Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, the feature films that resulted from Walt Disney’s goodwill tour through Latin America don’t often come to mind when you think of classic Disney Feature Animation. And yet, these two films were both nominated for Academy Awards. Each film… Read More »The Classic Caballeros Collection: Saludos Amigos / The Three Caballeros
I was not lucky enough to see Enchanted in the theaters. I heard about how wonderful Amy Adams was and how the whole film just worked from start to finish. Well now that I’ve seen it on DVD, all I can say is go out and get a copy right away. The movie is sweet, endearing and enchanting for every minute it’s on screen. It’s not going to go down as the best Disney film ever, but it ranks right up there with some of the classics.
Also of note is the use of animation that bookends the film’s New York City setting. This was the first hand drawn animation from the Mouse House as they embarked on a journey back to regularly using hand drawn animation in feature animation. I was impressed with how close the animation was to some of the classics, a move that was intentional, but I don’t want to give away too much of the film. Let’s just say that the number of ‘homages’ to other Disney films is substantial.
The Enchanted DVD comes with a few excellent extras that make the DVD a pleasurable viewing experience. Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, and a behind the scenes featurette will keep your interest. Sadly, there is no director’s commentary from director Kevin Lima. I know he’s a funny and intelligent man and think knowing his views and choices would be a nice addition.
The Full Press Release is below the cut
Johnny and the Sprites is a wonderful show on The Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney morning line up that works to teach children 2-5 some important lessons, while providing entertainment from some of the best talent on Broadway. It’s a recipe that bakes up some of the best magic on The Disney Channel in years. The first season is now available on DVD so you can watch this show with your children at any time.
The DVD features two bonus features. One a magical sing-a-long segment and the other the original shorts that served as interstitials on the Disney Channel and proved the popularity of the show. There are lots of wonderful gems just in the shorts.
What I like most about Johnny and the Sprites is that it’s the show of today that comes closest to the shows of my youth that told fun, but helpful, stories through song and puppeteering. Those were my favorite shows and I’d have to place Johnny and the Sprites: Meet The Sprites in that same echelon.
The full press release is below the cut:
Alright. The 101 Dalmatians DVD Great Giveaway contest has come to a close and we have four lucky winners. But first, thank you so much to everyone who participated in the contest. I appreciate all the entries and all the great feedback you provided. The… Read More »101 Dalmatians Great DVD Giveaway Winners
I remember the last time Disney released 101 Dalmatians on DVD to the public. McDonalds has those great Happy Meal Xmas Ornaments and Disneyland’s Main Street USA was festooned with the sculptures of 101 cute little dalmatian puppies. Ah… those were the days. It’s hard to believe that was 10 years ago. But it was and it’s been 10 years since 101 Dalmatians have been let out of the vault in search of milkbones.
This release, the platinum edition release, features a wonderfully done digitally remastered print of the movie. The detail is much more noticeable than on my decade old DVD. The other affect this has is to really bring out the lines and motion of the master animators who drew these characters, especially the marvelous “Cruella DeVil” as brought to live by Marc Davis.
Also included in the two-disc DVD set are a host of special features. My favorites were the ‘deleted songs’. It would have been a very different picture if all those songs had been left in. There is also a documentary, some games, and a new music video from teen Disney Channel star Selena Gomez.
The 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition 2-disc DVD set is available now at Amazon and at stores near you. But The Disney Blog has a few copies to give away to you lucky readers. We also have an autographed “Key Set” mini-poster signed by Lisa Davis (voice of Anita) and Alice Davis (wife of Marc Davis, Cruella’s animator).
To enter the contest please fill out the contest entry form. One entry per person. Enter before March 12th at Midnight EDT. Winners will be contacted via email for shipping information. Shipping to US addresses only. You can enter overseas, but I’m only able to ship to US addresses. Not valid where prohibited by law. Thanks!
The full press release and details for the DVD is below the cut.
Blu-ray’s victory in getting Warner Brothers to drop the HD-DVD may not be enough to fend off obsolescence. As Dawn C. Chmielewski reports in the Los Angeles Times, downloads, cable, and satellite delivery of HD movies might make the whole HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray battle moot anyway. But sales of these next-generation discs fell short of… Read More »Is Blu-ray Victory Too Late?
Warner Brothers Entertainment (including, presumably, New Line Cinema) has been supporting both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats in the high definition DVD market. However, the company is now dropping HD and continuing to support Blu-ray, the same format Disney supports. Blu-ray got a big boost in June when Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only… Read More »Warner Drops HD, Stick With Blu-ray
There is no shortage of news lately in changes to home/personal media access. Jon Gambrell of the Associated Press reports that Wal-Mart is shutting down its own online movie and television show download service. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has closed an online movie download service it launched less than a year ago. The retreat for Wal-Mart,… Read More »Home Viewing News Keeps Coming