Disney's current apathy towards bonus features?

[jade]

I remember when the Platinum sets first came out, those were created with such love and care. They gave us so many new and unique extras, why can't Disney seem to do this with the Diamond Edition line? They're usually just porting Platinum extras over with next to nothing new. We're only getting 1 Blu Rays worth of content.

10 year ago Disney was really making strides in the home video market, this is mediocrity!

Anyone else annoyed by this?

[ProfessorRatigan]

Not nearly as much as I am by the lack of bonuses on the NON-Diamond releases. Hunchback, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers, The Aristocats, and, surely, anything else in the future. These films don't have an old Platinum edition that I can pop in and see a ton of extras for. These films have been screwed more than the Diamond releases. But, to be honest, I think Disney should painstakingly create a deluxe package for ALL of their animated classics, Diamond or not, something along the lines of the Criterion Collection, you know?

[disneyboy20022]

Well technically speaking Criterion did release one film made by Disney. Note I said technicall

http://www.amazon.com/Armageddon-Criter ... +criterion

[gardener14]

I thought Peter Pan's new 40-some minute long bonus feature "Growing Up with Nine Old Men" was a fantastic addition worth the upgrade to bluray for me. It was a lovingly created documentary that really touched me and gave insight from a new point of view.

[moviefan2k4]

The main thing that's bugged me recently are when Disney excludes a regular Blu-Ray disc of bonus content from the standard release, placing it with the 3D version instead. I can't stand 3D, so i waited to buy "On Stranger Tides" until I found one at a discount with the 3D disc missing. I still haven't picked up "Cars 2" yet, either.

As for some of their newer animated Blu-Rays, I hate that the inferior sequels are included on the same disc. The only one I ever loved was "Aladdin and the King of Thieves", but the rest not so much. Films like "Hunchback" or "Pocahontas", with rich palettes and styles, could use a full 50 GB disc to the max, with excellent audio and video. Instead, we get crappy sequels that weren't even needed.

[SWillie!]

But, to be honest, I think Disney should painstakingly create a deluxe package for ALL of their animated classics, Diamond or not, something along the lines of the Criterion Collection, you know?

I'd certainly love this, but unfortunately I think it's going to take a true champion to come in and convince Disney to do this. Something along the lines of how Leonard Maltin was such a force in getting the Treasures collection to come together as nicely as it did. There will have to be some individual with a lot of weight in the company to make it a pet project of theirs. I hope it happens one day. I think the Animation Research Library should be in charge of such a collection - they're the people who know and care for these films the most.

[Escapay]

If Disney-Criterion Collection ever comes about, I'd certainly love to see this edition of Beauty and the Beast, which is shamelessly ripped off from how Criterion's website lists their own Blu-Ray/DVD releases. (I wrote this up for fun on Facebook a couple months ago, figured it was worth sharing here)

BATB-Criterion-Custom.jpg (92.82 KiB) Viewed 7169 times

Beauty and the Beast (1991): The Disney-Criterion Collection #30

Film Info:
United States
1991
84 minutes
Color
1.85:1
English
Spine #30

Become enchanted by this tale as old as time when a young woman (Paige O'Hara) willingly sacrifices her freedom to a hideous beast (Robby Benson) in order to save her father. As the two learn to love each other, a spurned suitor (Richard White) makes plans to raid the castle and kill the beast. Disney's Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to win the Golden Globe for "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy," and remains the only traditionally-animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Disc One Features
*High-definition digital transfer from restored film elements (with uncompressed 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
*Alan Menken's award-winning musical score as an alternate soundtrack (presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
*Two commentaries: one by Disney historian Charles Solomon and one by fairy tale historian Dr. Jack Zipes
*Tales Retold Through Time, a documentary about the history of the "Beauty and the Beast" story and its re-interpretation in various cultures in comparison to the Disney animated fairy tale
*Rediscovering Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a visual essay by film historian J.B. Kaufman
*Beauty and the Beast: Breaking Barriers in Digital Animation, a visual essay by animation historian John Canemaker
*La Belle et la Bête in Watercolors, a special presentation of the original Madame Le Prince de Beaumont fable, showcasing original watercolors by Disney animator Glen Keane, with narration by Robby Benson and Paige O'Hara
*Music Archives, a collection of alternate and extended songs, recording sessions in the sound booth, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's "work tape" musical recordings and original demos, and two music videos for the Academy Award-winning song "Beauty and the Beast": "candlelight" version by Angela Lansbury, and "pop" version by Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion
*Theatrical Trailer
*Theatrical Reviews Trailer

Disc Two Features
*High-definition digital transfer of the "Work in Progress" version, sourced from the original 35mm film print (with uncompressed 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
*Commentary by producer Don Hahn and Disney historian Charles Solomon
*Be Our Guest: The Making of Beauty and the Beast (1991), a Disney Channel documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
*One Year with Beauty and the Beast (1991), an ABC "20/20" news report with journalist Bob Brown visiting the studio throughout the year and tracking its production
*Disney: The Fairy Tale Years (1992), a BBC "Omnibus" documentary that traces the relationship between fairy tales and Disney animation
*The Purdum Reel, the original first act for the film, with optional commentary by director Richard Purdum and producer Don Hahn
*Production Archives, a collection of presentation reels, animation tests, deleted sequences, research trip artwork and footage, special production footage, and vast still galleries featuring storyboards, conceptual artwork and visual development, character design, layout and backgrounds, production and behind the scenes photos, poster concepts, and a marketing gallery of posters, ads, and publicity
*"Behind the Scenes" Trailer, as seen on the 1991 VHS for The Jungle Book

PLUS:
A booklet featuring an introduction by producer Don Hahn, essays by animation historians Leonard Maltin and Paula Sigman, a reprint of the Madame Leprince de Beaumont tale, and excerpts from Bob Thomas's 1991 Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast, focusing on the making of the film

Albert

[SWillie!]

