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| JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH | TIM BURTON’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND | WHEN IN ROME | THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG |
| MONSTERS INC. | UP | ZORRO SEASON 1 | ZORRO SEASON 2 |
“James and the Giant Peach” on Blu-ray/DVD The Roald Dahl novel "James and the Giant Peach" made it to the big screen 35 years after it was published, thanks to Disney Pictures and Director Henry Selick (also Director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”). The simple story is about James (Paul Terry), a young boy who is orphaned at a young age when his parents are eaten by a dark rhino! He is forced to live with his evil aunts, Spiker and Sponge (Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes). They beat him, starve him, and use him to do all of the work on the deserted island that they live on. Just as he reaches the pit of despair, having nothing to hope for, he is given a great gift by a mysterious stranger. A magical peach begins to grow, and with a group of new friends that James makes, he is able to face his fears and go after the dream he and his parents shared together: to visit New York City and The Empire State Building. Definitely a family-friendly movie, although there are some dark parts, especially with the orphaning of James and the evil treatment he receives from his Aunts (no worries...they get their retribution!). It took 22 soundstages and 3 years to make it, and now it has been released in High Definition on Blu-ray for the first time. How does it look? There does appear to be a high amount of noise/grain that has been added. It doesn't really detract from the heavily stylized movie, but in some scenes it is more noticeable than others. The colors are vivid, and just like in the theater, the cinematography evokes a bygone art deco era. Sound is dynamic where it needs to be (especially the scenes with the Rhino and when the peach begins to grow!). Sadly, other than the game included, the rest of the special features on this disc are not in high-def. AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio * French 5.1 * Spanish 5.1 SUBTITLES: English, French, Spanish SPECIAL FEATURES: * Games & Activities: Spike the Aunts Game. The goal is to score as many points as possible by "spiking" Aunt Sponge and Spiker with a rhinoceros as they spin around on a rotating wheel. It's a difficult game to get right, and I found myself bored very quickly. The Aunts don't even resemble the characters from the movie. * BDisneyLive! The Disney BD Live Network is your portal to a community suite of online content that enhances your movie viewing experience. * Sneak Peaks: 1. "Beauty & The Beast" on Blu-ray 2. Disney Movie Rewards 3. An anti-piracy message, encouraging people to buy actual Disney Blu-rays & DVD's rather than pirate them 4. "Prince of Persia" 5. Disney Nature: "Oceans" & "The Crimson Wing" 6. 60th Anniversary Edition of "Alice in Wonderland" on Blu-ray 7. "A Christmas Carol," the CGI version with Jim Carrey 8. "The Lion King" Diamond Edition on Blu-ray, Fall 2011 9. Disney Parks 10. An ad for Disney Blu-ray movies and how your family can enjoy them together. 11. "Tangled," formerly known as "Rapunzel" has a short and mysterious ad for its Fall 2010 release; so mysterious, that they don't even name the movie they are plugging! 12. "Tinker Bell and The Great Fairy Rescue" on DVD/Blu ray Fall 2010. It's a shame this one is also going straight to video, as the premise and quality of animation seem good. Special Features carried over from the previous DVD edition: 1. Production Featurette (4:34): A short look at the making of this movie. It truly is amazing how much work goes into a stop-motion movie; only 1 minute of useable film is produced in a week's time. Director Henry Selick thought that using stop-motion animation for the miracle world and then mixing it with live action at the end was a great way to bring Roald Dahl's novel to life. Actress Susan Sarandon (voice of Miss Spider) felt that this movie was "empowering for kids, telling them that fears won't have any power unless you give it to them." Jane Leeves (best known from "Frasier") was excited to do this movie (the voice of Ladybug) because it was her little sister's favorite book, and she often read it to her when they were growing up. Selick loved the book because like Dahl's other stories, it teaches children how to solve their own problems. Unlike other Tim Burton films, this one uses Randy Newman for the music. 2. Theatrical Trailer: shown here in a regular 1.33:1 ratio, it is interesting to hear the music from "Nightmare Before Christmas" underscoring it. 3. "Good News" music video sung by Randy Newman. This music video goes from 1.33:1 and low def for the Newman segments, and then up to 16:9 and high def when showing clips from the movie. 4. Learn how to take your favorite movies on the go: Disney File Digital Copy - a brief lesson on how to download your movies from the included disc to use on your computer and wherever else you wish to watch them.
