Your favorite Warner Bros. 2 disc release? Are they the new Criterion?
 

Just recently I have discovered the wonder that is Warner Brothers Special edition 2 disc sets. I know people collect most offerings from Criterion, but I would almost put Warner a step ahead in their treatments towards their films. Criterion finds great obscure films and treats the fans with a respectable amount of special features. I think Warner does the same thing with these discs, just with a few more of the mainstream classics. Is there anyone who collects these films as they're released?
My favorites include:

The Big Red One: Reconstruction
Outsiders: The complete Novel
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid: Reconstruction

In my eyes these films are what the DVD format was made for.....Opinions?

No insert. No sale. -ptth-

Naw, but the last 2-Disc of theirs that rang a Criterion-bell was Malcolm X. It was a blast to finally see the '72 Documentary.

Also want to add that the '89 Batman 2-Disc was a pleasure.

i don't know many of them off the top, but i'd go with malcolm or batman. i dunno if heat was wb but that release is just atrocious.

my faves:

My Fair Lady
Singin' in the Rain

I heard that a 2Disc special edition of Empire of the Sun is getting a UK release - any time table whena if Warners (US) will make this version available stateside?

I own several of them. My favorites:

Unforgiven
Batman Begins Deluxe
Citizen Kane
Enter the Dragon
Gone With the Wind (4 disc, but what a great package)
King Kong
The Last Samurai
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Wizard of Oz

Warner's has been one of, if not the most consistent studios for the entire life of the dvd format.

Those 2 disc Warners are great, the only reason I enjoy criterions more is that quality of the movies they have... Not just mainstream but some of the more interesting obscure titles...

The treatment they gave to the Batman Anthology was fantastic. Most studios would have thrown all the features on Batman and left the sequels (especially the Schumacher ones) pretty much bare bones. The gave equal extras to each disc.

I just wish Fox Home Video was more kind to it's 'classic' films - the double disc version of Oklahoma! has such a substandard video transfer for the TODD-AO version. They always seem to try but once in awhile they just don't deliver.

I own them all sans one - The Cardinal. Love WB to death.

I think that the Warner 2-disc sets are, by far, the finest and most consistent releases by any major studio. But comparing them, as many do, to Criterion is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. Of course, Warner is working with films they own, whereas Criterion has to license most of their releases. Warner's films are nearly all Hollywood studio films or international productions that were funded in large part by Hollywood; Criterion focuses on the cream of world cinema. Thus the films each studio specializes in are quite different. Finally, Criterion treats their extra content far more intellectually -- they are indeed releasing a film school class in a box. Warner's extras are much more historically focused -- they focus on stars and studio context, etc. rather than Criterion's more auteur-driven extras.

Anyway, that's my two cents....

I agree. Warner's transfers rival the best out there, but the supplements don't reflect the same intellectual rigor and scholarship as Criterion's. But I'm not complaining - I love what Warner Brothers is doing!

I don't actually collect them or anything, but The Last Samurai would probably be my favorite.

well put! :thumbsup:

Yeah, it's WB.

I love 'em both! Now if only Warner would revisit some that they put out that have terrible transfers like Outland, then I'd be a happier camper.

I love feature length documentaries as extras so I thought "Bullitt" was especially good with both the McQueen and film editing docs included.

Other greats:
King Kong (Fantastic doc on disc 2)
True Romance
Unforgiven
Around the World in 80 Days
Enter the Dragon
Citizen Kane
Doctor Zhivago

Oh hell yeah. "A Warrior's Journey" AND "Curse of the Dragon"? Can't ask for much more--Except for maybe a Bey Logan commentary.

Good call on True Romance too. Still my favorite WB coverart yet.

Ouch. I was about to pick that up. What's wrong with it?

I would argue that Warner is much more consistent in the quality and quantity of its extras than Criterion is with its titles on a release-by-release basis. Warner's commentaries also tend to be more engaging, with its film scholars sounding as if they're actually talking to you, not reading to you.

These are generalities, of course. Both studios are fantastic.

Love the WB. Godsend for classic film fans

I'm not sure what's wrong with it. Heat is a great 2 disc set of a fantastic film. Commentary, deleted scenes, documentaries...not sure what else could be added. Maybe He was referring to the single disc version.

King Kong
Singin' In The Rain
The Wizard Of Oz

My top 5:

The Outsiders
The Big Red One
Once Upon a Time in America
The Unforgiven
Citizen Kane

that and a new version of Wolfen complete with the 6-track surround mix that accompanied the 70mm prints of the film.

Obviously, the 3-disc Oz, 4-disc Ben-Hur, and 4-disc Gone with the Wind sets are perfection.

But I think the 2-disc edition of The Adventures of Robin Hood is amazing. Flawless a/v and TONS of extras. I think this and GWTW are their all-time best efforts so far.

Also, Treasure of the Sierra Madre is awesome if just for the 2 1/2 hour documentary on John Huston.

By far, WB is the closest major studio to Criterion. WB sometimes has an edge... if just because they have the best classic film library of all the studios.