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| Walt Disney Treasures / Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh : 3 of 5 | |
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6.25.2009
11:58 AM | Link1 comments |
 I've finally finished watching all the DVD sets that I got for Christmas, and it's only June! This is the third set of the Walt Disney Treasures 2008 releases, and truthfully, I had never heard of this story before (even though apparently it was highly requested!). The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was first presented as a three part series on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in 1964, and then later it was re-cut into a feature film, and this set includes both versions (which is kind of a bummer since it's the same thing twice). After watching it (along with Walt's introductions, which are always fun), I can easily see why this was a popular story, because it's exciting, mysterious and creepy all at once! Dr. Syn is the vicar of a small English town, who becomes a kind of Robin Hood smuggler at night, dressed in a mask and using a horrifying voice! He distributes his smuggling profits to the poor to help them pay their taxes to the king (just prior to the American Revolution), as well as rescuing prisoners and other daring acts! The character of Dr. Syn, played by Patrick McGoohan before he became famous as The Prisoner, is fascinating, since he is cool and calculating like Sherlock Holmes, but almost terrifying as the Scarecrow, riding on his horse with his wicked laugh. Of course, the show has a great theme song (in the same storytelling style of Davy Crockett), and all of the costumes and sets are top-notch (the show was actually filmed on-location in England in authentic churches and castles). There are a couple short but nice documentaries on the DVD, and it was really interesting to learn why Walt made so many live action films in England (after the war, profits made in England were frozen, so he had to spend the money within the country). Besides the fact that the second DVD is kind of a repeat of the first, this is a fantastic set, and I really enjoyed getting into an awesome Disney adventure that was completely new to me!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Chronological Donald Vol 4 : 5 of 5 | |
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4.12.2009
7:37 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been finishing my Christmas DVD sets one by one, and the latest is another fantastic volume of the Walt Disney Treasures series. Disney continued to make Donald Duck theatrical shorts for years after they stopped making Mickey, Goofy and everyone else, so it's no wonder that it took eight DVDs (across four sets) to include them all! This set covers the 50s, when almost every Donald cartoon featured Chip & Dale, Huey, Duey & Louie, or some other regular character to give Donald a hard time. I really enjoyed Up a Tree, which may be the cutest Chip & Dale have ever been, as well was Donald Applecore, which I always remember watching in a pizza parlor theater, for some reason. It's fun to read the credits and see great names that went on to work on Disneyland, such as background painter Yale Gracey (famous for the Haunted Mansion) and effects animator Blaine Gibson (sculptor of animatronic faces as well the Parters statue), and I like exploring animation history with special cartoons in Cinemascope and 3D (but presented in 2D on the DVD). My favorite part of this set is the long educational cartoons, including the incredible Donald in Mathmagic Land, which I loved seeing in school and fascinated me even more today (and Paul Frees' awesome narration is icing on the cake). The bonus features include a great fantasy pitch session for a Donald cartoon that was shelved after the storyboard stage, a collection of semi-OK modern Donald TV cartoons (too many for my taste, actually), plus a few commentary tracks (which are good, although Leonard Maltin should have let Jerry Beck get some more words in!). It's been a fantastic experience to watch every Donald Duck theatrical short over in this series over the years, and this set is definitely a Disney collection essential!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Annette : 4 of 5 | |
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2.10.2009
11:40 AM | Link0 comments |
 I recently polished off the first of the Christmas wave of Walt Disney Treasures, the complete run of the Mickey Mouse Club serial Annette, featuring Mousketeer Annete Funicello, of course. This show was presented in 20 10-minute episodes near the end of the run of the original Mickey Mouse Club show on TV (1957-58), and it was so relaxing to watch this simple series about a farm girl living with her rich aunt and uncle and adjusting to high society, high school life! In fact, several times I found myself thinking of this show as an early version of High School Musical, since there are themes of cliques, class separation, and even some musical numbers. Lots of the other Mouseketeers have smaller roles, and the boys who played Spin and Marty star in the other main parts. All of the kids do a fine acting job, although there's not much to do except talk in cliched speech (I dare you to count the number of times you hear "I'll say!"). The girl who plays Annette's rival is really cute and sings some nice songs, but of course she's so mean that you have to root for Annette. The high school scenes were all filmed at the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank, so it's cool to see the outside of the animation buildings double as a school! While all 20 episodes are presented individually, the complete Mickey Mouse Club episodes with the first and last parts of the serial are also included, along with some nice documentaries about Annette's career, including interviews with the Sherman brothers about her music (I thought it was interesting that she always doubled her voice in recording sessions). I really had a nice time watching this slow-paced show - even though this is one of the shorter Walt Disney Treasures sets in a while, I definitely recommend it for serious Disney fans!