Now that DVD has gone mainstream, video stores are filled with a bewildering array of releases. Even the best intentioned of holiday shoppers could become overwhelmed with all the choices. Luckily for you, is home to a vital community of die-hard cinephiles who have their collective finger on the pulse of the home video market. We polled our forum to find out what discs our members are most eagerly anticipating finding under the tree this year. They came up with ten sure-fire gift ideas covering everything from television to comedy to action and drama. Here then is ’ Top Ten Most Wanted DVDs of 2006. We did the work so you don’t have to!

10. The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Special Edition) (1941)
Great movies deserve special treatment. Taking a page from The Wizard of Oz 3-disc collection, Warner Brothers is releasing two earlier versions of The Maltese Falcon as well as the remastered Humphrey Bogart timeless classic. These three versions combine to show the evolution of the story to the masterpiece that is the 1941 version. The perfect example of film noir, Falcon presents Bogart’s Sam Spade with more double-crosses than a year in high school. What pretends to be a simple murder-mystery evolves into a story that is about so much more. This movie is Bogart’s star making role, later exemplified when he teamed up with the same director, John Huston, on The African Queen.

This three disc special edition is an example of the latest thing in single movie box-sets: the throw-everything-we-have-see-what-sticks. For The Maltese Falcon, it works beautifully. Included are three cartoons which originally preceded the film, as well as actual newsreels from 1941. Harkening back to the age when noir ruled the air are three radio versions of The Maltese Falcon; two of which star Bogie himself. Returning from the first release is the 1997 Turner Classic Movies compilation of Bogart movie trailers. Brand new for this collection is a commentary from a respected Bogart biographer and a 30 minute retrocpective documentary The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird. Finally, this three disc set even includes a vintage blooper reel. Truly, this is the stuff DVD dreams are made of.
-- Jeremy Bloss

9. Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films
Forget about giving your friend or loved one a single disc to supplement their collection. Why not give them an ENTIRE DVD COLLECTION in a single box?

Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films has to be the most coveted of all Criterion releases to date. This mammoth set includes 50 of the most important films ever released from L'Avventura and The 400 Blows through The Importance of Being Ernest, The Lady Vanishes and Grand Illusion to Rashomon, The Seventh Seal and The Wages of Fear to name just a few. Each of these discs is exactly the same as their stand alone versions in the Criterion catalogue, with all the commentaries, photo galleries and other ancillary content intact. All of it is packaged into a sumptuous, beautifully designed binder and includes a gorgeous 200 page hardcover book that's filled with interesting essays and photos.

Of course, all this luxury isn't free. At a retail price of just over $600, this isn't a casual purchase. On the other hand, if you have the money to spend and you know a hard core fan of art house and foreign film, you'll instantly become their hero and make their Christmas one for the ages when they find this amazing box under the tree. It's not for the faint of heart of the light of pocketbook but there's no question that Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films is the single finest release by any DVD studio this year.
-- Chris Hughes

8. Reds (25th Anniversary Edition) (1981)
Early in 2005 I watched Reds via an admittedly illegal download and wrote an article for another site which as of yet remains unpublished. The closing lines of that article were this: 

“…if Paramount ever moves their ass to release it, instead of creating new editions of Tommy Boy, I will definitely buy it. It is definitely something I would like to revisit in the future in digital clarity.”

Well, in October it finally did get released, and what a treat it is. I loved the film much more on the most recent viewing, and the Laurent Bouzereau directed documentaries on the second disc are absolutely among the most insightful that a film fan could ever hope for. Sure the film is a little overlong, and sure it’s tailor made for Oscars. But Reds has romance, politics, drama, history, great acting and a pretty much everything that makes movies worth watching. It definitely belongs under every DVD collector’s tree this year.
-- Shawn McLoughlin

7. Brazil - The Criterion Collection (3-Disc Boxed Set) (1985)
As with all of Terry Gilliam's best films, Brazil is something of a misunderstood masterpiece. The production of the movie was tumultuous, chaotic and punctuated by almost constant second guessing by the studio and distributors. This resulted in several versions of the film being distributed in different markets and formats. The original Gilliam cut was released to the international market by Embassy International Pictures but US distributor Universal decided to recut the ending based on what they perceived as bad audience testing. Later, Brazil was almost completely recut and reedited for broadcast on American television. Through this roller-coaster ride, Gilliam fought tooth and nail to maintain the integrity of his original vision with varying degrees of success.

