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UltimateDisney.com/DVDizzy.com Reviews: Discussion Thread
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blackcauldron85
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Great Up review, Luke & Kelvin! I'm disappointed in the lack of DVD bonus features; I'll either buy the Deluxe DVD or Blu-ray, depending on Best Buy's price (I have a couple $5 Rewards Zone coupons to use), but even if people buy the Blu-ray, if they have no Blu-ray player, it's no better than the Deluxe DVD. 
At least there is a deleted scene and the documentary to look forward to, and the Dug short.
At least there is a deleted scene and the documentary to look forward to, and the Dug short.
Interesting Bruno review and one which I'm 50/50 on agreeing with. I don't so much think that the problem with Bruno (the movie) is that it sets out to shock (after all, isn't that what many films people consider classics did? Such as The Exorcist, Freaks and A Clockwork Orange).
Bruno is an interesting character compared to Ali-G and Borat. Ali-G is basically an idiot people humour or dismiss. Borat is an innocent abroad who people try to teach the correct manners to or stop him from doing something inappropriate. Nobody hates Ali-G, and very few people hate Borat. But Bruno is different, by being gay, some people do hate him. Some people really hate him, in a way which makes them want to harm or even kill him.
The problem is, for at least half of the film the set-ups are to obvious and too broad. There's something to be said for exposing prejudice when its more or less hidden, but most of the people they chose to expose weren't exactly closet-homophobes were they?
So ultimately it was pointless. Bruno is still a comedy - not a documentary, and while exposing such people in a sound, fact based documentary may be appropriate and worthy, I don't think the same is true in a comedy. You run the risk of people actually sympathising with the bigots - especially in Bruno where some of the set-ups are way to over the top. Take the hunting trip - even if an attractive woman were seeking to enter the tent of one of the hunters at night under a painfully false excuse, naked and carrying condoms the bulk of the audience would support the tent owner blocking her entrance and protesting verbally. So how exactly is the audience supposed to react when Bruno does the same? Is it even exposing any prejudice or unreasonable behaviour? True, certain words are used, but again I would imagine had it been a woman, certain other taboo words regarding women would be used.
I'm not sure the film was about tolerance, because tolerance has to go both ways. For example the hotel scene where the two are chained together would (I imagine) play out the more or less the same had it been a male and female couple locked together.
While in the enhanced commentary they defend their filmmaking as exposing the last acceptable prejudice, I'm not convinced. Yes, prejudice against homosexuals is rampart throughout the world (and in some places arrests and even executions are legal), I'm not convinced Bruno: The Movie "exposed" anything.
But there were still lots of good exposures of peoples attitudes in the film. Oddly, the best bits weren't exposing prejudices to homosexuality but when exposing greed, the celebrity culture and people's attitudes to those less well off than themselves.
Of course, what everyone will be talking about is the parents of the young children at the photoshoot. Absolutely shocking - and sadly, in this case I don't think any editing was even required. There willingness to exploit their babies is absolutely the most shocking thing in the movie - forget various sex, penises and dildos - this exposes the true greed and cruelty mankind is capable of.
Bruno is actually my favourite Sasha character on the TV shows because he exposes people who should know better. He didn't ambush members of the public or out-of-their depth politicians. He interviewed shallow, empty people and sometimes by doing almost nothing made them say absolutely ridiculous things. Sadly this was hardly present in the movie - but ironically is present in the deleted scenes - like Luke I found these much more refreshing than most of the movie. Here Bruno exposes the emptiness of the fashion industry, the willingness of people to do anything to be seen as being "in" and higher regard for designer names than actual people - be it discussing how to keep cripples out of his new house, which "slaves" would be less likely to show bruising (and if they would have the money to sue) to how hard a model works and why are teachers overpaid.
Like Luke I suspect, I wish these had made it into the film.
Finally, for fans of "altered studio logos" the Blu-ray has an ingenious alteration to the Universal house style menus.
Bruno is an interesting character compared to Ali-G and Borat. Ali-G is basically an idiot people humour or dismiss. Borat is an innocent abroad who people try to teach the correct manners to or stop him from doing something inappropriate. Nobody hates Ali-G, and very few people hate Borat. But Bruno is different, by being gay, some people do hate him. Some people really hate him, in a way which makes them want to harm or even kill him.
The problem is, for at least half of the film the set-ups are to obvious and too broad. There's something to be said for exposing prejudice when its more or less hidden, but most of the people they chose to expose weren't exactly closet-homophobes were they?