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit : 3 of 5 | |
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4.14.2008
7:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've been looking forward to this Walt Disney Treasures set for quite a while, since just like every Disney fan, I've always been curious about Oswald, the character that was stolen from Walt Disney and caused the creation of Mickey Mouse. There are only 13 existing Oswald cartoons, but even that number is incredible when you consider their age from the 1920s, along with the fact that they were terribly preserved since Disney didn't own them (some of the shorts could only be found on old 16MM home movie versions!). Oswald is a funny character, acting with broad pantomime in these silent shorts, along with his cat girlfriend and his villian Putrid Pete (what a coincidence that Mickey's villain is Peg-Leg Pete!). The best short by far is Oh What a Knight, which has a hilarious sword fight where Oswald keeps running off to steal a few kisses from his girl. There's an all new documentary that covers how Oswald became a success and how he was stolen, including some nice Bob Iger interview footage explaining how he made a trade to get the character back (such an incredible move for a new CEO that really won me over). Unfortunately, the second DVD isn't as exciting, since none of the material was new to me. Since the incredible Ub Iwerks was the sole animator on many Oswald and Mickey cartoons, they included early Alice and Mickey shorts for comparison, all of which have been released already. The rest of the disc has the beautiful documentary The Hand Behind the Mouse, but this was shot in 1999 and I had already seen it, although it's still nice to have in my collection now. But even with the weak second disc, this set is still a must for Disney fans, and it was a pleasure to finally meet Oswald!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Chronological Donald Vol 3 : 4 of 5 | |
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4.08.2008
7:54 PM | Link0 comments |
 Continuing with 2007's wave of Walt Disney Treasures, I really enjoyed this latest volume in the Chronological Donald series. It's amazing that there are so many Donald Duck shorts (now filling six DVDs!), especially since Donald has already been around ten years when these cartoons start in 1947. Most of the shorts on this set feature a co-starring nemesis, such as the ever-popular Chip & Dale, or more obscure characters like Bootle Beetle or the Aracuan Bird (which I've never really liked!). I always enjoy watching Chip & Dale though, since it reminds me of eating at Crystal's Pizza with Mom & Dad when I was a kid, watching Disney cartoons on their little movie screen! There are some really unique shorts in this collection, such as Donald's Dilemma, where Donald becomes a Sinatra-esque singer after getting hit with a flower pot, and Donald's Dream Voice, which a has a similar plot, but with "voice pills" this time. I also like Crazy Over Daisy, since it has the song that eventually became Meet Me Down on Main Street for Disneyland (with new lyrics, of course). The bonus features include some quick documentaries with Jerry Beck and Donald's official voice, plus a segment on a maquette sculptor, which is interesting, but doesn't have much to do with Donald at all! Even though the bonus material on Volume 3 is a little thin compared to the past two sets, the cartoons here are still essential for any Disney fan. I definitely enjoyed singing along with Donald's theme song before watching each and every one!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic : 5 of 5 | |
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3.12.2008
6:59 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally watched the first of this year's Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets, and I have to say that Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic may be the best set they've ever released, especially for a Disneyland nut like me! There's so much packed onto these two discs that I can barely mention it all here, but I'll give it a try. First, there's a new huge documentary shot just for this set, filled with wall-to-wall Imagineer interviews (most with the legendary Tony Baxter) and several other celebrities (including George Lucas!), as well as tons of rare footage I had never seen before, such as the Mickey Mouse Circus once held in Holidayland, and a quick look at the Submarine Voyage live mermaid try-outs. There's also a nice John Lasseter anecdote about his days as a Jungle Cruise skipper, including his favorite "headhunter" joke! Next up is