Alice in Wonderland: 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, 2011

[Cordy_Biddle]

I think the cover perfectly sums up the sheer chaos of Wonderland, especially in that amazing last scene where Alice's pleas for help and assistance are largely met by crazy, random comments from the Mad Hatter and March Hare ("You must join us in a cup of tea!") and the Caterpillar ("Who ARE you?").

[Disneykid]

Amazon's pre-order page has been updated. It now specifies that this is a two-disc Blu-ray+DVD combo when no other materials and have made this distinction (making me think this would be a single BD+DVD ala Dumbo).

On a related note, Amazon's specs list makes the distinction between the new BD features and the classic DVD ones better than Disney's list, but it's still missing the Fred Waring Show, From Wonderland to Neverland, the two deleted scenes, six song demos, and art gallery.

While all of the content can fit on one disc with room to spare, at least a two-disc set makes the idea of all the old content being ported over more of a possibility. Then again, Disney might pull a Toy Story 3 and put the film on disc one and the film again on disc two for the Through the Key Hole feature. If that were to happen, I could see them dropping old features because of it (which would make no sense whatsoever, but this IS Disney, after all).

[Disney Duster]

Disneykid...can you...pm me...the name of that person...with laserdisc stuff?

Wonderlicious, great points, and I agree with a lot, but just these things.

First is, of course, I really do care about cover art. No, not more than the film or the features, but still a lot, because I love the films for their art. I just love Disney art!

Next is, the fairy dust (or DISNEY DUST as in Disney Duster, ya) I think is a representation of Disney itself. It's one of the symbols of Disney, because no matter what anyone says, the core of Disney is mostly about magic (and doing the impossible, which is like magic). However, they don't put the dust on every Disney release, and on some it would just seem silly unless it was just in the Disney name or the border or something. Anyway, after all of that explaining I actually agree it probably shouldn't be there, but I think it is fine there for the reasons I explained, including that Alice is one of the magical kind of films. It's not overt.

Also, the whole floating and partly disappearing into the covers thing, well, I think that also fits Disney's floaty, fantasy, real-life-defying films and themes. But Alice in Wonderland, especially because of the picture I showed with them, um, floating in purple smoke, is one this works for. I feel like you ignored the picture... : (

[Cordy_Biddle]

Amazon's pre-order page has been updated. It now specifies that this is a two-disc Blu-ray+DVD combo when no other materials and have made this distinction (making me think this would be a single BD+DVD ala Dumbo).

On a related note, Amazon's specs list makes the distinction between the new BD features and the classic DVD ones better than Disney's list, but it's still missing the Fred Waring Show, From Wonderland to Neverland, the two deleted scenes, six song demos, and art gallery.

While all of the content can fit on one disc with room to spare, at least a two-disc set makes the idea of all the old content being ported over more of a possibility. Then again, Disney might pull a Toy Story 3 and put the film on disc one and the film again on disc two for the Through the Key Hole feature. If that were to happen, I could see them dropping old features because of it (which would make no sense whatsoever, but this IS Disney, after all).

"From Wonderland to Neverland" is missing? That sucks, as it's one of my favourite extras from the Masterpiece edition. I really love "Beyond the Laughing Sky"; it would have made a very haunting first song if it had stayed in the film. Do we know for sure that it won't be on the BD?

[Escapay]

Hooray for BBFC! They're more reliable than Disney press releases!

OPERATION WONDERLAND
Running time: 32m 24s

00:10:54:00 OPERATION WONDERLAND (FEATURETTE)
n/a ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (GAME)
00:03:54:00 ("I'M ODD" - NEWLY DISCOVERED CHESHIRE CAT SONG)
00:06:46:00 (FROM WONDERLAND TO NEVERLAND) (FEATURETTE)
00:01:58:00 (ALICE DAYDREAMS IN THE PARK) (DELETED SCENE CONCEPT)
00:08:52:00 "THRU THE MIRROR" (CARTOON) - which also got re-classified on its own, but I won't post that link since it'd be redundant.



We still need some kind of confirmation of "The Fred Waring Show", the "Pig and Pepper" deleted scene, the song demos, and the gallery.

albert

[Disney Duster]

Wondy and Disneykid, still waiting, but...

I think "Beyond the Laughing Sky/The Second Star to the Right" suits Disney's Peter Pan more, and that "In A World of My Own" fits Disney's Alice in Wonderland more.

