Most disappointing:

X-Files Season Sets: The majority of the sets produced are slanted as a result of careless shrink wrapping. The artwork on the slip case is easily chipped off when the box brushes up against something rough.

Windtalkers Director's Edition: The outer slip case is not protected by shrink wrap making it prone to dinks, dents, and scratches. Also, the slip case is not tight enough to hold the inner fold-out case so it will easily slide out unless you squeeze it.

Lawrence of Arabia Limited Edition: The glue holding the plastic and the outer binding together is giving way.

The Best

Usual Suspects SE w/slipcase
Pulp Fiction/Jackie Brown CE
Tombstone VS
Fight Club
Se7en

Ones I haven't seen anyone mention yet -

Most disappointing:
Wicker Man LE - The outside of the box is fantastic, but the inside is awful. I may have to modify the innards like someone else did in a post a couple of weeks ago.

Sex and the City - I feel like I'm going to break the damn things every time I touch them.

Best:
Evil Dead - Book of the Dead - Yes, it sort of smells, but I love it anyway.

Ultimate Toy Box - I just really like the way it looks. I can't put my finger on it, really....

Most counter to everyone else around here:
Futurama - I don't see what the fuss over this set's packaging is about. I have to take off a slip cover to be able to remove a cheap, flimsy case which I then have to open to get to the disc. You can say it saves space, but it's the same size as Buffy S1 (both sets are 3 discs) and takes me twice as long to get into it. Not that I'm complaining about the packaging, I just don't see why everyone loves it so much.

Comments on two titles...

Wicker Man LE (US) - sure, the box is attractive, but Anchor Bay seem to have used some unfinished or cheap wood, as every copy I've seen in stores, as well as mine at home, has a lid that is curving. I even have a hairline crack running down my lid now. My copy has not been exposed to any undue conditions, but that hasn't helped!

Fellowship of the Ring EE - I just got back to Boston from a holiday to my UK homeland. The UK version of FotR is definitely inferior to the US version. The card is lighter and cheaper, and lacked the weight and texture of the US edition.

Another disappointment: The Frighteners new packaging. I liked the scary white face much better. I don't own this yet as all I see are the newer versions with Michael J. Fox's picture on the front. I've read rumor of an SE for this one so think I'll just wait.

I love the LOTR: FOTR packaging, but didn't consider it a "surprise". With the quality of everything else that was part of the film, I pretty much expected the DVD to be killer. I sure wasn't disappointed on that front!

--Maureen

As cool as the Evil Dead: Book of the Dead and Monkees: Season 1 DVD cases look, they are very dissapointing when you think about care for your DVDs. Both have sleaves that you have to slide the DVDs into instead of having a hub system to hold them securely.

I had to exchange The Monkees boxset last week because I found that some of the episodes on disc 1 weren't readable after only taking the disc out of it's sleave (very carefully) twice before. The set I exchanged it for immeadiately found it's way into a multi-disc keep case and will never be placed in the original packaging again. Same with Evil Dead. In fact those are the only two DVDs I've ever done replacement cases for.

There is a thread about them here.

Pleasantly Surprised --
Repo Man Tin
Toy Story Box
Tombstone Vista series
Band of Brothers - my favorite
Adventures of Antoine Doinel
Bridge on the River Kwai
Lawrence of Arabia
Fight Club/Boogie Nights/Magnolia/all the WB SEs

I like themed packaging

Disappointed in most box sets that have a plain
cardboard cover (this wasn't always the case - these
new packages have raised my expectations).

Then why did you click on this thread?

And why the hell did you REPLY to it?

Seriously, people, I know you can't all be stupid, just statistically speaking, but here's a tip just in case:

if a thread topic does not interest you, you do not have to read it or post a reply to it.

===================================

Biggest Disappointments:

T2: Extended Edition (obviously)
West Side Story (otherwise nice packed encased in a flimsy, slightly oversized box that crushes easily)
E.T. The Ultimate Gift Set (it's just too dang big to fit on my DVD shelf - and that latchy thing should've clasped (a metal clasp would have been nice) - I put velcro on mine - but I shouldn't have HAD to).
Rambo Boxed Set (flimsy tin that doesn't hold paint well and is prone to dings, bends, and scratches)

Nicest surprises:

Band of Brothers (very classy, although I wish the accordian disc holder wasn't glued to the back of the case)
Lord of the Rings: EE (nice sturdy box)
Se7en: 2-Disc Platinum Series
Adaptation (love that clear case, even though I didn't get the funny insert with it).
The People VS Larry Flint (Nice slip cover)
Dances with Wolves - I *hate* digipacks almost as much as snappers, and was relieved to find that the discs were in a nice keepcase and the latch for the journal was just a cardboard slip cover. Very classy, very nice.