the newly restored People and Places feature Disneyland USA, which is phenomenal not only for the incredible helicopter footage of the new park, but also for Winston Hibler's great narration that makes a trip to Disneyland seem like a True Life Adventure. There's also a fantastic trivia game, which I played 15 times in a row, and the questions were actually difficult! The second DVD contains three Wonderful World of Color episodes, including an entire performance of the Golden Horseshoe Revue, which is cool to see knowing that I've sat in those seats so many times. Operation Disneyland shows the crazy work ABC had to do to broadcast the opening of the park live - they couldn't even rehearse their camera moves with all the construction going on! Finally, there's some amazing bonus time-lapse footage taken from tall towers as the park was constructed, so you can watch it appear from the ground up. This DVD set is probably the most essential item a Disneyland lover could own, and I plan on watching it often before each trip!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / More Silly Symphonies : 5 of 5 | |
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6.26.2007
12:28 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished watching all of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets from 2006! I saved More Silly Symphonies for last, since these cartoon shorts were my favorites from the first wave of DVDs, way back in 2001. The first DVD of this new set contains all black & white cartoons, beginning in 1929 with Hell's Bells (which is a pretty unexpected name for a Disney short!). All of these follow the original Silly Symphony idea, showcasing how animation can be synchronized to music, each with some kind of theme (there's a cartoon for each of the four seasons, for example). Lots of new techniques were pioneered in these shorts, and it's fascinating to see early effects such as glowing light, used in the streetlights in The Clock Store. The second DVD has the rest of the series in beautiful color, including classics such as The Goddess of Spring (which was training ground for Snow White). I really enjoyed the Christmas shorts, the hilarious antics of the Three Blind Mousketeers, and the clever operation scene in Broken Toys. Both discs have a From the Vault section for cartoons that include some kind of politically incorrect scene, but seeing these shorts intact is a must (even if you have to listen to Leonard Maltin's warning). I was especially impressed with the bonus documentary and wealth of commentary tracks, which really made this set feel like a Warner Bros. Golden Collection (in fact, many of the same animation historians are here!). The Silly Symphonies were a landmark series, far beyond the quality of other cartoons of their era, and watching these amazing classics is sheer entertainment for any Disney fan!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Hardy Boys : 4 of 5 | |
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5.27.2007
6:32 AM | Link0 comments |
 I wasn't sure how much I would really get into this particular Walt Disney Treasures DVD set, but once I got started, I couldn't stop watching it! The original black & white Mickey Mouse Club ran this serial for four weeks in 1956, and each episode is almost exactly eleven and a half minutes. Disney took one the original Hardy Boys books and transformed it a bit into The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, and the result is incredibly enjoyable and fun (as well as addictive!). After a wonderful creepy theme song about pirates and doubloons, Frank and Joe (amazing child actors Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk) take the screen to solve their case involving stolen gold, a spooky mansion, and even railroad danger! The show is really well-made, with incredibly convincing neighborhood sets all built inside the studio, and the writing is fun, too (my favorite line is when Joe says, "I'd do anything to be a detective - even arithmetic!"). In addition to the complete serial, the entire Mickey Mouse Club episode that introduced the segment is included, along with some interesting info about the Hardy Boys books (which were actually written by a syndicate of different writers using the same pen name, which I never knew). Finally, there's a nice interview with the actors today, who are still energetic and full of memories, which is nice to see. I always feel nostalgic after watching a great series like this, even though I wasn't alive to experience those times - I think that just demonstrates that Disney quality is timeless!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Complete Pluto Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
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4.19.2007
6:52 AM | Link0 comments |
