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Luke
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Post by Luke »

Nice job on "Golden Girls Intimate Portraits", Aaron. It's something I wouldn't have had much interest in, but I had a fun time reading the review. Now if only there could be a similar companion for "Home Improvement" season sets. At least it got three commentaries on Season 1, so that's something to be grateful for.

Anyway, here's <b>Disney Rarities</b>:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/disneyrarities.html
"Fifteen years from now, when people are talking about 3-D, they will talk about the business before 'Monsters vs. Aliens' and the business after 'Monsters vs. Aliens.' It's the line in the sand." - Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president
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Escapay
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Post by Escapay »

Great review on Disney Rarities, Luke!

I was hesitant to read it at first, since it was so late, but then again, I've stayed up until 3:30 am before, so I figured I might as well. And it was worth it. As usual, the reviews are very detailed and informative on everything about the DVD except for if it's R1, lol. I still don't know if I'll get Rarities, though. This years treasures seem rather weak (except for CDV2), and even though Rarities has several gems worth keeping, I don't know if I'd want to buy the entire set. It doesn't seem to have much rewatchability for many of the shorts.

Anyways, a solid review for a semi-solid DVD, so it's Pink Elephant time! :pink:

Escapay
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AwallaceUNC: Would you prefer Substi-Blu-tiary Locomotion? :p

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Robin Hood
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Post by Robin Hood »

Excellent job on the review, Luke! :)
- Jonathan
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Post by PR Fan »

Since i was too slow to get the Great Muppet Caper into my DVD player i liked the review, but i was so happy that it's in both Wide and Full screen versions. Now the day i have awaited For Luke are you going to include Wormhole on your Review or whoever is going to review PRSPD volume 4 and 5 Dismissed and Zapped respectively since it is the main bonus feature besides the power rangers want you and the Simulated Delta Runner game.
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Luke
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Post by Luke »

Like any bonus feature, "Wormhole" will be covered. Right now, UD's copies of Volumes 2 through 5 of the "Power Rangers" are scattered around the country, waiting to be reviewed. I have Volume 5, Aaron has Volumes 3 and 4, and Lindsay has volume 2. When everything lines up perfectly, we'll have a single review of Volumes 2-5 patched together from the three of us. But I have 6 DVDs and a CD Roundup to hit first, so it might be a while and Aaron has a bunch of other reviews to do, and Lindsay has had three others since September.

Thanks to everyone who read my recent reviews and had nice things to say about them. I aim to please. :santa:
"Fifteen years from now, when people are talking about 3-D, they will talk about the business before 'Monsters vs. Aliens' and the business after 'Monsters vs. Aliens.' It's the line in the sand." - Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president
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deathie mouse
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aspectratiomania!

Post by deathie mouse »

The reviewer rightly wrote:..the majority of shorts (the Alice comedies' minor variation aside) were created in the Academy Ratio (1.37:1) and the close-enough 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation is as it should be.

A close look reveals a few oddities; the Humphrey shorts actually measure between 1.95:1 and 2.05:1, while Toot, Whistle... comes in at 2.25:1. While framing seemed consistently good, what I know about Cinemascope tells me the Humphrey shorts should be quite a bit wider... ...Meanwhile, incomplete headlines in Anyburg, U.S.A. suggest that this 1957 short may be cropped to some degree as well.
Right on!

The 1.33 (the thin pillarbox bars make them be 1.33) probably from existing analog era-TV standards video masters?

:-P

After doing some research I found the exact date (and document) specifying the changeover from Cinemascope 2.55 to 2.35.

The change from the 2.55 wide 0.705" x 0.900" projector aperture was established with the 'SMPTE definition for anamorphic projection with optical sound track (PH22.106-1957)' made in December 1957, specifying the projector aperture at 0.705" by 0.828". The aspect ratio for this new aperture, after going thru the 2x anamorphic lens, would be 2.35.

(That new 2.35 shape itself then just lasted for 13 years, when it was changed yet again, to 2.40).


So mmm ya know what that means for those Scope shorts. And Lady And The Tramp. (released June 1955)
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Excellent reviews of Disney Rarities and Sky High, Luke. This wave had very vague titles for the sets (except Donald) so the reviews for these are more needed than ever this go-'round. Your very thorough, well-written, well-researched review (and it was all of those things despite having been completed in a short window of time thanks to the slow pokes over at Disney) has me really looking forward to this set - perhaps the most, but then I don't yet know much of what to expect from the others (besides the one I'm reviewing- dur). That's where your next reviews will come in handy. Can't wait to get the rest of these, though I've pledged to not buy any more DVDs for myself until after Christmas.

