I've Just Bought My Very First Disney DVD!!

[Lazario]

Hm. I am finding it very hard to understand that you don't mind that some colors really are wrong. That they actually changed some colors mistakenly. But it isn't your most favorite film of all time, and I guess it's small to you, so...

Ha. Don't go there, Dusty. It's an important part of a very big overall picture. I just find the colors they changed that you showed me to be quite minor. You only showed me one dress after all. And the color was still brown, it's just the tone that's off. Yes, by a lot. But... to me, it's her working dress. And brown is still brown.

You're smart. We both are. You know the key thing here is... me noticing. I care that you care. But if you're asking me a question, and you did, you're going to get my honest answer. I'm sorry you can't understand it. But it's incredibly simple. Don't get the wrong impression, I would care if Disney screwed up a lot of different colors. But I haven't heard about more than just the hair color and the dress you showed me. So... you can't really expect me to be more shocked than I am.

And I can't believe you don't think the Hunchback score is good! Maybe the lyrics aren't the best, I don't know, but the music itself by Alan Menken is some of the most amazing powerful music in any film...

Well, again like the Cinderella colors thing- you're catching me on an impulsive reaction. If you want to know the truth, I hate things that feel repetitious. I find the formula of the 90's Disney animated classic film was pretty good while it lasted, but to me the Hunchback character is boring and the guy doing his singing is incredibly irritating. The music yeah feels like microwaved (and I hope you know what I mean by that - limp, mushy) leftovers from Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas. Whatever. You're right, I wasn't too keen on the lyrics. But I wasn't too keen on anything in that movie. Maybe a rewatch would change that. But until then... I can't just lie to you and say I dug it.

I didn't follow everything you were saying about The Princess and the Frog.

That's probably all for the best because, I don't care what anyone has to say about my comments on The Princess and the Frog.

Well, anyway...Disney probably won't make a gay character any time soon

Oh yeah, I know that too. I was being sarcastic.

Disney probably won't make a gay character any time soon until, as you suggested, it becomes a trend, it is seen as acceptable for openly gay characters in family fare. Of course it is perfectly acceptable, families just need to freakin' realize it is.

Oh... I think families do. If the monster success of Nickelodeon's iCarly is any indication. And that version of Zack and Cody that takes place on a cruise ship. Not to mention that in the original version, Mr. Moseby is far from overly masculine. I know the actor is straight, but you get my meaning. There are several dozens of incarnations of the non-manly guy on television. It's broadcasters and sponsors who have no backbone. It's broadcasters and sponsors who in fact, have the agenda. Just look at Rupert Murdoch.

Anyway, that Sleeping Beauty Special Edition is a great buy, but the newest DVD shouldn't be that expensive either

Oh you're sure right about that. But I decided to get the Special Edition first. I had to flip through over 25 listings of that Platinum Edition before I found a Special Edition I thought would be a sure thing. I'll upgrade in a year or so. But for now, I want the DVD I'm familiar with and I rented the bonus disc from Netflix last November, so I've decided there are too many bonuses missing from that set onto the Platinum that I like. I made sure to read UD's review of the Platinum Edition and I'm salivating over that new documentary yeah but I can wait.

[Disney Duster]

Well, ok, then when I make my big post trying to cover all the big mistakes in Cinderella's DVD presentation, then I guess I can see what you and everyone else thinks after that.

It's still hard for me to think of how you can say such things about Hunchback, but now I'm just repeating myself because that's how you feel about it, so, I'll just walk away confused... !

I think many families still feel open gayness is not family friendly, basically because they aren't thinking very hard about how it won't show anything more than heterosexual relationships in family fare. But each day everything changes.

I am glad to hear you will update to what is also a great DVD of your favorite Disney movie.

Oh, and thanks for saying I'm smart. I think you're very smart too, of course.

[Goliath]

Lilo & Stitch didn't feel like a Walt era film, even with the watercolor backgrounds.

Yes, it did. especially the animation, but also the family-storyline. It was the closest Disney came to the 'classic Disney-feel' in a loooong time, and hasn't been repeated since.

Aw, Lazario, that means you're missing outon Hunchback and Hercules.

Good as they are, Mulan is even better. Now that I have Lazario convinced to rent L&S, he should also definitly rent Mulan as well. He'll just have to ignore Eddy Murphy (who entertained me in his role as Mushu, by the way).