 I always enjoy the cartoon short collections in the Walt Disney Treasures series, and this second set of Pluto cartoons really went by quickly! Each DVD contains around 12 cartoons, and only the first DVD has true bonus material, but what's they've included is extremely good. There are two Master Class segments where Disney animators (including Andreas Deja) provide wonderful commentary on a Pluto short, with the ability to pause and repeat key scenes! This allows them to comment directly on unusual poses, point out inside jokes, and generally give the viewer a really personal look at some of the best Pluto shorts (including the wonderful Hall of Mirrors sequence in Bone Trouble). There's also an interesting segment called Pluto's Process, which combines pencil tests, storyboards, and layouts along with the finished cartoon - this kind of feature isn't really new, but the presentation is pretty unique. The cartoons themselves are really fun (though not as good as the first DVD set), typically pairing Pluto with some other animal (such as a seal, gopher, bee, turtle, or anything else) as an annoyance or buddy. My favorite is Pluto's Sweater, where Minnie knits Pluto a silly-looking fuchsia sweater that he can't stand, and he goes crazy trying to get it off while the other neighborhood dogs laugh at him! This cartoon also features Figaro the cat, one of my favorite characters from Pinocchio, and this set actually includes several Figaro cartoons as a bonus (I didn't even know these shorts existed)!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Your Host, Walt Disney : 5 of 5 | |
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4.11.2007
8:39 PM | Link0 comments |
 The Walt Disney Treasures series continues to amaze me, and I'm so glad that it looks like it will continue with another wave this year! This particular set features various TV shows where Walt was given a lot of screen time, and each program is really special. I've seen a few of these shows many times, such as the famous Disneyland Tenth Anniversary Show (where Walt talks about the future Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean), but there are definitely some gems here that were totally new to me. Where Do the Stories Come From? includes priceless footage of several Disney backyard railroads, showing Ollie Johnston's, Ward Kimball's (full size!), and of course Walt's incredible track layout. Another show is about a backstage party (after the filming of Babes in Toyland), but the best part is the introduction where the viewer "gets lost" in the Disney studio, wandering the streets and stumbling upon backlot sets. Kodak Presents Disneyland '59 has some incredible old Submarine Voyage footage (as well as some hilarious old Kodak commercials!), and now I finally understand what a kinescope recording is! The new interview footage with Walt's daughter Diane is interesting (but not spectacular), and the photo galleries are really nice. I think this set is probably the best of last year's wave, although I still have two more sets to watch!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Disney Rarities : 4 of 5 | |
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10.03.2006
10:45 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished enjoying last year's wave of Walt Disney Treasures, saving the best set for last! This collection combines all kinds of Disney short cartoons spanning a huge segment of Disney animation history, starting with Disney's earliest work and ending with some really modern, stylized shorts. The first disc begins with several of the famous Alice comedies, which featured a live-action girl in a cartoon world, which was pretty amazing back in the silent film era. Disney made over 50 of these films, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed them! Some of them have lots of live action, such as Alice's Wild West Show, so they seem a lot like a Little Rascals short, but eventually the cartoon world shows up and it's pretty funny. (By the way, the music that has been added to these silent films is fantastic!) After the Alice shorts, there are tons of other cartoons to enjoy, some as long as twenty minutes each. The title of this collection isn't really accurate in this case, since hit cartoons like Ferdinand the Bull or Lambert the Sheepish Lion aren't "rare" at all, but whatever you call it, it's wonderful to have all of these in a single collection. Some of my new favorites are The Brave Engineer, full of impossible antics that remind me of Warner Bros. shorts, and The Little House, well-known for Mary Blair's amazing design and color work (I've always wanted to see it, so it was a treat!). It was also nice to see Ben & Me again, because I remembered lots of it from my childhood - it's wonderful how little Disney memories stick with you. Of course, there's nice bonus material (including a fascinating Disney silent film timeline), but the real stars are the cartoons, and I can't get enough of them!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Legendary Heroes : 3 of 5 | |
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9.07.2006
7:23 PM | Link0 comments |
 I can't believe I'm still catching up on last year's wave of Walt Disney Treasures! I finally got around to watching this set, and it was pretty enjoyable. I remember several years ago when the Disney Channel would air these shows, and I always skipped watching them, so it's nice to enjoy them now coming at them fresh. After the success of Davy Crockett, Walt decided to make shows about other American heroes. He started in 1958 with Elfego Baca, who was a Mexican-American gunfighter that gained the reputation of having nine lives (after surviving a dramatic siege). These are really fun shows, full of Wild West adventure, and Elfego is a really cool character. In 1959 Walt followed up with The Swamp Fox, about one of the heroes of the American Revolution who had a Robin Hood reputation. These shows look beautiful (Walt had the foresight to shoot in color, even though they would be broadcast on TV in black & white!), and even have some matte painting work, but the Swamp Fox stories just aren't as interesting to me as Elfego Baca (maybe there's a little too much military strategy and not enough all-out action). Overall, it's fun to watch these shows mainly because they include the Walt Disney Presents titles and those wonderful introductions by Walt himself (often including the somewhat goofy theme songs of the shows). They don't necessarily fill me with Disney enthusiasm, but they're definitely interesting to see as part of Disney's rich television history.Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Adventures of Spin & Marty : 4 of 5 | |
