UltimateDisney.com's Reviews - Feedback, 2/05 - 1/06

[Luke]

Hi Pyoko,
I don't have on Mickey in Living Color v.1, but I can tell you that I was disappointed by the quality on "Mickey's Trailer" on the Extreme Adventure Fun DVD. Like the other shorts on the CCFs that appear to be recycled from the Treasures materials, even employing the same amount of compression when less can be applied...I'd be astonished if this was not the case for that short. Outside of the 3 that have not been on DVD before, "Trailer" and "How to Ride a Horse" were most lacking in the picture department.

[AwallaceUNC]

Parent Trap seems similar to the movie It Takes Two but it sounds pretty good.

This is true, but I would be more apt to say that <i>It Takes Two</i> seems more strangely similar to the <b>original</b> 1961 movie of <i>The Parent Trap</i>

I love <i>It Takes Two</i>

Good job on the <i>Get A Clue</i> review... sounds like a snore fest and a rather disappointing DVD... what a shame. I loved the run-down of Lohandom at the beginning.

-Aaron

[James]

A Disneymania 2 CD review! This site really is evolving!
Will you be doing a review of the first Disneymania CD, considering that you reviewed the last two?

And I know that this is very off-the-topic but I didn't want to start a new thread on it - Is the Walt Disney Treasures-Silly Symphonys DVD meant to have the short Water Babies on it? I got the Australian version of it (think it is Region 4 version) and it has a behing the scenes section on it, from an old Disneyland episode, as an easter egg, but it doesn't have the actual short there after it, as all of the other easter eggs do. I think that its a legitimate copy, as it was purchased from 'Target' and it has all of the logos,etc. on it. Is my DVD faulty?
-James

[AwallaceUNC]

A Disneymania 2 CD review! This site really is evolving!
Will you be doing a review of the first Disneymania CD, considering that you reviewed the last two?

You might already know this, but in case you don't and are interested, the site already has reviews for the Disneymania In Concert DVD and the Disneymania 3 CD.

To answer your question, yes a review of the first Disneymania CD is in the works too, though there are several others above it in priority. The DM2 CD review will hopefully come sometime within the next week.

And I know that this is very off-the-topic but I didn't want to start a new thread on it - Is the Walt Disney Treasures-Silly Symphonys DVD meant to have the short Water Babies on it? I got the Australian version of it (think it is Region 4 version) and it has a behing the scenes section on it, from an old Disneyland episode, as an easter egg, but it doesn't have the actual short there after it, as all of the other easter eggs do. I think that its a legitimate copy, as it was purchased from 'Target' and it has all of the logos,etc. on it. Is my DVD faulty?
-James

A review of this is in the works for later this summer as well. I don't have time to look into it right now, and I haven't watched this set before, but I did stick my R1 DVD in and I don't see "Water Babies" anywhere. That isn't to say it isn't there as an easter egg or something, but I'm not seeing it anywhere, even though the liner notes do say that it is supposed to be included. I'll look into this. Perhaps someone has a better answer for you.

-Aaron

[James]

You might already know this, but in case you don't and are interested, the site already has reviews for the Disneymania In Concert DVD and the Disneymania 3 CD.
To answer your question, yes a review of the first Disneymania CD is in the works too, though there are several others above it in priority. The DM2 CD review will hopefully come sometime within the next week.
A review of this is in the works for later this summer as well. I don't have time to look into it right now, and I haven't watched this set before, but I did stick my R1 DVD in and I don't see "Water Babies" anywhere. That isn't to say it isn't there as an easter egg or something, but I'm not seeing it anywhere, even though the liner notes do say that it is supposed to be included. I'll look into this. Perhaps someone has a better answer for you.
-Aaron

Yes I did know that you reviewed the CD and the DVD, I re-read them and both of them seem pretty good. Great reviewing. Thanks for answering the question and and its nice to know that you, like myself, actually like Raven, unlike many Disney fans!
With the Silly Symphonys DVD I wasn't trying to get you to review it, but I guess its an added bonus! On my R4 DVD the easter egg of it is on the first disc, on the second page of the 'Fables and Fairy Tales' menu and it should be located on The Robber Kittens sword. Thanks for at least trying to answer my question!
-James

[AwallaceUNC]

With the Silly Symphonys DVD I wasn't trying to get you to review it, but I guess its an added bonus! On my R4 DVD the easter egg of it is on the first disc, on the second page of the 'Fables and Fairy Tales' menu and it should be located on The Robber Kittens sword. Thanks for at least trying to answer my question!
-James

No worries, the review was already planned. I think I misread your question the first time around, but I can answer it now. "Water Babies" is indeed at the end of that easter egg, but again, that's R1. You can try posting in International to see if that's just your's, or on all R4 sets. Oh, the location of the easter eggs should probably be whited out for those who don't want it spoiled.

-Aaron

[Andy]

Just read the Get A Clue dvd review, i was thinking of buying it since im a Lohan but after that review i think i'll give it a miss.
Good review though.

[James]

Thanks for the advice, info and whiting out the Easter Egg part!
-James

[Luke]

Aaron's 2-page review of one of Wave 2's Walt Disney Treasures, Mickey Mouse in Black and White has just been posted here:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/mmblackwhite.html

[Disney-Fan]

Aaron's 2-page review of one of Wave 2's Walt Disney Treasures, Mickey Mouse in Black and White has just been posted here:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/mmblackwhite.html

Great review! I'm starting to collect these treasures, so this is quite helpful!

[Luke]

Another review is swingin' your way (<b>Spider-Man: The Venom Saga</b>):
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/spider-man-venomsaga.html

And that's the type of pun it's filled with.

[MickeyMousePal]

Great Review Luke and Aaron.....I wish I did Spider-Man Vemon Saga revew. oh well.

