UltimateDisney.com: The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
JANUARY 16-31, 2004: NEWS ARCHIVES
January 31, 2004 - Seven Disney DVDs go out of print today: Sleeping Beauty (2-Disc Special Edition), 101 Dalmatians II: London's Patch Adventure, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, The Jungle Book 2, Fantasia (Special 60th Anniversary Edition), Fantasia 2000, and The Fantasia Anthology, which we recently reviewed.
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January 30, 2004 - The two films in today's update of Top Live Action Disney Films Countdown are separated by 53 years. The second Lindsay Lohan remake to make the Top 30 is last year's Freaky Friday, #22, while #21 is 1950's Treasure Island.
January 29, 2004 - The site's 48th DVD review is now up - Escape to Witch Mountain, Disney's 1975 live action film.
Today, the Top Live Action Disney Films Countdown proceeds with another '50s film missing on DVD (Darby O'Gill and the Little People, #24) and one that wasn't yet in theaters last year at this time (Holes, #23).
We've added the full press release for the April 27 release of James Cameron's IMAX documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, which will be a 2-disc set with two cuts of the film.
Zorro: The Complete First Season will be released to DVD in France (Region 2) on April 30. The DVDs Only Available Outside Region 1 section has been updated accordingly.
January 28, 2004 - Our Top Live Action Disney Films Countdown continues today with high-spirited hijinks (The Apple Dumpling Gang, #26) and sheepdog metamorphosis (The Shaggy Dog, #25).
We also have a review of another fine Disney DVD collector's edition - the 3-disc Fantasia Anthology, which will be discontinued this Saturday.
Full specs have finally come in for the remainder of next week's catalogue releases. Midnight Madness and Bon Voyage! will both unfortunately be presented in 1.33:1 formatted 'fullscreen' only. Return to Oz is not enhanced for 16x9 televisions, but is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, and as previously stated, will port over the extras from Anchor Bay's out-of-print DVD release.
January 27, 2004 - Our Top Live Action Disney Films Countdown continues today with '90s remake (The Parent Trap, #28) and an original from the '40s (So Dear To My Heart, #27), which includes some engaging engaging personal reflection on Disney's fourth live action feature film made.
Now available...
Alice in Wonderland:
The Masterpiece Edition (2 Discs)
January 26, 2004 - As promised, today, we begin our Top Live Action Disney Films Countdown. Animal films and musicals were a staple of the live action films from Walt's time, but #30 and #29 are actually products of last decade.
January 25, 2004 - Voting for the Top live action Disney films Countdown has now ended. We will count down the Top 30 votegetters on weekdays over the next few weeks, beginning tomorrow with #30 and #29. Be sure to check back!
Ghosts of the Abyss, James Cameron's IMAX film exploring the deep blue's remains of the Titanic, with a team of historians, marine experts, and Bill Paxton, finally arrives on DVD April 27. It is 30% off to Pre-order at Amazon.com.
Also, first look at Brother Bear disc art...
 
 
Added large cover art for two of March's catalogue releases - The Gnome-Mobile and Night Crossing.
January 21, 2004 - We added our 46th DVD review to the site and it's not a new release, and it's not even in print anymore. Nonetheless, The Ultimate Toy Box remains one of the finest DVD sets ever released, and is well worth tracking down if you're a fan of the two Toy Story films.
January 18, 2004 - The highly-acclaimed 2-hour Walt Disney documentary DVD, Walt: The Man Behind the Myth, which until now has been a Disney outlet exclusive, will be released through general retail on March 2. Bonus features include Walt's home movie footage, a DVD-ROM feature on the Walt Disney Family Museum and five featurettes: "The Making of Walt", "Actors, Directors & Friends", "Disney Legends", "Walt: An Intimate View", and "Location Visits." You can pre-order Walt: The Man Behind the Myth now for 30% off at Amazon.com.
There are a number of news items today, and not much of it is good. The highly anticipated 2-disc Masterpiece Editions of Pocahontas and Lilo & Stitch have been pushed back to 2005, where the latter will coincide with the theatrical release of Lilo & Stitch II.
The 2-disc Special Edition of Mary Poppins has also been delayed to December of this year, when Julie Andrews' The Princess Diaries II comes to DVD. (The same month, The Princess Diaries will be reissued as a Special Edition.) This re-release is just one of a number of classic live action Disney titles hitting store shelves in 2004. Look for Darby O'Gill and the Little People, the original Freaky Friday, Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow, and a 50th Anniversary Davy Crockett DVD containing both Davy Crockett and the River Pirates and Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier films.
Lastly, a disappointing item on dual format releases of live action titles. Disney's new policy is to discontinue one of the editions released a few months after initial release, based on sales. So for instance, if you've been putting off buying The Santa Clause 2 in widescreen, you may want to pick it up soon, as the widescreen edition is scheduled to become unavailable in the near future. As always, you can e-mail (Disneyinfo@Disneyhelp.com) or call (1-800-72-DISNEY) to lodge your complaints.
  
January 17, 2004 - Fans of live action Disney fare with multi-region DVD playing capabilities will be glad to learn of some upcoming Region 2 Disney DVD releases in Germany. A Far Off Place (1993) starring Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Embry debuts on January 29 overseas, while it is still missing in action in Region 1. Also available March 25 only in Europe are Shipwrecked (1991) starring Gabriel Byrne and the Wonderful World of Disney TV musical Geppetto starring Drew Carey. In addition, Tom and Huck, Man of the House, The Journey of Natty Gann, Blank Check and Heavyweights, all released exclusively in formatted 4x3 for America, will be issued in their proper widescreen formats and enhanced for 16x9 televisions in Germany over the next few months. All discs include the original English language tracks.
Check out the International Exclusives section for a complete list of Disney movies only available on DVD outside of the United States and Pan & Scan DVDs to Avoid / Widescreen Abroad for a list of international offerings that present American films in their correct widescreen original aspect ratios, unlike the Region 1 DVDs.
  
January 16, 2004 - The Haunted Mansion, Disney's third theatrical film based on a amusement park attraction, will make its DVD debut on April 20 in separate widescreen and fullscreen editions. You can now pre-order the widescreen DVD at Amazon.com. Complete press release here. Also up for pre-order, the two previously discussed upcoming volumes of "Lizzie McGuire" episodes - Star Struck and Totally Crushed, plus the feature-length movie Kim Possible - A Sitch in Time. These three discs street on March 16, exactly two months to the date.
Finally, we've added five new screencaps of bonus features from the 2-disc set for The Lion King 1 1/2 (pre-order), making its debut on February 10. The stills include a first look at Timon & Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5, the Hidden Mickey Hunt, and the Peter Graves-hosted mockumentary "Timon: Behind the Legend." Check out the new pictures or see the complete Lion King 1 1/2 preview.
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