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Specs:
Bluray is 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (48kHz/24-bit) • French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital • English SDH and English 2.0 DVS, French and Spanish Subtitles. Bonus features on bluray are 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 Dolby Digital • English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles.
Bonus Features:
Quite a few here shown in high definition on blu-ray; interestingly enough though, the clips from the older Disney library are still in low pixelized quality.
-Deleted/Alternate Scenes: with introductions by co-writers/directors Ron Clements & John Musker. These are shown in rough storyboard form with "scratch dialogue" (not voiced by the actors in the movie). 4 scenes are shown: "Advice from Mama," alternative version of Louis' introduction, "Stop and smell the roses," and "Naveen confides in Ray." The last one is the only one that I would say is missed; it is a different version of what is scene on screen of how Naveen reveals his feelings to Ray (and the audience) about Tiana. It is more touching and tender than the final version. The other deletions were made wisely!
-Music and More: "Never Knew I Needed" music video by Ne-Yo. Shot in New Orleans, this really has very little if anything to do with the movie. Ne-Yo is shown romancing a girl, and other than them eating beignets and seeing the evening star at the end, there is not much of a connection to the film. This is the one musical number that really doesn't fit stylistically; mercifully it is shown over the credits at the end.
-Bringing Life to Animation: live action reference footage is shown and introduced by Clements & Musker. They stress that this footage was not traced, but used as an aid and point of departure especially for the dance numbers. See the live footage for "Dig a little Deeper" (Mama Odie's showstopping number) and Charlotte's proposal scene. Very interesting to see how the movements of the live dancers and actors inspired nuances that translated to the animation. Sherry Butler, in her 20's, takes on the role of dancing Mama Odie the voodoo priestess.
-Audio Commentary by Musker, Clements, and producer Peter Del Vecho
-Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess (22:11): Excellent featurette! Executive Producer John Lasseter tells of how he wanted to bring back hand-drawn animation to the Disney Studio, and accomplished this by bringing back Musker & Clements. Don Hall, in charge of the story, relates how the classic elements of a fairy tale were twisted here, such as the typical fairy godmother becoming Mama Odie, the sassy voodoo priestess. Mark Henn, Tiana's supervising animator, tells how difficult it was to convey a frog without having the frog look ugly. A similar situation was handled back in 1940 with Jiminy Cricket in "Pinocchio
-The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation (2:43): Andreas Deja leads off with a recreation of his victory dance that he performed when it was announced that the studio was returning to hand-drawn animation with "The Princess and The Frog." Making drawings come to life is the ultimate magic and illusion. As animator Bruce Smith says, "We're back!"
-The Disney Legacy (2:31): very short featurette about the influences of the Nine Old Men on the younger animators who are carrying on the legacy for Disney, "The Rolls Royce of Animation."
-Disney's Newest Princess (2:51): Princess Tiana's supervising animator Mark Henn is interviewed here as well as Anika Noni Rose who says that working on this picture "was a dream come true."-The Princess and the Animator (2:26): featurette about Mark Henn, who has animated other famous Disney princesses such as Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. "I carry a soft spot in my heart for princesses." Tiana is a strong character because she is proactive; rather than waiting for her dream, she works hard and is determined to get it on her own.
-Conjuring the Villain (1:50): Animated by Bruce Smith and powerfully voiced by Keith David, Dr. Facilier is Disney's latest villain.
-A Return to the Animated Musical (3:13): Randy Newman is the man behind the music of this film. Having spent summers as a youth in New Orleans, the music there is in his blood. Local talent from the area was used in the movie, including Dr. Johnny. It is related that the theme of gumbo in the movie also applies to the music's diverse mix of songs: gospel, blues, cajun waltz, and romance.
-Art Galleries: quite a few images to see here; the only disappointment is their size. Plenty of room to have made them bigger. Galleries are: Visual Development, Character Design, Layouts & Background, Storyboard Art
-Game: What do you see? Princess Portraits: Guess which princess (or non-princess) the lightning bugs (Ray's family) are creating bug-by-bug.
