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Rad Bennett's Top 9 DVDs of 2007

1. Rome: Season 2 (HBO, 5 discs). Rome in all its gory glory, a miniseries with such high production values that you'll feel like you're watching a movie. First-rate DVD transfers are accompanied by enough extras to keep you happy all winter. 2. Days of Heaven (The Criterion Collection). It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1978, but no DVD has done it justice until now. This transfer has preserved every beautiful moment; the only better way to see it would be in HD or in a movie theater. 3. 300 (Special Edition; Warner, 2 discs). In brutal scenes depicting the standoff at Thermopylae, every bit of blood, sweat, grit, and grime is reproduced vividly in this A-plus transfer. Equally conveying the heat of battle is the thunderous soundtrack. 4. Ratatouille (Disney/Pixar). With its latest creation, Pixar takes animation to a new level. And here, the picture and sound, digitally transferred directly to the DVD, both have amazing resolution. 5. The War (PBS/Paramount, 6 discs). Although Ken Burns uses a combination of black-and-white photos, archival footage, and recently filmed interviews for his rhapsodic reconstruction of the American experience of World War II, the overall picture quality of this TV series is excellent. A year was spent on recreating the sounds of battles, and the result is machine-gun fire and explosions that are far more convincing than those in most major movies. 6. Hairspray (New Line, 2 discs). The piled hair, bright clothing, and rocking music come to life in this brilliant transfer of the year's most fun movie. A good set of extras is icing on the cake. 7. Children of Men (Universal). Tough and gritty science fiction that is most rewarding if you stick with it. The video transfer is just fine, but the subtly mixed multichannel sound is what you'll remember most. 8. Happy Feet (Warner). An animated film that takes to DVD like a penguin to water. And it proves that you don't have to play a live-action film to get an outstanding 5.1-channel sound mix. 9. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (The Weinstein Company/Genius Products). A searing story of the rise of the Irish Republican Army in the 1920s that is dramatically and visually impressive. Rich colors and a robust soundtrack make for a swell DVD.