The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition DVD Press Release

Son Of Flubber · Post by **Son Of Flubber** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:37 am

I saw this film at the El Cap last Thursday (and by sheer luck met Roy Disney an hour before the panel discussion).

The film still has a bit of grain but not much. Most of the picture is sharp and the audio is quite nice. Ariel's fins seem to change colors quite a a bit but no biggie. My only complaint was during this restoration the film was censored. As most of you know, in the wedding scene (just before the climax) we see a short Catholic priest who when he reads the lines "Dearly beloved..." he moves his knee. The way it's drawn it looks like the priest is getting an errection. Well, for this restoration his wee 'knee' was digitally erased. In my opinion this was a bad decision because it's almost like admitting that they screwed up originally, and I don't like the idea of altering the original movie.

Little Matchgirl was bittersweet. I LOVED the animation in this short! It was far better than the animation of the last 5 2D animated films Disney released to theaters. The short seemed a bit out of place at this screening. Everyone was very happy & full of joy after the panel discussion, live performance, and restored film. Then this clip played and at the end everyone seemed a bit sad and you could hear children in the audience crying. Talk about a mood killer !

slave2moonlight · Post by **slave2moonlight** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:45 am

Editing!!!! AAARGH!!!! Well, I won't be handing down my old DVD when I get the new one, that's for sure. I HATE THAT!

Really psyched to see/have Little Match Girl. Sounds like they should have shown that one before the movie...

rodis · Post by **rodis** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:47 am

Son Of Flubber wrote:I saw this film at the El Cap last Thursday (and by sheer luck met Roy Disney an hour before the panel discussion).
The film still has a bit of grain but not much. Most of the picture is sharp and the audio is quite nice. Ariel's fins seem to change colors quite a a bit but no biggie.

That's awesome! I guess grain has to be visible in such a large screen, doesn't it? Can I ask what scenes impressed you the most in terms of restoration? If you know the movie well, what parts have looked blurry or grainy and now look completely the opposite? Sorry if I'm a little pushy but I'm just dying for every bit of information

DisneyDVDFAN · Post by **DisneyDVDFAN** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:16 am

that's great you saw the movie all remastered etc... i never noticed that scene before LOL went back to look at it and I guess it can look like that. very weird that they had to have the Catholic Priest fixed ...

oh well can't wait for the new release ....

thanks for sharing

Dottie · Post by **Dottie** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:18 am

I can't believe they edited it. It really now seems like they had screwed up in the original, although they had not. Another reason to keep my old VHS.
Nobody had actually really believed in the errection, at least I didn't.
It's ridiculous what is going on at Disney concerning stuff like this!!!

xxhplinkxx · Post by **xxhplinkxx** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:00 pm

EDITING!?!?!?!?!?!

GAAHHH!!! WHY?!?! THATS THE ONE THING I DIDNT WANT!!!! FIRST NO GIFTSET AND NOW THEY EDIT MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME?! THE ONE WHICH IVE BEEN WAITING FOR ON DVD FOREVER!!!!

sorry for the caps.

Son Of Flubber · Post by **Son Of Flubber** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:02 pm

I'm upset about it but considering the censorship of Aladdin, I'm not surprised Disney did this. The priest's wee 'knee' is visible on the previous home video releases (both vhs and single disc dvd). What type of 'knee' you think it is, that is up to the viewer to decide. I guess Disney decided to erase it to avoid any controversy, just they avoided putting King Triton's Castle on the coverbox.

The scene with the most grain would probably be the opening sequence. Then again, it's supposed to be foggy so I guess it's expected. I can't think of any particular scene that looked exceptionally stunning but I did catch myself noticing details in the background I never really noticed before.

The best part of the panel discussion was the vintage video clips of Jodie in the recording studio and the live model acting out part of your world and the scene with vanessa (ursula in disguise) walking along the beach.

Even if it were shown at the beginning, Little Match Girl still seemed a bit out of place. It's a wonderful clip but too downbeat for this venue. Since it was intended for a future Fantasia, I think they should have saved the clip for the next Fantasia release (which should be in a couple more years).

slave2moonlight · Post by **slave2moonlight** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:08 pm

So they are continuing with Fantasia after all? Good to hear. I didn't know if 2000 had been very successful or not (though I loved it).