-Sneak Peeks: Genuine Treasure: Tinker Bell, Disney Movie Rewards, Old Dogs, James & The Giant Peach Special Edition, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Treasure, Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 Diamond Edition, Disney Parks, Beauty & The Beast Diamond Edition, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Available on Blu-ray/DVD at Amazon.com
“When In Rome” on Blu-ray/DVD Leads Kristen Bell & Josh Duhamel have fantastic chemistry in this very light romantic comedy; however, the supporting cast is even more impressive: Anjelica Huston, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson, Peggy Lipton, Dax Shephard, as well as the duo from Napoleon Dynamite Jon Heder & Efren Ramirez (Vote Pedro!). Here's the plot: Beth (Kristen Bell) puts her career at the Guggenheim first since her love life has continually left her burned. Things begin to change when she meets the best man, Nick (Duhamel) at her sister's wedding in Rome. Unknowingly, by taking 5 coins from the Fountain of Love during a drunken romp, she causes 5 men to fall madly in love with her. All 5 follow her back to America and stalk her...until she is able to return the coins to them to break the spell. Although she loves Nick, she discovers that his love might have been caused by one of the coins; should she return the coin to him or live without fear that he will leave her? The plot is very predictable, so not a lot of surprises, but the comedy from her suitors as they attempt to impress her provides most of the hijinks here. Heder as an amateur Criss Angel magician is definitely the funniest of the bunch. Overall, the film is enjoyable even if predictable; a little uneven, it goes from insightful comedy & drama into downright stupidity all in the same scene. In the hands of a more experienced director, this one really could have been much better and with the talented cast, it's a real crime that the opportunity for perfection was missed. I would recommend this movie mainly to the teen/early 20's group who seems to have really enjoyed it the most. SPECS: 91 minutes * Video: Widescreen 1080p, 2:35:1, Enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Audio: Dolby TrueHD (48kh2/24-bit) & 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound (Bluray); English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound & Spanish & French Dolby Digital 2.0 (DVD). Languages: English, Spanish, and French. Subtitles: Spanish & French. I actually enjoyed the extras almost as much (if not more) than the movie. DVD Bonus Features: -Kerplunk! Bloopers from Rome (3 minutes): You really get a sense that the cast worked well together and was having fun during the entire shoot in this medley of expected flubs from the making of this film. -Deleted Scenes (7 minutes on Blu-ray): Usually I feel the deleted scenes were correctly removed from a film; however, in this case, there are some that would have added some extra humor, including a very funny bit with Dax Shepard in front of an Abercrombie & Fitch store. -Music Videos: "Starstrukk" by 3OH3! with Katy Perry RT and "Stupid Love Letter" by Friday Night Boys RT. Additional Extras on Bluray: -Alternate Opening & Ending (7 minutes) (these were wisely not used!) -Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From The Set (12 minutes): We meet our hilarious cast and crew that brought this film to life -Extended Scenes (3 minutes): Pain with the Suitors. Deleted sequence showing the final exhibit at the Guggenheim with the suitors providing a few funny moments, some which would have been great in the finished film (especially an electric chair sequence with Jon Heder). -Additional Deleted Scenes (7 minutes of deleted scenes total on the Blu-ray): The deleted scenes on the Blu-ray are Getting Married, Playing Cat & Mouse (cute Danny DeVito bit), Setting the Record Straight, Throwing Out The Mummy, It's The Naked Lady, The Saddest Thing, Look Both Ways, Suitors Make A Scene. -Sneak Previews: Alice in Wonderland, ESPN World Cup 2010, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Lost: The Complete Sixth And Final Season, and On Blu-Ray Disc There is some adult humor and some mild (I mean mild!) sexual situations that would make this film not a great fit for the wee ones. Other than the paintings, there is no nudity in this film.
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Specs:
Bluray is 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (48kHz/24-bit) • French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital • English SDH and English 2.0 DVS, French and Spanish Subtitles. Bonus features on bluray are 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 Dolby Digital • English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles.
