Every Animated Film deserves a 2-disc set!

[2099net]

I've heard some people saying that some of the Disney animated movies are not worth creating a 2-disc set for, or that not enough materials exist for a 2-disc set. Nonsense! Any animation from classics like Snow White to not-so-classics like Hunchback of Notre Dame II deserves to be released with some proper in-depth production materials. Disney keeps enough footage and artwork in it's archives to create an interesting and worthwhile 2-disc set. As for the modern sequels… I'm sure something could be "knocked together"– you just need a little imagination.

Here's an example.

Alright, so I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek by choosing Cindrella II: Dreams Come True as the title to have a 2 disc set, but it will prove my point that any Disney animated 'movie' (movie being in quote marks for Cinderella II) can have a worthwhile 2 disc release.

Disc One: The Movie

* Two versions of the film: 1.66:1 family friendly widescreen, 1.33:1 full frame
* Recap of the Original Walt Disney Classic Cinderella
* All new Music Video – Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo by teenage sensations Play
* Prepare for the Ball set-top game
* Cinderella readalong storybook
* Sneek Peeks

Disc Two: Bonus Materials

* Realising Our Dreams An all new documentary on the genesis and production of Cinderella II
* Storyboards for Jaq's Wish story segment, synchronised to the full soundtrack.
* Virtual Galleries – showing concept artwork, character designs, backgrounds and more!
* Recreating A Classic – how Walt Disney Television Animation copied the styles and designs of the original Cinderella
* Digital Painting – how computers have altered animation techniques since the original Cinderella
* Cinderella – The Legacy Continues – Documentary on other Disney Cinderella projects – from the theme park attractions to the TV movie starring Brandy
* Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses Disneypedia
* Disney Princesses – Montage of memorable moments from other Disney Princesses' films.
* Disney's Famous Cats and Mice – Gus Gus and Jaq introduce us to other famous mice from well loved Disney films – including the most famous mouse of all, Mickey Mouse - while Lucifer interrupts by showing us famous cats from Disney films.
* Trailers and TV spots – for the Original Cinderella and the sequel.

So, what do you think? I'm aware some of the wording may upset some readers, but what can I say? It's marketing, and I've done my best to copy the Disney house-style!

[Porce]

The animated classics might deserve it, but Cinderella II? That was pretty funny, whether it was meant to be or not

[Prince Adam]

That sounds great! Why shouldn't every animated film get a 2-disc set? It doesn't matter whether it was a groundbreaking film in terms of animation or story, even those DTV sequels are a part of Disney animation history, and deserve to be treated as such.

[2099net]

The animated classics might deserve it, but Cinderella II? That was pretty funny, whether it was meant to be or not

Well, Dacp I do think every Disney animated film deserves a 2-disc set. They still charge $29.99 for the single disc DTV films, so why not - it's not as if you'll be paying more for it. You can always ignore the second disc if you want to. Or more likely in your case I would imagine, ignore the whole damn thing.

The fact is, any animated film not matter how bad the final product has lots if work put into it. it doesn't matter how the final cartoon turned out - I'd love to see the storyboards for even a film like Cinderella II. Plus all the new DTV productions can document the production of the film as they make it with a mind for the DVD release. Hopefully this will mean some of the content will be more interesting than the typical 'fluff' we seem to be getting with the later Platinum releases.

Really, there'd probably be just as much informative content on my proposed Cinderella II set than there will be on this years Lion King release. See my point?

Of all the DTV films perhaps Atlantis II could support the best 2 disc edition - as it could also cover the general development for the sadly aborted animated television series. A hour or longer documentary about the creation, production and cancellation of the series would be awesome. However, I get the feeling Disney wouldn't want to do such a thing - feeling it would reflect badly upon them. But I'm sure a disc covering not only the concepts and designs which made it into the 'movie' but also those already created for the series would be one of Disney's most interesting discs released.

[Loomis]

I have to go with 2099 here, as I have made comments to this effect in some threads before.

Some people do think the sequels are a bit of a joke (which I both can and can't understand), but as said here, Disney artists on one level or another put effort into these films, and they are certainly doing something I could never hope to achieve. It is this process I find incredibly fascinating, in all of its forms.

For this reason, all of the films do deserve 2-disc sets, or at least bountiful extras, if for no other reason that to pay tribute to the hard work done by various people in significantly shorter periods of time, on lower budgets....

[Porce]

I realize that a lot of work goes into these films. I just think that all Disney knows these days is fluff features (their Collector's Editions were much better than the current Platinums). Add to the fact that these movies aren't all that great either, even if a lot of work DID go into them.

...And before any DTV sequel gets a 2-disc set, I want Song Of the South released.