Alice in Wonderland is where a girl wishes that things were more silly and fun and different, after being bored of her lesson. And she learns that a world that was completely nonsense is absolutely not what she really wants!

Peter Pan is about children forced to grow up. It's already very sad. But Neverland promises them a safe haven from that. Of course, then they learn that they do want to grow up, but keep their childhoods, and inner child, in their hearts.

I just think the tune of "Beyond the Laughing Sky/The Second Star to the Right" sounds more like the sad, yet sweet, mystical adventures of Peter and the Darlings in Neverland.

Meanwhile, I like "In a World of My Own" for Alice because it is an easy-going, lay-down and relax song, which is what Alice really wants to do, isn't it? To dream and go off in a floaty, fun, ungrounded world.

[Disneykid]

Thanks for posting, Albert! At the point, I'll be surprised if the remaining features don't get passed.

Disney Duster, I prefer "Beyond the Laughing Sky" not only because it's a better song in and of itself, but also because it makes Alice much more sympathetic. "In A World of My Own" shows that she's bored of the real world and wants her own make believe world of nonsense. "Beyond the Laughing Sky" is deeper than that, revealing her naturally curious nature along with a more wistful wish of escaping the world she's in.

Laughing Sky gives off the impression that Alice is as disappointed with her life as Dorothy is with hers in The Wizard of Oz. In the final film, World of My Own makes her seem momentarily dissatisfied but not desperate as she's still pretty cheery throughout the song. Had Laughing Sky been left in, I think the emotional hook people were looking for in the film would've been satisfied, especially as it would act as a good counterpart to "Very Good Advice."

[cartoonchick079]

It's rumored that Peter Pan will be released in a Diamond Edition in 2013 good for ITS 60th anniversary hmm?

[Wonderlicious]

Hooray for BBFC! They're more reliable than Disney press releases!

I think we all realised that a long time ago. Anyway, good to know that we'll be getting some "classic DVD bonus features" (as Disney likes to call them).

Next is, the fairy dust (or DISNEY DUST as in Disney Duster, ya) I think is a representation of Disney itself. It's one of the symbols of Disney, because no matter what anyone says, the core of Disney is mostly about magic (and doing the impossible, which is like magic). However, they don't put the dust on every Disney release, and on some it would just seem silly unless it was just in the Disney name or the border or something. Anyway, after all of that explaining I actually agree it probably shouldn't be there, but I think it is fine there for the reasons I explained, including that Alice is one of the magical kind of films. It's not overt.

Whoops. Disney dust, not fairy dust. I got owned by the expert. I was thinking more on general fantasy terms when I wrote that, to be honest, not necessarily Disney. Of course, Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy story, and shares a lot in common with what can be considered fairy tales. But it generally has a different type of magic than the likes of immediate fairytale-like stuff like Pinocchio or Sleeping Beauty. It's definitely not a film that I personally associated to that great an extent with sparkles and such, but Disney must have thought otherwise for quite some time; I've noticed they included "Disney dust" on the Masterpiece Edition cover, as well as the Un-Anniversary Edition.

But Alice in Wonderland, especially because of the picture I showed with them, um, floating in purple smoke, is one this works for. I feel like you ignored the picture... : (

No, I didn't necessarily ignore the picture you posted. Have no fear. I didn't mention it, mainly out of my own forgetfulness, and because I was feeling a bit tired at the time. I can see where you're coming from, as they are both vortexes. It's just the random placement of random objects and plants, and the stepping stones/floor, that causes the effect to really be lost. If they took them out, then it might work better. This poster for the Disneyland dark-ride also features random characters against a backdrop, and works a lot better as it is generally more stylised from the get-go (as opposed to using the more standard looking characters and colours), and doesn't really feature the objects and plants popping out of nowhere.

[Heil Donald Duck]

Hooray for BBFC! They're more reliable than Disney press releases!

OPERATION WONDERLAND
Running time: 32m 24s

00:10:54:00 OPERATION WONDERLAND (FEATURETTE)
n/a ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (GAME)
00:03:54:00 ("I'M ODD" - NEWLY DISCOVERED CHESHIRE CAT SONG)
00:06:46:00 (FROM WONDERLAND TO NEVERLAND) (FEATURETTE)
00:01:58:00 (ALICE DAYDREAMS IN THE PARK) (DELETED SCENE CONCEPT)
00:08:52:00 "THRU THE MIRROR" (CARTOON) - which also got re-classified on its own, but I won't post that link since it'd be redundant.