James Bond 20: Die Another Day - this package just exhudes class - look at how nice the disc art looks - very sleek, very stylish. Same thing with the slip cover.

-- Jough

Except for there being no title on the spine I love the LE Basic Instinct packaging with the pen. I don't care what anyone else says.

Memento Limited is by far the worst packaged DVD in history (based soley on the time it takes to open it).

I like the Basic Instinct case too - but the disc could sit in it better, and there should be a spine label (it would have been cool if the title info was indented into the plastic).

-- Jough

mine has the discs in digipack trays, no envelopes. i didn't get mine right on or shortly after the release date so maybe they did a redesign for additional pressings. as for the Memento packaging i seem to be in the minority in that i love it. i'll admit it was hard to get open the first few times but after some use i've found that it isn't as tight.

with that said, on to my lists:

disappointing:
- Dances With Wolves: SE...for the reasons already mentioned
- 24: Season 1...only because the digipack trays like to come loose from the backing.
- recent Touchtone releases (25th Hour, for example) with no paper insert inside the Amray
- Signs
- Panic Room
- Ocean's 11 (2001)...my disappointment doesn't stop with the packaging. surely a SE will come out around the time Ocean's 12 hits the theaters. listening to the commentary you hear talk of all this great footage and improv on the cutting room floor. that would be great to see.
- Road to Perdition...i was hoping for a second disc and digipack packaging for this release so it was sort of a letdown. but it does have some decent extras so i guess i can't complain.

surprises:
- Homicide: Seasons 1&2...i love the clean look of the disc cases and how easy they are to get out without having to layout a huge folding digipack.
- Black Hawk Down: Deluxe Edition...nice and simple on glossy stock.
- Memento...as previously mentioned.
- Fight Club
- Seven
- Band of Brothers
- The Simpsons...nice glossy stock and i love how there is some continuity with the package design from season to season.

i am a fan of the digipack. when audio cds first came out in digipacks i HATED them but they've grown on me alot. and since my dvds see less wear and tear than my cds (such as tossed around in the car) i like them even more. with season sets (24, Law & Order, and even the Simpsons) sometimes its a pain to unfold all the trays but overall i like them.

i also like it when the studio gives a damn about the movie being presented and shells out some coin to give it an attractive package and design.

Any Vista Series release (with the exception of Signs)
Adaptation (the insert really makes the package)
Band of Brothers (beautiful packaging)
Babylon 5 Season box sets (slip case with a book style disc holder)
Futurama Season One (those slip cases NEED to be on The Simpsons sets)
Memento LE (am I the only person that loves this package, really puts me in the mood for the movie)
Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring Extended Edition (the gold standard for how to do multi-disc special editions)
Fight Club SE


Anything in a Snapper (WTF is WB's problem??)

Anybody have the Shackleton 3-disk set? IMO this is how all multidisk packs should be done. Each disk has its own thin plastic clamcase with coverart all encased in a cardboard overpack. If the cardboard overpack was something a little more sturdy similar to LOTR:EE, this package would be perfect.

I was pleasantly surprised with this set because I have not seen this type of package on any other set which is odd because it is such a good design. All the disks are well protected and easily accessable without the dreaded fold-outs. Also, you don't have to take the whole thing out to get the disk you want since each one has its own thin plastic case.

I liked the Disney Treasures box. As far as disappointing I once ordered a DVD and it came in a CD case.

I Think that the packaging for: "Family Guy & LOTR EE" have the coolest packaging in my collection. I also like the Simpsons box sets.

that is exactly how the Homicide: Life On the Street set is packaged. the cases themselves are made from a material very similar to the cases you get at some video rental stores...only glossy and much more classy. what i like about them best is the solid hub...0% chance of it busting up. i'd love to see more of these cases