Bonus Features:
Quite a few here shown in high definition on blu-ray; interestingly enough though, the clips from the older Disney library are still in low pixelized quality.
-Deleted/Alternate Scenes: with introductions by co-writers/directors Ron Clements & John Musker. These are shown in rough storyboard form with "scratch dialogue" (not voiced by the actors in the movie). 4 scenes are shown: "Advice from Mama," alternative version of Louis' introduction, "Stop and smell the roses," and "Naveen confides in Ray." The last one is the only one that I would say is missed; it is a different version of what is scene on screen of how Naveen reveals his feelings to Ray (and the audience) about Tiana. It is more touching and tender than the final version. The other deletions were made wisely!
-Music and More: "Never Knew I Needed" music video by Ne-Yo. Shot in New Orleans, this really has very little if anything to do with the movie. Ne-Yo is shown romancing a girl, and other than them eating beignets and seeing the evening star at the end, there is not much of a connection to the film. This is the one musical number that really doesn't fit stylistically; mercifully it is shown over the credits at the end.
-Bringing Life to Animation: live action reference footage is shown and introduced by Clements & Musker. They stress that this footage was not traced, but used as an aid and point of departure especially for the dance numbers. See the live footage for "Dig a little Deeper" (Mama Odie's showstopping number) and Charlotte's proposal scene. Very interesting to see how the movements of the live dancers and actors inspired nuances that translated to the animation. Sherry Butler, in her 20's, takes on the role of dancing Mama Odie the voodoo priestess.
-Audio Commentary by Musker, Clements, and producer Peter Del Vecho
-Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess (22:11): Excellent featurette! Executive Producer John Lasseter tells of how he wanted to bring back hand-drawn animation to the Disney Studio, and accomplished this by bringing back Musker & Clements. Don Hall, in charge of the story, relates how the classic elements of a fairy tale were twisted here, such as the typical fairy godmother becoming Mama Odie, the sassy voodoo priestess. Mark Henn, Tiana's supervising animator, tells how difficult it was to convey a frog without having the frog look ugly. A similar situation was handled back in 1940 with Jiminy Cricket in "Pinocchio
-The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation (2:43): Andreas Deja leads off with a recreation of his victory dance that he performed when it was announced that the studio was returning to hand-drawn animation with "The Princess and The Frog." Making drawings come to life is the ultimate magic and illusion. As animator Bruce Smith says, "We're back!"
-The Disney Legacy (2:31): very short featurette about the influences of the Nine Old Men on the younger animators who are carrying on the legacy for Disney, "The Rolls Royce of Animation."
-Disney's Newest Princess (2:51): Princess Tiana's supervising animator Mark Henn is interviewed here as well as Anika Noni Rose who says that working on this picture "was a dream come true."-The Princess and the Animator (2:26): featurette about Mark Henn, who has animated other famous Disney princesses such as Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. "I carry a soft spot in my heart for princesses." Tiana is a strong character because she is proactive; rather than waiting for her dream, she works hard and is determined to get it on her own.
-Conjuring the Villain (1:50): Animated by Bruce Smith and powerfully voiced by Keith David, Dr. Facilier is Disney's latest villain.
-A Return to the Animated Musical (3:13): Randy Newman is the man behind the music of this film. Having spent summers as a youth in New Orleans, the music there is in his blood. Local talent from the area was used in the movie, including Dr. Johnny. It is related that the theme of gumbo in the movie also applies to the music's diverse mix of songs: gospel, blues, cajun waltz, and romance.
-Art Galleries: quite a few images to see here; the only disappointment is their size. Plenty of room to have made them bigger. Galleries are: Visual Development, Character Design, Layouts & Background, Storyboard Art
-Game: What do you see? Princess Portraits: Guess which princess (or non-princess) the lightning bugs (Ray's family) are creating bug-by-bug.
