute piece that serves as a demonstration of the color correction process. It's as if you're right there in the post production suite, watching over-the-shoulder as the colorist corrects skin tones and matches sky color from shot to shot. And while he's doing it all, he's explaining the whole process to us. There's even a gallery of 3 scenes, where you can use your angle and audio controls to switch on-the-fly between the film's original and new video transfers and the film's original and newly remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. If you're interested in DVD production, this is a must see. The Cell: Platinum Series (New Line) Even though the film pretty much sucked, it looks incredible on DVD. Better still, we're treated to a beautiful interactive feature that gives us 6 of the film's most over-the-top scenes, with the option to view crew interviews, storyboards and behind-the-scenes video via alternate angles. It's pretty cool. Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box (Buena Vista/Pixar) Cartoons, traditional or computer animated, are not only about the visuals - the sound is just as important. And here you get to play with that idea. Presented on the third disc is an interactive audio mixing demo, hosted by sound designer Gary Rydstrom. You can listen to the Buzz vs. Zurg battle scene with either the music, sound effects or dialogue only... or any combination of the three tracks you want.

BEST DVD EASTER EGG

		Being John Malkovich: Special Edition (USA) In this day and age of Easter eggs within Easter eggs... there's just something you've gotta love about "A Page with Nothing on It". We're still laughing about this. Enough said.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Gladiator: Signature Selection (DreamWorks) Okay... here's the perfect Easter egg for Gladiator... the Gladiator theatrical trailer spoof for DreamWorks' other hit film Chicken Run. Too funny. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition (Artisan) It's kind of an Easter egg... and yet, kind of not. It was also DAMN hard for most people to figure out how to access (there are people out there who are STILL trying to get at it). But how could we not mention the seamlessly-branched, hidden third cut of the film on the T2: Ultimate Edition? Boogie Nights: Platinum Series (New Line) Remember Monty Python's Life of Brian? Remember that joke about Bigus Dickus? Sit through the color bars on Boogie Nights. We'll say nothing more. VERY funny.

on to Other DVD Awards for 2000