With roughly about 40 days remaining until the end of the year...post your top 10 picks this year (they must be released in 2005 and of course THEY MUST BE NON US/Canada products). If you decide to include non-English friendly releases please note with an * that the DVD in question does not offer English subs so those that might be looking for a suggestion or two can keep that in mind. Last but not least enter the country of origin and the country producer next to your pick.

Best Wishes,

Pro-B

Nice idea. Guess it's about the time of year for it. The movies here may not be the best, but the rest of the package isn't so bad. These come in no particular order, other than perhaps release dates... I don't like categorizing things, especially when the choice is so hard.

So, here are my choices:

Immortal Ad Vitam (R2 Japan) - movie's kind of bland, but the commentary, docs, interviews and the rest of the extrs are great. Picture and video are also top-notch.

House of Flying Daggers (R3 Korea) - The HK DVD came out in 2004, but this one came out in 2005. I have the one with the red cover and acryllic. The movie was great, audio and video are amazing, and a 3-hour doc to finish things off! The set also comes with a nice booklet.

Survive style (R2 Japan) - Really fun movie. Saw this at PIFF in Oct 2004 and loved it. Insane art direction and great message. Once again, picture and sound quality are amazing. Haven't seen all the stuff on the second disk yet, but seems great. LE also comes with a making-of book and a bandana! (For those who care, I was at the PIFF screening in the theatre, but you don't see me... I was about two seats off screen...)

Memento Mori (R3 Korea) - who really cares about the movie when you've got a 6-disk set? Enough said.

Seven Samurai LE (R3 Korea) - amazing movie, and a remastered picture, as well as a 5.1 remix, plus the beyond-informative Michael Jeck commentary. It's also got the Toho doc on the movie (although no English on the doc, though).

2046 (R2 France) * - No ENGLISH HERE. Amazing movie, though, with perfect audio/video, plus a PACKED 2nd DVD. If you know French, this is a no-brainer.

Godzilla Final Wars (R2 Japan) * - NO ENGLISH HERE. Okay, so I needed a 10th choice... The movie's a whole lot of fun, and has 2 DVDs with a bunch of extras. Picture and sound are great, as well.

A Bittersweet Life (R3 Korea) - Great movie, with terrific picture and a just perfect DTS-ES track. Extras are even better if you know Korean.

Kung Fu Hustle SE (R3 HK) - Have no idea why Sony cut the flick in R1, but this one's got the same extras, PLUS the uncut movie, PLUS perfect picture and sound. Even got a DTS track to boot!

Cowboy Bebop 5.1 Remix (R3 Korea) - Amazing series gets an amazing sets. It's too bad the extras aren't subbed in English, but the picture and 5.1 tracks are top-notch. Great packaging, too, and I was lucky enough to get the last 4 episodes in DTS on an extra DVD.

So, those are my choices. I know there are probably better DVDs out there, but I bought these ones, not others.

1. LIFE IS A MIRACLE: UK PAL DVD
2. ASTERIX AND OBELIX, MISSION CLEOPATRA: UK PAL DVD
3. G.O.R.A.: Turkey PAL DVD
4. MIND GAME: Japanese NTSC Region 2 DVD
5. SURVIVE STYLE 5+: Japanese NTSC Region 2 DVD
6. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS/KUNG FU HUSTLE: HK NTSC Region 3 DVD
7. GODZILLA FINAL WARS: USA NTSC Region 1 DVD (coming in December)
8. ATOMIK CIRCUS: Thai PAL DVD
9. EXILS: Australian PAL DVD
10. APPLESEED: USA NTSC Region 1 DVD

i want to remind everyone (Toddly ) that this is a non-R1 chart only!!!

Ciao,
Pro-B

Here's a tiny list of films (and presentations) that put a smile on my face this year:

10. Nordkraft (3DVD)- Denmark- a great film and an amazing presentation from the great Danes. Everything, including the trailers and TV spots, everything appears English friendly.

9. Der Untergang (Deluxe SE)-Germany...as expected the R1 did not match the great looking German set!

8. Kontroll (2DVD SE)- Hungary...spectacular presentation of a remarkable film. Bombastic DTS, tons of extras...what else is there to ask!

7.LA CITTA' SI DIFENDE (Italy)....Pietro Germi on DVD!! Always an event for me!!