-Sneak Peeks: Genuine Treasure: Tinker Bell, Disney Movie Rewards, Old Dogs, James & The Giant Peach Special Edition, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Treasure, Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 Diamond Edition, Disney Parks, Beauty & The Beast Diamond Edition, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3
Final summary: hands-down no-brainer - get this Disney Animated Classic TODAY! Available on Blu-ray/DVD at Amazon.com
BONUS CLIPS
Princess Kiss Montage
Music of New Orleans
Featurette: The Return to the Animated Musical
“Monsters Inc.” on Blu-ray/DVD For the first time ever, this blockbuster hit will be presented in the pristine manner the Pixar animation team always dreamed it would be – with scarily clear high definition picture and monstrously good sound that’ll have audiences screaming with delight. This all new Blu-ray also comes packed with exclusive new bonus features and a DisneyFile Digital Copy of the movie. Now go behind-the-scenes of the this hilarious and visually groundbreaking film like never before with Blu-ray exclusive bonus features including a “Filmmakers Round Table,” in which the film’s creators discuss bringing Monsters to life; “Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Tokyo,” a sneak-peek at the new Monsters attraction at Tokyo Disneyland; and the all new interactive game “Roz’s 100 Door Challenge,” in which viewers can solve a series of puzzles, trivia questions and more in order to become the latest Monsters Inc. employees! Open your door to the magic of Monsters, Inc. on Bluray for a movie viewing experience so funny it’s scary! Monsters, Inc. features revolutionary, eye-popping animation and inspired vocal performances by John Goodman, as the lumbering and lovable Sulley, and Billy Crystal, as the wisecracking Mike Wazowski, two monsters employed by Monsters, Inc., the biggest scream processing plant in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly. Thinking she is dangerous and toxic, Sulley and Mike do their best to return Boo to her bedroom, but there are some monstrous hurdles in their way. Also featuring the delightful voice talents of Bonnie Hunt, Frank Oz, John Ratzenberger and Jennifer Tilly, Monsters, Inc. is frightfully fun entertainment families will want to enjoy over and over in Blu-ray Hi-Def, now available for an SRP of $39.99. FOR THOSE ON THE RUN: DisneyFile Digital Copy enables Monsters, Inc. Blu-ray owners to receive a digital version of the movie in their choice of iTunes or Windows Media formats. DisneyFile Digital Copy is a fast and easy way to enjoy your favorite Disney movies, anytime, anywhere on your Mac, PC and/or compatible portable device. SPECS: Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Video: 1080p, Widescreen Sound: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish DISC 1 ALL NEW Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features • FILMMAKERS ROUND TABLE: Filmmakers Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, Darla Anderson, and Bob Peterson reflect on th creation of the film, and share their most memorable anecdotes. • MONSTERS, INC. RIDE AND GO SEEK: BUILDING MONSTROPOLIS IN TOKYO: A sneak peak of the newest Monsters attraction in Tokyo Disneyland, with exclusive interviews of the artists and engineers behind the ride. PLUS ORIGINAL DVD BONUS FEATURES: • Academy Award® nominated short film “Mike’s New Car“ (With Audio Commentary By Directors) • Academy Award® winning short film “For the Birds” (With Audio Commentary By Director) DISC 2 **ALL NEW Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features **: • ROZ’S 100 DOOR CHALLENGE (INTERACTIVE GAME): Think you have what it takes to be a Monsters, Inc. employee? Roz will be the judge of that with her 100 Door Challenge. Deal with whatever is behind each new door. It could be a puzzle, a trivia question, a mini-game . . . it could be crazy! Do your best. Your future employment at Monsters, Inc. hangs in the balance. • BD-LIVE FEATURES o Movie Chat o Movie Mail o Movie Challenge o Movie Rewards • DISNEY FILE DIGITAL COPY FOR iTUNES AND WINDOW MEDIA PLAYER PLUS ORIGINAL DVD BONUS FEATURES: • Banished Concepts • Storyboard To Film Comparison • Monster file • Animation Gag Reel 1: Sulley/Boo/Waternoose • Animation Gag Reel 2: Giraffe Gag • Animation Gag Reel 3: Sulley Bowling Boo