[Disney Duster]

Sorry I guess the rude, violent, killing, weird, whacky alien kind of ruined the whole Walt Disney classic feeling they may or may not have (probably not have) been going for. Actually, the weird, whackiness of the whole thing. All I know is it's not the kind of thing Walt would've made.

[Goliath]

[...] and personally, I didn't like Tiana. And it probably was because they made her too girl power, too un-like a traditional Disney princess. She was so into hard work and not having fun or magic in her life she came off as one-tracked and boring and even bossy and a stick in the mud.

You mean, Disney *finally* created a female character that's realistic and relevant to today's female audience, instead of having just another pretty princess whose only goal is to marry a prince? Tiana is Disney's first emancipated (dare I say feminist?) female character. That's what made me appreciate her. Apparently, you want your Disney heroines to be stuck in the 1950's indefinitly.

Sorry I guess the rude, violent, killing, weird, whacky alien kind of ruined the whole Walt Disney classic feeling they may or may not have (probably not have) been going for. Actually, the weird, whackiness of the whole thing. All I know is it's not the kind of thing Walt would've made.

Yeah, well, Walt's been dead for over 40 years now and the world didn't stop turning after that. Like I said above, you want Disney to be stuck in the 1950's forever, or maybe you would even want it for yourself. But times have changed, and so have Disney's films. But at the core, despite all your overreaction to the film, Lilo & Stitch *has* the heart and warmth of a true Disney Classic. It's just not as cliched and sugar-coated and lot more real than the films of Walt's era.

[Kyle]

^Amen

Why do we need to see the same exact character types in the same types of stories film after film? Lilo & Stitch was fresh and I think even Walt would have admited to that. Even if he didnt, we shouldnt need his approval to appreciate it.

[estefan]

And incidentally, if you watch the deleted scenes on the DVD/Blu-Ray, Tiana comes off as an even bigger stick-in-the-mud than in the final film, even to the point of making fun of Charlotte for her "fairy tale" ideals.

[Disney Duster]

Oh, Goliath, I guess Cinderella didn't talk about how great it would be to go to a royal ball, Ariel didn't sing about how she felt she belonged more in the human world, Belle didn't want adventure, and Jasmine didn't want freedom. I guess none of the previous princesses wanted more in life than they currently had, besides a prince.

Now, I could talk about how Tiana doesn't seem very real and relevant being on one track, to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaraunt, not thinking about herself or having any fun or rest at all like a "real" person would, but I don't think that any Disney characters are any less real than any characters in any other movies.

Wait a minute, you once praised Cinderella and Ariel for being realistic...

[Lazario]

I think many families still feel open gayness is not famly friendly

Yeah, but they can deal with it.

I am glad to hear you will update to what is also a great DVD of your favorite Disney movie.

So am I.

Good as they are, Mulan is even better. Now that I have Lazario convinced to rent L&S, he should also definitly rent Mulan as well. He'll just have to ignore Eddie Murphy (who entertained me in his role as Mushu, by the way).

God he was annoying in Shrek!

Walt's been dead for over 40 years now and the world didn't stop turning after that. Like I said above, you want Disney to be stuck in the 1950's forever, or maybe you would even want it for yourself. But times have changed, and so have Disney's films. But at the core, despite all your overreaction to the film, Lilo & Stitch *has* the heart and warmth of a true Disney Classic. It's just not as cliched and sugar-coated and lot more real than the films of Walt's era.

I'm surprised you never tried to say anything like that to me.

What I'm just tired of is the incessant one-liners and that awful music with too much, too loud of everything. Everything you hear in a Disney film now is trying too hard to keep the pace up. Like they are terrified the viewers are losing interest, which they feel will happen if the movie isn't more obnoxious in terms of how in-your-face the characters are and how the music is more present than effective. It feels like being smacked over the head. "ARE YOU AWAKE?!" "ARE YOU STILL AWAKE?!" "WAKE UP!!" To quote Seymour from Ghost World - "it feels like I'm being jabbed in the face!"

[Goliath]

Oh, Goliath, I guess Cinderella didn't talk about how great it would be to go to a royal ball, Ariel didn't sing about how she felt she belonged more in the human world, Belle didn't want adventure, and Jasmine didn't want freedom. I guess none of the previous princesses wanted more in life than they currently had, besides a prince.

