The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition - Fall 2013

[geniuswalt]

Just canceled my Amazon preorder. Will only buy if they provide a replacement.

[Matt]

I found all these from the ads that are on-line.

Wal-Mart?

Target:
* $24.99 - Blu-Ray + DVD + Digibook
* $22.99 - Blu-Ray + DVD
* $27.99 - Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital
* Save $6 instantly when you buy this TLM Doll and Movie

Best Buy:
* $24.99 - 2 Disc (Blu-Ray and DVD)
* $9.99 - TLM Best Buy Exclusive Collectible Metal Lunchbox - (Boxed Set) - DVD
* Save $5 Instantly on TLM Lunchbox when you purchase it with TLM Diamond Edition on Blu-Ray

Where is the 3D version being sold?

Walmart has it advertised for just the Blu-Ray + DVD as $19.96
I didn't see nothing else for Walmart though.

Best Buy will be selling the 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack for $34.99 but just a limited batch to each store.
So I suggest if you really want the 3D Combo Pack, to get it as soon as the store opens.

Unfortunately I will be in the hospital October 1st. I am having surgery.

[Mooky]

Short article about the live-action reference -- videos taken from the BD release:

This Live-Action Footage For “The Little Mermaid” Is Fascinating

[The Little Merboy]

Best Buy will be selling the 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack for $34.99 but just a limited batch to each store.
So I suggest if you really want the 3D Combo Pack, to get it as soon as the store opens.

Unfortunately I will be in the hospital October 1st. I am having surgery.

Sorry to hear about you having surgery. On BBY's website, after midnight you can purchase the 3D Blu Ray, and select your nearest BBY (if they're carrying it) they will hold it for you. Just saying, it's what I'm gonna do.

[Atlantica]

I normally pay zero attention to Disney's marketing department, as normally they are pretty crappy, and hail each Diamond Edition film as 'The most beloved Disney Classic.....The greatest animated film of all time....etc', but the tagline used for The Little Mermaid gave me pause;

'The Film That Gave Voice To A Whole Generation'.

A step away from Disney endlessly announcing that a Diamond film was the 'greatest movie ever'; to me, the phrase is unusual in the fact that it seems....kinda heartfelt. It isn't the greatest Disney film of all time, nor is is the most epic, spectacuar, whizz-banging, adjective-inducing picture either. It is essentially a simple film, getting back to the roots of what Disney is, and what they used to be. The score and songs are designed to take you back to the time where Walt was around and producing fairy tale films in the best way he knew how, and to make you root for a love the characters and the journey they were on. You can't even say, 'Oh, it's just simply another Princess movie', as the Princess line wasn't even invented then. Ariel was only the fourth Princess, and dare I say it, kick started the whole franchise from 1989 onwards. You have Howard Ashman; a marvelous man by all accounts, who is present in almost every fiber of this movie according to all involved.

For whatever reason, The Little Mermaid struck a cord with so many people. And there is, quite literally, a whole generation who cite this as their favourite Disney movie. Not the best Disney movie, nor the highest grossing, but it touched peoples hearts in some way. Whether it was relating to Ariel, longing for something she wasn't a part of, fathers letting go of their daughters, the music, the beauty of the picture .... something clicked with us, and ignited the love affair for Disney that been lacking for so long.

So I guess I just wanted to say that I am really proud to be part of the generation that Mermaid gave voice to, and to see a simple phrase like that actually put to good use on advertising material by Disney.

[gardener14]

You have Howard Ashman; a marvelous man by all accounts, who is present in almost every fiber of this movie according to all involved.

Not the best Disney movie, nor the highest grossing, but it touched peoples hearts in some way. Whether it was relating to Ariel, longing for something she wasn't a part of, fathers letting go of their daughters, the music, the beauty of the picture .... something clicked with us, and ignited the love affair for Disney that been lacking for so long.

I think those two ideas (Howard's involvement and the elements of the film that make it so loved) are inseparable.

[Disney's Divinity]

I think those two ideas (Howard's involvement and the elements of the film that make it so loved) are inseparable.

I agree. I mean, he played a key role in how Pat and Jodi performed their songs, and wrote Sebastian's key scene as well (the turning point)--and of course all the lyrics. I never get tired of saying it--really wish he'd been around for the entire Renaissance.

[GreatGreg]

My most recent email to the company:

To whom it may concern,

As your company has previously acknowledged, two scenes from the "Part of Your World" sequence were accidentally switched during the restoration of the film, and the error has been included on the upcoming Blu-ray. While I've been a loyal customer of Disney for many years, I'm here to inform you that I will not be upgrading my DVD to the Blu-ray of this film unless a replacement disc is issued to correct the error.

The same goes for many other films released to Blu-ray due to poor restorations/transfers and other error issues, particularly Pocahontas (failure to include the "If I Never Knew You" segments via seamless branching), Cinderella (very poor restoration), The Lion King (missing clouds), and The Sword in the Stone (another poor restoration).

I love these films and am extremely disappointed with how these current releases have been handled. If future releases are continued to be produced with this same basic lack of care, I'll no longer be upgrading any of my Disney DVDs to Blu.

Thank you for your time.

This letter does not sound strong enough. Apart from the suggestions to snail mail it, you should shorten it so it is not so wordy. You don't really sound upset in this letter.