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Available on Blu-ray/DVD at Amazon.com
BONUS CLIPS:
Dug in the Hole
Talking Dogs
Voice of Russell
“Zorro” on DVD SEASON ONE: The Complete First Season is the definitive version that Disney Zorro fans have waited years for. Covering all 39 episodes that comprise season #1 (1957-1958), this limited edition (and numbered) 6-disc set of 30,000 includes a Certificate of Authenticity, a collectible pin (showing two crossed silver swords with Zorro's mask superimposed on top), as well as a black-and-white photo postcard showing Guy Williams in character as Don Diego. A booklet outlining the contents of the set can also be found here. The set comes handsomely encased in a black metal tin, fitting of this B&W series where the hero wears an all-black costume. A 5:21 intro by Leonard Maltin introduces the episodes and gives a brief history of Zorro and these particular episodes along with the extras on these discs. The remastering is evident on these episodes. The picture is clear and so is the sound; naturally, with the way it was originally recording, a digital surround experience is not possible, but the Dolby Digital recording is crisp, clear, and the score sounds better than it has in years. And no...there are no colorized versions here. Just the genuine black and white originals. The comedy, action, drama, and music combination that one expects from a Walt Disney production is all here, completed with a stellar cast. Guy Williams, Gene Sheldon, and Henry Calvin have fantastic chemistry. Williams' hero Zorro, who is a "bookish" Don Diego by day, becomes the black-caped & masked legend who rights wrongs in his "off hours." Besides the 39 episodes (starting with "Presenting Señor Zorro", original air date of 10/10/1957 and finishing with #39 "The Eagle's Flight", original air date of 7/3/1958), there is a 6th disc of bonus material. Here you will find 2 hour long episodes: 1. "Zorro: El Bandido," original air date of 10/30/1960, from Walt's anthology TV series "Walt Disney Presents." Clocking in at 51:10, this episode features Gilbert Roland & Rita Moreno, not long before her breakthrough role in "West Side Story." 2. "Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo," original air date of 11/6/1960, from Walt's anthology TV series "Walt Disney Presents." This episode is 49:00 long and again stars Roland & Moreno. An excerpt (3:17) is included here from "The Fourth Anniversary Show," which originally aired on 9/11/1957. Walt is surrounded by the Mouseketeers who anxiously want to hear more about Zorro. Walt finally relents, and the opening from the show rolls out. There is an "interaction" between the two sets, where Zorro talks to the Mouseketeers and then engages in a sword fight shown only in shadow (very effective!). There is also a featurette entitled, "The Life and Legend of Zorro" (12:26) detailing the history of Zorro. Starting with the publication of Johnston McCulley's story in a pulp fiction magazine titled All-Story Magazine, "The Curse of Capistrano" came out in 1919. Swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks Sr. was the first to play Zorro in the movies (1920), followed by Tyrone Power over at 20th Century Fox in 1940. Disney purchased the rights to the property in 1952, but didn't get around to actual production until 1957. This marked the first time that a standing set was built on the Disney lot in Burbank at a cost of $500,000. Disney worked closely on this show to make everything authentic, and made sure it was helmed by a quality team. Each episode cost $78,000 to film and was shot on a 5-day schedule, which was very lavish for the day. Each installment also had original music and scoring written by William Lava. Today, the quality still shows and has paid off handsomely for the studio from its continued fanbase over the past 50 years. The documentary has many technicolor images of Guy Williams and the Zorro cast, along with interviews of Williams' son. Legal battles between ABC and Disney delayed Season 3, which resulted in a few hour-long episodes. It is ironic that one of the top rated shows (garnering an unheard of 40% audience share in season 2) was killed not by the ratings but by legalities and quibbling.