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2.13.2006
5:41 PM | Link0 comments |
 I always get each of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets each year (and so far my parents have a perfect record of getting them for me for Christmas), even if I'm not really familiar with the show being featured. I had only seen a few disjointed episodes of Spin & Marty back when the Disney Channel used to show complete episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club, so I knew it was about a couple boys on a ranch, but I never got to know the characters. This two DVD set contains the entire first "season" of Spin & Marty, which is told over 25 short episodes (each about 11 minutes), which were shown as a serial segment of the Mickey Mouse Club back in 1955. It's really hard to explain, but once I started watching this show, I couldn't stop! I seem to have nothing in common with boys learning to be cowboys at the Triple-R (a ranch summer camp), but I was just sucked in - there's something about the simple values of the 50's that makes stories from that era really enjoyable to me. Spin is a typical popular boy, good at sports and so on, and Marty is a "rich kid" who everyone hates at first. Of course, he's scared of horses, but thanks to the kindness of the main ranch-hand, he makes friends with Skyrocket, and finally learns to be one of the guys. Of course, to get there we have to make it through a kids' boxing match, an encounter with a rattlesnake, a run-in with a bear, and a big rodeo competition! The acting is just good enough to not snicker too much, but the Disney quality is still there - this is such a peaceful show that's really easy to enjoy!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Chronological Donald Vol 2 : 5 of 5 | |
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1.25.2006
9:16 PM | Link0 comments |
 Time to start digging in the Christmas DVD treasure trove again! I always enjoy watching the latest Walt Disney Treasures releases, and the animated shorts collections are some of my favorites. I absolutely loved the first volume of Donald Duck cartoons, and it was fantastic continuing the series. There were lots of shorts here that I had never seen before, including a few that are now tops on my list because they are so creative and bizarre! Duck Pimples is completely amazing, as Donald goes insane with fear from listening to suspenseful radio shows and reading mystery novels, and enters a wacky fantasy world that kept me laughing the whole time. Trombone Trouble is also incredible, since the Greek gods bestow Donald with super-powers just to shut-up Pete's lousy trombone practicing! All of Donald's World War II shorts are included in separate section, but unfortunately most of these I had already seen a couple years ago in the On the Front Lines collection (but it was fun to watch them again, since Pete is such a great sarge!). The bonus materials include a complete B&W Disneyland television episode that follows Donald's typical day at the studio, with lots of great old live action footage, and there's also a really heartwarming interview with Tony Anselmo, the current voice of Donald. I had no idea his Disney career was so long and that he was actually handed the baton by Clarence Nash, Donald's original voice. Tony's comments really exemplify that Disney magic and commitment that I hope the company can hold on to forever!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Complete Pluto Vol 1 : 4 of 5 | |
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4.05.2005
7:53 PM | Link0 comments |
 Yippee! I've finished the latest wave of Walt Disney Treasures from Christmas! This last set was a good one, featuring tons of hilarious Pluto cartoon shorts. I guess I had never thought about it before, but Pluto cartoons are a lot like watching Road Runner, since there's rarely any dialogue (except for Pluto's hilarious "breathing" laugh, which always cracks me up). I had seen many of these shorts before (most on other DVDs I own), but it's still nice to have them in this collection where I can watch them chronologically. I was kind of amazed by how many girlfriends Pluto has - mostly Dachshunds, but also a Pekinese (and she has babies, too!). Also, Pluto was often teamed with a smaller version of himself, sometimes a son and sometimes a kid brother. My favorite Pluto short Bone Trouble is here also, which has the Hall of Mirrors sequence that's so clever and funny. Unfortunately the bonus material is pretty sparse for a two DVD set, but it does include an excellent interview with Andreas Deja where we get to watch him sketch Pluto from scratch. There are also some fun stills of Pluto strips from the Sunday comics, which you can actually read panel by panel. OK, I'm ready for the next wave of Walt Disney Treasures now!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Mickey Mouse Club : 4 of 5 | |