Is that footage of the live-action model (Sheri Stoner) going to be on the DVD? I was so in love with her when the movie came out, basically because I saw her as the live-action Ariel, and I've been madly in love with Ariel since I saw the movie.

DisneyDVDFAN · Post by **DisneyDVDFAN** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:12 pm

I'm upset about it but considering the censorship of Aladdin, I'm not surprised Disney did this. The priest's wee 'knee' is visible on the previous home video releases (both vhs and single disc dvd). What type of 'knee' you think it is, that is up to the viewer to decide. I guess Disney decided to erase it to avoid any controversy, just they avoided putting King Triton's Castle on the coverbox.

I am sorry I am kinda new to the scene but what censorship of Aladdin ?

thanks and sorry if this isn't the right place to ask...

slave2moonlight · Post by **slave2moonlight** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:20 pm

Well, all the way back to the first video release on VHS, they had changed the song lyrics in Arabian Nights because it offended some people. Originally, it went, "Where they cut off your ear (or was it nose) if they don't like your face", and now it goes, "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense...". I don't know if there was any further editing.

DisneyDVDFAN · Post by **DisneyDVDFAN** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:22 pm

slave2moonlight wrote:Well, all the way back to the first video release on VHS, they had changed the song lyrics in Arabian Nights because it offended some people. Originally, it went, "Where they cut off your ear (or was it nose) if they don't like your face", and now it goes, "Where it's black and immense and the heat is intense...". I don't know if there was any further editing.

Wow thanks for the quick reply

i am an amateur here

is there a place to go to to find out about the edits and redos of disney films ??

slave2moonlight · Post by **slave2moonlight** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:25 pm

Not sure. I'm fairly new here myself. You can find out a lot on webboards like this or from reading reviews at Amazon.com. I like to write reviews there myself.

Son Of Flubber · Post by **Son Of Flubber** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:37 pm

The censorship in Aladdin:

1) The characters : When Aladdin was released in theaters there were complaints that it was unfair that only the main characters like Aladdin and Jasmine spoke perfect English while the rest of the characters such as the palace guards spoke with heavy accents. As a result after Aladdin's original release all the characters that spoke with an accent were redubbed so they too spoke perfect English. The original dub has not been released since the original theatrical run.

2) The lyrics: Arabian Nights had a lyric ( " Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face " ) that people complained was too violent. It was replaced ( by " Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense " ) on all future releases and has not been heard since. If you want to hear it you'll have to pick up an original CD copy of the 1992 soundtrack.

3) The dialogue: There was one line of Aladdin's dialogue that some people got bent of shape over. When he's at Jasmine's balcony he whispers to Rash (the tiger) " Take in your claws like a good kitty " or something very similar (I'm 100% sure of the first 4 words). When Aladdin was released on home video in 1993 some people heard the line and thought he was saying " Take off your clothes little girl ". Though it wasn't true poeple thought it was and complained. The result; when Aladdin was 'fully restored' for its platinum edition DVD release they lowered the volume and cut off his dialogue right after "Take in your claws".

That's what's been altered in Aladdin.

Son Of Flubber · Post by **Son Of Flubber** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:42 pm

Oh my bad!

When I said the next Fantasia release, I meant the original, not a new one.

DisneyDVDFAN · Post by **DisneyDVDFAN** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:55 pm

Son Of Flubber wrote:The censorship in Aladdin:

1) The characters : When Aladdin was released in theaters there were complaints that it was unfair that only the main characters like Aladdin and Jasmine spoke perfect English while the rest of the characters such as the palace guards spoke with heavy accents. As a result after Aladdin's original release all the characters that spoke with an accent were redubbed so they too spoke perfect English. The original dub has not been released since the original theatrical run.

2) The lyrics: Arabian Nights had a lyric ( " Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face " ) that people complained was too violent. It was replaced ( by " Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense " ) on all future releases and has not been heard since. If you want to hear it you'll have to pick up an original CD copy of the 1992 soundtrack.