[GreatGreg]

Jodi Benson performed Part of Your World on The View to promote the blu-ray release...
http://abc.go.com/shows/the-view/video/ ... 0_hnpw5aj6

That was amazing!!!

I can't believe that she sounds exactly the same as she did more than 20 years ago!
Keep the good work, Jodi!

No, she doesn't! Close your eyes and listen to it again and you can clearly tell that her voice has matured. Not that there is anything wrong with her voice per se, but it does not sound the same as it did in 1988.

Frankly, she should stop trying to sing it like Ariel, and just do her own version and new voice actors should be doing Ariel now.

[Atlantica]

That was amazing!!!

I can't believe that she sounds exactly the same as she did more than 20 years ago!
Keep the good work, Jodi!

No, she doesn't! Close your eyes and listen to it again and you can clearly tell that her voice has matured. Not that there is anything wrong with her voice per se, but it does not sound the same as it did in 1988.

Frankly, she should stop trying to sing it like Ariel, and just do her own version and new voice actors should be doing Ariel now.

No, I don't agree with that at all. There are plenty of times within the past year of Jodi performing live and in the studio as Ariel, and she's spot on. Heck, she performed spur of the moment after a talk with Ron and Jon about the Diamond Edition, and she's perfection (it was posted here a few pages ago). As someone said here, I'll take Jodi any day of the week over the generic new voices we sometimes get for the Princesses. There is no need for Jodi to be replaced.

[bruno_wbt]

No, I don't agree with that at all. There are plenty of times within the past year of Jodi performing live and in the studio as Ariel, and she's spot on. Heck, she performed spur of the moment after a talk with Ron and Jon about the Diamond Edition, and she's perfection (it was posted here a few pages ago). As someone said here, I'll take Jodi any day of the week over the generic new voices we sometimes get for the Princesses. There is no need for Jodi to be replaced.

I agree! Jodi still has it! There's no need to replace Jodi at all...

She can hit every note that Ariel can hit.

Maybe Jodi was a little nervous on The View because she was performing on live TV, but she performed the song a hundred times this past year and she sounded just like 1989.

[Atlantica]

I wouldn't say she is exactly like 1989, but she is pretty darn close. Closer then a sound-a-like could ever be.

It will be hard when she does eventually go though, as she and only she, has been Ariel for all this time. That will be a really difficult transition. I have said before that Sierra Boggess would be a good follow on from Jodi; not someone to mimick the original, but to imbue the same spirit that Jodi has.

[DancingCrab]

A great interview with someone we haven't heard much of in The Little Mermaid's promotion for the past 24 years, Rene Auberjonois. aka Chef Louis.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/In ... e-20131001

[DC Fan]

¡MY EARS!

Could they have chosen someone worse to sing Part of Your World?

[Atlantica]

A great interview with someone we haven't heard much of in The Little Mermaid's promotion for the past 24 years, Rene Auberjonois. aka Chef Louis.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/In ... e-20131001

Wow, thank you for posting that !! Don't think I've even read an interview with him before ?!

[Mooky]

I normally pay zero attention to Disney's marketing department, as normally they are pretty crappy, and hail each Diamond Edition film as 'The most beloved Disney Classic.....The greatest animated film of all time....etc', but the tagline used for The Little Mermaid gave me pause;

'The Film That Gave Voice To A Whole Generation'.

A step away from Disney endlessly announcing that a Diamond film was the 'greatest movie ever'; to me, the phrase is unusual in the fact that it seems....kinda heartfelt. It isn't the greatest Disney film of all time, nor is is the most epic, spectacuar, whizz-banging, adjective-inducing picture either. It is essentially a simple film, getting back to the roots of what Disney is, and what they used to be. The score and songs are designed to take you back to the time where Walt was around and producing fairy tale films in the best way he knew how, and to make you root for a love the characters and the journey they were on. You can't even say, 'Oh, it's just simply another Princess movie', as the Princess line wasn't even invented then. Ariel was only the fourth Princess, and dare I say it, kick started the whole franchise from 1989 onwards. You have Howard Ashman; a marvelous man by all accounts, who is present in almost every fiber of this movie according to all involved.

For whatever reason, The Little Mermaid struck a cord with so many people. And there is, quite literally, a whole generation who cite this as their favourite Disney movie. Not the best Disney movie, nor the highest grossing, but it touched peoples hearts in some way. Whether it was relating to Ariel, longing for something she wasn't a part of, fathers letting go of their daughters, the music, the beauty of the picture .... something clicked with us, and ignited the love affair for Disney that been lacking for so long.

So I guess I just wanted to say that I am really proud to be part of the generation that Mermaid gave voice to, and to see a simple phrase like that actually put to good use on advertising material by Disney.

Wonderfully worded post, atlantica

[Atlantica]

Thank you Mooky, really appreciate it. I just read it back and it does seem slightly rambling, so I'm glad you understand what I meant!

[Mooky]

You're welcome!

[Pasta67]

Well, I picked this up at Wal*Mart today (despite its problems). I'm still hanging onto my DVD to have the (mostly) unedited film.

I will say, though, as someone who organizes my Disney movies chronologically on my shelf, it's nice that I no longer have to see Cogsworth giving Ariel the goo-goo eyes on the spine logos.

[Disney Duster]

But that still means Cogsworth is giving the goo-goo eyes to somebody.

Anyway, The Little Mermaid really could be the best Disney movie of all time. If not the best, among the three best, with Beauty and the Beast and Snow White.