6. Otar Ioselianni (7DVD set) (Georgia)- I've said it before and I will say it again the respect which France has for foreign cinema is unparalleled. A beautiful set, English friendly, which will soon be OOP. Another top-notch French treat!!!

5. Frķo Sol de Invierno (Spain)-...there are times when I think that the Goya Awards are given to some very strange films...but there is certainly a reason why Pablo Malo received the Goya Award for Best New Director. I shall be keeping an eye on him.

4. Gegen Die Wand (Germany)...Sure UK's Soda DVD is not packed with the extras this film deserves, but it sure beats the lousy R1 PAL port. And I just loved, loved, loved, this film. Tour de Force made in Germany...

3. Michael Haneke (Austria) *- The boxset of early Haneke films released in France needs no additional comments. Too bad New Yorker will be dealing with these films in R1 land. Once again bad luck for English speakers!

2. 2046- (Hong Kong) *- I am not Kar Wai's biggest fan and I certainly think that 2046 is one of his more flawed films. However France has given him the treatment he truly deserves. As it was the case with In a Mood for Love the metal boxset is a pure touch of class. For the presentation alone and the enormous, unmatched respect the French studio has given this director the set comes second on my list. R1 companies could learn a thing or two about treating a foreign director and his latest film with the proper respect...(too bad English speakers can not benefit from it)!!

1. Sorstalansįg (2DVD SE)- Hungary. Hungary's Oscar entry gets an Oscar-worthy treatment. Spectacular film, top-notch presentation, all around English friendly disc. I did not expect this to be my top pick...but Hungary must be proud, they have done everything right!



ps...There are probably another 20 films on my heart that I feel guilty for not having on this list but...

Pro-B,

Just curious..where did you purchase your 2-disc version of Kontroll? I've been looking for it, but haven't been successful. Also, I just received LA CITTA' SI DEFENDE, but haven't watched it yet. From the back cover, it indicates an English audio track, but no English subs. Is this true, or a misprint? I'd prefer to watch it in Italian.

Ted

Kontroll 2 disc:

http://www12.cdwow.ie/detail_results...subcat=region2

and that MINDGAME came out on DVD last year... ahem. december, but still 2004. nice film.

I've had so many great DVDs this year. Must be over 300 so to get a top 10 is not easy!


The most exciting and enjoyable non-Region 1 DVDs I've bought this year (no order although Lars von Trier's Europa gets the award for best transfer):

1) Der Untergang (Region 2 Germany)

2) Electric Dragon 80,000v (Region 2 Japan)

3) Exils (Region 0 Australia)

4) Survive Style 5+ (Region 2 NTSC Japan)

5) Kung Fu Hustle (Region 0 Hong Kong)

6) Europa (from the UK/European boxset) -best video transfer this year

7) Seul contre tous (Region 0 Australia)

8) Bombon El Perro (Region 0 Spain)

9) 2046 (Region 0 Hong Kong]

10) The Brown Bunny (Region 2 Holland)

11) Je suis né d'une cigogne (Region 0 France)

12) Osmose (Region 0 France)

13) The World at War (11 DVD set Region 2 UK)

14) Toto le Heros (Region 2 Holland)

15) The Wayward Cloud (Region 3 Hong Kong)

16) Koktebel (Region 2 UK)

17) Nobody Knows (Region 3 Korea)

18) Save The Green Planet (Region 0 UK)

19) Tears of the Black Tiger (Region 2 UK)

20) Last Life in the Universe (Region 2 UK)

21) Tropical Malady (Region 3 Thailand)

22) Vibrator (Region 3 Korea)


...there are lost more butthat's the ones that come immediately to mind.

WRONG! Sorry but this is not the correct one. This is the german version. Pro-B is referering to the great hungarian release. just to clarify.

Ted,

I have created a great friendship with someone that shares the same passion for films as I do so currently I get the discs directly from Humgary in return for R1 product (the forum helped a lot as well as the review I posted a while back). I am currently looking for a Czech buddy

Ciao,
Pro-B

Pro-B

Ok, here we go. I've been sitting here for about 20 minutes trying to rank them and I can't! I therefore present 10 films that came to DVD in 2005 that I really enjoyed, along with some other comments. I know I'm forgetting something major here too!! Looking at my list I can see its pretty heavy towards Asian films. I think it's more from my ability to source them locally.

