1. Seven Samurai: Criterion Collection
The number one film in my annual list is one I didn't get a chance to review, but that is simply the most essential DVD to have appeared in 2006. The generous extras are spread out across the three discs in this beautifully designed set, while the film itself has been breathtakingly restored. Add to this the enduring appeal of this all-time favorite, and we have an undoubted winner in last year's impressive line-up of DVD releases.

2. King Kong (2005): Extended Edition
Peter Jackson's no-holds-barred remake of the ultimate monster movie isn't as universally beloved as his Tolkien trilogy, and this slightly longer cut is unlikely to win over the film's detractors. But those who were enamored of the film will find this three-disc set impossible to beat, living up to the incredibly high standards set by the Rings extended multi-disc releases with its incredible variety of fascinating supplemental material.

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3. The Maltese Falcon: Special Edition
The new European edition may pale somewhat in comparison with its American counterpart (which carries a third disc devoted to previous adaptations of the Hammett novel), but the superb restoration job and meaty supplements on the first two platters alone make this re-release of this greatest of noir detective thrillers an essential addition to any collection.

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4. United 93
2006 saw a sudden end to the five-year moratorium on fictionalized accounts of the 9/11 attacks, with British director Paul Greengrass taking the opposite strategy of Oliver Stone, whose blandly generic World Trade Center following hot on the heels of the immeasurably superior United 93. The experience is hardly less chilling on DVD, where the director's commentary track adds significantly to one's appreciation of the film, as does the poignant documentary in which the actors spend time with the relatives of the characters they play in the film.

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5. Battlestar Galactica: Season 2
Another product of post-9/11 angst, Battlestar Galactica continues to distinguish itself as the finest drama series on cable, as it bravely tackles the contemporary political situation, painting a powerful metaphor in shades of grey. The second season picks up from the breathtaking cliffhanger that ended season one with a literal bang, and then builds up to another one that defies viewers bent on a happy ending in every way.

6. Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Michael Winterbottom continues to show off his peerless versatility as a film director with this film-within-a-film-within-a-film: a brilliant take on adapting the notoriously unfilmable eighteenth-century masterpiece The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. Besides offering a multi-layered take on the nature of literary adaptation (the finest since the Kaufman/Jonze collaboration Adaptation.), the film is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish, as are many of the extras on this superb DVD.

7. All the President's Men: Special Edition
Alan J. Pakula's seminal thriller has rarely felt more topical, as the need for independent investigative journalism grows in a nation where civil liberties and freedom of the press are increasingly in danger of becoming casualties of the War on Terror. While time will tell how the current Commander-in-Chief will go down in history, every viewer of All the President's Men will know how Watergate turned out for Richard M. Nixon, but that makes no difference for the tension maintained effortlessly throughout this gripping procedural thriller.

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8. Double Indemnity: Legacy Edition
Long out of print on DVD after a mediocre release from Image, Universal does good by Billy Wilder's legendary first sojourn into the director's chair, which still stands as the definitive film noir. The restored print isn't spectacular, but is certainly acceptable, while a nice selection of newly produced extras graces this handsomely packaged edition. The second disc - somewhat bafflingly - contains only the groansome 1973 made-for-TV remake.

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9. Seinfeld: Season 7
The sixth volume in Sony's outstanding series of Seinfeld box sets will hold few surprises for the show's many fans, as it continues in exactly the same format as the previous five sets: four discs with excellent video transfers of all the seasons episodes, with large and varied supplements that include deleted scenes, featurettes on individual episodes as well as the season as a whole, audio commentary for most episodes, trivia tracks, etc. The longer featurettes focus on Larry David's contributions to the show, as this was his final season, which he notoriously ended with a coup de grace involving George's fiancée, memorably closing off the main narrative arc for this season.

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10a. Superman - The Movie: 4-disc Special Edition
10b. Superman II: Special Edition / Richard Donner Cut
The Man of Steel's return to the silver screen in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns gave Warner Brothers a new opportunity to cash in on the franchise, which is just as well, as the latest reissue of the Christopher Reeve films is definitely worth the upgrade. Superman: The Movie now offers a choice between the longer director's cut and the original theatrical release (previously unavailable on DVD), while the already oustanding extras from the previous release are complemented by the pilot for the 1950s TV show and the fully restored Fleischer Brothers cartoons. Superman II has been revisited as well, now including a version that restores as much of original director Richard Donner's footage as possible, making for an interesting and welcome addition to the familiar Richard Lester version.

Superman - the Movie: read the review
Superman II: read the review