So ultimately it was pointless. Bruno is still a comedy - not a documentary, and while exposing such people in a sound, fact based documentary may be appropriate and worthy, I don't think the same is true in a comedy. You run the risk of people actually sympathising with the bigots - especially in Bruno where some of the set-ups are way to over the top. Take the hunting trip - even if an attractive woman were seeking to enter the tent of one of the hunters at night under a painfully false excuse, naked and carrying condoms the bulk of the audience would support the tent owner blocking her entrance and protesting verbally. So how exactly is the audience supposed to react when Bruno does the same? Is it even exposing any prejudice or unreasonable behaviour? True, certain words are used, but again I would imagine had it been a woman, certain other taboo words regarding women would be used.
I'm not sure the film was about tolerance, because tolerance has to go both ways. For example the hotel scene where the two are chained together would (I imagine) play out the more or less the same had it been a male and female couple locked together.
While in the enhanced commentary they defend their filmmaking as exposing the last acceptable prejudice, I'm not convinced. Yes, prejudice against homosexuals is rampart throughout the world (and in some places arrests and even executions are legal), I'm not convinced Bruno: The Movie "exposed" anything.
But there were still lots of good exposures of peoples attitudes in the film. Oddly, the best bits weren't exposing prejudices to homosexuality but when exposing greed, the celebrity culture and people's attitudes to those less well off than themselves.
Of course, what everyone will be talking about is the parents of the young children at the photoshoot. Absolutely shocking - and sadly, in this case I don't think any editing was even required. There willingness to exploit their babies is absolutely the most shocking thing in the movie - forget various sex, penises and dildos - this exposes the true greed and cruelty mankind is capable of.
Bruno is actually my favourite Sasha character on the TV shows because he exposes people who should know better. He didn't ambush members of the public or out-of-their depth politicians. He interviewed shallow, empty people and sometimes by doing almost nothing made them say absolutely ridiculous things. Sadly this was hardly present in the movie - but ironically is present in the deleted scenes - like Luke I found these much more refreshing than most of the movie. Here Bruno exposes the emptiness of the fashion industry, the willingness of people to do anything to be seen as being "in" and higher regard for designer names than actual people - be it discussing how to keep cripples out of his new house, which "slaves" would be less likely to show bruising (and if they would have the money to sue) to how hard a model works and why are teachers overpaid.
Like Luke I suspect, I wish these had made it into the film.
Finally, for fans of "altered studio logos" the Blu-ray has an ingenious alteration to the Universal house style menus.
Most of my Blu-ray collection some of my UK discs aren't on their database
Wow, that was not a review I was expecting to get feedback on, and certainly not such thought-out and level-headed feedback. You make many great points and I agree with basically all of them. Pretty much every set-up, except those frightening stage parents (some of whom I hope and suspect knew what they doing), receives the reaction anticipated and aspired to. Frankly, the hunters seemed kind of tolerant considering what he's doing. Thanks for reading and commenting. There's so little of at least the latter.
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disneyboy20022
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I (with much regret) don't often post comments on reviews on the site...I like every one of them although anything that says Bruno on it I tend to stay away from because I don't need a review to tell me its Borat II and for me to steer clear of it.....
Anyway...I just read the revie of the new Re-Release of Air Bud 2....and Luke...I think hope your review of this and mentiong closing thoughts Disney will look at them and then check Escapay's Profile and say....okay we might as well try the Rocketeer for a widescreen juicy release which I would enjoy a lot of those films...lately they have been havin the oddest
or shocking re-released of Movies from Disney.....From Mickey's Magical Christmas to the Winnie the Pooh DTVs and even Disney Princess Enchanted Tales....
Anyway I love your comments on the closing remarks and I hope Disney reads that part of your review
Anyway...I just read the revie of the new Re-Release of Air Bud 2....and Luke...I think hope your review of this and mentiong closing thoughts Disney will look at them and then check Escapay's Profile and say....okay we might as well try the Rocketeer for a widescreen juicy release which I would enjoy a lot of those films...lately they have been havin the oddest
or shocking re-released of Movies from Disney.....From Mickey's Magical Christmas to the Winnie the Pooh DTVs and even Disney Princess Enchanted Tales....Anyway I love your comments on the closing remarks and I hope Disney reads that part of your review
I'm not a marketing wizard, but the lowly Amazon sales rank (currently #10,760) suggests this isn't doing it for many people.
With that said, there are a slew of live-action Disney movies currently stuck with outdated fullscreen DVDs that are worthier of widescreen upgrades with a few basic bonuses. Here are some of them: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Heavyweights, Tom and Huck, George of the Jungle, That Darn Cat!, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, White Fang, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Man of the House, Midnight Madness, The Country Bears, The Moon-Spinners and RocketMan. There are easily as many presented in widescreen that stand to benefit from 16:9 enhancement. If the studio wants to bother re-releasing a sequel no one cares about, they might as well revisit movies people like also.
