6) Fight Club
Who doesn’t enjoy watching a couple of guys beat the living shit out of each other? Well, me. Maybe I’m just not into sweaty, macho porn. Or maybe I’m just a pussy. Still, it would be foolish to overlook this disc’s impressive set of extras: 17 behind-the-scenes vignettes (featuring multiple angles!), commentary from director David Fincher and cast, outtakes, deleted scenes, storyboards, concept art, and some stand-alone public-service announcements (“Did you know urine is sterile? You can drink it!”). Yup, a pussy.

5) Raging Bull — Special Edition
As if the fact that Martin Scorcese has never won an Oscar isn’t bad enough, the thought that his films have lost to the likes of Dances with Wolves just adds salt to the wound. But when it came time for Scorcese to make his boxing picture (probably the best film of the eighties), he was defeated by the wimpy treacle of Ordinary People. At least this DVD set arrived in fighting form, amounting to a victory for those fortunate enough to possess its pristine transfer, three commentaries (including one exceptional track from Scorcese and Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker), five featurettes, trailer, vintage Jake LaMotta newsreel, and shot-by-shot comparison “De Niro vs. LaMotta.” This is a DVD champion. Where’s the Ordinary People Special Edition?

4) Citizen Kane
By rights, Orson Welles’s masterpiece should place higher than Terminator 2 on whatever sort of “greatest film” list, however arbitrary, that it appears on. And yet ... neither of the commentary tracks (courtesy of Peter Bogdonovich and Roger Ebert) is particularly insightful, unless this disc stands as your introduction to Welles. (It is? Bravo! You’ve picked up the greatest film ... ever made!) However, it’s the Oscar-nominated documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane that really makes the set. Well, other than the main feature, that is.

3) Terminator 2: Judgment Day — Ultimate Edition DVD/Extreme DVD
The third and final James Cameron film to appear on this list provided extra material so bountiful that it took two separate releases to contain it all. That, or the “King of the World” has figured out the secret to making money, despite not having directed a feature film in nine years. Bigger than their gubernatorial star, these two releases combine to form a ridiculous amount of extras, including three versions of the film (Cameron, no stranger to innovation, offers one viewable in 1080p). Sure, there’s no 3-D cut, but knowing Cameron, it’s coming.

2) Toy Story — The Ultimate Toy Box
Disney may have released new editions featuring superior picture-and-sound fidelity this past year, but the special features were child’s play compared with the supplemental materials lovingly tucked within the three-disc, out-of-print box of pure Pixar joy. If you have even the slightest interest in what it takes to produce films like the two featured here, then you owe it to your inner geek to track down a copy. Plus, who ever heard of outtakes in an animated film, where every wasted frame costs thousands? Aside from Burt Reynolds, I’m amazed no one thought of it sooner. Genius.

ADVERTISEMENT

1) Brazil — The Criterion Collection
It’s no accident that the Criterion Collection holds six positions on this list. However, this three-disc package of a film that could have been a disaster (but became Terry Gilliam’s finest) stands as Criterion’s crowning achievement. The third disc contains what I consider the single greatest extra feature of all time: a 94-minute cut of Gilliam’s movie (the “Love Conquers All” version) re-edited to include all the changes that he refused to make, from alternate opening to tone-deaf happy ending. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when an artist loses creative control (a constant threat throughout Gilliam’s career), then look no further. As if this weren’t enough, the outstanding package contains commentary tracks for both cuts of the film, behind-the-scenes footage, and two comprehensive documentaries, the best being The Battle of Brazil. At $60, it’s not cheap, but money isn’t everything — unless you’re a studio executive.