I am about to pick one or the other for purchase. I was wondering for all those out there who have both or know a lot about both which they think is the better purchase. I know they are wildly different films, but I am talking...
in terms of actually film; best presentation- audio and visual; and best bonus materials.
Basically, which one should I get if I could only get 1? Thanks in advance.

Get Spartacus. OH HELL YEAH.... then save more money and go back and get the Rock.

Oh boy. You are going to get a mix of opinions on this one.

Well, I own The Rock CC, and I do not own Spartacus.

Let me ask you this, what Criterions do you own?

If you own several titles, are they mainly the older classics, or are they Armageddon, Chasing Amy, and the Royal Tennenbaums?

If they are those three, then the Rock might be a better watch.

I like the Rock CC, but many CC lovers hate the fact that Armageddon and the Rock are part of the CC family.

The Rock is DTS, and has unbelieveably loud and detailed sound (as with all Bruckheimer/Bay).

Go with what you think you like. Completely different genres, as you know, so it is more of personal taste.

Good luck!

--LVM

therein lies the problem..i have many CC..all 3 you mentioned..Arm, CA, and RT, but also Seven Samurai, Ikiru, Rashomon, The Killer and The Vanishing...but I like Spartacus as a movie..i mean i have seen it, just not in awhile..so i kinda just wanted to know overall how each compares to each other..but that is what i wanted..so thanks.

Can't help you with The Rock...

But I can tell you that Spartacus is one hell of a nice DVD... Terrific transfer, excellent extras and a great film. Definitely worth your time and money if you like the movie...

I have both DVDs. I love Spartacus to death, and the Rock is a damn fine action film. Based on extras alone, I've returned to Spartacus dozens of times over The Rock. It's just a matter of personal preference, but Spartacus's supplemental material is just that much more compelling.

As far as presentation, sure The Rock has Spartacus beat, but come on! That's a 36 year difference between the films!

So I would say go with Spartacus, but you really can't go wrong with either. Go with whichever film you enjoy more, and sell fruit cup to raise $$$ for the other.

A diamond or sh-t?

Same thing with Spartacus and The Rock.

(Spartacus = the diamond)

If I had to choose, I'd get The Rock. Both are great dvds, but I don't find myself rewatching many movies that are 3+ hours. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Hmmm... I say get them both. They are both GREAT discs. Get The Rock now, then, in a month, get Spartacus. I've seen The Rock go forr a bit cheaper, too, so that's a plus right there.

both discs are well packed with extra content, and have excellant a/v presentations (although Rock being much more recent obviously looks much slicker).

as far as movies, one rewards your intelligence (Spartacus) while the other continually insults it (the Rock).

Spartacus

I like The Rock and I have the Criterion of it. But compared to a classic such as Spartacus (IMO, the best of the epic films of the period) there is no contest.

Wait... aren't you supposed to be getting them all so the spine numbers match up?

Since you already seem to appreciate Spartacus (the film), the DVD is well worth it.

How is the action in Spartacus? It is cheesy and not graphic, since it's a movie made in the late 50s? I'm not expecting Gladiator, but just wondering what it's like.

...oh, well...

. . . . . .

"The Rock" flat out sucks, and much as it pains me to say... so does "Spartacus". At least by Kubrick's standards. It reeks of big-budget vanity project (Douglas's vanity; not Kubrick's), and I really can't say it's any better a movie than the even bigger-budgeted vanity project, "Cleopatra". So, if you like Cleo...

(Yes, yes, I understand there's important historical significance to "Spartacus" vis the black list, but that doesn't make it any better of a movie. And, no, it isn't the pandering hackwork of "The Rock", but I still ain't recommending it.)

IMO, of course.

The Rock is one of the best action films of the 90s

because of this thread, i pulled out my copy of the CC of Spartacus last night and re watched it.

it may not be the best Kubrick film, but i can't see how anyone could not enjoy this film heartily.
the hair on the back of my neck rose during the "I'm Spartacus" scene and the 3 hours just breezed by.
i didn't realize how packed the set was (although i should have because i remember seeing the $125 laserdisc in the store and wondering if i should 'invest' in it at the time).
rousing is the word the comes to mind, and the set is a bargin at DDD prices.

The Rock was one of the finest transfers i'd seen up to that point, and i'm sure it still compares well with the best of them.

its amusing that on the commentary track, Bay reportedly is very proud of one of the action scenes, mentioning that it wasn't in the script originally, but that he felt the film needed a big set piece at that point.
he doesn't seem to realize it, but it illustrates why the movie is laughably stupid and why he is considered by many to be a witless, hack director- because the rationale for the scene is completely contrary to the way the character in it would have realistically behaved.
for all the big budget mayhem displayed, the scene is ultimately not involving because, if you are actually paying attention to the story, it rings totally false.
the whole film was full of bull%$#* like that which is why when it stoops to pontificate on things like honour and what not, i get sick to my stomach.

I have both, and enjoy both sets. They're both very well done, and are both shining gems of their genres.

I think the extras on Spartacus are far more compelling than the Rock's, though, which tend to focus on the stunts and special effects (which is very interesting, don't get me wrong) but the Spartacus doc is considered one of the best on disc.

Could you not get both over time?

If I had to make a Sophie's Choice about either disc, I'd keep Spartacus.

That's what i'm saying.

But, again, it's like comparing apples and oranges. It all comes down to personal preference. You say you've seen "Spartacus", but have you seen the "The Rock." Which did you enjoy more? Your answer to that question is the one you should purchase.

Can't speak for Spartacus CC (since I don't own it), but The Rock's disc 2 supplements aren't anything to write home about. I mainly bought it cause it's anamorphic and has a DTS track, which IMO isn't a significant improvement over the DD track. Commentary's okay, but I can't bring myself to listen to it a second time.

I mean, it's not like they're both going OOP. Save some money and get the other one later. Hope this helps...

I find myself watching the Rock CC more than any other DVD. That's my answer.

Get Spartacus. Plus it never goes on sale and The Rock does so you can pick it up later.

How about Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs? Oh thats right, directors usually don't watch the fruits of their labor... When can we expect Kill Bill Vol II?

Spartacus