If only. If only. That watercolors bonus features would be especially great. Am I correct that that isn't currently a real thing?

[Escapay]

Sadly, it's only real in my imagination.

Albert

[DisneyJedi]

I remember when the Platinum sets first came out, those were created with such love and care. They gave us so many new and unique extras, why can't Disney seem to do this with the Diamond Edition line? They're usually just porting Platinum extras over with next to nothing new. We're only getting 1 Blu Rays worth of content.

10 year ago Disney was really making strides in the home video market, this is mediocrity!

Anyone else annoyed by this?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,yes, yes a thousand times YES!!!!

Back when Sleeping Beauty was released on Blu-ray, we got an amazing package loaded with new special features and an innovative experience (including a picture-in-picture commentary), BD-Live and even a menu you could explore DURING the movie. But now? Ugh!

Way to take a MAJOR leap backward. Keep moving forward, my ass.

Seriously, though. Disney Blu-ray was ahead of its time with Sleeping Beauty.

... And that was nearly five years ago, by the way!

[SWillie!]

I think one of the big issues with Disney films is that people are guaranteed to buy them, regardless of the treatment they receive. Basically, Disney doesn't have to put a whole lot of effort into them, because only a very, very, very small margin of fans will choose to not purchase based solely on bonus content. The movies are big sellers regardless, unfortunately.

[Elladorine]

I think one of the big issues with Disney films is that people are guaranteed to buy them, regardless of the treatment they receive. Basically, Disney doesn't have to put a whole lot of effort into them, because only a very, very, very small margin of fans will choose to not purchase based solely on bonus content. The movies are big sellers regardless, unfortunately.

Yeah, this is what I've basically been saying for ages. The majority of buyers don't care about all those boring bonus features, they just want to buy the films because not only do Disney movies somehow guarantee a happy childhood, they're great at keeping the kids occupied when you're sitting on Facebook all day.

Someone I know bought Wreck-It Ralph and then asked me if it was appropriate for her kids to watch. I wanted to know why she bought the thing if she wasn't even sure if her kids should watch it, but hey, it's a Disney movie and it was on sale, what more do you really need to know?

It wasn't all that many years ago that Disney received numerous complaints from parents about the special edition 2 disc DVD sets. OMG, can you believe their kids actually wanted to watch the second disc? They might break the player! There's no reason to have so many bonus features, and one disc is enough, thankyouverymuch . . .

You just know Disney listened to that. *cue Disney's FastPlay, the breakthrough DVD technology designed to prevent you from having to stick around and press any buttons for your kids*

[PatrickvD]

To be honest, I rarely watch bonus features. I have all the dvd's and I'm okay with them cutting back.

I hope they find a way in the future to bring us bonus features though. Maybe they should just make it all digital and available for purchase. You know, app prices. They'd make some money off that for sure.

[Old Fish Tale]

To be honest, I rarely watch bonus features.

Me too, unless they're short films. But I still think everyone complaining is right!

[Mickeyfan1990]

If anything, one of us (or most of us!) should work at the home entertainment department. We know what makes a Blu-ray/DVD tick, we know what the fans want (and what we want).

[moviefan2k4]

Sadly, it's only real in my imagination.

Albert

I noticed you left off the Special Edition version, with the reinstated "Human Again" sequence and altered backgrounds to match.

[Old Fish Tale]

Would you all be willing to pay more for better editions of these DVDs/Blu-Rays? Maybe they could release these films in two ways: with (mountains of) and without bonus features.

[Escapay]

Sadly, it's only real in my imagination.

Albert

I noticed you left off the Special Edition version, with the reinstated "Human Again" sequence and altered backgrounds to match.

Yeah, that was largely due to my own personal apathy for that version. Since it was a wishful-thinking idea, I figured "why bother?" when including it as it would be no big loss to me. Plus, this "release" would hypothetically sit next to the Disney version on my shelf, so there would be no need to repeat too much between them.

Would you all be willing to pay more for better editions of these DVDs/Blu-Rays?

If it's the extensive and thoughtfully-produced supplements-heavy releases akin to the likes of Alice in Wonderland: Exclusive Archive Collection (LD), Atlantis: The Lost Empire Collector's Edition (DVD), and Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition (Blu-Ray), I'm all for it.

If it's just more repeats of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Cars 2, War Horse, and Lincoln, in which they simply bundled the Blu/DVD with a bonus Blu-Ray and Digital Copy, then no thanks. I don't want to pay the premium just to have an hour's worth of featurettes and a digital copy.

Albert

[SWillie!]

Would you all be willing to pay more for better editions of these DVDs/Blu-Rays? Maybe they could release these films in two ways: with (mountains of) and without bonus features.

I would absolutely pay more - I've discussed in another thread recently that I hope this is the way Disney handles the coming years - as the general consumer moves more and more towards digital media, they start releasing super duper collector's editions for us hardcore fans. I'd easily pay 50 bucks or more for a well thought out, well 'endowed' release.

[estefan]

Would you all be willing to pay more for better editions of these DVDs/Blu-Rays? Maybe they could release these films in two ways: with (mountains of) and without bonus features.

There was a time when Warner Brothers used to do this in the pre-Blu-Ray age. They would release a bare-bones DVD for a movie and a slightly higher priced two-disc special edition as well. But I think that died down once they began paying more attention to Blu-Ray.