Everybody claims to hate lists, but who among us isn't secretly obsessed with them? For compulsive consumers of Best and Worst lists (and we are legion), this is truly the happiest time of year.

And my favorite list — the one that follows, in which I get to note the best DVDs of the year — wouldn't have fit into last week's Top 10 issue. That's because, in the short history of the DVD, 2006 may have been the best year ever — and even to scratch the surface of this remarkable output, I had to expand my list to include 20 selections.

This is the column where Adam Sandler and Martin Lawrence don't exist, where you're unlikely to find a mention of a worthy but too-obvious choice like Superman Returns. Where elaborate items like those slick new James Bond Ultimate Editions don't necessarily make the cut. (Life is too short to wade through hours of Roger Moore and George Lazenby just to get to the good stuff.) There's no room for filler here. Or to tell you things you already know.

Bear in mind also that this list only covers DVDs produced in the good ol' USA, so right off the bat we're omitting some choice items. Get yourself an all-region player (surprisingly affordable, by the way, and easy to snag) and you too can enjoy that Rosetta Stone of psychedelia, Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? (available exclusively in France), or those stylish Edgar Wallace crime-thrillers from Germany. And let's not forget those fabulous British editions of Murnau's Faust (from Masters of Cinema, the U.K.'s answer to Criterion), Jacques Rivette's brain-teasing Céline and Julie Go Boating, and Bela Tarr's glacial ode to Eastern European atrophy, Satantango. All 7 1/2 hours of it.

The 20 discs compiled here are, each in their own way, worthy of the highest praise, so apologies in advance for bombarding you with tired old words like "masterpiece," "indispensable" and "legendary." The simple truth is that there's just no other way to accurately describe stuff this good. So let's get to it.

1. The Double Life of Véronique

The crowning achievement of one of the very greatest of all filmmakers. Krzysztof Kieslowski made more masterpieces than most filmmakers dare dream of — the 10-part Dekalog, the Colors: Red, White, Blue trilogy — but The Double Life of Véronique (1991) is the film where all of his themes, his artistry, intellect and his all-embracing spirituality came together in one effortlessly sublime rush. The transfer on this Criterion Collection two-disc edition is a thing of beauty, the extras plentiful (even outshining previous European editions), and the packaging something to drool over (complete with a hefty, handsomely designed booklet). Criterion released an embarrassment of riches this year — stellar editions of great films such as Fists in the Pocket, Mr. Arkadin, Amarcord, Playtime and The Seven Samurai — but this was the cream of the crop. (Criterion Collection, $39.95)

2. The Conformist

A lot of legendary films M.I.A. from DVD finally saw the digital light this year, but Bernardo Bertolucci's 1971 classic might just be the holiest holy grail of all. This is Bertolucci at the absolute top of his game, a complex but elegantly understated study of a man who just wants to fit in, even when being "normal" (in the fascist Italy of Mussolini) means playing nice with monsters. The DVD does full justice to Vittorio Storaro's voluptuous cinematography, spicing up the deal with three featurettes covering various aspects of the film's production. (Paramount Home Video, $14.99)

3. The Busby Berkeley Collection

Eight hours of pure pleasure from the master choreographer who molded human dancers into patterns so fantastic they verged on the abstract, sent them spiraling willy-nilly through space, and then allowed his camera to float right along (or above or below) to record the whole eye-popping spectacle. Five of Berkeley's classic 1930s musicals are collected here, along with a sixth disc showcasing nothing but those opulently imaginative singing-and-dancing numbers that, frankly, still look revolutionary. This killer collection deserves to be beamed for all eternity into every home and place of business in America. (Warner Home Video, $59.98)

4. Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales

Eloquent talkfests like Before Sunset and My Dinner with Andre or even cruder language-driven fare such as Clerks and Swingers wouldn't exist if Eric Rohmer hadn't gotten there first. The six films collected on this astonishing box set are anti-action flicks in the best sense, driven by character, revealed through dialogue. Classically structured yet playfully lucid, what we have here is a collective last word on the battle of the sexes and on the silly, sometimes profound and often perverse games that people play. Rohmer personally supervised the beautiful transfers featured on Criterion's lovingly produced set, which also features a bounty of rare shorts, extensive interviews, a booklet of essays and a paperback of Rohmer's original stories. An essential purchase. (Criterion Collection, $99.95)

5. Pandora's Box

One of the final and most fantastic films of the silent era, G.W. Pabst's 1929 masterpiece finally arrives on DVD, and in the grand manner it deserves. In her most iconic role, the legendary Louise Brooks stars as Lulu, an insatiable, chameleon-like vamp who blithely plows through a series of men before meeting her own mythically larger-than-life end. The film's psychologically charged imagery has never seemed so poetic or perverse as in the velvety transfer on Criterion's two-disc set, which also includes a choice of four (!) separate musical scores, a commentary from a pair of combative experts, extensive insights into Brooks' mystique and a lovely, 98-page booklet. (Criterion Collection, $39.95)

