This is my growing collection of DVD titles. It is by no means complete and, in a perfect world, I can envision having many hundreds, if not thousands, of movies in my collection. Whenever I review the titles out there that I still don't own, I always find many that I would like to have.
However, I now feel that I've got things to a kind of essential minimum, although I still make note of several essential missing genres.
In choosing DVDs I always make sure that they are presented in their originally filmed aspect ratio. If such is not available, I refuse to own the media. In relation to this, I also try to own any "Director's Cuts" of movies where these are available in addition to the theatrical release, since I feel they more accurately represent what the director had meant to do with the movie.
I should note that I have certain criteria for what goes in my collection. For the most part I want to own good art "films" (Lawrence Of Arabia, Citizen Kane, Memento), well made and enjoyable mainstream "movies" (Murder In The First, Dead Zone, The Green Mile), and cult classics (Alien, Ghost In The Shell, The Prisoner). If there's a movie I don't like, or think is not really good within its own context, I would prefer to not own it, rather than to put it in with all of the others.
Two of my favourite movies, one of which I'm still on the lookout for, are Truly Madly Deeply and Until The End Of The World. I don't consider these to be the best movies or films, although they certainly rank among the better ones, and the latter definitely deserves study by any film student, but they're my favourites because of how much they affected me when I first saw them.
Until The End Of The World is one of the few Wim Wenders' movies still to be released on DVD, the delay having been caused by ongoing licensing disputes. This film has seen several different versions, around which is some controversy. Recently, there is news that a 3 disc Director's Cut of the original (almost never seen) 5 1/2 hour movie is finally in the works. Here is a good information site.
To friends and family, and anybody else who might like to buy me a DVD, you can refer to my Amazon.ca Wish List - anything on there is bound to be something I'd like, since I added it myself. You should note, however, that I am no longer buying anything but Blu-ray titles. Those on the list that are not Blu-ray are more "place holders" for when they become available in the new format.