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Posts Tagged ‘Disney’
Saludos Amigos (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (1943)
The first of two features Walt Disney made at the behest of the Office of Inter-American Affairs, Saludos Amigos consists of four cartoons linked by live-action travel footage. The very funny “Lake Titicaca” finds Donald Duck high in the Bolivian Andes, struggling with a recalcitrant llama. “Pedro,” the story of a little airplane replacing his father on a mail run across the Andes, is a variation on “The Little Engine That Could.” “El Gaucho Goofy” continues the popular “How To” cartoon series that juxtaposes a deadpan narration with increasing physical mayhem. Here, Goofy demonstrates Pampas-style riding and the use of the bola. The jaunty parrot Jose Carioca makes his debut in “Aquarela do Brasil.” Although largely eclipsed by the wilder The Three Caballeros (1944), Saludos Amigos retains its charm. Included in the supplemental material is South of the Border with Disney, which chronicles the Good Will Tour Walt and a group of his artists made in 1941. The 16mm footage has darkened, but this featurette offers rare glimpses of some of these artists at work, including Frank Thomas, Norm Ferguson, and Mary Blair, whose stylized drawings set the look for much of Saludos Amigos and Caballeros. –Charles Solomon
Direct from the vault, Disney’s 6th full-length animated film SALUDOS AMIGOS is available for the first time on video! Loosely translated as “Greetings, Friends,” it features the Academy Award(R)-nominated song of the same title and showcases the brilliance of Disney’s legendary animators. A whimsical blend of live action and animation, SALUDOS AMIGOS is a colorful kaleidoscope of art, adventure, and music set to a toe-tapping samba beat. Your south-of-the-border traveling companions are none other than famous funny friends Donald Duck and Goofy. They keep things lively as Donald encounters a stubborn llama and “El Gaucho” Goofy tries out the cowboy way of life … South American-style. From high Andes peaks to Argentina’s pampas to the sights and sounds of Rio de Janeiro, SALUDOS AMIGOS is a hilarious visual feast that will entertain and delight the whole family.
Disney Presents the Return of Jafar (1994)
The legend continues in Disney’s ALADDIN: THE RETURN OF JAFAR, the second movie in Aladdin’s magical saga! When Jafar’s last wish was granted, he became the most powerful genie of all. But it came with a price — entrapment in a magic lamp! Now he has escaped and he has only one thing on his mind: revenge against Aladdin! A thrilling new adventure begins as everyone teams up against this evil sorcerer. From battling thieves on flying horses to dodging flames inside an exploding lava pit, it is up to Aladdin — with Princess Jasmine, Abu, Carpet, and Genie by his side — to save the kingdom once and for all! Get ready to share all the magic, music, and mystery of ALADDIN: THE RETURN OF JAFAR — with five showstopping songs and exciting new bonus features!
Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney (1954)
More than a time-capsule treasure for Disney buffs, this two-disc set will warm the nostalgic hearts of baby boomers who eagerly looked forward to their weekly visits with “Uncle Walt” Disney. As the host of his anthology series, Disneyland (later Walt Disney Presents, then The Wonderful World of Color), Disney presented classic cartoons and original programs, but he also gave starry-eyed viewers a privileged, behind-the-scenes look inside his magic kingdom, from the construction of his magnificent theme park to animators at work. Disneyland transformed Disney into the face of Disney Studios, a pied piper, according to film historian Leonard Maltin, who introduces the features on each disc. This collection of episodes features Disney at his most avuncular. “Where Do the Stories Come From” (1956) is a fun exploration of where Disney artists find their inspiration. “Fourth Anniversary Show” (1951) charts the development of the Disney featurette, Peter and the Wolf, but then becomes a surprise-party musical extravaganza for Disney hosted by his Mouseketeers, and featuring appearances by Guy “Zorro” Williams and Fess “Davy Crockett” Parker. Long-thought lost, “Kodak Presents Disneyland ‘59,” is a black and white kinescope recording of a live, 90-min. television special (compete with entertaining Kodak commercials featuring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and sons) that serves to introduce three new attractions to Disneyland: the Nautilus submarine ride, the Monorail and the Matterhorn. Look for rising stars Clint Eastwood and Dennis Hopper among parade participants. “Backstage Party” (1961) is a visit to the set of Disney’s production of Babes in Toyland, with appearances by the film’s stars, including Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn, and Ray Bolger. “Disneyland 10th Anniversary” (1965), previously released on the now-out-of-print Disneyland U.S.A. set, introduces the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It’s a Small World rides, and shows how “space-age” technology was used to create the Enchanted Tiki Room. Disc 2’s extras include a true rarity, a 1962 Cinemascope film presentation created to accompany a Disney Radio City Music Hall stage show. Another delight is “I Captured the King of the Leprechauns,” a 1959 Disneyland episode tied to the release of the feature Darby O’Gill and the Little People (and included as a bonus feature on that DVD). This whimsical bit of blarney follows Disney to Ireland in search of “the little people.” Movie tough guy Pat O’Brien sends him off with a charming song about leprechauns, just a small sample of these episodes’ endearing and enduring hokey charms. –Donald Liebenson
