The 100 Essential DVDs You Must Own

Empire Magazine have just created a fantastic new feature detailing the Top 100 DVDs of all time!

You can read the entire feature here where they give an overview of each DVD and it's extras, along with a summary as to why it's so essential. I picked out my favourites below:


Brazil - Criterion Edition
As mentioned in this previous post.

Alfred Hitchcock Collection
As mentioned in THIS previous post. A perfect way to get into the great directors work!

Fight Club Definitive Edition
Fantastic packaging, and an absolute wealth of really entertaining extras. Great film!

Looney Tunes Golden Collection
They've released quite a few of these now, but they're really entertaining, and each set comes with lots of historical notes and features which are really interesting. You can't beat the old classics!

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The best films ever made! (in my LOTR fanboy opinion) They're also some of the most exhaustive DVD sets out there. I cannot wait for the Blu-Ray releases!

Monty Python & the Holy Grail
A stupidly silly DVD, with loads of really interesting (any zany) extras!

Platoon Special Edition
My third favourite film of all time (or so I always say). This has some absolutely fascinating commentaries, and one of the best making ofs that I've seen. Essential!

Se7en Special Edition
My second favourite film of all time (or so I always say). I absolutely adore this DVD, which is great precisely because it sustains the tone of the film throughout, and works together as such a brilliant little package. It has some truly eerie (yet brilliant) features detailing the production, along with a really great commentary from Fincher and Brad Pitt.

Magnolia
My actual favourite film of all time (or so I always say). It has such a brilliant making of/behind the scenes documentary, detailing the various aspects of the prep/shoot and interviews with the cast and crew.

Taxi Driver Special Edition
As mentioned in this previous post. The best thing about this set for me is the exhaustive documentary charting the film from the writing process through to the production and looking at its continued relevance and success.

This is Spinal Tap
This film doesn't have a single unfunny scene: fact! It also has some of the best extras of any DVD ever, boasting what is probably the best commentary ever (with all stars staying in character). It also has a stupid amount of extra footage, which weirdly enough is just as funny as the main film!

The Usual Suspects Special Edition
This is a brilliantly put together set, with a great retrospective documentary and some beautiful artwork and packaging. It's also a brilliant film!


And that's all for now dear readers!
Stay tuned soon for more.. TALES. OF. INTEREST!

- Jimmy

LOVEFiLM - VIP Baby!

Ok I lied.. one more update before the 'burgh!

This morning I received a letter from Lovefilm which gave me two VIP cards to introduce to friends. It gives you 3 months free access, which is up to £55 free credit - Holy mackerel radioactive man!

It was all very well done, and I've handed the code out to countless people in the office, and I figured I could go to the trouble to pass it on to you guys too. So head on over to www.lovefilm.com/VIP and enter the code K8FKBDGX4 for 3 months free access!

VIP - That's how we roll!

It's a service I don't mind promoting because I think it's fantastic frankly. Since signing up I've already seen over 30 films, of all sorts, which include Blu-Rays. The turnaround is really quick, posting is stupidly easy, and the staff so far have been very helpful and nice. It also allows me to catch up on all the films I should have seen (as a film buff) but haven't, as well as taking risks with the types of films I never usually watch. To see my thoughts on everything I've rented thus far - click here.

(you don't have to review the films by the way - I just like to)

Oh and that's me up there by the way ^^ making my DVD-Spot debut. Also giving a bit of free promotion to the Datsuns, the shrill Led Zep-esque rock band, with such hits as "In Love" and "Motherfucker from Hell"..

Anyway, see you next time folks, where I shall be sporting ginger hair and preaching about the wonder that is haggis - occh!!

- Jimmy

Bad blog owner! Bad! On your rug!

Dear God,

My very many apologies dear reader(s), I know you've been eager and hungry for all the latest DVD updates but I've been snowed under with work recently and just couldn't be arsed couldn't find the time. In fact I've just noticed that the last time I updated was nearly a month ago!

Well rest assured I have lots of fun and interesting updates on the way, but for now I'm buggering off for two weeks! That's right, I shall be off to sunny Edinburgh to take in all the comedy and pubs it can chuck at me. I've made sure to pack up some essential DVDs, that we may have a most excellent time. I figure if we stick to TV series then they'll last longer - so please find below my essential comedy collection(tm):

Arrested Development - Season 1

I really can't recommend this TV series enough - it was one of those rare comedies that is both intelligent, and yet consistently laugh out loud funny. And like all intelligent comedy featured on the Fox network, it was doomed to cancellation. Still it lives now on DVD, and HMV are currently selling them all for just £9.99 each. Please, do everyone a favour and buy these DVDs - it really was the best show on television!


Big Train - Complete Series

Big Train isn't your typical sketch show - It's very dark, but with some fantastic out-there sketches. Plus it contains some genuine superstar talent from the English comedy scene. (Simon Pegg, Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap)

Spaced

Probably the geekiest sitcom ever, and yet really funny. This has just come to Region 1 DVD with new commentaries by the likes of Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino. Bastards. Still, this definitive edition has tons of great extras on. Recommended!

Brasseye

Braseye is fucking funny, and this set contains the most complained about TV episode of all time (I think) - The Brasseye paedophilia special.

"Your child could be splatted... by a roboplegic wrongcock"

Armando Iannucci Shows

I bought this set without having seen anything from it before, because I was such a fan of stuff that he had had a hand in (Brasseye, Time Trumpet, I'm Alan Partridge). You can definately see his stamp on it based on those other shows, verging from a kind of gentle whimsy to some genuinely dark, hard hitting stuff. If you have a dark humour then I would certainly recommend this.

So there we have it - fun DVD times ahead in Edinburgh!
I'm off to pack now, so I'll see you guys upon my return.

- Jimmy