Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray - Official Discussion

[Escapay]

HTF has posted an ad from "Home Media Magazine" which states that Mary Poppins will be coming to Blu-Ray on December 10 in a Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital Copy Combo pack.

New bonus features will a documentary/featurette entitled Becoming Mr. Sherman, and "Mary-oke" for "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Chim-Chim-Cheree," and, of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

I'll update this thread as more information comes in (like press releases). You can click on the HTF link I provided to see the preliminary cover art. I'll post it here one UD gets their own copy.

So excited! This is one of my favorite films of all time, and I can't wait to pick this up on Day One!

Albert

[DisneyJedi]

I... Don't know what to think.

All I can say is that I hope this is given the Blu-ray release it deserves.

[Elladorine]

So excited! This is one of my favorite films of all time, and I can't wait to pick this up on Day One!

As long as it has floating heads.

[UmbrellaFish]

Wow! I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it until next year!

"Mary Poppins" and "The Little Mermaid" on Blu-ray in the same year?!? Does Disney love me or do they just want to take all my money because I can't tell?!?

I really hope they might come out with a premium packaged set, an Ultimate Collector's Edition ala Warner's.

[disneyboy20022]

Wow! I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it until next year!

It's coming because of Saving Mr. Banks. I'm guessing there will be movie money with this to see it

[UmbrellaFish]

I expected them to release "Saving Mr. Banks" in anticipation of a big "Poppins" blow out the fall of next year, similar to Fox's treatment of "The Sound of Music"'s 45th in 2010. I must admit that this abrupt announcement worries me that they won't parade "Poppins" like they should for it's 50th-- that "Poppins" will become "Banks"'s promotion, not the other way around.

But that's nitpicking. I'm happy the movie is coming at all.

[Disneykid]

I'm really looking forward to the new restoration. The current one is quite good in terms of clarity and cleanliness, but the colors are rather dull, giving the image a flat look. Conversely, the raw live-action footage from "Jolly Holiday" deconstruction that's included as a supplement has gorgeous colors that pop out. When they keep switching back and forth between the raw footage and the final film footage, you can see the actors' skin tones turn grayish right before your eyes. Last I heard, Disney was restoring the live footage and animated footage separately and then digitally recompositing them. The results should be gorgeous. I expect the framing to be finally be right this time, too.

[disneyftw1]

Just found out from today's article from "The Digital Bits". I did expect this to be released for its 50th anniversary.... but did it have to be scheduled on the 49th year? Jeez, studios, why must you release films that are either early or late from the anniversary year?!

[DancingCrab]

Just found out from today's article from "The Digital Bits". I did expect this to be released for its 50th anniversary.... but did it have to be scheduled on the 49th year? Jeez, studios, why must you release films that are either early or late from the anniversary year?!

Right? I'm surprised they aren't going ahead and calling The Little Mermaid blu-ray it's 25th Anniversary edition, since it's also a year out. I guess since it will be the only version available next year it's not too far fetched, but still, why Poppins and not Mermaid? 25 and 50 are both milestones

[Khonnor]

Well, Peter Pan was released in 1953 and had its Diamond release in 2013 but wasn't named "60th Anniversary" either.

In short, Disney doesn't make any sense most of the time...

[Atlantica]

I know it probably isn't the case, but feel like Mary Poppins is one of the most released and rereleased Classics ever ?! Feel like it's always bopping about store shelves in the UK. . .

[Chris]

I know it probably isn't the case, but feel like Mary Poppins is one of the most released and rereleased Classics ever ?! Feel like it's always bopping about store shelves in the UK. . .

I think you are right. Mary Poppins has been released many times through the years. It's always been in print. We've been discussing its various releases over at Home Theater Forum, and it got me thinking about all the video cassette versions there have been.
Here is a photo grouping I put together for fun. It shows most of the United States VHS covers, starting with the very first one in 1980.

[Vlad]

Mary Poppins on Blu-ray!!! This is excellent news! I only hope it will have a release identical to the excellent Blu-ray release The Sound of Music had in 2010! That was one of the best home video releases ever, along with last year's Titanic.

[Atlantica]

Thank youChris, I knew I was right! I think that last cover is so awful - that's the UK special edition cover from a few years back.

[Disney Guru]

I would love to see some new interviews with the still living stars, especially Glynis Johns one of the most underrated actresses of our time. She is still positively stunning as well. And absolutely adorable.

[Escapay]

The surviving major stars (Andrews, Van Dyke, Dotrice, Johns) were featured in the 2004 documentary. All but Johns were also in the commentary, too. So I can't imagine they have more to say, although I certainly wouldn't mind hearing from them again, regardless.

Albert

[drfsupercenter]

New bonus features will a documentary/featurette entitled Becoming Mr. Sherman, and "Mary-oke" for "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Chim-Chim-Cheree," and, of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

Am I the only person bothered by this? One thing that's sort-of driven me crazy is when they replace their classic "Sing Along Songs" versions of the songs with essentially textless movie clips with soft-subtitles over them. I get that they can be multi-lingual that way, but I grew up with Disney's Sing Along Songs on VHS, and considering most of those songs were already used in those. You know, the "follow the bouncing Mickey head" type sing-along. There's just something about that 80s-90s cheesiness that I've come to love

Otherwise, I don't have much to say until the date approaches, I just have to hope they don't screw it up like they did with Cinderella and over-restore it.

[Lnds500]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uptmJPuUNgw[/youtube]

Anyone interested in this?

- different logo than the leaked cover
- that Disney castle at the start
- they are using the old restoration if I'm not mistaken
- the AR is 1,78:1

[Mickeyfan1990]

I don't think the trailer is given us the impression that it'll be the old restoration. Guarantee you guys, it'll be new (not sure if it'll be 1.66 or 1.78). I also hope the original Buena Vista Distribution logo gets restored.

UPDATE 11/10: I saw the trailer on the Monsters University Blu and it seems like a new transfer...and a gorgeous one I might add!

[DisneyJedi]

I just hope it's not a rehash of the 40th/45th's restoration job. I'd like to see much more picture (like whatever got cropped in the 1.66:1 version). I mean, Beauty and the Beast basically did that for the 2010 release on Blu-ray in its 1.78:1 master, if you recall the Platinum (1.85:1) being cropped or something.