The Criterion release of Brazil is a comprehensive documentation of the ups and downs of the film's production. It includes one of the best documentaries about the pitfalls of making daring films, both the original Gilliam cut and the so-called "love conquers all" cut featuring all the changes made by Universal against the director's wishes, a mind bogglingly huge gallery of production and publicity stills and story boards, video interviews with key production team members and an audio essay on Brazil's artistic achievements by journalist David Morgan. For years the three disc Criterion Brazil has been considered a high mark in any DVD collection. This revised version of the set replaces the non anamorphic transfer with a new, full anamorphic and digitally restored transfer making it a fantastic gift for those who already own the older set and those who are adding Brazil to their collection for the first time.
-- Chris Hughes

6. Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition
There are few pop culture icons as instantly recognizable as a red “S” emblazoned on a yellow diamond. Superman has been an American institution for the better part of 70 years and what better way to commemorate the video release of the latest film than a new DVD boxed set? However, The Ultimate Superman Collection is not just a piddly cardboard box slapped around a bunch of DVDs and priced at a premium. This comprehensive collection contains not only all of Superman’s big-screen adventures, but also supplements that help chart the evolution of the character, as well as offering insight in the process of making some of the biggest films of all time. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say this set rivals the superlative Alien Quadrilogy for best series boxed set of all time. It is truly one of the rare packages that deserve to be billed as the Ultimate Collection. Yes, it’s that good.

Warner Bros. Must have raided the vault for all of their materials regarding the Superman films, because I’m hard pressed to imagine anything more that could’ve been included. Not only do you get special editions of the four Christopher Reeve Superman films and Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. You also get the 2001 extended version of Superman: The Movie and the recently released Superman II: the Richard Donner Cut. This much material is already enough value to make the set a worthy purchase, but Warner’s has generously packed this set to the brim with Superman supplements. The 1958 George Reeves film Superman and the Mole Men is included, as is the full roster of (fully restored) Max Fleischer Superman cartoons, to say nothing of documentaries, commentaries and deleted scenes for each of the feature films as well as the feature length documentary Look! Up in the Sky! All the Christopher Reeve films have been spruced up with all new transfers and look better than ever before. The set is beautifully packaged in a steel case embossed, appropriately, with the moniker of the Man of Steel.  

It’s hard to believe that this set can be had for as much as, or less than, the cost of cherry picking your three favorite Superman films and buying them individually. The Ultimate Superman Collection is a great value and would make the perfect gift for any lover of comic books or fan of fantasy film. Act quickly, however. These already hard-to-find sets are going to be placed on moratorium come the New Year.
-- Trevor Griffiths 

5. Walt Disney Treasures (More Silly Symphonies/Your Host, Walt Disney/The Complete Pluto, Volume Two/The Mickey Mouse Club Featuring the Hardy Boys)
Slowly Disney has been opening the vault and releasing some of their best shorts. Their first five waves of Walt Disney Treasures gave us such classics as all of the Mickey Mouse cartoons, a look into Disney’s World War II propaganda, and some classic Disney shows. This sixth wave gives us the long awaited More Silly Symphonies, Volume Two, selected episodes of the Disney show Your Host, Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse Club’s cliff-hanging series The Hardy Boys and Mickey’s favorite pooch in The Complete Pluto, Volume 2. Each two disc set is presented inside a collectible tin with a numbered certificate of authenticity, an 8 page booklet and a color photo card. Besides these actually interesting inserts are featurettes and art galleries for each set. Pluto and Symphonies even have commentary on selected episodes. At only 65,000 tins produced, by far the fewest of any of the waves, this set is sure to go fast.

Symphonies presents the remaining 38 music oriented shorts produced between 1929 and1939. This show was where many animators got their first shot at story telling. Included in this set is the Academy Award winning short “Three Orphan Kittens” (Best Cartoon, 1935). Hardy Boys includes all 20 ten minute segments from “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure” and all 15 episodes from “The Mystery of the Ghost Farm”. It also includes the entire episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that introduced each segment. Your Host includes 5 separate “Disneyland” shows as well as a plethora of vintage extras that give unique perspective on the entrepreneur. Finally, Pluto, Volume 2 includes 24shorts by Pluto as well as Mickey’s lesser know cat, Figaro from 1947-1951. With no voice, Pluto is a throwback to the days of the silent film, when more was said with a curious look than a soliloquy. Also included are pencil-tests, a breakdown of one of the shorts, and an animation class hosted by two current Disney animators. All of these tins are presented with care and should be included in any serious DVD collection.  -
- Jeremy Bloss

4. A Scanner Darkly
Philip K. Dick has been called a metaphysical poet, the thinking man’s science fiction writer and a psychedelic profit. His relatively short career included dozens of masterful novels and A Scanner Darkly is considered by many to be his best. Over the years several directors have tried their hand at adapting Dick’s work for the big screen with varying results. When Richard Linklater announced that he would adapt A Scanner Darkly as a computer-rotoscoped animated feature, fans of the novel were alternately excited and filled with trepidation. Would the final product do justice to the sprawling, freeform original?