The Sky High review surprised me as much as the review, and is evidence that you shouldn't prejudge what stance a review will take based on the movie it's on in the same way that you shouldn't judge a movie by its cover (or, as the case apparently is here, its trailer either). The promotion had me interested in how Sky High turned out but having very low expectations for it. It sounds really funny, though, and I'll have to check it out!

Thanks for the compliment on the Golden Girls Intimate Portrait!

-Aaron
• Author of Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic
and The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (Epcot coming soon)
• Host of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod, the longest-running Disney podcast
• Entertainment Writer & Moderator at DVDizzy.com
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

For the few who are interested, and maybe even the many who are not, here is my newly completed Disneymania 3 in Concert DVD review: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/disneyman ... ncert.html

-Aaron
• Author of Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic
and The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (Epcot coming soon)
• Host of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod, the longest-running Disney podcast
• Entertainment Writer & Moderator at DVDizzy.com
• Twitter - @aaronspod
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Post by Lucylover1986 »

Great review Aaron. That's the lowest star grade I think ever on here.

I'm looking forward to your reviews for the Chronological Donald Duck Vol. 2 which I picked up today and your Sin City review which I'm going to get. There are rumors going on a couple message boards that in fact there's only 4 minutes of deleted footage added back into Sin City not the 20 minutes plus that was announced. Hopefully it's more than 4 minutes so I'm anxious to read your review and find out.
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Tony
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Post by Tony »

Do we have an approximate time for when the Chronological Donald Duck Vol. 2 review will be up ?..... I am sitting on the edge of my seat ! :)
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AwallaceUNC
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Tony wrote:Do we have an approximate time for when the Chronological Donald Duck Vol. 2 review will be up ?..... I am sitting on the edge of my seat ! :)
I'm trucking away on it. Everything's been watched save for a few bonus features and the brunt of the review has been written (well, more than half anyways). Most of what's left is the tedious stuff like screencaps, run times, and formatting, along with the Bonus Features section. So to answer your question more directly: as soon as possible (hopefully tomorrow or the day after). Ideally, this is one I'd definitely shoot to have done by release date at all costs, but thanks to Disney's slowness, by the time I got it they were already being pulled out of retailer stockrooms. So thanks for your patience!

-Aaron
• Author of Hocus Pocus in Focus: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Disney's Halloween Classic
and The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (Epcot coming soon)
• Host of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Pod, the longest-running Disney podcast
• Entertainment Writer & Moderator at DVDizzy.com
• Twitter - @aaronspod
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Tony
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Post by Tony »

Thanks Aaron..... Looking forward to it.... (as I'm sure many others are)..

Thanks again :D
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Post by Luke »

It's not Donald, but it is a Treasure, it took me longer than expected to review, and I haven't seen a critique for it elsewhere, so without any further ado, I give you:

Walt Disney Treasures: Elfego Baca • The Swamp Fox: Legendary Heroes.:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/legendary ... lfego.html
"Fifteen years from now, when people are talking about 3-D, they will talk about the business before 'Monsters vs. Aliens' and the business after 'Monsters vs. Aliens.' It's the line in the sand." - Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president
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Post by Ciaobelli »

Who would have thought, another great review from Luke. :lol:
I wasn`t going to buy this one and you confirmed my decision. Now I`m waiting too see if it will be the same way for Spin and Marty.
Dolce fare niente...
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Post by Robin Hood »

Another great review, Luke. And great job on the Disneymania 3 in Concert review, Aaron. :)
- Jonathan
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Post by Lucylover1986 »

Great review Luke. I wasn't too interested in that Treasures release and I see I really didn't miss anything. Looking forward to the Donald review which by the looks of it will be up sometime Sunday. :D
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Post by Tony »

Great review Aaron !....

I always love having individual pics of each short as well.. It is just a shame the restoration is not always up to the quality we expect.

Thanks so much for your efforts and I can't wait to have this DVD in my hands this week.
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Post by Luke »

Since last posting, there's been three new reviews:

Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Two
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/donaldvol2.html

Gargoyles: Season 2, Volume 1
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/gargoyles ... lume1.html

Valiant
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/valiant.html
"Fifteen years from now, when people are talking about 3-D, they will talk about the business before 'Monsters vs. Aliens' and the business after 'Monsters vs. Aliens.' It's the line in the sand." - Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president
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Post by Lucylover1986 »

For your Valiant star rating you have 3 & 1/4 as it's rating. Don't you mean 3 & 1/2. Just being a pest I know, lol.
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Luke
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Post by Luke »

Lucylover1986 wrote:For your Valiant star rating you have 3 & 1/4 as it's rating. Don't you mean 3 & 1/2. Just being a pest I know, lol.
No, I meant 3 and a quarter.
"Fifteen years from now, when people are talking about 3-D, they will talk about the business before 'Monsters vs. Aliens' and the business after 'Monsters vs. Aliens.' It's the line in the sand." - Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president
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