Our Top Ten DVDs of 2005

It's that time of year again. Top ten lists are everywhere and believe it or not, Oscar nominations are right around the corner. We here at DVD Confidential love top ten lists (and the Academy Awards) so we've created our own top ten. We tried to limit the list to DVDs that we reviewed in 2005. Although not all of the films were released in 2005, the DVD version reviewed on our site was brought to us in the past year. So, without further delay - enjoy the list!

DVD Confidential's Top Ten DVDs for 2005

1) Jaws - 30th Anniversary Edition (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary
MPAA: PG
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Thirty years after it's release, Jaws continues to amaze. The film that started the whole "blockbuster" film genre is wonderful entertainment.

If you haven't seen Jaws you have either been living on Mars, or are under the age of ten. The story is legend: a monster shark terrorizes the beaches of Amity, New York. Chief Brody (played by Roy Scheider) enlists the help of a scientist named Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a gruff old shark boat captain named Quint (Robert Shaw). The trio heads out to sea for a battle royale with the greatest screen shark of all time.

What I love about this film is it's simplicity. Spielberg starts the film off with a shark attack, and the attacks never stop coming. The town has to come to grips with it, and solve the problem or lose their summer business revenue. The town moves from denial to panic. The trio of Scheider, Shaw and Dreyfuss have great chemistry and as they head out to fight the shark, you really can't help but root for them.

Jaws was excellently casted, acted and directed (perhaps Spielberg's best). There is a reason that this is considered by many to be the best thriller of all time - Jaws is a classic.



2) Batman Begins (2005)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Caine, Rutger Hauer & Morgan Freeman
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Dark, brooding and unusually serious, Batman Begins is by far the best of the Batman movies. It may also be director Chris Nolan's (Insomnia, Memento) finest film to date.

Batman Begins is one of those rare Hollywood studio films that gets everything right, especially the casting. Chris Nolan made a perfect choice in casting Christian Bale as Batman. Bale has the looks, the brooding manner and best of all, the strange personality that fits the role to a T. Rutger Hauer and Morgan Freeman are excellent in supporting roles and how can you go wrong with Michael Caine as Alfred?

As most know by now, Batman Begins tells the story of how young millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne came to be Batman. The first half of the story focuses intensely on Bruce's travels and travails to find himself. He is drawn into a mysterious group called the League of Shadows but he soon finds that they are planning to destroy Gotham. With the aid of his butler Alfred and his friend Lucius (Morgan Freeman), Bruce Wayne battles the evil crime boss Carmine Falcone, the Scarecrow and ultimately, Al Ghul, the leader of the League of Shadows.

Batman Begins deals with some familiar Chris Nolan themes, most notably, the feeling of disorientation. The Scarecrow uses a drug laced spray to make people insane with fear. The League of Shadows also try to add a disorienting drug into the city's water supply. The drug makes the citizens terrified, confused and completely panic stricken. This theme of disorientation has been used by Nolan in the Following, as well as his most well known film, Memento. It's a nice touch and Nolan truly puts his own mark on this popular film series.

Well directed, acted and photographed, Batman Begins is a wonderful film that holds up well to repeated viewings. I can't wait to see the next Batman movie, especially if Chris Nolan is again at the helm.



3) Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Directed by Chan-wook Park
Starring Song Kang-Ho, Shin Ha-Kyun, Bae Doo-Na
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Remember the rush that comes from discovering a new favorite director, actor or actress? That's kind of how I feel after watching Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance by director Park Chanwook. His style is bold, his characters have depth, and his stories are unpredictable. That is rare in today's cinema.

Chan-wook Park is the director of Oldboy, another incredible film that explores what lengths of violence people will endure to get what they want. Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance are reportedly part of the director's "vengeance trilogy" (the other film is Lady Vengeance) so as you can imagine, the film come with a heavy amount of gruesome violence and adult situations. I guess that comes with the territory when you deal with kidnapping, torture, murder and organ selling.

The story behind Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is highly original. Ryu needs to buy a kidney for his dying sister, but he is unable to come up with the funds. Ryu decides to sell his own kidney to pay for her transplant, but he is cheated out of his life savings by the shady organ peddlers. In a desperate move, he kidnaps the daughter of a wealthy industrialist to raise the cash. Kidnapping is risky business and Ryu is certainly not helped by his radical, terrorist girlfriend.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is well-paced, very original, and the acting is excellent. Chan-wook Park is a shooting star of a talent and you will certainly be hearing a lot more about this excellent director. One of the best films I have seen in a long time.



