Best Picture, Sound, and Extras on DVD

1. The Searchers (Ultimate Collector's Edition; Warner, 2 discs). The John Ford/John Wayne classic never looked better, in crisp Technicolor and Ford's preferred VistaVision aspect ratio. With tons of interviews and other extras, including the 1956 comic book! - Mel Neuhaus

2. King Kong (2005, Deluxe Extended Edition; Universal, 3 discs). The impeccably detailed video and audio are reason enough to praise this release, but you also get a boatload of extras, including 40 minutes of deleted scenes. - Rad Bennett

3. Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition; Warner, 2 discs). Beautiful color and crystal-clear CinemaScope images are so good that a guest mistook the disc for high-def. Great extras, too: documentaries, a whole other Robby the Robot feature - even a Robby toy! - Mel Neuhaus

4. The Seven Samurai (The Criterion Collection, 3 discs). A mini film-school course on Akira Kurosawa and the samurai genre. Fifty-year-old movies have no business looking this good. - Brandon Grafius

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Special Edition; Disney, 2 discs). See Johnny swashbuckle amidst ace CGI effects, an immersive soundtrack, and lots of making-of extras. - Marc Horowitz

6. Apocalypse Now (The Complete Dossier; Paramount, 2 discs). Images and sonics rock, but buy this set for the extras: deleted/extended scenes, a Francis Ford Coppola commentary, and stuff on Marlon Brando that's worth the price of admission all by itself. - Marc Horowitz

7. V for Vendetta (Special Edition; Warner, 2 discs). The antiestablishment movie to end all antiestablishment movies, in a state-of-the-art transfer. Most important extra (on Guy Fawkes) clarifies the plot. - Rad Bennett

8. Young Mr. Lincoln (The Criterion Collection, 2 discs). Plenty of interviews and other background material - and besides Criterion's usual fine video transfer, a great audio restoration. - Sol Louis Siegel

9. The Proposition (First Look). This Australian Western gets the grand treatment: a commentary, featurettes, and a kicking DTS surround track that really uses all of the channels. - Sol Louis Siegel

10. The War of the Worlds (1953, Special Collector's Edition; Para-mount). Vibrant colors are restored and scratches eliminated in this A+ transfer. Extras include Orson Welles's famous radio version. - Rad Bennett

Individual Ballots Rad Bennett Brandon Grafius Marc Horowitz Ken Korman Josef Krebs Mel Neuhaus Sol Louis Siegel

Best Sound on CD

1. The Flaming Lips: At War with the Mystics (Warner Bros., below left). With all its trippy effects and unexpected twists and turns, this is an album made not just for a good stereo system but also for a great pair of headphones. - Rob O'connor

2. Donald Fagen: Morph the Cat (Reprise, below). Fagen and his engineer, Elliot Scheiner, prove that they can still create some of the most pristine sonics in pop. And the very notion of recording quality plays right into Fagen's aesthetic of close observation and moody intoxication. - Parke Puterbaugh

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.). Producer Rick Rubin's frenetic, skittering sound helps these four eternally Lost Boy punk/funkers stay hungry - and relevant. - Billy Altman

4. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife (Capitol). Nothing beats a roomful of beautifully recorded, brilliantly arranged, real live instruments. - Brett Milano

5. Lindsey Buckingham: Under the Skin (Reprise). A stripped-down production, consisting mainly of vocal effects and processed guitars, lays bare the Fleetwood Mac frontman's raw honesty. - Mike Mettler

6. Beck: The Information (Interscope). Mr. Hansen makes the most soulful sound-effects records of anyone on the planet. I love every beep, bell, and whistle. - Parke Puterbaugh

7. David Gilmour: On an Island (Columbia). Produced by Phil Manzanera, Chris Thomas, and Gilmour himself, it has all the classic depth and drama. And that guitar has never sounded more clear. - Ken Richardson

8. Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope (Sire). Wide-angled yet spare sonic landscapes bring this quirky songstress's unique talents into bold relief. - Billy Altman

9. Bob Dylan: Modern Times (Columbia). "Modern" or not, nobody has gotten this much mileage out of brushed drums in decades. - Brett Milano

10. Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.: The Land of Pure Imagination (Cordless). Adventures in Beatledom (and XTC-osity) using the complete sonic palette: a rich, creative bit of (home) studio wizardry. - Andrew Nash

Individual Ballots Billy Altman Mike Mettler (Top 15) Brett Milano Andrew Nash Rob O'Connor Parke Puterbaugh Ken Richardson

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