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4.02.2005
11:40 AM | Link0 comments |
 I got so many DVDs for Christmas that it's taking me quite a while to get through all these cool sets (especially since I try to keep my Netflix quotient up)! These DVDs contain the first week (five shows) of the original Mickey Mouse Club from 1955, and the shows are so much fun to watch. I love how each day had a different theme (like Fun with Music Day, Anything Can Happen Day, and even Circus Day), and I could definitely see how it could make the show something you just couldn't miss, especially if it was your favorite day! Although the actual commercials aren't included, there are short 10-second mentions of product sponsors which are really cool (I wonder what Sugar Jets tasted like?). There are some segments with the famous Wally Boag (from the early days of the Golden Horseshoe at Disneyland), but I didn't think he was that funny. The bonus features include interviews with surviving Mouseketeers, of course, filmed on the real Disney sound stage in front of the actual curtain from the show. There's also some cool color footage of the Mouseketeers at Disneyland's opening day, plus a color version of the opening animation that was never shown on TV. It was really nice watching these talented kids dance and sing, then hearing Jimmy tell everyone to help wash the dishes that night. Now I want to watch the second week!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black & White Vol 2 : 4 of 5 | |
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1.26.2005
10:13 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm finally getting started on Wave 4 of the Walt Disney Treasures series, all of which I got for Christmas! Even though the tins are not quite as high quality as last year (the rear panel of information is stuck on with only a couple of globs of adhesive), the contents of the DVDs are fantastic, as usual. I think I enjoyed this volume of Mickey's older cartoon shorts better than the first, since there seems to be more cartoons from the 1930s here, which is my favorite period for Mickey. At last I've now seen When the Cat's Away, where Mickey is actually mouse-sized - it's really bizarre! There's plenty of Minnie, with lots of shots of the big patch sewn on her underwear, and in the 1920's she even had kind of a bra (guess she realized she didn't need one). It's fun to see Mickey making mischief in ways he would never do today, such as snapping Minnie's underpants while singing Pop Goes the Weasel. There's also some scenes of Pluto "talking", looking at the camera while a voice speaks his thoughts, which really took me by surprise. And even though Leonard Maltin makes a big deal out of the politically incorrect cartoons, almost all of them only contain less than a second of a black-face gag. These are priceless cartoons - I'm so glad to be able to watch them!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: On the Front Lines : 5 of 5 | |
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7.01.2004
5:29 PM | Link0 comments |
 This set was certainly the most anticipated of this latest wave of Walt Disney Treasures DVDs, since nearly all of the included material has never been released before (in fact, some of it was classified when it was produced!). During World War II, the US government called upon the Disney studio to make literally hundreds of films for military training and public education, and of course, the studio made lots of morale boosting films in which the famous Disney characters experience life in the army firsthand. These shorts range from funny (with Pluto battling Chip and Dale in a gun turret) to disturbing (including lots of Japanese stereotypes, as well as chilling scenes of Nazi children) to completely boring (such as detailed instructions on flush riveting or the cleaning of an anti-tank rifle!). This set also includes the full length feature Victory Through Air Power, which Walt wanted to make to help convince the military that long-range bombers (as well as forming the Air Force as a separate military branch) were the key to winning the war (and apparently the film did help!). I was completely fascinated while watching these films, no matter if the subject was Minnie saving bacon grease to make munitions or the semi-disgusting animations of how mosquitos carry malaria. I have no idea what it was like to live in those times, but I'm sure that these Disney films did their best to help everyone cope.Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Tomorrowland : 5 of 5 | |
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6.24.2004
5:40 PM | Link0 comments |