Want to Hear How I met Roy E. Disney in 2003? Click the link Below
http://fromscreentotheme.com/ThursdayTr ... isney.aspx
http://fromscreentotheme.com/ThursdayTr ... isney.aspx
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Disney Duster
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Ultimate Disney Reviews
I recently read the review for Surrogates. With what I know more about it, I may still see the film since even though I now know it will not be a very good movie, as the review also revealed it has ideas that I would like to see played out and commented on.
I did also want to say...thank you so much for the extra news about the Diamond Editions, that's the kind of stuff I like to see on this Disney site, and it really did get me excited. But Luke, you said The Lion King was "one of Disney's biggest all-time titles", in the same news mentioning Dumbo and Beauty and the Beast! Beauty and the Beast is like the biggest with The Lion King! Maybe it was just because we didn't know about that one coming before? But I am glad you are excited for the high-def debut or at least re-release of your favorite Disney movie! They'll maybe get the presentation and features right this time? I think they will...
I did also want to say...thank you so much for the extra news about the Diamond Editions, that's the kind of stuff I like to see on this Disney site, and it really did get me excited. But Luke, you said The Lion King was "one of Disney's biggest all-time titles", in the same news mentioning Dumbo and Beauty and the Beast! Beauty and the Beast is like the biggest with The Lion King! Maybe it was just because we didn't know about that one coming before? But I am glad you are excited for the high-def debut or at least re-release of your favorite Disney movie! They'll maybe get the presentation and features right this time? I think they will...
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blackcauldron85
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Great job on the new Hannah Montana DVD review, Luke, but I wanted more spoilers! 
I don't get Disney Channel anymore, so I might need to rent this disc or something to find out what happens. Also, is the Camp Rock 2 promo an actual trailer, or just the teaser?!?
And question: UD's TP&tF review will include info on both the DVD and Blu-ray, right? Do you know when we can expect a review?!
I don't get Disney Channel anymore, so I might need to rent this disc or something to find out what happens. Also, is the Camp Rock 2 promo an actual trailer, or just the teaser?!?And question: UD's TP&tF review will include info on both the DVD and Blu-ray, right? Do you know when we can expect a review?!
Thanks! I think there are some spoilers there, just ones that aren't explicitly spelled out. Gotta leave some uncertainty there I think! <i>CR2</i> is just the same teaser that's been out there for a while. You'd think they'd have some footage to show if it's airing in just a few months, but then they really don't spend too much time producing the DCOMs.blackcauldron85 wrote:Great job on the new Hannah Montana DVD review, Luke, but I wanted more spoilers!
And question: UD's TP&tF review will include info on both the DVD and Blu-ray, right? Do you know when we can expect a review?!
Our TPaTF review will include both DVD and Blu-ray. I'm aiming for my parts (the DVD) to be up by Tuesday and then it's up to Kelvin to cover the Blu-ray (which he has received). There really isn't much at all to the DVD and it sounds like the bulk of the Blu-ray exclusives are 3-minute webisodes.
Thanks for reading and providing feedback.
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blackcauldron85
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PeterPanfan
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Great reviews, Luke!
I was skeptical about buying the new Kiki DVD, but your review made me go for it, since it is one of my favorites after all..
The Ponyo review was great, too, and I definitely will be renting that sometime soon.
I'm also surprised at your Hannah Montana review... it almost makes me want to watch that episode to see if it's gotten better!
I was skeptical about buying the new Kiki DVD, but your review made me go for it, since it is one of my favorites after all..
The Ponyo review was great, too, and I definitely will be renting that sometime soon.
I'm also surprised at your Hannah Montana review... it almost makes me want to watch that episode to see if it's gotten better!
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blackcauldron85
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Luke,
I really enjoyed both the Princess and the Frog review as well as the interview with Clements and Musker that you were able to participate in!
I like how your review discussed the "return to traditional animation" angle and pointed out that the film made about as much money as Bolt and Meet the Robinsons, which are CGI. In my opinion, it would be unfortunate if Disney came to any conclusions about the viability of traditional animation in the future based on this "poor" box-office result.
Also, as a DVD buyer, I like how your review gave the point of view of a DVD buyer regarding the DVD transfer and the DVD bonus features. Specifically, in this case, that we are unfortunately getting the bonus feature shaft
With Kelvin's upcoming additions regarding the bonus features of the BD, this allows UD to cover the release from both points of view, unlike many other sites which would just be talking about the BD.