3) The dialogue: There was one line of Aladdin's dialogue that some people got bent of shape over. When he's at Jasmine's balcony he whispers to Rash (the tiger) " Take in your claws like a good kitty " or something very similar (I'm 100% sure of the first 4 words). When Aladdin was released on home video in 1993 some people heard the line and thought he was saying " Take off your clothes little girl ". Though it wasn't true poeple thought it was and complained. The result; when Aladdin was 'fully restored' for its platinum edition DVD release they lowered the volume and cut off his dialogue right after "Take in your claws".

That's what's been altered in Aladdin.

Thanks

Disney-Fan · Post by **Disney-Fan** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:32 pm

Son Of Flubber wrote:What type of 'knee' you think it is, that is up to the viewer to decide.

That is, in fact, not true. In a later shot you see two of the same 'knee' from a zoom in from above (when the flock of birds are attacking Usrula), thus putting to rest any argument about it being anything but a knee. It's pathetic to know that Disney would still edit this, despite visuals that contradict these ridiculous theories.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:47 pm

Son Of Flubber wrote:The censorship in Aladdin:

1) The characters : When Aladdin was released in theaters there were complaints that it was unfair that only the main characters like Aladdin and Jasmine spoke perfect English while the rest of the characters such as the palace guards spoke with heavy accents. As a result after Aladdin's original release all the characters that spoke with an accent were redubbed so they too spoke perfect English. The original dub has not been released since the original theatrical run.

2) The lyrics: Arabian Nights had a lyric ( " Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face " ) that people complained was too violent. It was replaced ( by " Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense " ) on all future releases and has not been heard since. If you want to hear it you'll have to pick up an original CD copy of the 1992 soundtrack.

3) The dialogue: There was one line of Aladdin's dialogue that some people got bent of shape over. When he's at Jasmine's balcony he whispers to Rash (the tiger) " Take in your claws like a good kitty " or something very similar (I'm 100% sure of the first 4 words). When Aladdin was released on home video in 1993 some people heard the line and thought he was saying " Take off your clothes little girl ". Though it wasn't true poeple thought it was and complained. The result; when Aladdin was 'fully restored' for its platinum edition DVD release they lowered the volume and cut off his dialogue right after "Take in your claws".

That's what's been altered in Aladdin.

hmm, I didnt know about the first one. thats crazy. now Im dying to hear what the original voices sound like. I never saw it in theaters, so its hard to imagine anything else in place of what he have now.

by the way, it wasnt "take off your clothes little girl". I believe it it was "good girls take off their clothes".

Disney Duster · Post by **Disney Duster** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:07 pm

Kyle wrote:by the way, it wasnt "take off your clothes little girl". I believe it it was "good girls take off their clothes".

Ummm, actually it was "Good teenagers, take off your clothes", and it was supposed to be "Good kitty, take off and go".

Here's a Thorough Explanation of this Aladdin Incident.

jeremy88 · Post by **jeremy88** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:44 pm

yeah I so remember hearing that in the theater when I saw Aladdin. I always thought he just said..."down kitty" then in an extremly low voice "take of your clothes". They also took out the "sex" in the Lion King...and you could totally tell they removed that cuz in the new one the dust or plant stuff that fly up are completely different. Supoosedly I heared it was "SFX" but why would they bother putting it in and then taking it out if it was a problem? Im kind of glad they took out the "knee" in that scene because people do notice it and people usually take it the wrong way because they want to find flaws so they can get a word out. I mean I hate when stuff is edited and changed but I think that one is okay overall it doesnt make a difference to the film...except for the fact that its not the original from 1989.

Tarzan. · Post by **Tarzan.** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:42 pm

Son Of Flubber wrote:The scene with the most grain would probably be the opening sequence. Then again, it's supposed to be foggy so I guess it's expected. I can't think of any particular scene that looked exceptionally stunning but I did catch myself noticing details in the background I never really noticed before.

NO!!! I was hoping to see this film completely restored without any grainy. What could be the reason for leaving these scene grainy?? because even if it's foggy that's not a reason to be grainy.
If they can leave Cinderella completely restored why not TLM?

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The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition DVD Press Release

Good Kitty, take off your fur!