 Each wave of Walt Disney Treasures DVDs has always included a title that looks at Disney history, and this Tomorrowland set looks at Walt's optimism about the future. The main features are the incredible Man in Space programs that were produced for TV, each with live-action and animated segments, and presenting scientific material in a truly fascinating way! Even though the science facts and predictions involve some pretty wild speculations, I still learned a lot from watching these shows (as long as 1950s science counts!) and loved every minute of it! There's a show on space travel in general, one on traveling to the moon (in which it's predicted that we'll need to build a space station first), another on traveling to Mars, a show on satellites and weather prediction (and weather control!), and an amazing show on atomic energy (and now I understand for the first time how a nuclear reactor works). As a super-huge bonus, this DVD set also includes the uncut EPCOT film, shot only two months before Walt's death, where he explains how his "city of the future" will operate. It's completely fascinating - I would love to go to work everyday on a monorail! Some great interviews are included as well, making this an incredible package of Disney history - possibly one of the best Walt Disney Treasures yet!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald Vol 1 : 5 of 5 | |
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6.10.2004
5:22 PM | Link0 comments |
 After finishing the set of Mickey cartoons, I started right in on the complete set of Donald Duck shorts from the 30s and 40s. I can definitely see why this set is called Volume 1, because Disney made so many Donald cartoons (sometimes up to eight a year!) that it's going to take a few more DVDs to contain them all! These are excellent cartoons, and even though Donald doesn't have Mickey's charm for me, he's still downright hilarious (I always get a big kick out of listening to him sing, too). We get to see the first appearances of Daisy Duck (who used to talk with the same kind of voice as Donald - I wonder when she switched to a "normal" voice?) and Huey, Duey and Louie. Lots of the cartoons include Goofy and Pluto (I guess Donald takes care of Pluto when Mickey's out of town), and the villain is usually Pete (though he doesn't have a peg leg). My favorites are Hockey Champ, which features some funny snow and ice chases, and Modern Inventions, where Donald has a bad time in a museum of the future. The bonus material is pretty sparse, but at least includes a biography of Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald (I wish I could talk like Donald, too!).Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol 2 : 5 of 5 | |
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6.01.2004
7:58 PM | Link0 comments |
 At long last I'm watching the latest wave of Walt Disney Treasures DVDs! These were originally scheduled for a Christmas release, then delayed until Spring, so I pre-ordered them from Amazon.com. I've been so busy lately that it's tough finding time to watch these with the attention they deserve, but I did manage to complete all the material on this wonderful continuation of Mickey's color cartoon shorts. I enjoyed seeing everything from the 40s and 50s - my favorite by far is Symphony Hour, which has some incredibly funny scenes! It was interesting to see the experimentation with "perspective ears", too (but I'm glad they didn't last!). Other shorts that I really love are The Nifty Nineties and Mickey's Delayed Date (I love seeing Mickey trying to make up after a spat with Minnie). The second disc has some longer featurettes that I've been wanting to see, including The Prince and the Pauper (which is fantastic) and the totally bizarre Runaway Brain (which I'm sure was done just because the animators wanted to draw a deranged Mickey!). The bonus material is extensive, featuring great interviews with animators and the current voices of Mickey and Minnie (who are married in real life). Combined with the original volume of Mickey's color shorts, this is simply an unbeatable set!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| The Disney Treasures / Robert Tieman : 5 of 5 | |
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3.24.2004
9:55 PM | Link |
 Still making my way through the fantastic coffee table books I got for Christmas! This is one of the best Disney books ever made, and certainly the most unique. The concept is that as the book discusses Disney history, beginning with young Walt and onward through Walt Disney World, replicas of various items being discussed are included in the book! Almost every page has a special pocket that includes an accurate facsimile, so you can actually hold and read a postcard written by Walt to his mother, or pages of a letter to his wife Lillian. The reproductions are great - everything is actual size, and even the paper quality is preserved (for example, the first edition of the Disneyland News is included, and actually on newsprint!). Now I know what it was like to have tickets to Disneyland's opening day, because I can actually hold them! The text is very informative, and filled with colorful photo collages. To top it off, the book includes a CD with old radio commercials and lots of audio of Walt. In my opinion, this book should be added to the list of "Disney Treasures" itself!Labels: books, disney, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black & White : 5 of 5 | |
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2.11.2003
10:12 PM | Link0 comments |
 This is the third of the Walt Disney Treasures that I got for Christmas, and of course, it's another treat. I really enjoyed the Mickey Mouse in Living Color set from last year, and it was a great set up for these black & white cartoons, including Steamboat Willie. Watching the ancient Mickey pull cats tales, smoke, and steal kisses from Minnie is hilarious, since Mickey would never do such a thing today! I also love how all of the older cartoons are in constant rhythm - anything a character does is always right with the beat of the soundtrack. There are lots of cute plot lines that involve nothing more than Mickey and Minnie getting together to play music or eat lunch - so simple and sweet. What a fantastic collection!Labels: disney, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Goofy : 5 of 5 | |
