The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition - Fall 2013

[Atlantica]

She even says "She's better then I thought...the little TRAMP".

So I think she did know / could see that Ariel would go some way to breaking the contract herself, but she underestimated the power of True Love. As most villains do it seems. That's why she went all guns blazing with Vanessa; she sexy version of Ariel.

[DisneyJedi]

Well, I have read that the character of Ursula was originally supposed to be played as Shakespearean, but ultimately was played as the used car salesman type of person, who usually aren't completely honest.

Or something like that.

[Atlantica]

Haha yes ! That's what Pat Carroll mentioned Ursula being like, a used car salesperson.

[DC Fan]

One more thing that I asked before and nobody seemed to care...

When watching this movie, can you tell it was made in the 80´s?

I do, but because of the fact of how dark the film is at times. Not just certain scenes (Ursula eating a living being) but the atmosphere of it.

That whole dark/moody atmosphere was a staple of animated movies of the 80´s: The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time, The Last Unicorn...

And, just starting the 90´s we get to see the whole opposite. Big environments, daytime scenes, bright colors... We just need to look inside: The Rescuers Down Under.

I think that´s part of the reason why I like The Little Mermaid so much since I love the animated movies from that decade.

[UmbrellaFish]

I can tell it was made in the eighties because of Ariel's bangs and her Princess Diana wedding dress.

[ajmrowland]

Her dress does have an 80s but otherwise, it's just the tech for me.

[GreatGreg]

\
A definite possibility for the most part. The only tricky things are to

A)make an ISO of the disc files extracted from the Blu-ray, and then isolating the primary video in a format that can be used in the editor. This can be made extra hard due to Blu-Rays copy protection.

B) Burning a new disc with the original video file replaced with a new one and make sure the soundtracks are compatible with it. At the very least this step requires a Blu-ray burner.

C)also, retaining the original bitrate and other info in the rendering of the supposed new edit. To say nothing of the 3D version.

Steps A and B are simple now. There is software which you can legitimately buy that removes copy protection and Blu-ray burners are cheap now -- around $69.99. Discs are down to $1.00 each.

The 3D version should not be very different from the 2D version. If you can make the changes for the 2D, it is basically the same steps.

[Atlantica]

I can tell it was made in the eighties because of Ariel's bangs and her Princess Diana wedding dress.

Haha YES ! I was convinced as a child that that was THE wedding dress I would have, and told anyone who would listen....then actually getting older, I look at Ariel and think hmmmmm probably not

Feel much more of a Cinderella wedding dress actually, that looks quite modern in its design. The original one, not the sequel dress.

[ajmrowland]

\
A definite possibility for the most part. The only tricky things are to

A)make an ISO of the disc files extracted from the Blu-ray, and then isolating the primary video in a format that can be used in the editor. This can be made extra hard due to Blu-Rays copy protection.

B) Burning a new disc with the original video file replaced with a new one and make sure the soundtracks are compatible with it. At the very least this step requires a Blu-ray burner.

C)also, retaining the original bitrate and other info in the rendering of the supposed new edit. To say nothing of the 3D version.

Steps A and B are simple now. There is software which you can legitimately buy that removes copy protection and Blu-ray burners are cheap now -- around $69.99. Discs are down to $1.00 each.

The 3D version should not be very different from the 2D version. If you can make the changes for the 2D, it is basically the same steps.

Yeah, well I managed to rip an ISO from Remember the Titans. Gonna test that one out a bit. And then I'll have to perform the necessary surgery to replace my disc drive, which I've done before so simple enough I guess.

[rodis]

One more thing that I asked before and nobody seemed to care...

When watching this movie, can you tell it was made in the 80´s?

I do, but because of the fact of how dark the film is at times. Not just certain scenes (Ursula eating a living being) but the atmosphere of it.

That whole dark/moody atmosphere was a staple of animated movies of the 80´s: The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time, The Last Unicorn...

And, just starting the 90´s we get to see the whole opposite. Big environments, daytime scenes, bright colors... We just need to look inside: The Rescuers Down Under.

I think that´s part of the reason why I like The Little Mermaid so much since I love the animated movies from that decade.

I agree about the dark atmosphere. I think that's what mainly distinguishes it from its 90's successors, visually speaking. Also, the colors don't POP like in those films, they're even mute at times.

When watching Mermaid, I also noticed "rushed" artwork more so than in the 90's films. Sometimes the background can look sloppy (when Triton confronts her in her grotto and the following scene with Flotsam and Jetsam, or when she first discovers her legs) but that obviously stems from time/budget constraints.

That said, there is careful attention to detail in other scenes that is quite dazzling IMO: Part of Your World, the Main Titles, the two storms, Poor Unfortunate Souls, etc.