6. Double Indemnity

Film noir fans had a lot to be grateful for in 2006, and some might argue the genre was best served on DVD by that spiffy new three-disc set of The Maltese Falcon released earlier this year. But for my money, the niftiest noir of all was Universal's double-disc set of the 1944 movie that broke all the rules and set the mold for everything to come, Double Indemnity. A meticulously restored transfer, two running commentaries, and a full disc crammed with fascinating supplements (including a very odd 1973 made-for-TV remake in its entirety) make this grand old dame grander than ever. (Universal Legacy Series, $26.98)

7. Sam Peckinpah Legendary Westerns

A true visionary, a first-class entertainer and a self-destructive bully of the worst sort, Sam Peckinpah hasn't been treated too kindly by DVD. That all changes with this amazing box set of four of the director's meatiest efforts, including his masterpiece, The Wild Bunch, plus Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Ride the High Country and Ballad of Cable Hogue. All of the movies look as fresh as the day they were first released in theaters, presented along with hours of extras that include exclusive documentaries, some of the best commentaries you'll ever hear and two separate versions of Pat Garrett. (Warner Home Video, $59.98)

8. Norman McLaren

If you don't know who Norman McLaren is, you certainly will after diving into this monumental seven-disc box set. Although this Scottish-born Canadian is generally thought of as an "animator," that seems an awfully narrow description for a trailblazer who incorporated so many art forms into his jewel-like little movies. Over a 40-year career, McLaren experimented with new ways of combining sound and image, photographed the human body in motion in ways previously unseen, drew directly on celluloid to stunning effect, and played with abstractions that conjure up what Stan Brakhage might have accomplished with more of a sense of humor. Virtually every scrap of footage McLaren ever shot is spread out across this massive set (along with a daunting array of extras), the final product being not unlike an entire life in a box. (Homevision, $99.99)

9. Valerio Zurlini Early Masterpieces

Zurlini, whose too-short career consisted of a mere handful of features made from 1954 to 1976, looks a lot like the missing link between the earthiness of neo-Realism and the more ornate, aesthetics-driven Italian cinema (Fellini, Antonioni, et al.) that followed. Both of the movies included on NoShame's two-disc set — Violent Summer (1959) and Girl with a Suitcase (1961) — detail doomed romance between a younger man and older woman, although the rich, rarefied atmosphere is miles above the wispy vapors of something like Summer of '42. Superbly crafted, impeccably performed and filled with characters as real as any you'll ever meet, these nearly forgotten gems are two of the year's most significant rediscoveries. Both films benefit from painstakingly restored transfers and newly translated subtitles (an English dub track for Girl is also included for the pathologically subtitle-resistant). The icing on the cake is nearly two and a half hours of juicy extras featuring a wealth of Zurlini collaborators and admirers putting the individual films in context and offering up insights into their importance. (NoShame, $29.95)

10. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

A guilty pleasure, for sure, but what a guilty pleasure. Russ Meyer's foray into the foxholes of "real" Hollywood proved to be his finest moment — and maybe also Roger Ebert's (who wrote the screenplay) — a kinky soap opera (about a sexy all-girl rock band) that made good use of its bigger budget while remaining true to the director's singular peculiarities. Fox's Special Edition lets the 1970 movie's glossy, day-glo colors have their way with us, then sweetens things further with two very cool commentaries (one by Ebert, one by the cast of ex-Playboy playmates), screen tests and no less than five featurettes. (20th Century Fox, $26.98)

11. Legends of Horror

There were scads of great horror collections released on DVD this year, but none came close to this baby. Six classic horror movies, none previously available on DVD, all digitally restored and spread across three discs: Mark of the Vampire, starring Bela Lugosi in an atmospheric project that riffs expertly on Dracula; Devil Doll, king of the creepy, miniature human movies; the vintage murder mysteries Doctor X and Return of Doctor X; Mask of Fu Manchu, with Boris Karloff tearing it up as the arch-villain; and the Expressionistic fever dream Mad Love, which is simply one of the best and scariest movies ever made. (Warner Home Video, $39.98)

12. The Tennessee Williams Collection

Lurid, heartbreaking, demented and theatrical (in the very best sense of the word), this is a phenomenal gathering of the lion's share of key cinematic adaptations of one of America's greatest playwrights. Included are the emotional workouts Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, Baby Doll (my personal fave), Night of the Iguana and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, all in sparkling new editions loaded with extras. Different as they are, the movies are all readily identifiable products of a single guiding intelligence, and they all become richer in combination with one another. Adding additional layers of juicy context is a bonus disc featuring the revelatory doc Tennessee Williams' South. (Warner Home Video, $68.98)