Celebrate Walt Disney and his magical vision with this look back at several of the most memorable hours from his groundbreaking television shows. As its friendly, approachable host, Disney endeared himself to millions and became much more than an icon for family entertainment. He became Uncle Walt. Join Walt as he celebrates the rededication of Disneyland with a parade of celebrities and guest stars, the fourth anniversary of his weekly show featuring a surprise party arranged by the Mouseketeers, and a tenth anniversary program showcasing some of his talented Imagineers at work. And in a rare interview, Diane Disney Miller shares warm and personal memories of growing up with the man we all admired from afar.
Disney DVD Game World - Disney Princess Edition (2006)
Disney introduces a whole new kind of game with this interactive DVD game where children use their remote to play a virtual board game complete with spinner, game board, video clips, trivia questions, and interactive games. As newly crowned Princesses, players ages 5 to 8 are invited to enter an enchanted castle that features rooms inspired by Disney Princesses Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan, Jasmine and Sleeping Beauty. One to four players take turns spinning the virtual spinner and moving through the castle’s rooms where they answer trivia questions based on Disney Princess movies, play simple games, and encounter mystery spaces that often lead to hidden trap doors and secret slides. Correct answers and successful game play earn a Princess one of six items (invitation, carriage, gloves, shoes, dress, and tiara) that will prepare her to attend a royal ball. The first Princess who earns all the necessary items wins the game, but don’t worry, all of the Princesses are invited to attend the ball at the end of the game. With over 250 different games, animations, activities, and trivia questions, players will likely experience a new game every time they play. A cynical parent might consider this game just an extended bonus feature without the accompanying video presentation, but young players are more likely to see it as an exciting new gaming medium. –Tami Horiuchi
Join Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Snow White inside an enchanted virtual castle, and become the ultimate Disney Princess. Be the first to collect all six of your royal items and you’ll advance to the bonus round where you and your court will be honored at the Royal Ball. DISNEY PRINCESS EDITION adds a pinch of pixie dust to the traditional board game, transforming it into a wondrous and immersive entertainment experience filled with virtual 3-D environments, imaginative mini-games and activities, surprise character visits, and more. It’s the perfect choice for your Family Game Night! Your remote controls your destiny.
Walt Disney Legacy Collection - True Life Adventures, Vol. 4 (1956)
In the 1950s, Disney produced a host of short nature films that were groundbreaking both for their innovative perspective, combining fantasy with real-life nature photography, and their development and reliance on huge technological advances in cameras and filmmaking. Secrets of Life and Perri, digitally restored 16-mm films retrieved from the Disney archives, are two of the first live-action shorts to offer an up-close and in-depth look at the life cycles of animals, insects, and plants. Listen to our interviewwith director emeritusRoy E. Disney. The photography of Secrets of Life is stunning to this day, offering an incredible time-lapse look at flowers opening, close-up shots of honeybees pollinating flowers and reproducing within the hive, and even footage of a volcano erupting. Even more amazing is the scientific understanding gained through that photography: knowledge of the secrets of adaptation and self preservation of plants, the disparate functions of bees within a colony, and the restorative function of an erupting volcano. While Perri is based on a fictional story about a precocious young squirrel, the depiction of the life and death struggle of squirrel, marten, beaver, and a host of other critters that live in Wildwood Heart is absolutely real and faithfully photographed. Academy Award-winning Nature’s Half Acre portrays the delicate balance of nature and the timeless cycle of seasons complete with birds building their nests, voracious caterpillars eating everything in sight, and a look at the carnivorous Venus Flytrap. Almost as noteworthy as the photography in all of these shorts is the carefully composed music that mirrors the onscreen actions of everything from the tapping of a woodpecker to the jerky jumps of pond frogs. A huge assortment of bonus tracks feature Roy Disney and others discussing everything from the scientist photographers involved in the sometimes yearslong filming of these nature films, to the major technological advances in photographic equipment that these films necessitated, the incredible logistics involved in filming, and a look back at the life of writer, director, and narrator Winston Hibler. Both important pieces of filmmaking history and a great selection of nature programming, the Disney True Life Adventures series DVDs come in unique collectors tins reminiscent of the stored reels of film in Disney’s archives. –Tami Horiuchi
Experience the wonder of Walt Disney’s groundbreaking nature series for the first time on DVD! These acclaimed stories, fully restored to their original beauty, offer previously unseen looks into the magical world of our animal friends. Enjoy NATURE’S MYSTERIES, the fourth volume of Disney’s award-winning TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES. Explore some of the world’s most fascinating natural phenomena in the amazing films “Secrets of Life,” “Perri” and many more. It’s classic Disney live-action shorts at their finest!
