Rudy Matt wrote:
It sounds like a lot of new content will have to be created to fill the disc. Just off the top of my head, some sort of testimonial to the theme park ride, analysis of the Pink Elephants on Parade, Andreas Deja breaking down the animation in the bathing scene, tribute to the award winning music, etc.
Well, one thing that was lacking for both DVD editions was a bona-fide "Making Of" more along the lines of what most of the Platinums got. The "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette is a nice tribute and IMO should be retained, but tops on my list for new content for the 2-disc DVD/BD is a more traditional "making of" as well.
I agree that featurettes on the theme park rides, the wonderful music(both songs and score) Pink Elephants sequence, etc., would all be wonderful additions. This might be a good place for an Oliver Wallace and/or Frank Churchill/Ned Washington tribute as well.
Also, they could have deleted scenes, song demos/deleted songs (such as "Spread Your Wings", which was at the end of the CD soundtrack in demo form as a bonus track).
If they are feeling really generous, they could even throw in "The Reluctant Dragon" in its entirety on disc 2 (if there is space) since it was filmed while Dumbo was in production and makes references to Dumbo, and is currently only available through the DMC and an OOP Treasures set. Or at least they could reinstate both the excerpt from this film and the theatrical trailers for this set, which were on the first edition and left off the Big Top Edition.
There is a lot they could do to make this the "definitive" Dumbo (so far) for collectors of both formats. Here's hoping they make this release the special one Dumbo deserves.
EDITED TO ADD:
Rudy Matt wrote: It's the TVs themselves that are the real pocket-book killer, but they've been coming down in price every year, when I was married last year, my wife and purchased ours for around $900. Great set, too.
Good point about the TV. Yes, for me, the TV is a bigger issue than the player in terms of cost (although, since I'm happy with DVD, I'm in no rush to get a BD player either). I could get a HDTV if I really wanted one badly enough, but they are too pricey for my taste as I approach the whole "home video" hobby more from a movies/content/"software" approach than a technical/equipment/"hardware" one. In fact, the only time I can remember EVER buying "hardware"/equipment (other then my first CD and DVD player) is when something breaks, and I cringe at the thought of having to replace it, because that means less money in my DVD/CD/travel/entertainment budget! (And since I currently have 3 relatively new flatscreen tube tvs that look GREAT that I got really good deals on, (one was a gift) and have a LOT of life left in them, I'm pretty set for awhile!)
Since I've never paid more than 200-250 bucks for a tv, I see that $900 dollar price tag and cringe at the idea that this figure represents 900 bucks worth of DVDs/CDs on my wishlist that I could buy instead, or 900 dollars worth of time in central Florida (theme parks are my biggest passion)
.
So I am in no way critcizing those who buy the expensive HDTVs, it's just more than I am willing to pay at this time due to my other interests. And also, I'd need an HDTV at least as tall as my existing TVs to display classic 4:3 films (like Dumbo, Pinocchio, Snow White, Fantasia) in the size I am used to seeing them.
And many of my all-time favorites are in 4:3 like the four I just named, and there is no way I'd want to get BD without the HDTV, because I've read on here that the 4:3 films on BD would be displayed pillarboxed AND letterboxed on a standard TV. (is this also the case when BD players play back
DVDs of movies that are 4:3 films?)
PS. I hope there are no hard feelings regarding our differering choice of formats. Congrats on the marriage.
