Blu-Ray Old Animations REALLY Worth It?

[singerguy04]

I'm just going to start off with that...

Ok, true Pocahontas and Mulan did sell better than Herc and Hunch but who's next in line? It's probably L&S, Herc, and Hunch. What is the problem here? I mean Pocahontas and Mulan did get really nice special editions that are also still in print. I have no idea why they matter in this discussion. I'm trying to build the arguement that Hercules and Hunchback have as good a chance to make it to blu-ray soon as any other. And in my opinion they should be some of the first.

Disney will release non-platinums on Blu-ray. I really feel that it is safe to assume that blu-ray will become as popular as DVD, it will take time, perhaps even a year but it will happen. All i was suggesting is that Hercules and Hunchback would be good titles to release in the format. They offer great animation, a good rich soundtrack, and very little restoration. Overall, they would be relatively cheap to put on the format, because it should be easier to find special feature material on them and they don't need the restoration as bad as the films from the 70's for example.

Honestly, I have no idea why anyone is arguing against this. The fact is, Disney will start to feel the pressure to release the films on DVD and Blu-ray. I think given merchandising, how long it's been since a newer release, and how much the film made in the box office along with home video sales is a good indicator that Herc, Hunch, and Lilo & Stitch have the best fighting chance.

As far as your example with Alice and Pinnochio, maybe it's because they are being added to the Platinum line. gee, going back to what i was saying earlier about what goes into the vault when it makes a lot of sense.

Also, how do you explain any other re-release or how they were chosen then? I don't think there is a way anyone that doesn't work for Disney that could explain this to us, lol. Sure, going with what you said about how they are physically made. I don't think Disney sold out of the Sword in the Stone and then decided "Hey, lets make a new edition since this one is all out!" It's just not how it is. I don't know how they came to the decision but they certainly weren't sold out because I could still find the GC on shelves up to a month before the release date. So whether or not a title is still on shelves or not by what we (the consumers) see on shelves isn't evidence of how well a certain title sells. If it were then Hercules and Hunch would definately be next up for a new edition because I havn't seen them on shelves in months.

Now this is just my speculation and personal opinion, just wanted to make that clear.

[Fflewduur]

I'm no trying to be difficult or disagreeable. No studio has done more to support & promote BD, and I have no doubt we'll see the entire animated feature canon eventually.

I'm hypothesizing, absolutely. I'm making a couple assumptions---mostly that WDHE knows better than I what sells and what doesn't sell so well, and that they plan and do business accordingly and consistently. The best-selling titles spend the least time on the shelves and the most time in the vault; when they re-appear, they get deluxe treatment. Some other titles come & go and come back again, and they get treated pretty decently---I still think Alice in Wonderland is a fine example because it's not a confirmed Platinum title, and if a PE appears it won't be till 2012; it certainly wasn't a Platinum title when the Gold Collection released in 2000, or when it went out of print, or in January 2004 when the Masterpiece Edition released, or when it went out of print. Then there are titles (like The Three Caballeros, The Sword In the Stone, and (apparently) Oliver and Company) which linger at retail for years, up until their scheduled re-releases are announced or even go on sale---and when they appear, the re-releases turn out to be no significant upgrade to the prior release. If Hercules or Hunchback is announced for 2009...the reasons you give for bringing them to BD at this time are good ones, but I still have my doubts they're popular enough to get them to the front of the line for the 4k scanner this soon.

I could easily be wrong. Certainly Disney's Home Entertainment's president Bob Chapek sounds more bullish on BD every time he opens his mouth. If they're going to get the animated canon out in BD's first decade, they're going to have to start soon and keep them coming at a pretty good clip---we'll need to see an average of 4-5 per year, and with SB debuting when the format's already 2 years old, there's already some catching up to do.

Disney's approach to BD is already proving very different from their plans for DVD. Between 1998 and the end of 2000 they released a ton of titles; this time around they're obviously aiming for quality more than quantity (and not just in animated releases, but for Disney-distributed titles on BD across the board). The bar's been set pretty high. I have a feeling every animated release on BD is going to be Platinum-quality in terms of the main feature's presentation because anything less would be a waste of the format's potential and a step backward from the precedent for quality that's already been set.