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Best/worst DVD menus...

post #1 of 6
9/20/06 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
Patrick mentioned in the "Stay Alive DVD contest" thread that the menu was designed to look like an actual video game menu, and it got me thinking...

What are some of the best/most creative/most interesting DVD menus?

Here are some of my favorites...
-"Requiem For a Dream"- Looks like the "order now!" screen from an infomercial, using the Tappy Tibbons show Sarah watches constantly in the film. The scene selection menu is awesome just for the theme played as muzak.
-"Lord of the Rings"(extended editions)- Made to look like pages of a book, simple and effective.
-"Wayne's World"(1 and 2)- Looks like a low-rent cable/satelite channel guide. Things like scenes and trailers are integrated so that when you click on a "program", it's something else to see. There are even clips from real shows such as "I Love Lucy". Granted, they're basically ads for their DVDs, but it's still clever.
-"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"(Criterion)- Awesome and simple. Just Ralph Steadman Writing the title in his trademark pen and ink splatter style.
-"Star Wars"(all of them)- The different planet based menus that play randomly, cool idea and well done.

As for worst...
-"Barton Fink"- Just because the menu itself has a big spoiler(when you hit play it shows a clip from the film).
In fact, any DVD that plays a clip from the movie when you make a selection. Sometimes they're long as hell and you can't skip them.
I don't have the second "Memento" DVD release, but I've heard the menu is a royal pain.
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post #2 of 6
9/20/06 at 10:12pm
The ones for the WAYNE'S WORLD films are quite good. They don't take the premise overboard, it doesn't hinder getting around the disc, it's just right.

The ones for the DIE HARD films are well done, especially the menus on the first movie.

The worst is whatever season of "The Simpsons," either 2 or 3, that makes you match up character heads to the right body before watching an episode. Ponderous.
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post #3 of 6
9/20/06 at 10:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-6
-"Star Wars"(all of them)- The different planet based menus that play randomly, cool idea and well done.
Really love the Star Wars menus - especially the Obi-Wan/Jango fight on the Episode 2 menu. Every time I come upon that, I watch it until it loops.

The opening music & slo-mo assault rifle firing really pump me up on the Heat SE disc.

Also, the unrated Van Wilder menu has gratuitous nudity, and it was a surprise, so that's a welcome addition.

As for the worst, can't really think of any. But I was a little disappointed by the "KRONOS" menu on the Incredibles disc 2. Of all the artistry & creativity in that movie, the menu is just kinda drab....
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post #4 of 6
9/20/06 at 10:38pm
I think my personal favorite would have to be the menu for 'House of a Thousand Corpses', presided over by Captain Spaulding himself, who gets bitchier and bitchier the longer you wait before making your selection. The first time I saw it I found myself enrapt in his griping, refusing to make a selection just to see how pissy I could make him.
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post #5 of 6
9/20/06 at 10:53pm
The original snapcase Matrix, with the music and everything, so cool I'd always watch it play all the way through before starting the movie.

I like the Collateral menus, though I can't put my finger on why, exactly. Just classy.

Reservoir Dogs SE, too.


The aforementioned Memento LE ones are the fucking worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas, and the ones for "Pi", well not actually bad or anything, made me feel like a piece of shit when I was sick once.
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post #6 of 6
9/20/06 at 10:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti
The worst is whatever season of "The Simpsons," either 2 or 3, that makes you match up character heads to the right body before watching an episode. Ponderous.
The one you are talking about is season 2, but season 3 was pretty terrible as well with it's static black menus over text.

The menus for the two disc set of "Se7en" were pretty hard to navigate and the fact that you had to watch a 30 second intro before getting to the menu itself was a pain in the ass.

The menus for the Lemony Snickett DVD are really fun to watch (they play out like the end credit sequence)and I'm a sucker for menus that change the wording from the standard "chapter selection" to something goofy like "unfortunate scenes".
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