The idea is straightforward -- and hardly original, we will readily confess: Which DVDs would you deem essential if you were stranded on a desert isle? Not necessarily "the best" DVDs (whatever "the best" means) but DVDs that a person of discerning nature would want to watch over and over again. Of course, it all depends on which genre or genres one finds more congenial. Ergo, our Essential DVDs list, arranged according to standard genres, as well as eclectic and rather unusual categories.
 

NOTE: Please bear in mind that taxonomy ain't ever easy. Categories that seem perfectly natural to one person may seem arbitrary and even capricious to another. We tried to anticipate how the average avid DVD aficionado would go about choosing a title according to type or one's mood, but, as we all know, no one's average -- and figuring out what makes one average is not only beyond the mission of this site but would involve us in yet another taxonomic morass. Hence we do keep an open mind, and if you have a suggestion for a new cinematic category . - Ed.