[2099net]

Well I enjoyed creating my 'fantasy' Cinderella II DVD specification so much I've done one for Atlantis II: Milo's Return and Jungle Book 2 too. Like I say, all you need is a little imagination! [*]

Atlantis II: Milo's Return: Collectors Edition

Disc One: The Movie

* The Movie presented in 1.66:1 family friendly widescreen
* Option of watching each episode as would originally appear in the Team Atlantis television series with opening and closing credits.
* The Shepherd's Journal – read selected pages from the Shephard's Journal yourself. Can you decode it's secret?
* The Team's Hardware – Audrey gives a tour of the vehicles and hardware used by the team on their adventures.
* Explore Atlantis set-top game. If you have discovered the secret of the Journal, be ready for an extra surprise at the end.

Disc Two: Bonus Materials

* The Adventure Continues – documentary on the creation, development and cancellation of the Team Atlantis television series.
* Season Overview – featurette on the proposed 'arc' for the first season of the show
* Team Dynamics – featurette on the development of the Team Atlantis characters and how they interact with each other.
* Mysterious Creatures – learn all about the legendary creatures and monsters in the series, then see and hear the how they would have been realised for the cartoon.
* Virtual Galleries – showing concept art, character designs, backgrounds and more from the sequel
* Additional Galleries – showing unused concepts and designs from the television series
* Period Adventurers – Milo introduces other Disney historical adventure characters including Captain Nemo, Jim Hawkins, the Swiss Family Robinson and Tarzan to the audience.
* Great Explorers Disneypedia

Jungle Book 2: Collector's Edition

Disc One: The Movie

* Two versions of the film: 1.66:1 family friendly widescreen, 1.33:1 full frame
* Recap of the Original Walt Disney Classic The Jungle Book
* All new Music Video – Bare Necessities by John Goodman
* All new Music Video – I Wanna Be Like You by Smash Mouth
* Rescue Shanti set-top game
* Jungle Book readalong storybook
* Sneek Peeks

Disc Two: Bonus Materials

* An episode from The Disney Afternoon animated series Talespin starring Baloo the Bear
* An episode from the Disney Television animated series Jungle Cubs
* A Walt Disney True Life Adventure – Jungle Cat
* Virtual Galleries – showing concept artwork, storyboards, character designs, backgrounds and more.
* Rewriting the Book – documentary on the production of the sequel.
* Revoicing the characters – featurette on the voice talent of the sequel.
* The Jungle Book Legacy Continues – documentary on other Disney Jungle Book projects from Talespin to the live action features.
* Go Wild – featurette on the creation of the animated musical number W-I-L-D
* Deleted Scenes
* Indian Wildlife Disneypedia
* The Bear Facts – a featurette on other famous Disney Bears; from The Country Bears to Humphrey the Bear.

and Yes, I'm aware Jungle Cat is set in south America, not India before you point that out.

[*] That said, I'm finding it hard to come up with a Hunchback of Notre Dame II 2 disc set. But I'm working on it...

[Maerj]

I don't buy the sequels, but if they had nice 2 disc sets like that, showing you more of the animation process and all those other extras... well, I'd consider buying them if they were being sold at a reasonable price.

[Matty-Mouse]

I'd buy any 2-disc set for the 42 "classics" but if people want 2-disc's for the others I don't see why Disney don't make them.

I'd just feel really cheated in something I (and a lot of other people) concider a poor film (Cinderella 2, Pocahontas 2) got 2 disc sets and some of the 42 classics didn't.

[2099net]

Just for you Matty, I've done a 'fantasy' 2-disc set for one of the most underrated of the Animated Classics - Basil, The Great Mouse Detective.

Basil, The Great Mouse Detective Collectors Edition

Disc 1 – The Movie

* Two versions of the film: 1.66:1 family friendly widescreen, 1.33:1 full frame
* Audio commentary by Ron Clements & John Musker
* All new music video The World's Greatest Criminal Mastermind sung by Hilary Duff [*]
* The Search for Rattigan Set top game
* Basil's Strangest Case readalong storybook
* Sneak Peeks

Disc 2 – Bonus Materials

* The Baker Street Irregulars – All new full length documentary on the production of the film.
* Computer and Pencil Tests – test footage from the production of the film.
* Virtual Galleries – of concept artwork, storyboards, character designs, backgrounds and more.
* Of Mice and Men – featurette on old time director Burny Mattinson and new talent Ron Clements, John Musker and David Michener - revealing how Walt Disney Feature Animation was placed in the hands of fresh new talent.
* The Great Mouse Detective featurette on the original Basil of Baker Street books by Eve Titus which inspired the film
* Clockwork Computers – featurette on the use of computers to assist in the animation of the films' climax set inside Big Ben.
* Alan Young – a featurette on Disney voice artist Alan Young, best known as Scrooge McDuck.
* Who is Sherlock Holmes? – Basil and Dr Dawson investigate their strangest case to date; just who is Sherlock Holmes?
* Living in London – Basil lives in London, England, as do a lot of other Disney characters. Here Basil investigates other famous Disney Londoners. Includes The Darling Family from Peter Pan, Pongo & Perdita from 101 Dalmations and Oliver Twist.
* Victorian Britain Disneypedia
* Publicity – Trailers, TV sports and poster designs.

[*] Trust me – it fits

[Loomis]

Although I already have the Basil, The Great Mouse Detective DVD, I would gladly buy the Basil, The Great Mouse Detective Collectors Edition, especially if 2099's fantasy list came true.
I think this is a true classic, and it was unfortunate it came out just before Disney's films became REALLY big again, because it has largely been forgotten in terms of popular memory (hard to compete with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast I guess).
Hoep to see this given its dues one day...

[Porce]

* 1.33:1 full frame
* All new music video The World's Greatest Criminal Mastermind sung by Hilary Duff [*]
* The Search for Rattigan Set top game
* Basil's Strangest Case readalong storybook
* Who is Sherlock Holmes? – Basil and Dr Dawson investigate their strangest case to date; just who is Sherlock Holmes?
* Living in London – Basil lives in London, England, as do a lot of other Disney characters. Here Basil investigates other famous Disney Londoners. Includes The Darling Family from Peter Pan, Pongo & Perdita from 101 Dalmations and Oliver Twist.
* Victorian Britain Disneypedia

I could probably do without those features, as they could be released seperately for another disc. Taking these features off ensures higher quality for the better, more important things on the disc like how good the widescreen version of the film looks. I don't want a compressed version just so they could fit the edited pan-and-scam version and a Hillary Duff music video on the same disc.

[2099net]

Well, although I'm no big fan of the kiddie features, any Collectors' Edition would have to be appealing for all sections of the general public. I can only assume such features do appeal to some of the public as Disney keeps including them. A few are fine, but lately they have been taking over the discs! I think the last three you single out on your list could have some appeal to the older audience - especially if done with a little humour.

I don't however agree that the kiddie features should be included on a seperate disc - I'd like them to be mixed in with the more 'adult' features to encourage people who otherwise wouldn't play the 'enthusiasts' disc to explore and click.

That said, I do have some concerns over the upcoming R1 Sleeping Beauty - not only does it have a fullframe transfer on the first disc, but all of the features that were on the first disc in the international version have been moved over to the second disc. There's a lot of content on the first disc with 2 versions of the film and a lot of content on the second (those featurettes are quite long you know). We will have to see how it turns out.

[jesus_brer]

cool ideas

[Prince Adam]

2099, PLEASE go and get yourself a job at Disney!

[Captain Hook]

2099net, you are a genius! I would love to have 2-disc sets for all the Disney films.

Now then, make a fantasy version for Return to Neverland! I feel bad, I bought both of the Peter Pan movies when they said that they were going into the vault, and then I found out that Peter Pan will be Platinum and that will make Return to Neverland a Special Edition!

[Matty-Mouse]

Just for you Matty, I've done a 'fantasy' 2-disc set for one of the most underrated of the Animated Classics - Basil, The Great Mouse Detective.

Basil, The Great Mouse Detective Collectors Edition

Disc 1 – The Movie

* Two versions of the film: 1.66:1 family friendly widescreen, 1.33:1 full frame
* Audio commentary by Ron Clements & John Musker
* All new music video The World's Greatest Criminal Mastermind sung by Hilary Duff [*]
* The Search for Rattigan Set top game
* Basil's Strangest Case readalong storybook
* Sneak Peeks

Disc 2 – Bonus Materials

* The Baker Street Irregulars – All new full length documentary on the production of the film.
* Computer and Pencil Tests – test footage from the production of the film.
* Virtual Galleries – of concept artwork, storyboards, character designs, backgrounds and more.
* Of Mice and Men – featurette on old time director Burny Mattinson and new talent Ron Clements, John Musker and David Michener - revealing how Walt Disney Feature Animation was placed in the hands of fresh new talent.
* The Great Mouse Detective featurette on the original Basil of Baker Street books by Eve Titus which inspired the film
* Clockwork Computers – featurette on the use of computers to assist in the animation of the films' climax set inside Big Ben.
* Alan Young – a featurette on Disney voice artist Alan Young, best known as Scrooge McDuck.
* Who is Sherlock Holmes? – Basil and Dr Dawson investigate their strangest case to date; just who is Sherlock Holmes?
* Living in London – Basil lives in London, England, as do a lot of other Disney characters. Here Basil investigates other famous Disney Londoners. Includes The Darling Family from Peter Pan, Pongo & Perdita from 101 Dalmations and Oliver Twist.
* Victorian Britain Disneypedia
* Publicity – Trailers, TV sports and poster designs.