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1.24.2003
10:10 PM | Link0 comments |
 I was really excited about this volume of the Walt Disney Treasures series, since I had seen very few Goofy cartoons (though I had certainly read all about them). This two DVD set contains all of Goofy's "starring" roles, and was a joy to watch! The early Goofy is very much like the Goofy that appears on the Disney Channel today, but in the late fifties, he became a pipe-smoking, married with children, typical businessman named George Geef! These cartoons of the "How To" variety are hilarious and bizarre - it's amazing to watch Goofy experience road rage or have a nicotine fit! Every cartoon included is memorable - it's fantastic to have them all!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Behing the Scenes at the Disney Studio : 5 of 5 | |
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1.08.2003
10:08 PM | Link0 comments |
 I had a fantastic Christmas this year - my parents gave me all of the Disney items from my Amazon wish list! I love the Disney Treasures series, and I've really been looking forward to this volume, mainly because I had never seen The Reluctant Dragon. I really enjoyed the glamorized versions of all the studio departments - it was so much fun to see everything going on! I was really impressed with the dragon story itself, too - I love laughing out loud, and this feature did the trick. Also included are three essential shows from the Disney TV series, which I've seen many times on the Disney Channel, but it's wonderful to own them on DVD since the Disney Channel stopped all of it's Vault Disney programming (to make sure these DVDs sell, no doubt)!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color : 5 of 5 | |
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8.20.2002
5:18 PM | Link0 comments |
 I have to call this a tie with Silly Symphonies for my favorite of the first series of Walt Disney Treasures! It's so nice to see these amazing Mickey cartoons, featuring some of my favorites, The Band Concert and Mickey's Trailer (and now I have some new favorites, too!). It's really interesting to see how Mickey's pals Donald and Goofy quickly became the more popular characters, mainly because Mickey is just "too nice" (but inspirational in his levelheadedness). I loved seeing so many shorts that I had never seen before, and I really enjoyed trying to figure out if Donald is really cursing in Clock Cleaners (he's not, but it's hilarious anyway)!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett : 3 of 5 | |
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8.09.2002
5:16 PM | Link0 comments |
 This was definitely last on my list to buy in the Walt Disney Treasures series, since I've never even been interested enough to watch these on the Disney Channel, but I ended up enjoying this series much more than I thought I would! There's just something about a Disney production, even if it's live action, that makes it wholesome and fun. I'm sure the "history" in these stories is all messed up, but I did learn more about Davy's life and its end at the Alamo than I knew before. The coolest thing about the presentation is it includes the complete pre-show segments with Walt, right down to the "coming next week" announcements.Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Silly Symphonies : 4 of 5 | |
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7.23.2002
8:06 AM | Link0 comments |
 I tried to avoid collecting this series, but I finally gave in (and I'm glad I did). This is a great set of the fantastic Silly Symphony cartoons, early Disney shorts that basically illustrated a song without featuring a major character. Everyone knows The Three Little Pigs, of course, but there are so many other gems here - I especially love Musicland and The Cookie Carnival because they are so fantastically creative! There are some great insights with Leonard Maltin, who is basically the host of the whole Walt Disney Treasures series, including some rare footage of the Big Bad Wolf as a Jewish stereotype (which was reanimated later, of course). Now I'm on my way to collecting all of these!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland USA : 3 of 5 | |
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3.21.2002
8:07 AM | Link0 comments |
 Normally I would have bought this DVD set right away, since I love Disneyland so much, but I decided to rent it instead, because I've seen most of the segments on the Disney Channel. The main thing that's cool about the set is the original live ABC broadcast from the opening day in 1955 - the whole thing was shot with 22 live cameras, hosted by folks like Art Linkletter and Ronald Regan! It's really fun to watch things like the dedication speeches and flag raising, and then see the attractions filling up for the first time. Overall, the show is kind of a disaster, but is still pretty amazing for the time. The rest of the segments on the DVD are cool, but as I mentioned, I've already seen them all recently.Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
