Desert Island Discs

Pecker

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
22,825
Reaction score
4,671
Points
4,123
Location
Huddersfield, People's Republic of Yorkshire
For 6 years now we've had a thread going at the film forums for Desert Island Films.

Desert Island Films | AVForums

As an AVF community we do a lot of watching on our home systems, so I thought it only right that we have a parallel Desert Island Disc thread.

Feel free to be flexible. Just name your favourite films (about 10, but my counting can be poor) which are available on Blu-ray Disc, if you like. Or maybe, if one of these releases is sub-standard, choose another. You might want to balance the quality of the film with the quality of the presentation.

Just don't make it another demo-disc thread - we have plenty of those.

Perhaps you'll want to list your favourite films and say which are out on Blu-ray Disc and which you're still waiting for.

Feel free to read the other thread for ideas.

At that other thread I listed my 10 favourite films as the following:

Casablanca (Michael Curtiz 1942) - All Blu-ray Disc releases are good, with the US re-issue perhaps edging the earlier version
Crimes and Misdemeanours (Woody Allen 1989) - Twilight Time's splendid release (limited to just 3,000 copies) is not sold out. Yet.
The Godfather 1&2 (Francis Ford Coppola 1972 & 1974) - Superb restoration by Robert A Harris, can be bought very cheaply, and you even get the inferior (but not bad) 3rd instalment thrown in for free!
Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer 1949) - Optimum's restoration is pretty good.
A Matter of Life and Death (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger ["The Archers"] 1946) - Out in France next week.
OldBoy (Chan-wook Park 2003) - Debate continues about the various transfers available, and rumours come and go about a re-master, but the current UK Blu-ray release is fine for now. DON'T get the dodgy re-make.
Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino 1994) - Some people don't like the Blu-ray Disc, but it's fine for me.
The Swimmer (Frank Perry 1968) - Superb release from Grindhouse (who'd have thought it?).
The Third Man (Carol Reed 1949) - The UK Studio Canal version is okay, but the now deleted Criterion is superior. That transfer now available from Italy.
Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock 1958) - An imperfect transfer, with just a few issues, but bloody excellent for 95% of the film.

Six years on and I don't think I've changed considerably. Of course, it can change from day-to-day and hour-to-hour, but I think it's still there or thereabouts. I might have to go away and have a think.

All are now on Blu-ray Disc (and very decent releases, too) except A Matter of Life and Death, and as I say that appears in France next Tuesday.

Steve W
 
Last edited:
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
This isn't a definitive list, just the ones that at this point in my life I watch/appreciate more than others.

Nosferatu [F.W. Murnau - 1922] The Masters Of Cinema version is the best I've ever seen and I watch it every other month.
Metropolis [Fritz Lang - 1927] The Masters Of Cinema version, with the added recovered footage, is the best I've ever seen and I watch it every other month.
Gladiator [Ridley Scott - 2000] The re-mastered version without the DNR.
Dredd [Peter Travis - 2012] I have the French version and find this better than the UK one.
Watchman [Zack Snyder - 2009] I have the theatrical, Director's Cut as well as the Ultimate Cut and watch one of these once a month.
Alien [Ridley Scott - 1979] No need to say anything!
The Terminator [James Cameron - 1984] Again, no need to say anything!
The Jungle Book [Wolfgang Reitherman - 1964] The first animated movie I ever saw with the visuals and unforgettable songs just blowing me away.
Jaws [Steven Spielberg] Saw this in the cinema and I've never forgotten it, love the Blu-ray.
King Kong [Merian C. Cooper/Ernest B. Schoedsack - 1933] I've got the US digibook and I think this is the best transfer available, just wonderful. So much better than the other 2 versions.
Superman [Richard Donner - 1978] The first superhero movie I saw in the cinema and yes I did believe a man could fly.
 
A few on this list might be a little typical of anyone of my age (39) but here goes

Jaws
Alien
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Star Wars: A New Hope
Friday The 13th
Halloween (35th Anniversary disc)
The Thing (1982) (not as good as the HD-DVD but OK)
The Omen
Taxi Driver
Days Of Heaven (US Criterion disc)

Honourable mentions to:

Rocky (4k remaster)
Blow Out (Arrow)
First Blood (Studio Canal remaster)
Goldfinger
Toy Story
Dirty Harry
Death Wish (US BD)
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
The Terminator (4k remaster)
Once Upon A Time In The West
 
Great thread since it's made me ignore all of the worthy Lawrence of Arabia type films that I've only watched once since I've bought the disc and concentrate on what I'll actually reach for when the day has been lousy and I want to escape. So, in no particular order:

Jaws
Close Encounters of The Third Kind
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Superman The Movie
(really starting to show my age now :D)
Goldfinger
Casino Royale
Aliens
Iron Man
Star Trek
(2009)
 
Arhhhh , hulk rage , only ten , I am going to think a bit out the box for this one as the usual suspects will come up a fair bit and rightly so , so give me the weekend to throw the customers out of my shop so I can get this list done.

ten you say , do I need to take my shoes and socks off to get to that number:) , ok let's start the list on Letterboxd.
 
Sorry this was really , really hard , I can't trim it anymore , sorry , it does take me sometime some times to a pick a film as my all time favourite list is just so big and there has been some amazing releases of them films , so here goes

Sweet Smell of Success [Criterion version , one of the best looking Black & White films on disc and an amazing film to boot , great little feature on the disc with James Wong Howe about how to light a set]

Quatermass and the Pit[My favourite Hammer and the jaw on the floor moment when I viewed this for the first time , yes it is that good projected]

Zodiac[Have to take a Fincher with me , 2 disc Paramount edition from the states , easily a five on every department and the benchmark for extras on a disc]

Chinatown[Well it is a must , best film ever , the America release has Fincher talking with the writer Robert Towne over the film , it look fab as well]

Days of Heaven[Malick best film and the Criterion is a stunner , easily up there with the best looking films ever made and a brilliant film]

Out Of The Past[Released this year from The Warner Archives , amazing film and the film looks amazing projected]

The Treasure of Sierra Madra [Huston + Bogart don't need to say more , this just shades The Maltese Falcon but it was hard to loss one].