But what did they *do*? 'Freedom', 'adventure', 'wishing to be somewhere else' or pretty vague things to want. At least Tiana has a very concrete idea of what she wants: she wants to own her own restaurant, and she works very hard to achieve it. Belle did nothing at all, she just sat there in the meadow, dreaming about it. Ariel collected things from the human world until she met her prince --everything else that she does from that point on is about getting the prince! Jasmine went to the market, was brought home again and sat on her ass until prince Ali came along. And Cinderella? She wanted to go to a prom! Wow... Girl power indeed!

Now, I could talk about how Tiana doesn't seem very real and relevant being on one track, to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaraunt, not thinking about herself or having any fun or rest at all like a "real" person would, but I don't think that any Disney characters are any less real than any characters in any other movies.

Opening her own restaurant was her dream, so that's obviously "about her". And didn't she think of fun? Gee, then why do I remember the highly stylized animated scene best where she thinks about what it will be like if she had her restaurant? To her, owning a restaurant *is* fun!

It seems you want to condemn Disney female characters to doing nothing and just dance around all the time singing and giggling. You don't want them to *do* anything. God forbid they should actually achieve anything on their own. It's not "magical"! It's not a "fairy tale"! Boohoo!

Wait a minute, you once praised Cinderella and Ariel for being realistic...

Where did I say women who aren't emancipated can't be realistic? There are thousands of real women like that out there.

[GrinwithoutaKat]

It's oddly fascinating watching you build your collection from scratch. I'm doing kind of the same with the Blu-Rays. I've always wanted a Disney collection, but as a kid, my parents were never ones for buying movies much, and by the time I was old enough to start having enough of my own money to be buying movies, we were already far enough into DVDs that some Disney classics had come and gone and were now sky high on Ebay.

There's one big difference though. I buy the stuff Disney puts on Blu Ray, their choices, their pace, you get to pick whatever you want from the entire range, pretty much. Look forward to watching it grow

[Goliath]

[Lilo & Stitch] I'm surprised you never tried to say anything like that to me.

Hm? How do you mean? I tried to convince you multiple times that not everything that came after Pocahontas was bad, but would you listen? Noooooooo!

Lilo & Stitch is a great film, because it shows real characters and actual character development, as you have never seen before in a Disney film.

It's the story about Lilo, who is an unadjusted 10 year old, who doesn't fit in well with the other girls of her age, because of her bad temper and her weird hobbies. She's hard to handle and not your typical goody-goody Disney protoganist.She's raised by her sister Nani. Their parents died in a car accident, but this is only subtly hinted at (it's not played on for drama). Deep down they love each other, but they also behave like sisters do: there's a lot of yelling and arguing, which will take some people who expect only 'family love' from Disney by surprise. And yet the film never takes it too far; it's never done just for dramatic effect.

The relation is further complicated by the fact that a social worker is threatening to take Lilo away if Nani can't take proper care for her. And then they meet Stitch, a creature from another planet. He was just 'created' and has no history or background, so naturally he hasn't got any family and doesn't know what it's like to be in one... He's designed to destroy. Then he gets adopted by Lilo. So, yeah... I can see why Disney Duster says it's not your "typical" Disney film, but I still think the way they handled the story makes it very Disney at its core. It's just different.

For one thing, it's set in present-day Hawaii, it involved science-fiction elements, and a lot of action. But it always serves to further the story or the character development. You will also be pleased to know this movie doesn't contain any "funny" sidekicks who are just dragged in to crack jokes. Every character is neccesary for the story, and the humor comes directly from the situations in which these characters are placed.

On the bonus disc, the makers often compare Lilo & Stitch to Dumbo, for different reasons. An obvious comparison is the use of aquarel backgrounds, which was last used for Dumbo. It gives the film a real classic look, while it is a very contemporary story (just like Dumbo also took place in the present, which is rare for a Disney film). Another comparison is that both are looked upon as 'small films'. It's a very clear departure from Disney's 1990's kinda 'epic/historic' tales. It doesn't tell a big story; it's not a Broadway musical. It's just a beautiful little film.

I hope you'll enjoy it and let us know what you thought of it.

[Lazario]

It's going to be at least another 8 days until I send out my last disc. But I am looking forward to it now. Oddly...