SEASON TWO: Covering the 39 episodes that comprise season #2 (1958-1959), this limited edition (and numbered) 6-disc set of 30,000 includes a Certificate of Authenticity, a collectible pin (very handsome showing a silver sword with a shadow of Zorro & his horse superimposed on top), as well as a black-and-white photo postcard showing Guy Williams in his Zorro costume. A booklet outlining the contents of the set can also be found here. The set comes handsomely encased in a black metal tin, fitting of this B&W series where the hero wears an all-black costume. A 3:29 intro by Leonard Maltin introduces the episodes and gives a brief overview of the series and these particular episodes along with the extras on these discs. The remastering is evident on these episodes. The picture is clear and so is the sound; naturally, with the way it was originally recording, a digital surround experience is not possible, but the Dolby Digital recording is crisp, clear, and the score sounds better than it has in years. And no...there are no colorized versions here. Just the genuine black and white originals. Besides the 39 episodes (starting with "Welcome to Monterey", original air date of 10/9/1958 and finishing with #39 "Finders Keepers", original air date of 6/2/1959), there is a 6th disc of bonus material. Here you will find 2 hour long episodes: 1. "Zorro: The Postponed Wedding," original air date of 1/1/1961, from Walt's anthology TV series "Walt Disney Presents." Clocking in at 49:04, this episode features Annette Funicello, who is beginning to mature into a very pretty young lady. 2. "Zorro: Auld Acquaintance," original air date of 4/2/1961, from Walt's anthology TV series "Walt Disney Presents." Starring Ricardo Montalban & Ross Martin ("Wild Wild West") this episode is 49:09 long. There is also a featurette entitled, "Behind The Mask" (7:52) which is a short look at Zorro's leading man, Guy Williams. Also known as Professor Robinson on "Lost In Space," Williams is often regarded as the quintessential Zorro. Well-liked by his costars (Suzanne Lloyd is quoted here as saying Williams was "one of the most charming professional men I ever had the pleasure of working with"), he began as a model and then became a contract player at Universal. An injury sidelined him and caused him to take up fencing. A call to audition for Disney's Zorro was a fortuitous break for the actor, and catapulted him into stardom. Zorro's stunt double, Buddy Van Horn is also interviewed here, along with Williams' son, Guy Williams, Jr., who obviously has many fond memories of his father and this particular role. Interestingly enough, it is recounted that most action scenes were shot on Fridays so that any injuries would have the entire weekend to heal! Rare color movies of Williams performing at Disneyland as Zorro are shown here; Van Horn recalls them staying at the Disneyland Hotel and taking advantage of the carte blanche they had at the Hotel. Author Antoinette Lane, Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask, is also interviewed about Williams, recounting what a role model he was, playing a father figure in "Lost in Space" and a protector in "Zorro." Finally take a trip to the Walt Disney archives in Burbank on the studio lot (10:55). Leonard Maltin and Guy Williams, Jr. display original costumes and sword from the show, calling particular attention to the lavish detail (genuine silver thread, exquisite embroidery, and heavy wool) that is evident in these pieces made by Western Costume. Two costumes are also shown with the famous "Z" emblazoned on them, including one for Henry Calvin's oafish and comedic Sergeant Garcia. Next up a generous sampling of the more than 500 licensed items that were sold to promote the Disney series, including lunch boxes, rings, child costumes, and even roller skates! This fantastic set is a must-have for Disney fans both new and old alike. Quality entertainment presented in a quality package. Available on /DVD at Amazon.com. Click for Season One or Season 2. |
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), Helena Bonham Carter (practically steals the show as The Red Queen), Crispin Glover (characteristically dark, quirky, and evil as The Knave of Hearts), and Anne Hathaway (showing her acting versatility as The White Queen). With all of the talent surrounding her, it is a testimony to the talent of Mia Wasikowska (Alice) that she is able to act without getting swallowed up and upstaged by the others. )
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is a young girl in 1920's New Orleans. She is focused on making her late father's dream come true of opening her own restaurant; this leaves no time for love or fun. Enter Naveen of Maldonia, a handsome prince who has been disinherited by his family for his laziness. Tiana and Naveen are brought together even though they are polar opposites because of the black voodoo magic of the evil Doctor Facilier. The two are forced to journey together to get what they both think they want...which naturally changes along the way. No plot spoilers here...this rich movie needs to be experienced personally. Although I am generally not a Randy Newman fan, his music here is memorable and toe-tapping. New Orleans provides the perfect atmosphere for the music showcased here: love songs, blues, jazz, and more. You will end up singing more than a few of the wonderful tunes you hear. My very favorite number is "Almost There,” which is sung Anika as Tiana as she helps her mother (voiced by Oprah Winfrey) envision her dream restaurant. This sequence is done in an art deco poster style and just blew me away.
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