Yojimbo[Need a Kurosawa in there , everyone would pick Seven Samurai so I went with my personnel favourite , another Criterion stunner]

The Fog[Need a Carpenter and the Scream release last year put to rest that awful UK releases which is the only release today I put in the bin straight away after viewing it , excellent extras on the disc as well]

Thief[Big Mann fan and another Criterion release and another stunner , that score in DTS-MA is just the nuts , we need that on Vinyl]

Psycho[As Pecker nicked my Favourite Hitchcock I will go with Psycho , it changed Horror , it looks stunning and the 5.1 is a dream for that great score]

Touch of Evil[You need Welles , so I go with the , Master Of Cinemas release , all the cuts all you need and the worst Mexican accent every , brilliant Noir from a master]

Singing in the Rain[You need to lift you spirits if you are on your own every now and then on that island and this would do the job , cracking disc by Warner , check your pulse if you don't like this]

Black Sunday[Love Bava and Arrow did an excellent job on this , both cuts and all the extras you need , looks beautiful]

The Killing/Paths Of Glory[Like Hitchcock and Kurosawa you need a Kubrick , I went with the double release of these two , both look amazing and there get so missed over the weight of the directors mind blowing work from Lolita onwards , another Criterion winner]

Red River[Needed a Western and the Master Of Cinema was doing just fine until Criterion showed off , two cuts , all the extras you need and a better transfer , how they did that I am still amazed]

Bond Collection[ Yes , yes I know some look a bit dodgy , but I need this set and Dr No still leaves peoples eyes popping when I show it them projected]

The only other thing I would take is Pump Up The Volume - a very personnel film growing up as a teenager , I don't no if it will ever get a HD release but if it doesn't the DVD will have to do , sorry I need this.
 
Last edited:
Smashing, that!

Steve W

Boy that was hard , it was like cheating on your perfect girl friend not mentioning some directors , sorry Coen Brother's , Ridley , Payne , Raoul Walsh and so on.

I was going to stick on Des Cabinet Des Dr Caligari Blu ray by Masters of cinema , I watched it last night , boy what a film and what a disc , recommended that to any horror fan or historian of film , very haunting some of the images.
 
Steve, how does this thread differ from the other thread?

I'm pretty sure my ten(ish) films are now all available on blu, so that would mean I'd just be repeating the same list.

Forgive me if I've missed the point. :confused:
 
Steve, how does this thread differ from the other thread?

I'm pretty sure my ten(ish) films are now all available on blu, so that would mean I'd just be repeating the same list.

Forgive me if I've missed the point. :confused:

I think you've got it. It's discs rather than the other being films irrespective of disc.

The only other thing is that some people here don't go to the film forum, so might potentially miss it.

Like you, mine are pretty much all out now in Blu-Ray, but I may take this as an excuse to revisit and rethink my Top 10 - not a bad thing in itself.

Steve W
 
Heat
Blade Runner
Godfather 1 and 2
Casino Royale
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Dark Knight trilogy
Aliens
Back to the Future
Die Hard
Groundhog Day

And if it ever arrives on bluray - Midnight Run
 
Hmm, I’ll bite. This sort of list changes on an almost daily basis, but if I had to choose right now it would probably be the following (yes it's eighties-centric):

Jaws: No real need to explain this one. Great film, fantastic BD.
The Empire Strikes Back: If we can cheat, the entire original trilogy. Not the biggest fan of the latest changes or the BD quality, but Star Wars has been such a big part of my life I have to include at least one of the films. This is the best one.
Manhunter: MGM US BD, as the UK release is filtered.
RoboCop: The new 4K remastered edition of course.
Fright Night: Either the Twilight Time or Sony BDs, but probably the hybrid disc I made from the best parts of both and the unofficial commentary tracks. My favourite horror film and a very decent 4K sourced presentation.
The Thing: Probably my favourite Carpenter film, but I’d have to take an HD DVD player or my unofficial home-brew BD disc because the official BD is filtered.
Aliens: Probably my favourite Cameron film, although it's a close thing with The Terminator. If the latter disc included the mono track it might have nudged ahead, and while I could always bring my home-brew disc I love me some Aliens.
Fight Club: I was obsessed with this film in my early twenties, so it has to be here. The BD is also great.
Oldboy: Again, if we can cheat I'd include the entire Vengeance trilogy, but if not it has to be this. One of my all-time favourites. UK BD will do nicely as it retains the original colour grading (or close enough).
Donnie Darko: I have a real soft spot for this one. I much prefer the theatrical cut, so I'd opt for the German Ascot Elite release on account of the superior presentation.

There's a bunch of other stuff of course. If you asked me tomorrow I might well include more of my childhood favourites like Krull, Gremlins, Clash of the Titans and E.T., all of which have reasonable to good BD releases (Gremlins is probably the worst of them). I might even include the 4K mastered Rocky Horror BD for those camp moments :)
 
So the French Blu-ray Disc of AMOLAD is not good. It shows up all of the flaws of the film in its current state, and just demonstrates how much in need it is of a proper restoration.

But that's prompted me to revisit my Top 10 discs.

I'll be back later...
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom