Titanic

No matter how you measure it—scope, budget, length or awards, Titanic was one of the biggest movies of all time. That’s why many early DVD adopters were puzzled by the shoddy treatment it received on its initial release: a highly compressed, non-anamorphic transfer, no extras and a poor, almost tinny, soundtrack. Finally, Paramount has upgraded Titanic’s accommodations from steerage to first-class. The new three-disc special edition finally gives the viewer a brand new transfer, enhanced for widescreen TVs and spread out over two discs for maximum audio/visual fidelity. In addition to the usual Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, there’s also a more expressive DTS 5.1 soundtrack that gives your subwoofer and surrounds a hearty workout; you’ll swear there’s steel groaning and creaking all around you. The set also boasts three different commentaries, and a third disc of bonus materials including all the footage of the actual wreck that director James Cameron filmed on his dives for the movie. There’s nearly an hour of deleted scenes, also with commentary, and various documentaries about the epic production. This special edition truly lives up to the name “Titanic.”