4) Crash (2005)
Directed by Paul Haggis
Starring Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

One of the best movies of the year, Crash is a phenomenal character study and much more. Set in Los Angeles, post 9/11, Crash highlights how racism touches everyone. Eight actors of different background and ethnicity see their lives collide over a 36 hour stretch.

Director Paul Haggis deftly weaves the back stories of Crash in a style similar to Robert Altman's best works. There are too many stellar characters here to list them all, but Crash features a fabulous ensemble performance to be certain. Sandra Bullock is an angry woman with racist feelings that explode during the course of the film. Her husband (played surprisingly well by Brendan Fraser) is District Attorney that has just had his car jacked. Terrence Howard stands out here as a successful director that is forced to watch as a racist police officer harasses his wife. Don Cheadle is wonderful as a detective that has seen it all.

Crash is a fantastic debut film from director Paul Haggis and it hits with a powerful emotional punch. Racism is alive and well in the U.S. and it lurks beneath the surface of everyday lives. Crash features some of the best acting performances of the year and I would not be surprised to see this film gain several Academy Award nominations. Highly recommended.



5) The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Geoffrey Lewis, William Forsythe, Priscilla Barnes, PJ Soles, Leslie Easterbrook
MPAA: UR
Grade: B+

Review by Bobby Nashville

The highly anticipated Devil's Rejects has finally come to DVD and we think that this unrated widescreen version was well worth the wait. Directed by Rob Zombie, this horror film pays homage to horror classics while deftly creating a unique style all it's own. Devils Rejects is certainly not a film suitable for most folks but if you are a fan of horror, this is a very scary film that is highly recommended.

The Devils Rejects are in fact a group of homicidal maniacs that apparently love to torture, rape and kill their victims for kicks. They are about as evil as it gets. Mother Firefly directs the insane posse and she is religiously followed by her kids (played by Sheri Moon Zombie and Bill Mosely), a pair of evil freaks that are sick, sick, sick. They are chased by Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe), a tough as nails sheriff that has sworn to bring these evil kids down. Unfortunately for sheriff Wydell, the Devils Rejects have an aura around them similar to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, one that screams "You'll never take me alive". They are not heros by any measure but they are certainly the main outlaws and stars of the film (again like Butch and Sundance or Thelma & Louise). They are also evil incarnate. Having the antagonists be the central characters of the movie is a brilliant twist and if you can endure the evil nature of the leads, you will see Devils Rejects for what it is - a chilling, horrific, cinematic work of art that is as disturbing as it is professional.

Coming off of House of 1,00 Corpses, I was not sure what to expect from Rob Zombie. Would it be another tantalzing yet ultimately unfulfilling B movie homage? Thankfully, Devil's Rejects owes more to Texas Chainsaw Massacre than it does House of 1,000 Corpses. Scary, disturbing (did we mention that this film is not for most?) and very well made, the Devil's Rejects is a fantastically creepy horror movie. For horror film buffs, Devils Rejects is a must see.



6) Sin City (2005)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino & Frank Miller
Starring Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Powers Boothe, Benicio Del Toro, Devon Aoki and Rutger Hauer
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Bobby Nashville

I love this movie. It seems like every other movie out today is a retread of an old television show, or a watered down action film with zero originality. Sin City is an over the top, totally original film that has a lot of guts. Thank god.

Based on graphic novels by Frank Miller, the star of this film is the art direction. Sin City looks incredible. Shot in black and white (with spots of color) Sin City is one of the most original looking films I have ever seen. It really is like a comic book brought to life.

Sin City is a wild town where crime, guns and violence run the streets. Vengeance is a dish served cold and every one is hungry for it. Call girls run the streets and tough guys will give their life for just for one more night with the right one. It's like driving a 57 chevy through film noir heaven at 100 miles an hour.

The acting in Sin City is excellent. Mickey Rourke (a personal fave) is once again fantastic and Bruce Willis adds another great role to his career. Rutger Hauer and Benicio Del Toro put in very good performances as well. Sin City is a fast paced, well acted graphic novel come to life. One of the year's best.



7) DiG! (2004)
Directed by Ondi Timoner
Starring The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor- Taylor
MPAA: R
Grade: A

Review by Ellyn Elm

Before sitting down to watch DiG! I vaguely remember listening to and liking the Dandy Warhols and had heard of the Brian Jonestown Massacre in passing. Given my limited knowlege of both bands, I must confess DiG! was a revelation. It is a fascinating, downright compelling look into the indie music scene spanning seven years starting in the mid-nineties.