Lastly, as someone from New Orleans, I enjoyed the Mardi Gras color scheme of purple, green, and gold!
Keep up the great work!
David
I really enjoyed both the Princess and the Frog review as well as the interview with Clements and Musker that you were able to participate in!
I like how your review discussed the "return to traditional animation" angle and pointed out that the film made about as much money as Bolt and Meet the Robinsons, which are CGI. In my opinion, it would be unfortunate if Disney came to any conclusions about the viability of traditional animation in the future based on this "poor" box-office result.
Also, as a DVD buyer, I like how your review gave the point of view of a DVD buyer regarding the DVD transfer and the DVD bonus features. Specifically, in this case, that we are unfortunately getting the bonus feature shaft
With Kelvin's upcoming additions regarding the bonus features of the BD, this allows UD to cover the release from both points of view, unlike many other sites which would just be talking about the BD.
Lastly, as someone from New Orleans, I enjoyed the Mardi Gras color scheme of purple, green, and gold!
Keep up the great work!
David
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag"- Mary Poppins
"How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know"- Pocahontas
"I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence." - Walt Disney
"How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know"- Pocahontas
"I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence." - Walt Disney
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blackcauldron85
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SmartAleck25
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Hey Kelvin, I was really looking forward to reading your review on Toy Story, but when I clicked on the link on the homepage, it said, "Review Coming Soon." Was there a problem in putting in the review? I can't wait to read it!
Edit: Never mind. It worked on a different computer. I guess it's just my laptop. Great review Kelvin! I'm curious: Is there that much of a difference between the restoration (besides the obvious Blu-ray sharpening)?
Edit: Never mind. It worked on a different computer. I guess it's just my laptop. Great review Kelvin! I'm curious: Is there that much of a difference between the restoration (besides the obvious Blu-ray sharpening)?
Luke,
I enjoyed reading your review of The First Easter Rabbit. This is one of my favorite Rankin/Bass specials due to its heart, and I was beginning to wonder if it would EVER appear on DVD! Year after year I hoped it would be released, only to see numorous missed opportunities come and go with each Easter season.
Well, it's finally here, and my collection of Rankin/Bass Easter specials on DVD is finally complete! I can finally say "There's That Rabbit!" instead of "WHERE'S That Rabbit!" Man, I LOVE that catchy theme song!
I agree it could/should have been paired with The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town. (Getting all three Easter specials together is highly unlikely since Classic Media holds the rights to Here Comes Peter Cottontail). I also agree the DVD itself is not very "deluxe". Having said that, though, I am just glad to finally have this on DVD, and that this warm and charming program will finally get the exposure it deserves and no longer be condemned to "out of print VHS" obscurity.
Now, if we could only get them to release "The Story Of the First Christmas Snow" and the other small number of the R/B Christmas specials curerently unavailable on DVD!
Thanks again for your continuing coverage of things like Rankin/Bass, Peanuts, and Chipmunks on DVD. This is a perfect example of why I actually applaud the decision to expand to coverage beyond Disney (especially with Disney's offerings becoming more slim).
David
I enjoyed reading your review of The First Easter Rabbit. This is one of my favorite Rankin/Bass specials due to its heart, and I was beginning to wonder if it would EVER appear on DVD! Year after year I hoped it would be released, only to see numorous missed opportunities come and go with each Easter season.
Well, it's finally here, and my collection of Rankin/Bass Easter specials on DVD is finally complete! I can finally say "There's That Rabbit!" instead of "WHERE'S That Rabbit!"
Man, I LOVE that catchy theme song!I agree it could/should have been paired with The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town. (Getting all three Easter specials together is highly unlikely since Classic Media holds the rights to Here Comes Peter Cottontail). I also agree the DVD itself is not very "deluxe". Having said that, though, I am just glad to finally have this on DVD, and that this warm and charming program will finally get the exposure it deserves and no longer be condemned to "out of print VHS" obscurity.
Now, if we could only get them to release "The Story Of the First Christmas Snow" and the other small number of the R/B Christmas specials curerently unavailable on DVD!
Thanks again for your continuing coverage of things like Rankin/Bass, Peanuts, and Chipmunks on DVD. This is a perfect example of why I actually applaud the decision to expand to coverage beyond Disney (especially with Disney's offerings becoming more slim).
David
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag"- Mary Poppins
"How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know"- Pocahontas
"I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence." - Walt Disney
"How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know"- Pocahontas
"I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence." - Walt Disney
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Just Myself
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SmartAleck25
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