[*] Trust me – it fits

I WANT THIS SET!

[Joe Carioca]

Very nice 2099net! You surely do have imagination!
Yeah, it would be terrific if Disney released SE of all their animated features, but we all know this is unlikely to happen! Hhmmm.... what do you think they would include on a SE of 'The Black Cauldron"? Now it's my time... here is my "fantasy list"!

The Black Cauldron: Collector's Edition

Disc 1: The Movie
*All new restored print (Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35:1)
*Dolby Digital 5.1 track
*DTS 5.1 track
*Audio Commentary by historian John Canemaker and animators who worked on the film
*Two versions of the film: Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition, with edited footage restored back into the film
*"Quest For The Black Cauldron" Set-top game
*"Trick or Treat" Donald Cartoon

Disc 2: Bonus Features
*"The Making of The Black Cauldron" - full-length documentary on the creation of the film
*Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" - learn more about the original books that inspired the film
*Adapting the story to the screen - how Disney artists faced the challenge of bringing the original story to the screen
*Abandoned Concepts - never before seen by the public!
*Virtual galleries - concept art, character designs, production photos and much more!
*Deleted Scenes - scenes that never made into the final film!
*Storyboard to Final Film Comparison
*Digital production - see how computers helped Disney artists to create the elaborate effects seen in "The Black Cauldron"
*Animation Tests
*Widescreen Magic - "The Black Cauldron" was the first Disney animated film to be created in CinemaScope since "Sleeping Beauty". Discover how Disney artists faced the challenge of creating the film in this complex format.
*Widescreen To Pan-&-Scan Comparison
*"The new era at Disney Studios" featurette
*"A new generation of artists" - "The Black Cauldron" was one of the first films created entirely by the new generation of Disney animators. See how this then young team brought a new and fresh style to Disney animation.
*Sound Stage
*Creating the score with Elmer Bernstein - listen to the original demos!
*The Premiere
*"The Black Cauldron" at Disney theme parks
*Publicty - Trailers, TV and radio spots, "making of" featurette created for the original release; And much more!
*1985 Disney Studio Album
*The Restoration - see how the film was restored for this special release!!

It would be a nice DVD, wouldn't it?

[2099net]

Great work Joe Carioca - perhaps everyone should pick their favorite underrated animated film and create their own fantasy sets?

Although I love Return to Neverland, I must admit I did find it hard coming up with enough content for a 2 disc set for this movie. I've tried to steer clear of the obvious features, such as a featurette on J. M. Barrie, as these are likely to be covered on a (fantasy - or maybe not given it's Platinum status) Peter Pan 2-disc set. So here's what I came up with for Return to Neverland - Collector's Edition


Disc One: The Film

* The film presented in family friendly widescreen, 1.66:1
* Audio Commentary by the filmmakers
* Bonus short Pluto's Fledgling
* Recap of the original Peter Pan
*All new Music Video I'll Try by Jonatha Brooke
* All new Music Video So To Be One of Us by They Might Be Giants [*]
* Wendy's Treasure Hunt Set-top game
* Wendy, the first Lost Girl Readalong Storybook
* Seek Peeks

Disc Two: Bonus Materials

* Faith, Hope and Trust – All new Documentary on the creation of Return to Neverland
* …And Children Never Grow-Up – featurette on recreating Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mr Smee, the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell after nearly 50 years.
* Hooked on the Classic featurette where the filmmakers share their memories of the Walt Disney Classic Peter Pan
* Sky Sailing – featurette on the computer generated flying ship, used to kidnap Jane
* Evolution of the Opening Sequence – see how the nostalgic opening sequence was designed and implemented.
* Deleted Scenes – with optional filmmaker commentary
* Jane's Kidnap storyboard reel, shown synchronised to the film's soundtrack
* Virtual Galleries featuring concept artwork, character designs, backgrounds and more.
* Do You Believe in Fairies? – see how Tinkerbell differs in the original Peter Pan stage play.
* Famous Treasures Disneypedia
* Parents and Children – Jane is the daughter of Peter Pan's Wendy. Here Jane and Wendy will introduce other famous Disney children and their parents; including Nemo, Scamp, and Bambi.
* Publicity – trailers and poster art for the film

[*] Believe it or not, They Might Be Giants wrote the lyrics and music to this song. I only just found that out when researching the film

[Captain Hook]

Ooh! I would die if I could have a two-disc set like that! You're great 2099net. I still can't understand why Pluto's Fledgling wasn't on the DVD, though it was on the theatrical release! Oh well.

One question though: Should it be "Wendy the First Lost Girl" or "Jane the First Lost Girl"? I ALWAYS thought of Wendy as as lost girl, but it was made "clear" in the sequel that Jane was.