13. Spirit of the Beehive

After seeing the best film of the year, Pan's Labyrinth, you'll probably want to check out its unofficial companion piece, The Devil's Backbone. And after that, the logical place to go is here, to what may very well be the best Spanish film ever made. As in Pan's Labyrinth, Spirit of the Beehive (1973) shows us the world through the eyes of a young Spanish girl not quite capable of dealing with the very scary business of actual real life. A lyrical cinematic poem of the first order, Beehive projects a spellbinding power on this Criterion two-disc set, and those who wish to dig deeper will be thrilled with a full disc of interviews, analysis and a revisiting of the original production site. (Criterion Collection, $39.95)

14. The Preston Sturges Collection

All hail Hollywood's undisputed genius of screwball comedy, to whom we pay homage in this affordably priced collection containing just about everything Sturges ever did. Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story and Hail the Conquering Hero are among the seven gems included here, but be aware that, good as the movies are (and they look awfully good too, in crisp, cleaned-up transfers), there are no extras to speak of on this set. Sturges fanatics or cineastes with deep pockets may also want to spring for the Criterion editions of Sullivan and Eve, both of which include an assortment of fabulous bonus features. (Universal Studios, $59.98)

15. Gojira

Lavish packaging worthy of housing Citizen Kane is the tip-off that this is a DVD that takes its Godzilla (Gojira by any other name) very, very seriously. This smart and conspicuously groovy two-disc set includes stunning transfers of both the original 1954 Japanese-language (Raymond Burr-less) version, and its more familiar and campy American re-edit. The Japanese version plays like a whole other movie (a terse, weirdly restrained chiller with a strong anti-nuke subtext), and the smorgasbord of extras will fill you in on everything you ever wanted to know about the giant creature Tokyo loves to hate. (Sony Wonder, $21.98)

16. The Passenger

Outside of Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni's 1975 The Passenger might just be Hollywood's most successful co-opting of European sensibilities, and it's now finally available on DVD (in a version that restores seven minutes of lost footage). Jack Nicholson stars as a reporter who assumes the identity of a dead businessman and then finds himself sucked into a mystery with terrifying, existential consequences. It's all quite maddening and riveting (complete with a notorious finale that amounts to a nearly seven-minute uninterrupted take), although the DVD's two commentaries, including one from Nicholson, go a long way toward clearing up some mysteries. (Sony Pictures, $24.96)

17. >Casa Negra

I'm cheating a little here and lumping a quartet of titles into one spot under the banner of the DVD company putting them out. Over the past year or so, Casa Negra has been quietly releasing a series of vintage Mexican monster movies from the '60s — including The Witch's Mirror, Curse of the Crying Woman, Black Pit of Dr. M, and the indescribable Brainiac — in beautifully produced editions that clearly demonstrate a love and respect for these films. Each movie is presented in its original Spanish language (as well as in its English dubbed version, for those of us who take our cheese straight), and the results are surprisingly elegant and often genuinely frightening. Even the ludicrously bizarre Brainiac displays a primitive power worth its weight in I Know What You Did Last Summer sequels. (Casa Negra, all titles approx. $19.95)

18. When the Levees Broke

Spike Lee's best film in years is this four-hour documentary (made for HBO) that rightfully bills itself as a "requiem" for New Orleans. Lee offers up a damning indictment of the human folly that caused even more suffering than Katrina herself, and the DVD's copious extras fill in the blanks so thoroughly that the cumulative effect is almost too painful to absorb. Strong, essential stuff. (HBO Home Video, $29.98)

19. Edvard Munch

Peter Watkins' 1976 portrait of the tortured artist is anything but a conventional biopic. For 174 minutes, the director plumbs Munch's inner depths, while taking in the sweep and subtleties of the 19th-century Norwegian society he inhabited. Watkins shoots fly-on-the-wall documentary fashion, then boils it all down into a richly textured, Joyce-ean stew until time and memory merge into one fluid rush. You've probably never seen anything quite like this film, and yes, much of it is pretty perplexing. But don't fret — the notoriously media-shy Watkins (who won't talk to journalists) supplies an enlightening, 24-page "self-interview" for the DVD that helps walk us through the experience. (New Yorker Video, $29.95)

20. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Writer-director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) seems to be having a blast here, outrageously spoofing the action flicks that made him rich and famous. When the plot finally kicks in, it hardly matters, since KKBB (2005) turns out to be modeled on those wonderfully convoluted Raymond Chandler noirs where even the writer isn't sure who killed whom and why (think the Marx Brothers channeled through Altman's The Long Goodbye). It's all very smart and silly, simultaneously skewering and paying homage to Hollywood, while re-stitching the seams between movies and real life. And if you think the movie is a hoot, just wait till you hear Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. running down the hoodoo in their stupefying commentary. (Warner Home Video, $19.98)

This article appears in Jan 3-9, 2007.