[DylanCharles90]

I still can;t get over the change that was made to the POYW scene! It's ridiculous that something that was settled on/intended before the film was even completed all those years ago was just now being tampered with!

Original rough animation:

http://vimeo.com/33502167

I still strongly suggest that people call and get this straightened out. I called myself and she acted like I was telling her I was from mars lol but the more people call, the faster it will be rectified.

1-800-723-4763

[Atlantica]

Oh dear....what was her response exactly?

[DylanCharles90]

Oh dear....what was her response exactly?

Just how it hasn't been released yet so there's no way anyone could have an advanced copy and that the youtube video couldn't be real and it was probably just a fake, but that she would "follow up" on it.....basically kinda blowing smoke lol

but the more ppl call the more seriously they'll take it.

[Atlantica]

Hmm well I suppose how was she to know really, that there were advanced copied out there. Maybe she feels the same as us, and thinks its just such a stupid mistake it can't be real?!

[rodis]

Oh dear....what was her response exactly?

Just how it hasn't been released yet so there's no way anyone could have an advanced copy and that the youtube video couldn't be real and it was probably just a fake, but that she would "follow up" on it.....basically kinda blowing smoke lol

but the more ppl call the more seriously they'll take it.

Well, we should enlighten her that it was released in at least 1 market in Europe this past week, Switzerland.

[GreatGreg]

Really though, what would be the point of calling a US number now to say that I saw a copy from Switzerland that had two split-second scenes swapped? It's not even released in the US yet.

[Lnds500]

Really though, what would be the point of calling a US number now to say that I saw a copy from Switzerland that had two split-second scenes swapped? It's not even released in the US yet.

The point is that 99% of Disney BDs use the same transfer and encode.

[Disney's Divinity]

I do consider Ursula completely honest. She never said anything in the deal about her not interfering to bar Ariel’s success, so there was no lie. Ethical? Not so much. Sort of like the two merfolk she shows to Ariel at the beginning of “PUS” who seem to both be coming to her to get with each other; instead of telling them they both already like each other, she manipulates them both into thinking they need something from her to get each other.

Since we’re talking about the deal, I actually re-watched the film the other day, and I’m always struck by the face she makes when she’s talking to Ariel about what she wants in exchange, almost as if she hadn’t even thought about what she’d ask Ariel to pay her with before. She probably figured she wouldn’t charge because she really just wants the chance to tie Ariel down (and Ariel doesn’t really have anything that Ursula would want if she weren’t Triton’s daughter), but probably invented the voice bit on the spot to not seem so suspicious--which would make it much harder for her to kiss the prince. Really clever to think of that in the moment.

@DCFan: I’ve often wished Bea Arthur had not turned down the role, but at the same time, I can’t picture her necessarily outdoing Pat Carroll, who does an excellent job. If anything, I believe the character may have turned out better with Carroll basically being a stand-in for Ashman (who told her how to say this, do this, etc.), whereas Arthur probably wouldn’t have wanted someone telling her what to do because she would perform the character her own way. Honestly, I wish there was a way to hear all the options’ takes on Ursula, from Arthur to Joan Collins to Roseanne. Arthur would’ve been pretty close to Carroll, whereas Joan would be more sexual and Roseanne more sleazy.

And I agree with you that Mermaid benefits by being at the beginning of the Renaissance because, of all the movies during that period, it needed that extra touch of darkness (especially for the underwater scenes). That’s one of the things I appreciate about the movie which is absent from the later ‘90s.

[Atlantica]

Went to my local Disney store last week and there still wasn't any Mermaid stuff anywhere, the window was still featuring 'Planes!' And the Princess section was mainly/if not entirely Tangled themed.

[DC Fan]

Really? In my Disney Store there´s a whole section dedicated to it.

Granted, mainly for girls but there is.

Also, aside from the regular Mermaid mugs they´re selling these huge ones on "3D". One for Ariel, one for Ursula and one for Sebastian.

There are even plush toys for Flounder, Sebastian, Scuttle and, if I remember well, Max.

And yes...there are tons of stuff from Planes.

BTW, this whole thing of Planes (and Cars) make me believe we went backwards in time. Where girls just play with dolls and boys have to stick with cars and vehicles.

...I for one, NEVER liked cars. So that´s the reason why I complain so much Disney doesn´t diversify.

The only other options are Marvel stuff (and just so happens I´m a DC Comics fan; go figure. ) and Star Wars.

I know for sure I like Disney; the reason I go to the store in the first place. So, since I´m not a Marvel fan and I don´t love Star Wars I´m screwed. Especially since now we can´t either get Villains merchandise because all is The Queen, Maleficent and Ursula; even that line kicked off the potential male demographic.

....and that´s it for me complaining since I always do and there´s no need for it on this post anyways.

Move one.