It's oddly fascinating watching you build your collection from scratch. I'm doing kind of the same with the Blu-Rays. I've always wanted a Disney collection, but as a kid, my parents were never ones for buying movies much

My mother was a Disney fan too, it's her fault I got started. She was a big fan of The Parent Trap and Pollyanna. I got to keep the VHS collection though when it became obvious to her that she was never going to be a grandmother (my brother hasn't kept a relationship with a girl going longer than a few months and I'm of course, not in that market).

and by the time I was old enough to start having enough of my own money to be buying movies, we were already far enough into DVDs that some Disney classics had come and gone and were now sky high on Ebay.

Same here pretty much. I just realized however, eBay won't be able to solve all my problems. Try searching for Dumbo, that thing is impossible to find a deal on. There are maybe 4 copies available that aren't foreign. And I'm not paying $25 for a used single-disc edition of any Disney movie. No way, no how, no day, neva. So, Dumbo's going to have to go last on my list.

[Goliath]

Same here pretty much. I just realized however, eBay won't be able to solve all my problems. Try searching for Dumbo, that thing is impossible to find a deal on. [...] So, Dumbo's going to have to go last on my list.

You wouldn't want that old edition of Dumbo anyway. The picture is so bad, it distracts you from the film. Better buy the new edition, which has great picture quality. And because I'm an anti-Blu person who doesn't have a HD-tv, you know I'm not obsessing over these things easily. But that transfer was hideous.

[Disney Duster]

Well Goliath, you're obviously not considering what some princesses *did* as *doing* something.

Believing that if you wish, it will come true, and so you wish, is doing something. And this may cause another laughing reaction in you but will not stop it from being technically true. And it's a good fit for the fairy tale world they live in.

As I have pointed in another thread, Cinderella did chores in order to go to the ball, she worked for her dream, and she failed. Tiana worked to get her restaraunt, and failed. It took some work and some magic to make their dreams come true. And Cinderella wanted to go to the palace, where people were that weren't animals or her unfriendly stepfamily, pretty much a representation of the rest of the world, or at least her whole country, which, admittedly, also had the chance for her to get a much better life if she did so happen to marry that prince.

And Belle read books to fuel her dreams and mind and Ariel tried to get as close to the world she wanted as she could, and, I'm sorry, when she made a deal to be human, didn't that make her, well, part of the human world she also wanted besides the prince? She did what she did to keep that. Jasmine escaped the palace until outnumbered by many people trying to keep her in the palace, and she was kind of crying over someone she knew dying while also still refusing to throw away her freedom of choice as to who to marry, before Ali talked about how he'd show her the world of freedom she wanted.

Now, I actually liked how you compared all the previous princesses that way because it revealed they're more like each other and do about as much as each other than people think, but they're also all great characters.

And isn't it convenient Tiana came from a time when she could do those very things and...wait a minute, I remember you saying somewhere you couldn't believe she was able to do those things in her time... Well, I'll just enjoy how the past Disney heroines stayed a lot more faithful to their source material so that they actually told the stories they were based on. You know, more classical and like Walt did?

But you're right no Prince or funny sidekick made Tiana's dream come true...wait, didn't Prince Naveen and a big alligator force those businessmen to let her have her "independent" restarant? Girl Power indeed! Too bad the past heroines didn't have an alligator to make their current society change for them or get some independent dreams, I guess... It would have been nice for Disney to try to have the women own...whatever they could back in those times, or something independent like that, but faithfullness to the material is a good thing, too. As is the current Disney company to have faithfulness to what the genius Walt Disney, and creator of what the company is, did. Too bad they don't always do that and the box office becomes not like it used to be when they did do that...

[sunhuntin]

goliath, the thing i really love about lilo and stitch is the everyday stuff. like lilo when shes face down and talks in a muffled voice. thats sooo kid-like. shes not made to appear older. so many movie children dont have that. like ponyo... ponyo and sosuke are both meant to be 5, but act/are treated so much older.

the other bit i love about the movies, more so for the first, is the music. i love the opening sequence and song. beautiful.

im quite stoked today... i found a talking, drooling stitch at a thrift shop. cleaned him up and he looks brand new. stitch is easily my favourite modern character, so i buy most things i find of him.

does anyone have a translation of what stitch says at the start of the movie that causes such an uproar?

[Lazario]

Same here pretty much. I just realized however, eBay won't be able to solve all my problems. Try searching for Dumbo, that thing is impossible to find a deal on. [...] So, Dumbo's going to have to go last on my list.

You wouldn't want that old edition of Dumbo anyway. The picture is so bad, it distracts you from the film. Better buy the new edition, which has great picture quality. And because I'm an anti-Blu person who doesn't have a HD-tv, you know I'm not obsessing over these things easily. But that transfer was hideous.