We still need some kind of confirmation of "The Fred Waring Show", the "Pig and Pepper" deleted scene, the song demos, and the gallery.

albert

Was Clock Cleaners drooped form this release altogether?

[Disneykid]

Clock Cleaners is a part of the One Hour in Wonderland TV special. It's never appeared on its own on an Alice release.

[Disney Duster]

WONDERLICIOUS, you can still call it fairy dust, because they also called it that (in a Sleeping Beauty featurette, and other places), it's just that you were talking to me, Disney Duster! Anyway, I see the poster, and I think the lines and some elements give it more of a place, I suppose, but, I guess I'm trying to say Wonderland is a dream world where you can have just parts of it show up in it's dreamy void, plants and stones included. I don't know, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree, which is a real shame, I wish you could like what I think is there best cover yet.

Okay, if this won't help, I don't know what will, it's about the films and the world appearing out of the dark void:
Wonderland appears out of darkness.

That link also illustrates the whole idea it's appearing in her mind, as well. But I just realized, not only does the cover kind of look like the part where she's on the path, withc plants, in a dark void, but they probably realized there's too many good parts/locations in the film, why not try to show something that generally represents the whole of Wonderland?

Disneykid, you may want to check out that link, too, I bet you'll love it.

But anyway, I watched the beginning of "Very Good Advice", and couple with "World of My Own", I remember I think I will love this movie when I watch it again in so long. But also...

My first question is, why does a guy start singing "Beyond the Laughing Sky"? But next is...

I thought about what you said, and those are all good points, but when I watched "Very Good Advice", it reminded me of why I didn't get why Walt Disney thought Alice "had no (or did he say enough?) heart". I thought that scene showed she had plenty, and made the film great enough.

It also underscores what I also wanted to say was that I think Alice in Wonderland is about Alice thinking she wants something, and she discovers she doesn't want it, at least, not the way she dreamed at.

But if we had "Beyond the Laughing Sky", I think it would seem like this beautiful sad song was, strangely, a mistake on her part, because it turned out she didn't want what she sang of in that wistful, wonderful song.

And then at the end of the film, it would be really sad, because it would be like, "Alice never got what she wanted! Where does she belong?"

I think at least the way the film is now, it shows that Alice simply needs to find a balance in between nonsense and sense, fun and learning. And I think we feel confidant that she will find it.

Or do you think if "Laughing Sky" was kept in, Alice would realize the real world was where she belonged? If that was the case, Alice's sister would need to act a certain way and the world would have to be a certain way to show that it really is where she belonged. I mean, with lyrics about "the wind whispering a lullaby", the real world, after she wakes up, would have to seem as cool as the world she alluded to in the song, wouldn't it?

Or would the film actually say "You don't need that dream world that sounds so cool, real life is good enough?" I wouldn't like that at all!

Also, I don't like it being too much like "The Wizard of Oz"...

[disneyboy20022]

Also, I don't like it being too much like "The Wizard of Oz"...

Actually I've always thought Dorthy from Wizard of Oz and Alice from wonderland had very similair story, both girls go to a "odd or differ world or realm and many call it off as a dream or Dorothy/Alice have gone mad or crazy, when in reality Oz and Wonderland are real and in fact not an odd dream...just look at Return to Oz and AIW 2010 of Tim Burton. There are very simlairities between the stories of OZ and Wonderland as the same with both Alice and Dorothy

[Disney Duster]

You're right disneyboy, and that's why I don't want them to be even more similar!

[Heil Donald Duck]

Clock Cleaners is a part of the One Hour in Wonderland TV special. It's never appeared on its own on an Alice release.

Hum, thats seems to explain everything.

[Cordy_Biddle]

WONDERLICIOUS, you can still call it fairy dust, because they also called it that (in a Sleeping Beauty featurette, and other places), it's just that you were talking to me, Disney Duster! Anyway, I see the poster, and I think the lines and some elements give it more of a place, I suppose, but, I guess I'm trying to say Wonderland is a dream world where you can have just parts of it show up in it's dreamy void, plants and stones included. I don't know, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree, which is a real shame, I wish you could like what I think is there best cover yet.

My first question is, why does a guy start singing "Beyond the Laughing Sky"? But next is...

