Disney registers Domains for Snow White Blu-Ray and Oliver

[Jules]

I usually just wait for new releases for the DMR points.

AAAARGH! We don't have DMR points in Europe!

[Widdi]

I find it curious that Disney would register a domain name for a supposed Snow White Platinum Edition, before the already announced Pinocchio Platinum Edition.

I'm still thinking that the new Snow White DVD/ Blu Ray will have nothing to do with the Platinum Line, but we'll see I guess.

November release seems likely for Oliver and Company. I'll bet we'll hear about it going out of print any day now.

[Simba3]

November release seems likely for Oliver and Company. I'll bet we'll hear about it going out of print any day now.

Gosh, I sure hope so. That would be great. Perhaps there will be a trailer on this summer's "The Sword in the Stone" re-release.

[PrincePhillipFan]

I'm really curious to hear what Disney might do for a Snow White blu-ray, and if they'll add anything more to it. Anyway to me, it's going to be really hard to beat the original Platinum DVD.

[JohnnyWeir]

A few of you are saying that any new Oliver & Co. DVD won't have any new bonus features, why is this? I've also been holding out on buying the Oliver DVD in hopes of a better release. It looks like my patience might be paying off! Even if it dosent have too many new features though, I'm still glad I waited, beacause, well, come November(hopefully) I'll have a shiny new Oliver & Company slipcover!

By the way, I still think the Platinum line will be over after Fantasia comes out next year, and Snow White will be released under a different banner.....

[Escapay]

A few of you are saying that any new Oliver & Co. DVD won't have any new bonus features, why is this?

Because ever since the goddamn "is it gonna be two discs or one disc?" fiasco with Tarzan and The Emperor's New Groove in 2005, the output from WDSHE/WDHE/BVHE/etc. has been falling drastically in terms of quality, especially for single-disc re-releases as they have all been only halfway-mediocre, with a repetition of old material, the dropping of some material, and probably two or three new things that is either entirely useless or could have been handled better.

I'll have a shiny new Oliver & Company slipcover!

Kill me, kill me now.

Albert

[steve]

I'll have a shiny new Oliver & Company slipcover!

I'm relatively new to UD - can someone please explain the obsession with slipcovers?

[Escapay]

I'll have a shiny new Oliver & Company slipcover!

I'm relatively new to UD - can someone please explain the obsession with slipcovers?

The obsession has no explanation beyond the fact that it's a completely misguided dedication to something that is very useless and in the end is just a tree-killing DVD condom. The main arguments for the condoms is that they look shiny and nice on the shelves and "protect" the case from damage.

Yes, a flimsy piece of cardboard will protect your DVD case from harm. When all you need to do is manage your collection with more gentle hands, keep up a weekly maintenance to avoid dust and other stuff, and never ever ever let other people (who don't know how to properly handle DVDs and throw them like frisbees, or get their fingerprints all over the disc and think it'll still play) ever touch them. Ever.

Albert

[Jules]

I've just thought ... if a slip cover is a Tree-Killing DVD Condom, then what is a digipack?

I thought of Tree-Killing DVD Purse, but it's not funny.

[steve]

I'm relatively new to UD - can someone please explain the obsession with slipcovers?

The obsession has no explanation beyond the fact that it's a completely misguided dedication to something that is very useless and in the end is just a tree-killing DVD condom. The main arguments for the condoms is that they look shiny and nice on the shelves and "protect" the case from damage.

Yes, a flimsy piece of cardboard will protect your DVD case from harm. When all you need to do is manage your collection with more gentle hands, keep up a weekly maintenance to avoid dust and other stuff, and never ever ever let other people (who don't know how to properly handle DVDs and throw them like frisbees, or get their fingerprints all over the disc and think it'll still play) ever touch them. Ever.

Albert

Ah. Thanks for clearing that up.

[blackcauldron85]

I read this thread earlier but really had nothing to write, but I just thought that the latest "Robin Hood" DVD had a deleted scene, and the latest "The Fox and the Hound" DVD had a (short) documentary. So, it's possible that the new "Oliver & Company" DVD could have something new- the "documentary" on the Special Edition is a short promotional piece that really doesn't do much. I love the movie, but the current DVD is kind of pathetic to be called a Special Edition. So, it wouldn't take much to make an improvement on that DVD.

[Jules]

Amy, keep in mind that the 'Passing the Baton' featurette on the new Fox and the Hound DVD was already on the older UK release all the time. So Disney never really bothered to 'dig' up stuff from their vaults. They just ported over the features from Europe.

[blackcauldron85]

Amy, keep in mind that the 'Passing the Baton' featurette on the new Fox and the Hound DVD was already on the older UK release all the time. So Disney never really bothered to 'dig' up stuff from their vaults. They just ported over the features from Europe.

Oh...I may have read about that when the DVD came out (or not) and just forgot...it was new in the U.S., anyway...

