UltimateDisney.com: The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
JANUARY 1-15, 2005: NEWS ARCHIVES
January 15, 2005 - Disney has opened up the official website for Pooh's Heffalump Movie, the latest big screen adventure featuring the Hundred Acre Wood gang. (More on the film...)
We've been busy updating various parts of UltimateDisney.com this weekend. Look for our final installment of "2004: Year in Review" plus a detailed review of the Aladdin II & III Collection to come in the days ahead. In the meantime, our Direct to Video, Upcoming DVD Schedule and Coming to Theaters pages have all received a variety of updates.
January 14, 2005 - Amazon.com now has The Incredibles up for preorder at 30% off. Though they list a release date of 2025, we can expect a far shorter wait of about two months. The 2-disc Collector's Edition is expected to arrive on March 15th with hours of bonus features. See this thread for more details on this highly-anticipated DVD, including some new info on "Jack Jack Attack" and other bonus features.
We now have reviews of the remaining two DVDs in this week's newly-launched Classic Cartoon Favorites line: Volume 2 - Starring Donald and Volume 4 - Starring Chip 'n Dale, which is noteworthy for being the first Region 1 DVD release devoted to those mischievous chipmunks.
The first of many new Disney DVD reviews you'll be seeing over the next few days is now up: The Great Locomotive Chase, Walt's 1956 Cinemascope adventure.
January 13, 2005 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the much-anticipated feature film version of Douglas Adams' cult sci-fi/comedy creation has been moved back under the "Touchstone Pictures" label. More on the film...
January 12, 2005 - New cover art has been added for Mickey and the Beanstalk and Mickey's Around the World in 80 Days, both coming March 22nd.
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Amazon.com: Free shipping on all orders of $25 or more. (3 CCFs)
BestBuy.com:  Buy The Village and get The Sixth Sense for $9.01
January 10, 2005 - Our first two DVD reviews of the Classic Cartoon Favorites have just been posted: Volume 1: Starring Mickey and Volume 3: Starring Goofy. Both pretty much meet expectations squarely; these are not the exhaustive compilations that the Walt Disney Treasures are, but rather low-priced DVDs which each offer a solid hour of vintage animated shorts with satisfying video and audio quality. There are no extras to attract those who own these films in the Treasures, but these discs would seem to serve casual fans perfectly. While this first wave of four is supposed to be available for a limited time only, the spine numbers would suggest that there will be more DVDs in this line (some are already scheduled for May) and in some ways, the formulaic nature of the character shorts seem well suited to smaller doses, even if these obviously cannot and will not replace the Treasures line.
Disney has released a bit of information and the first pictures from upcoming direct-to-video sequels Tarzan 2, Lilo & Stitch 2, and Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest here. In addition, October 4th has been officially announced as the release date for Cinderella Platinum Edition. A couple of screencaps from its first trailer (on tomorrow's Classic Cartoon Favorites) have been posted here on the UD forum.
January 8, 2005 - Our latest DVD review isn't of the Classic Cartoon Favorites (they're coming, just not yet), but of The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan, an elaborate, gimmicky Sci Fi Channel documentary which aired last summer. Not the filmmaker profile it purports to be and not very insightful or rewarding, this would have made a decent supplement on The Village (the movie it was designed to promote) but instead flops on its own.
January 7, 2005 - If you've missed our DVD reviews the past two weeks, you'll be glad to know we have a new one today. This one falls under our "Touching on Touchstone" header and covers The Village, the latest film from suspense master M. Night Shyamalan. It could be the writer/director's weakest work to date, as it relies on his penchants for style and twists more than his normally potent pen. The result is an atmospheric but slow and surprisingly shallow drama. It is released next Tuesday as a modest single-disc Vista Series DVD with exemplary video/audio and lighter-than-usual bonus features. Read the full review.
January 6, 2005 - Today marks the fourth anniversary of The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD. As the site continues to grow and improve, we'd like to thank you for sticking with us over the years!
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January 5, 2005 - Charles of Oregon has won Contest #8, the End-of-the-Year Screencap Challenge. He wins the America's Heart & Soul DVD, which after months of being a Costco exclusive will receive general release next month.
January 4, 2005 - There is a plethora of new disc art available today from January and February's Disney DVD releases: Aladdin sequels (Jan. 18), Growing Up with Winnie the Pooh (Feb. 8), Disney Princess Party Vol. 2 (Feb. 15), and the Miyazaki Wave 2 titles (Feb. 22).
January 3, 2005 - BestBuy.com is currently running a promotion in which all Disney DVDs are 20% off.  Check out the discounted titles - purchases support UltimateDisney.com.
Next Tuesday brings the first wave of Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites on DVD - four single-disc volumes of classic cartoon shorts. In May, we'll see more entries into this line including Extreme Sports Fun and Extreme Music Fun. If the latter matches the same titled DVD currently available in Australia, it will present Goofy's 1987 short "Soccermania" (for the first time in the US), plus classic shorts "Olympic Champ", "Goofy Gymnastics", and "Canine Caddy."
May will also bring more catalogue titles including the DVD debuts of the original That Darn Cat! starring Hayley Mills and Dean Jones, and the Disney Channel's 1993 movie Heidi. More titles and details to come, but it looks like the studio will again be issuing "New to DVD" output on a monthly basis.
Recent Disney DVD Reviews:
• King Arthur: Director's Cut - Before devolving into formula spectacle, this Bruckheimer-produced offers a pretty engaging take on the 'true story' behind the roundtable legend.
• Where the Red Fern Grows - It's hard to tell that this genuinely satisfying new adaptation stemmed from a troubled production.
• The Young Black Stallion - Visually pleasing IMAX film offers a rather slight narrative.
• The Complete Pluto, Volume One - Upholding the Treasures tradition, this set provides 3½ hours of Pluto's early and noteworthy appearances in comedic shorts, which will delight fans and remain accessible for the unacquainted.
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