"...

Presumably because the lead-in wasn't orignally part of the demo recording.

[Patrick]

Hmm.. I feel like the cover looks a little empty in comparison to the most recent ones they've released. I wish the maze continued up to the top and something filled in the blue areas.. at least a little. Too much blue space. And I'm a tiny bit upset that I bought the Un-Anniversary edition, but I'll probably get this anyway. Now I'll have three copies of Alice....

[Coolmanio]

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951) - SE (2011 STREET) BONUS INTROS
Running time: 5m 6s

00:00:54:24 UNTITLED (INTRO BY KATHRYN BEAUMONT)
00:00:36:00 UNTITLED (INTRO TO PENCIL TEST)
00:00:13:00 UNTITLED (PENCIL TEST)
00:00:43:03 UNTITLED (INTRO TO LIVE ACTION REFERENCE)
00:00:44:24 UNTITLED (LIVE ACTION REFERENCE)
00:00:43:21 (ALT) (LIVE ACTION REFERENCE)
00:01:10:04 UNTITLED (INTRO BY WALT DISNEY)

[Disneykid]

That blog's fantastic, Disney Duster! Thanks for sharing that with us. I've found lots of goodies posted on there that I've saved into my files.

The reason why a man sings the intro in "Beyond the Laughing Sky" is because the DVD splices two different song demos together. According to the back of the laserdisc cover, one demo of the song was recorded on February 25, 1949 by an unknown male vocalist who's most likely writer Sammy Fain. Then nearly a year later on February 5, 1950, a second demo was done, this time by vocalist Gloria Donovan. I'm presuming the Donovan version didn't have the intro, hence why Disney tacked on the Fain recording to the beginning.

The problem with "Very Good Advice" is it's too little too late. Up to this point, Alice has had three emotions: happy, confused, and annoyed. She's never concerned about being in a strange, foreign place. Because of her lack of concern, we in turn don't really invest in her situation, either. Like I said in my UAE review, I think if Alice expressed a wish to go back home sooner and was only chasing the Rabbit to find the way, the storyline would make her more sympathetic. Add "Beyond the Laughing Sky" to the mix, and you've really got something.

And I agree that had the song been left in, Alice would've felt more satisfied with her life at the end of the film, and thus we would need her sister to sort of re-enforce that. We don't know what the storyline and ending were like at the time that the song was seriously considered, so it's possible the ending might've been longer to help solidify the message started.

I suppose that's one good thing about cutting the song out. Without it, Alice doesn't seem as dissatisfied with her life and therefore doesn't really need to learn a lesson, something that would've directly contradicted Carroll's nonsense intentions.

Coolmanio, thanks for posting those runtimes. I figured the live-action reference footage and pencil test would be short since they've managed to stay hidden for so long, but I'm a tad disappointed that Kathy's intros are so short. The ones she did on the Masterpiece Edition for "I'm Odd" and "From Wonderland to Never Land" (which, admittedly, is more of a featurette) were several minutes long. I'm wondering what her 54 second intro's for, the whole set/the film itself? Hopefully we'll hear plenty from her in "Through the Keyhole."

[Escapay]

Coolmanio, thanks for posting those runtimes. I figured the live-action reference footage and pencil test would be short since they've managed to stay hidden for so long, but I'm a tad disappointed that Kathy's intros are so short. The ones she did on the Masterpiece Edition for "I'm Odd" and "From Wonderland to Never Land" (which, admittedly, is more of a featurette) were several minutes long. I'm wondering what her 54 second intro's for, the whole set/the film itself? Hopefully we'll hear plenty from her in "Through the Keyhole."

I think the intros are so short because there's not really much you can say about the new stuff, as opposed to the why-fors of a deleted or changed song.

"Hi, I'm Kathryn Beaumont-Levine. Here is a pencil test that has not been seen in over 60 years! It features Alice and the doorknob."

versus

"Hi, I'm Kathryn Beaumont-Levine. The film was supposed to start with a slow ballad reminiscent of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' as Alice wonders about life, the universe, and everything. However, it was changed to 'In a World of My Own'. However, the music used for 'Beyond the Laughing Sky' would later be used as the opening song for Peter Pan. Check it out."



For what it's worth, I'm glad they junked "Beyond the Laughing Sky," even if it is a good song. Cause if they didn't, there wouldn't be "The Second Star to the Right".

albert