I won't give too much away by saying that DiG! documents the rise of the Dandy Warhols, fronted by the uber-charismatic Courtney Taylor, and the simultaneous disintegration of the Brian Jonestown Massacre led by the messianic Anton Newcombe. Initially friends, members of both bands meet, share music, lots of drugs and a mutual admiration before going their vastly separate ways. Watching the success of the Dandies and the implosion of the BJM as the story unfolds is not unlike witnessing a train wreck in slow motion. It’s painful and tantalizing and absolutely riveting.

Narrated by Taylor and replete with live footage, interviews and smug character analyses of and by everyone involved, DiG! offers an interesting interpretation of what constitutes success – commercial or otherwise. Required viewing for anyone who wants to be “famous”.



8) Murderball (2005)
Directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro
Starring Mark Zupan, Joe Soares and Keith Cavill
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Documentaries are all the rage these days, and frankly, this reviewer is delighted. Films that would never see distribution back in the eighties are now getting distributed and finding wider audiences. Case in point: Murderball, a wonderful documentary about the tough, inspirational world of quadriplegic rugby.

Murderball focuses on the lives on quadriplegics that play indoor rugby, using their wheelchairs as battering rams. It is a wonderful film. These gentlemen stand up to their disabilities and take their spirits to the next level by working to become the best wheelchair rugby players in the world. Competitions between U.S. and Canadian teams are fierce, and the rivalry is tremendous. Seeing these young men battle to become the best at what they do is an inspiration. As the U.S. team battles their way to Athens Olympic Arena to combat their rivals, we get to know the players, their stories, and why the game is so important.

Murderball was awarded the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and it is garnering high praise throughout the U.S. This is a wonderful documentary and it is highly recommended. Go see it.



9) War Is Sell (2004)
Directed by Brian Standing
MPAA: UR
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Anytime you go to war you can expect a battle on the homefront. Regardless of what some people say, people are pacifists by nature. If you want people to go to war and place their life on the line, you better do a good sales job. In other words, it better be worth it.

War Is Sell focuses on the "sell job" that governments must do to convince the public that their nation has no other choice but to go war. This film, expertly crafted by Brian Standing explains the steps that a government must take to spread their war "value proposition". War Is Sell does a fantastic job of explaining the role of propaganda clearly. Branding, marketing and advertising a government's message is important, especially on the home front. Usually this involves scaring the people to a point that they feel that they must rally around a protector. Silencing detractors is also a must. This technique has worked time and time again.

No matter what side you may be on when it comes to the current war (Iraq), you have to admit - war is a polarizing issue. People feel strongly about placing their sons and daughters in harm's way. Selling people on going to war often involves propaganda, or as some would frame it, misrepresenting the situation for one side's benefit. Media insiders, public relations executives and media analysts all give their opinions in War Is Sell. Footage of the gulf war, the Iraq War and WWII all come into play. Deftly crafted and expertly thought out, War Is Sell is an excellent documentary.



10) Dresden Dolls Paradise - Live at Paradise Rock Club (2005)
Starring the Dresden Dolls
Directed by Michael Pope
MPAA: UR
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

The Dresden Dolls in Paradise is a live performance film from the duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, better known as the Dresden Dolls. Their unique cabaret style of performance (from dress to stage theatrics) is engrossing. Their music rocks.

It is so hard to find something totally new in the world of rock and roll, so the discovery of the Dresden Dolls is important. Here is a duo that combines "brechtian punk cabaret" with Black Sabbath covers. Although this sounds like a novelty, the combination actually works and the effect is powerful. Amanda has a powerful voice and sexy cabaret style. Brian is a theatrical drummer with an obvious ear for the demranding drum rolls often heard in heavy metal and opera.

Their June 5th, 2005 live performance at the Paradise Rock Club is incredible. From the opening song (Good Day) to their mind blowing cover of War Pigs by Black Sabbath to the final song (Truce), the Dresden Dolls kick serious cabaret ass. Amanda wails of love, hate, revenge and regret - usually within the same song. Brian pounds the drums like Tommy Lee on speed. The crowd goes wild and it is obvious that their fans are rabid for them. This is a band with a cult following.

My only question about the Dresden Dolls is - why haven't I heard of them before? The duo from Boston should be getting international acclaim and they deserve some mainstream press. Now that they are on the fast rising record label Roadrunner, they stand a great chance to become huge. In the meantime, I intend to make up for lost time by playing this live DVD over and over. I suggest you do the same. Highly recommended.