*Cache - R5 Russian/No English - My favorite film in 2005. If this had English sub's, it would be my top easy. I understand some French, and I saw this at the TIFF so I picked it up to go over a few scenes.

*Das Schloss - R2 German - The only version on DVD that I know of. Can you tell I’m a Haneke fan? No English, but what other option do I have!? Amazing that I have two non English Haneke dvd's on here actually

36 Quai des Orfevres - R2 French

Naked Island - R2 UK (yes, out before in Japan, but this was a nice transfer for me)

Nobody Knows - R2 Japan

Survive Style 5+ - R2 Japan

The Bow - R3 Korea

Nordkraft - R2 Dutch

9 Songs R2 UK - It was like watching a past experience I had. It was pretty much dead on.

Crying Fist R3 Korean - I'm surprised this somehow ended up at #1 actually.

Honorable Mentions;

A Bittersweet Life - R3 Korea - Would have made top 10 but two stupid moments stopped it
You Shoot, I Shoot - R3 HK
Kamikaze Girls - R2 JAPAN (I'm surprised this hasn't gained a greater cult following)
Marathon - R3 KOREA

And I'd like to mention one small run US release "Red Cockroaches". After I saw it, I considered it the worst film I saw the entire year up to that moment. Since that day that film has yet to leave my head. I've since watched it two more times and discussed the film with a few people. It's a very strange feeling. I can't say I recall ever having such an experience with a film before. I still can't say I like it more than it's somehow caught my attention big time. I only mention it because I don't see anyone speaking about it anywhere.

And although nobody asked, here are a couple that I had high hopes for but didn't do for me what I had hoped;

Final Fantasy Advent Children R2 Japan - The poster child for style over substance.

The Wayward Cloud R3 China/HK - Yes, MANY praise it. I'm not one of them. My best friend loved it. Go figure.

A Hole in My Heart R2 UK - I am a HUGE fan of Moodyson, but this one left me in the cold.

Anyhow, that's what I can come up with at this moment.

R2J - Taste of Tea

R3K - Bad Guy SE

R2J - Incredibles LE Box

R2D - Nordkraft

R2J - Innocence: Ghost in the Shell II First Pressing LE Tin

Thanks to Josh .. I forgot to mention ..

R2J - i, Robot LE Sonny head Box

I didn't buy a whole lot of non-R1 product this year, due to a need to save money, but here's the best stuff I bought:

Godzilla Final Wars (Jpn R2) * : Enjoyed the film a lot, loads of extras across two bonus discs. Cool packaging too.

2046 (France R2) * : What else to say? Beautiful package for a great film.

League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (UK R2): Full of the special stuff, and a funny film to boot.

Dune (France R2): The film is one of my all-time favorites, and it looks amazing.

Kung Fu Hustle (HK R3 SE): Largely the same as the R1, minus the editing, and spread out over two discs.

Tutto Bozzetto (Italy R2): Collects Bruno Bozzetto's three feature length films, and a fourth disc of short material. And, everything is subtitled, though the first film, West and Soda, is victim of the worst English subs I've ever seen, written by an utter novice to English.

Extras (UK R2): First season of the new Gervais/Merchant series. Classic.

Red Dwarf VII (UK R2): Not the best season, but as always, these sets are filled to bursting with extras and such. Classy presentation all around.

Macbeth (France R2) This hasn't come out yet, so unless they really screw it up, I don't see how this set could miss. Another Welles film treated with great respect at last.

Oops, my apologies. I stand corrected.

I don't really have a top 10 list, but I have in my notes that the I, Robot R2 Japan "Sonny Head" package was released in early 2005. Assuming we're allowing foreign editions of American movies, that belongs on a list somewhere.

Also notable:

R2 France Dune Ultimate Edition
R3 China House of Flying Daggers wooden box w/ dagger Limited Edition

Hey Josh. Not to hijack this thread .. but, I gotta ask .. how is the Korean DTS version of Finding Nemo? Does it merit an upgrade over the R1 release? I have the R2 and R1 releases (both DD6.1) with the R2 having a slightly improved soundtrack. Though, I'm always looking for thee best version on the audio side.

Thanks in advance ..

BTW .. nice collection with some nice OOP stuff - R2J Ultimate editions come to mind. We share similar tastes.

THANKS, Pro-B,

I take it then that there is no way of ordering the Hungarian version (which is English-friendly, I assume) via the internet?