The resulting film is far from a direct page-to-screen transposition. Though A Scanner Darkly contains most of Dick’s plot points and characters the movie has just as much in common with Linklater’s earlier works including Slacker and Waking Life. It’s a heavily dialogue focused feature that takes the viewer on a conversational journey with just enough forward momentum to keep things lively. If you know a science fiction fan who favors concept over combustion, add A Scanner Darkly to your shopping list.
-- Chris Hughes

3. King Kong (Deluxe Extended Limited Edition DVD Gift Set) (2005)
Woe to those who didn't expect an extended edition of Peter Jackson's King Kong to be released months after its original DVD release. Woe to those who had purchased the original DVD who are now faced with the choice of yet another edition of the film to choose from. And worst of all, woe to those who knew an extended version was coming, picked up the original release anyway and are now willfully shilling out an extra $25 for yet another God damned version of King Kong.

Guess which category I'm in.

Using the original 1933 film as a springboard, Peter Jackson's extended edition of King Kong faithfully adheres to the original's concept while expanding the story, clocking in at a near-exhausting three hours and twenty-one minutes; a surprisingly short thirteen additional minutes in contrast to the original cut. Comparing this with Jackson's extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings saga might make it seem a miniscule addition, but the material that's been added back in should be appreciated by fans.
-- John Felix

2. Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection - 3-Disc Remastered Edition (1954)
Criterion pioneered the concept of special editions way back in the days of laser disc by offering all sorts of interesting ancillary content with their releases. The industry followed suit and now special edition releases packed with extras are the norm. But for all their innovation, Criterion is at it's core a conservative company. They don't "double dip" titles with release after release featuring marginally updated extras. In fact, many of Criterions early DVD offerings have yet to be upgraded from non anamorphic transfers and movie-only editions. When Criterion upgrades, they mean business and this three disc release of The Seven Samurai is a perfect example.

Considered by many to be director Akira Kurosawa's over arching masterpiece, The original Criterion release of The Seven Samurai included an exceptionally clean print of the film along with an audio commentary by film historian Michael Jeck and the US theatrical trailer. This new three disc edition raises the stakes considerably. To begin with, the feature is encoded at a much higher bit rate from a digitally restored source and has been divided across two discs for optimal picture and sound quality. Criterion added a second commentary with film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie, along with a selection of theatrical trailers and the original Japanese teaser. As if that weren't enough, Criterion includes a third disc that features a 50-minute documentary on the making of The Seven Samurai, a two-hour video conversation between Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima produced by the Directors Guild of Japan, a new documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa's masterpiece and an extensive collection of production and publicity stills. But wait! There's more! Inside the beautifully designed packaging you'll find a booklet containing essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, and Sidney Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune. Now THAT's a special edition!
-- Chris Hughes

1. Saturday Night Live - The Complete First Season (1975)
They were called "the Beatles of comedy." In 1975, Lorne Michaels, a young television producer from Canada, assembled one of the most talented casts ever seen on television, and created a ground-breaking sketch comedy show for late-night television that would stand the test of time.

Saturday Night Live (originally titled NBC's Saturday Night) has been on the air of over 30 years. While the show has had its share of peaks and valleys, it is testament to the vision of Michaels that his concept had staying power. None of that would have been so had his format and his cast of "Not Ready For Primetime Players" not been a magically perfect fit. SNL featured the unparalleled talents of John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. They were supported by the writing talents of Michael O'Donoghue, Franken & Davis, Don Novello, and others.

This was a show for the counter-culture by the counter-culture. Music was a major part of the lives of the creators and viewers of SNL, and it was given a major place within the show. Between the house band lead by Howard Shore and the weekly guest artists, SNL became the place to see music on television for a certain demographic. That blessing also became a curse when the era of TV-on-DVD became a reality. Trying to secure the maze of music rights involved essentially proved too daunting a task to bother with releasing anything but select "best-of" collections.

The unimaginable happened when GE/NBC bought MCA/Universal and their healthy music catalogue. In a day I thought I would never see, the stars aligned perfectly to allow for the release of Saturday Night Live on DVD in a complete first season set. Now, everyone can see history being made, legends being born, laugh at what is still funny, and groove to the music that is still good.
-- Larry Phillips