I wonder what the deciding factor was to make crappyish DVDs. I mean, back in 2001, Disney would release the same movie in a 1-disc edition and a jam-packed 2-disc edition...what the heck happened?!? I'm sure money had something to do with the decrease in quality, but why would someone decide to just release lesser DVDs? Sure, the Gold Collection titles never had many (or any, in some cases) bonus features, but still...if it's the "parents are dumb and can't figure out which disc is which" theory is true, that angers me! What about us! Put out 2 versions and charge more for them- just clearly state that one is a Extra Special 2-Disc For Smart Parents Only Edition. Requila will even buy both!

[steve]

I love the movie, but the current DVD is kind of pathetic to be called a Special Edition.

It's extremely pathetic as they marketed it as a 25th anniversary edition - it's insulting to the film and to fans of the film.

[Escapay]

I've just thought ... if a slip cover is a Tree-Killing DVD Condom, then what is a digipack?

Supremely Awesome.

Thanks for clearing that up.

No problem!

I read this thread earlier but really had nothing to write, but I just thought that the latest "Robin Hood" DVD had a deleted scene, and the latest "The Fox and the Hound" DVD had a (short) documentary.

Yes and yes, and Jules is right. The "Passing the Baton" featurette was something made for the R2/R4 DVDs and was ported to the R1 DVD.

Robin Hood's deleted scene/alternate ending and art/video gallery were newly produced. Still, it's a bit disappointing that Disney is willing to spend some $$$ on getting someone to narrate a video gallery, and people to dub in voices on the alternate ending, but they couldn't be bothered to interview surviving cast/crew (as well as use vintage interviews and behind-the-scenes footage) to edit together a quick-and-easy 20-25 minute documentary. Even if it were on the light and fluffy "Yay, we made this film and it was fun and I had fond memories" side, it'd still be something worth having.

So, it's possible that the new "Oliver & Company" DVD could have something new

True, but it may be something minor that's easily clearable and/or cheap to get. Like deleted materials or probably a longer vintage piece. I wouldn't hold my breath for new interviews or a commentary track (though I imagine a commentary with Billy Joel and Bette Midler would be interesting!).

I love the movie, but the current DVD is kind of pathetic to be called a Special Edition.

It's extremely pathetic as they marketed it as a 25th anniversary edition - it's insulting to the film and to fans of the film.

To add to the patheticness...

It's extremely pathetic of Disney to always give certain films the short end of the stick when they know that no matter what they do to it (give it a lavish two-disc treatment or a mediocre one-disc treatment), it'll still be bought by fans. If they went the extra effort and made sure all their films got a lavish two-disc treatment (or even a very nice one-disc treatment a la Dumbo, Peter Pan, Lilo and Stitch, or Treasure Planet), there wouldn't be so much moaning and bickering from the fans.

Albert

[steve]

Too true.

Sadly.

[Jules]

Supremely Awesome.

The digipack? (I would have thought you'd accuse it of ... murder of the Amazon or something).

By the way, Scaps. Do people actually like playing set-top games? It's just that it's those games which Disney seems altogether fond of when producing DVD bonus features, as you have yourself said so many times. Thing is, I never play them. What's the point? Are they supposed to be 'fun'? I'd much rather pop in my old PlayStation copy of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back if I want to do something interactivish.

Have I mentioned that they're slow and unresponsive?

[kbehm29]

They're only fun for kids. My 6 and 10 year old sons enjoy them (the 6 year old more than the 10 year old).

Which is why every Disney DVD released should have two versions - one bare-boned with a few games for parents to buy to entertain their kids, and the second with real and substantial background information for collectors. I would gladly pay $5+ more for the better version any time.

[PeterPanfan]

Yeah, they did that with a few movies, and I certaintly don't see why they can't now.

[Escapay]

Supremely Awesome.

The digipack? (I would have thought you'd accuse it of ... murder of the Amazon or something).

The difference between my disdain for a slipcover and my love of a digipak is in how they're used.

The slipcover is almost always just a cardboard reproduction of the actual cover on the case itself, which makes it repetitive and unnecessary.

The digipak functions as both the actual cover and the case for a DVD, thus making it necessary and enjoyable.

For example, look at the digipak for The Ten Commandments: 50th anniversary Edition. It's a unique design that helps present the 3 DVDs in a more impressive way than a silly piece of cardboard around an amaray case.

Likewise, the digipaks for many of Warner's two-disc special editions are great designs that are aesthetically pleasing. And yes, the digipak is housed within a cardboard slipcase. Yes, the cardboard slipcase is not unlike a slipcover. But no, the cardboard slipcase is not as useless as a slipcover, because a digipak does not "stay shut" like an amaray case, unless it has the cardboard slipcase around it. So the cardboard slipcase, while perhaps as repetitive as a slipcover, has some necessity to it.

By the way, Scaps. Do people actually like playing set-top games?

Damned if I know. I only play them once as the common courtesy to the game designers, but hardly touch them after that. And given the fact that the company I keep aren't too fond of DVD bonus features, I almost always play the stupid games by myself when I first take a crack at the bonus features.

Albert