The Fox and the Hound (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (1981)
The Fox and the Hound marked the last collaboration between Disney’s older artists, including three of the “Nine Old Men” (Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Woolie Reitherman), and the young animators who would make the record-breaking films of the ’90s. Based on a book by Daniel P. Mannix, the film tells the story of a bloodhound puppy and a fox kit who begin as friends but are forced to become enemies. Tod and Copper barely establish their friendship before Copper begins his training as hunting dog. Unfortunately, neither character develops much of a personality, which makes it difficult to care about them. The screen comes alive near end of the film, when Tod and Copper have to join forces to fight off an enormous bear. It had been years since Disney produced a sequence with this kind of feral power–and years would pass before they surpassed it. The Fox and the Hound ranks as one of the studio’s lesser efforts, but it suggests that better films were soon to follow. (Ages 5 and older) –Charles Solomon
Disney proudly presents its 24th full-length animated film — hailed as “vintage Disney” by The Washington Post. This highly acclaimed classic blends vibrant animation and breathtaking action to tell the story of two best friends who didn’t know they were supposed to be enemies. The fun and adventure begin when a lonely widow adopts an orphaned fox cub named Tod. The mischievous fox soon meets up with Copper, an adorable hound puppy. As the innocent pair grow up together in the forest, they become inseparable friends. But the day soon arrives when their friendship is put to the ultimate test! “Echoing the dramatic moods and imagery of BAMBI and LADY AND THE TRAMP” (Seattle Times) — and reflecting such timeless values as love, courage, and respect for life — THE FOX AND THE HOUND has captured an honored place among Disney’s most beloved and endearing animated classics.
Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams (2007)
In the grand tradition of classic Disney storytelling comes an all-new Princess movie premiering only on DVD. Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams features beloved Princesses from two of Disneys most revered films Jasmine, from the Academy Award® winning Aladdin and Aurora with the first new Sleeping Beauty story since the cherished original. Brimming with new animation and show-stopping music Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams has the same wonder and enchantment as the originals upon which it was based.
Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies (1936)
In 1928, when Walt Disney’s artists completed “The Skeleton Dance,” the distributor of the Mickey Mouse shorts rejected the first “Silly Symphony” with a two-word telegram: “MORE MICE.” Disney arranged to screen “Skeleton Dance” at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles, where it received an enthusiastic response, and the series took off. Seven “Silly Symphonies” won Academy Awards, beginning with “Flowers and Trees.” Disney used these musically themed shorts to train young artists and test new styles, effects, and technologies: every film represented an innovation of some sort. In “Three Little Pigs,” characters who looked alike demonstrated different personalities through the way they moved. “The Old Mill” showcased the newly invented Multiplane camera. The Sugar Cookie Girl in “Cookie Carnival” was one of several female characters the artists created while learning to animate a believable heroine for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The well-chosen selections in this set demonstrate how quickly Disney advanced the art of animation during the ’30s. Only eight years separate the crude black-and-white version of “The Ugly Duckling” (1931) from the moving Technicolor Oscar-winner of 1939. Over 60 years later, these films have lost none of their charm. The jazz-dancing insects in “Woodland Café,” the wonderfully animated caricature of Mae West in “Who Killed Cock Robin,” and the instrument-characters in “Music Land” remain as delightful as ever. Leonard Maltin makes a genial host, and two hidden cartoons include Walt’s introductions from the old Disneyland program. –Charles Solomon
This groundbreaking series of 31 uncensored cartoons, released between 1929 and 1939, includes six Academy Award(R) winners and provides an astonishing look inside the evolution of animation. Each boasting a unique cast of characters, these musical shorts served as Walt Disney’s proving ground for emerging technology, new musical styles, and experimental forms. In addition to the cartoons themselves, join Academy Award(R)-winning composer Richard M. Sherman (MARY POPPINS) for an overview of the “Silly Symphony” series, and take a peek inside the Disney archives to view some rare and remarkable merchandise, conceptual art, and theatrical posters. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at the original musical shorts that launched a revolution in the world of animation. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.
Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Black and White (1932)
In these cartoons released between 1928 and 1935, Walt Disney created one of the icons of 20th-century culture. Disney’s reputation was built on these early shorts, and the films shimmer with the energy of the young artists exploring the new medium of the sound cartoon. Watching the films in chronological order enables the viewer to see the remarkable progress Walt and his crew made in animation, storytelling, and acting in just seven years. The rambunctious, rubbery Mickey of “Plane Crazy” and “Steamboat Willie” quickly developed into the polished charmer of “Gulliver Mickey” and “Mickey’s Orphans.” More than 70 years after his debut, the black and white Mickey still displays the appeal that made him so popular during the ’30s, when A Mickey Mouse Cartoon appeared on theater marquees with the feature titles, and his fans included Franklin Roosevelt, Mary Pickford, George V of England, the Nizam of Hyderabad–and the more than one million children who joined the first Mickey Mouse Club. Although it’s fun to look at the old sketches and pencil tests, the high point of the supplementary material is the discussion host Leonard Maltin conducts with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, the last surviving members of the justly celebrated “Nine Old Men” of Disney animation. Thomas and Johnston were nearly 90 at the time of the interview, but their enthusiasm for their work, for Mickey, and for the man who made it all possible remains undimmed. (Unrated; suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) –Charles Solomon
Witness the birth of an American icon. This historic compilation chronicles Mickey Mouse’s early career, from his landmark debut in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie” to the last of his black-and-white shorts, “Mickey’s Service Station,” in 1935. Gain insights into Mickey’s beginnings in new interviews with legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. See the earliest visuals on record showing the creative birth of animation’s most historically significant cartoon as well as the only black-and-white cartoon pencil footage known to exist. All of this and more is revealed in this homage to the mouse who captured the imagination of the world. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.
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Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (1999)
Donald Duck’s nephews learn why holidays come once a year, Goofy and son discover the spirit of Santa, and Mickey and Minnie reenact a classic tale of giving in this all-new holiday offering. Kelsey Grammer (TV’s Frasier) narrates as Donald hosts Christmas at his house, complete with an egg and pancake breakfast, a sled for each duckling in the closet, and Daisy under the mistletoe. But the celebration gets old fast when the boys’ wish for Christmas every day comes true. Next up, Goofy’s son wonders whether there is a Santa after the villainous Pete tells him there’s not and he catches Dad impersonating the portly gift-giver. Goofy demonstrates the spirit of giving by taking a meal and presents to less-fortunate neighbors, and many Goofy-style mishaps later, father and son have a surprise visitor. In the third story, the mouse lovebirds give an updated spin to O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” with Minnie having the heirloom watch with no chain and Mickey a harmonica with no case. This trio of Christmas stories adds up to an hour of heartfelt fun, capped off by the gang singing “Jingle Bells.” Perfect holiday cheer for those 4 and up. –Kimberly Heinrichs
Disney’s biggest stars shine in a magical, heartwarming movie sure to become a holiday classic! Mickey, Minnie, and their famous friends Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto gather to reminisce about love, magic, and surprises in three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past. In the fine tradition of Disney’s superb storytelling, Minnie and Mickey recall the year they both gave up what was most important to them for the sake of the other, making for one unforgettable Christmas. Goofy and Max retell when they experienced a series of hilarious but season-shaking events … until a visit from the real Santa made it a most magical holiday. Thinking back to when they wished Christmas was every day, Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie remember their dream turning into a comical catastrophe, eventually teaching them what true holiday spirit is all about. Featuring the entire cast in a finale of merry, magical Christmas songs — all the excitement of MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS is ready to unwrap for holiday family fun!
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