The Big-Top Edition? Same problem. In fact, that version is probably more expensive anyway. The only readily available copies are all used-auction copies. Which, when I finally do get it, is probably going to be where I have to go for it.

Here are the only 2 "Buy-it-Now" copies on eBay:

Used, $24.99, Free Shipping, located in China

Used, $29.99 + $2.99 Shipping

[Goliath]

Well Goliath, you're obviously not considering what some princesses *did* as *doing* something.

Believing that if you wish, it will come true, and so you wish, is doing something.

No, it isn't!

But this is why, at the core, we can never have a reasonable discussion. Because, and I have noticed this in *a lot* of threads (including the infamous Religion-thread), you have this weird, unrealistic view of the world in which magic happens all the time and wishes are always fulfilled. You live in a kind of fantasy-world which blurs your view of reality. Like saying that "wishing for something" is the same as going out in the world, pull up your sleeves and working hard to get something *done*!

As I have pointed in another thread, Cinderella did chores in order to go to the ball, she worked for her dream, and she failed.

No, she let her stepmother and stepdaughters take abuse of her and then burst out crying, and had to rely on her fairy godmother and two mice to make her dreams come true.

Tiana worked to get her restaraunt, and failed.

Yes, in the real world, people can work very hard and still fail. But at least Tiana *did* something.

And Belle read books to fuel her dreams and mind

In other words: doing nothing, just dreaming.

and Ariel tried to get as close to the world she wanted as she could, and, I'm sorry, when she made a deal to be human, didn't that make her, well, part of the human world she also wanted besides the prince? She did what she did to keep that.

She did it because of her prince. That's what Ursula uses as the big argument to convince Ariel to give up her life under the sea. If it wasn't for Eric, she wouldn't have done it. Everything revolves around him, even the conditions of the transformations (the kiss of true love, remember?).

Jasmine escaped the palace until outnumbered by many people trying to keep her in the palace, and she was kind of crying over someone she knew dying while also still refusing to throw away her freedom of choice as to who to marry, before Ali talked about how he'd show her the world of freedom she wanted.

In other words: she needed a man, a prince, to give her life meaning.

And isn't it convenient Tiana came from a time when she could do those very things and...wait a minute, I remember you saying somewhere you couldn't believe she was able to do those things in her time... Well, I'll just enjoy how the past Disney heroines stayed a lot more faithful to their source material so that they actually told the stories they were based on. You know, more classical and like Walt did?

Sure, Tiana came from a much more recent time and place, so it's different with her. But where did I deny that? That doesn't mean the other Disney princesses aren't very passive. Tiana owning her own restaurant was very unlikely in 1920's New Orleans. That's why you see in the film how two white men upon whom the deal depends patronize her and say it's not really anything for a girl "in her position". It takes Louis the alligator to change their minds.

And yeah, like I said... We can't do anything the way Walt did it anymore.

But you're right no Prince or funny sidekick made Tiana's dream come true...wait, didn't Prince Naveen and a big alligator force those businessmen to let her have her "independent" restarant? Girl Power indeed!

I never denied that. You focus on the results, I focus on the *deeds* of the women. Belle, Jasmine and Ariel were lucky they met a man who took care of their problems.

I'm not even going to go into the strawman 'arguments' you used in your conclusion. Your lack of logic tires me.

[Goliath]

goliath, the thing i really love about lilo and stitch is the everyday stuff. like lilo when shes face down and talks in a muffled voice. thats sooo kid-like. shes not made to appear older. so many movie children dont have that.

That's so true, I love that.

The Big-Top Edition? Same problem. In fact, that version is probably more expensive anyway.

That's the edition I meant, which is hideous. But the *new*, 'Special Edition', which is just out now, has a great transfer.

Oh wait, I see where the misunderstanding came from. The 'Special edition' is not out yet in the US. Wait for it, it's worth it.

[Lazario]

Okay. I'll try to wait until next year. Almost 12 months until then, though. So, by then, I'll have to buy 90's movies... Between those and Dumbo, I'll end up getting Dumbo. I just know it - I have zero self-control.

Redundancy with a slight twist: went searching on eBay again and... ordered my 6th Disney DVD. It's used but this seller claims it's in excellent condition. They've sold to over a hundred buyers, and they have a 100% feedback rating. Nothing else to say.

And #6 is... : (26 to go!)