Also, thanks for the recommendation on Cuore Sacro. Just watched it last night; what a profound experience. Really makes one think.

Ted

Titanic 4-disc set

In no particular order :-

Vengeance Is Mine (Japan) - R2 MoC UK, 'The Master Of Cinema' series from Eureka is proving to be every bit as invaluable as Criterion it's R1 counterpart and this release is one i've probably appreciated the most.

Nordkraft (Denmark) - R2 Denmark, knew nothing about this to be honest until our knowledgeable friend Pro-B had recommended it and have to say i've not been disappointed!! In fact i went for the 3 disc edition based on value for money and usually i'm not a particular fan of soundtracks.However, in this instance i have to say its eminently listenable and almost matches the feature itself in terms of quality!

Lars Von Trier - Europe Trilogy (Denmark) - R2 Denmark (Electric Parc) / R2 UK (Tartan) makes no difference whether you go for the Danish or UK version as apparently they are completely identical bar packaging.I've got the Danish edition to keep in line with the other Danish Zentropa/Electric Parc releases i own etc...either way superb!!

Kwaidan (Japan) - R2 France*, No english subs i'm afraid, that's the bad news, if you can understand French what you are essentially getting from Wildside is a superior version of the R1 Criterion both in terms of transfer and feature length itself as i believe the R1 isn't the complete version.

Ivan's Childhood (Russia) - R2 France MK2, why wait for a Criterion edition to appear, whilst they rumour to have access to a longer version i can't see them improving upon this wonderful transfer!

Holding On (UK, BBC Drama series) - R2 UK, listed purely for personal reasons as to be honest the presentation isn't particularly one to shout about.I've long admired this mini series when it was shown on the BBC back in the 90's, a fantastic towering performance from David Morrissey.Until the actual release it had always been one of those.. 'I hope it does come out on DVD but not really believing it would any time soon'.... type scenarios, so obviously when it did come out i just had to have it, no matter how it was presented.

2046 (France) - R2 France*, no more praise to add to what's already been stated for this release, if i had to be over critical besides the lack of english subtitles i would have to say i'm never a fan of this 'disc on top of disc' type means of storing discs within their own package no matter how nice and shiny and metallic the outside is.

Last Year At Marienbad (France) - R2 Optimum UK, wonderful transfer and another instance where i couldn't wait for a rumoured Criterion to appear.

Der Untergang (Germany) - R2 Germany, once again, enough discussion of this for me to add any different!

Lone Wolf & Cub (Babycart) (Japan) - R2 France*, i'm cheating here as i'm aware this isn't even out yet, but i just know it would make it into my pick of top '10' releases as with Wildside at the helm i know i'm not likely to be disappointed so hope this oversight can be forgiven for its inclusion.I always knew that studying French in addition to sciences at college would pay of in the end i just didn't realise that would be when i'd come to own a dvd player...lol

In random order:

Ondskan (Sweden)
Shutter (Thailand)
Kongekabale (Denmark)
Der Untergang (Germany)
House of Flying Daggers (Korea)
A World without Thieves (China)
Titanic (4-Disc by Fox, United Kingdom)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Korea)
Three... Extremes (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (Korea)

... Adams Ębler (Denmark)

Ted,
I am really happy with the way things are going now so I have not reserached anything beyond Netpiak. With this said though, there are more Hungarian sites that you could research than Czech (I have a big problem with that) and I suppose that some of them would ship to the US.
Yes Cuore Sacro and Barbora Babulova in particular were superb. She is a very, very refined actor. You should definitely look at this DVD/film as well:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread....ht=Spettatrice

Ciao,
Pro-b

ps
By the way my contact in Italy told me (I actually received his kind email last night) that Marco Giordana's Quando Sei Nato is now out and it is English/French friendly. I could not see it in Chicago so...here I come again ...

Assuming you mean R2 Japan, I thought that disc only had the Japanese dub in DTS?

The Korean disc's (English) DTS track is slightly better than the R1 Dolby Digital, but it's not a night-and-day difference. The R1 DD 5.1 was pretty damn good to start with. Picture quality is identical as far as I can tell. I believe all of the supplements are the same, as well.

Yes, the DTS track on the R2J disk is Japanese only. I was referring to the english tracks when I mentioned DD6.1 ...

Though, I should have specified .. I was only interested in finding out if the Korean set's English DTS track was an improvement. Thanks for the info.