[James]

Wonderful review of Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Aaron! I love reading the lengthy reviews of those DVDs that all Disney fans have, or want to have, Walt Disney Treasures! I myself only have one, Silly Symohonys, but after reading the reviews of the others they have all been put on my wish list, and I am looking forward to the next batch of Treasures. The one that I'm looking forward to most though, which we probably won't get for a while, is Walt Disney Treasures-Silly Symphonys-Volume 2! I don't know how many shorts there was in the decade or so that they aired, but I'm hoping that there's enough to fill even three DVDs.
A question though, have all of the Mickey Mouse cartoons been released to DVD? I'm sure they have, but I just need some confirmation.
And I have just read the review of the Spiderman:The Venom Saga DVD and it seems quite historical, but I think that I'll pass on it. Not as appealing as others...............
Anyway, both were brillaint reviews and the content of each have been disgested and have been taken into consideration when planning my next DVD list!
-James

[Luke]

A question though, have all of the Mickey Mouse cartoons been released to DVD? I'm sure they have, but I just need some confirmation.

Yep, all the "Mickey Mouse" cartoons have been. Two shorts with appearances by Mickey have yet to be released, though. See this thread for a full filmography:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=3795

[deathie mouse]

Pyoko, i don't remember Mickey's Trailer having all those composite video artifacts on my R1 treasure but can't confirm right now. (I watched all the Mickey treasures in a never ending marathon when i got them all last year at the same time after starving for them for so long, so i coulda been drunk with ink and paint tho, and i could be mixing shorts )
Is your mmilc v1 copy by any chance one of the European R2 editions?
I guess watching it again is another thing to add to my To do list


reviews!

Spiderman Spiderman ta na na na na ná Spiderman

Nice choice of Home Improvementz background oh so appropiate

but now i'll take on Aaron

Everything on Mickey Mouse in Black & White is presented in 1.33:1 fullscreen. Most of the shorts are windowboxed to varying degree, but this should only show up in the very earliest shorts (where there is considerable windowboxing) on a set with overscan.

well , ahem .. the way that was phrased it almost seems that all the shorts are in 1.33
Actually some are NOT in 1.33 . They are in the "Movietone" sound aperture, which is around 1.17 to 1.21 wide, like in this two shots:

and

The Dethistory :

Silent films were about 18mm x 24mm, 1.33
Then sound came and adding the optical soundtrack on the space occupied partially by the left side of the image that width was reduced to 21mm, giving you the so called "Movietone News" aperture. Which would be something around like 18mm x 21mm, 1.17 wide or so. (i'll use "1.2" from now on for short ) (Sharpo eyed UDies might note that this is almost the same aperture as Cinemascope's too which is made 2x wide by the anamorphic lens).
But the new "narrower" "squarish" Movietone image wasn't pleasing to the eye for long narrative films (as the eyes tend to see a more horizontal angle of view) so the Academy of Arts and Sciences agreed on a new aperture shape to make it more or less like it was before, so they reduced the height of the image too, to bring it back in line, choosing dimensions of 15.240 mm x 20.955mm (0.600" x 0.825" in the English system), 1.375 wide, as the new shape of sound films. The Academy Sound Aperture.
15.25 x 21mm for short , as oposed to the 18mm x 21mm of the Movietone, or the 18mm x 24mm of the Silents.

With Mickey b/w shorts, which went through that transitional era, they should be in 1.33 only if they have the original Silent camera negatives as sources, go into around near 1.2 for "Movietone" sources, and finally reach 1.375 for the ones shot in and for the Academy sound cameras ratio.
From Aaron captures, you can tell most of these shorts are in 1.33 from probably analog standard video masters (nominally 486 x 711) not reaching the digital age 720 pixel width (see those little tiny black bands at the sides of most captures), apart from the Movietone ratio ones.
(And since they are in b/w NTSC, theoreticaly we dont have any analog/composite video problems as moiré and dot crawl or loss of resolution cus theres no need to separate the color signal with a notch or comb filter )

The End

So where's the mmlcv1 review?

[James]

A question though, have all of the Mickey Mouse cartoons been released to DVD? I'm sure they have, but I just need some confirmation.

Yep, all the "Mickey Mouse" cartoons have been. Two shorts with appearances by Mickey have yet to be released, though. See this thread for a full filmography:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=3795

That's wonderful news having all of them onto DVD! I thought that they still had a set or two to go, for some strange reason. And thanks for directing me to that fantastic filmography! Now I'll be refering to it for all of my questions, regarding all of the old shorts!
-James

[AwallaceUNC]

Thanks for the clarification, deathie. Your tomes of info are always appreciated. Hey- I actually understood everything you said this time! They all appeared to be 1.33:1 on the computer screen, but the windowboxing complicated it a bit, and I don't have the command on technical film history that you do. Interesting stuff, and you're probably right. Perhaps Luke can edit my review to say "most" are in 1.33:1 to account for the few "Movietone" ones.

So where's the mmlcv1 review?

It's coming. It will be the next WDT review I do, but I have a handful of other DVDs to tackle first. I also want to watch MMiB&Wv2 (which Jack has reviewed already) before moving on to the colors, which I'm doing in between other projects and being sick. Look for it on the "Coming Soon" list on page 1 of this thread sometime this summer.

Also, thanks to everyone for the kind words.

-Aaron

[Luke]

A two-star review for <b><i>Tarzan II</b></i>:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/tarzanII.html

[chaychay102royal]

Thanks, Luke, for the review.

The movie sounds horrible, I'll be sure to stay away from buying it!

[Pasta67]

Great Review for Tarzan II (that rhymed)
Hopefully Disney will run out of sequel ideas eventually