2004 Q1 Releases for R4 (Australia): Fish,Treasures,Lions

[Loomis]

DVD Bits reports the following will be coming out Q1 2004 in Australia:

Having just got off the phone to Buena Vista, I can confirm a few issues regarding upcoming titles... (I'vge highlighted bits that may be of interest).

Finding Nemo

Currently set down for release on January 19th 2004, the 2 disc Finding Nemo will eschew the Pan and Scan transfer from the upcoming Region 1 release, instead giving us a DTS soundtrack instead, ala Monsters Inc.

Walt Disney Treasures

Set down for February 2004 is 2 volumes from the first wave of the Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies and Mickey Mouse In Living Colour. You may recall that they were released in Region 1 in 2001 which are now OOP and command big $$$ on Ebay. Each set features 2 discs and identical features to the Region 1 release. The other two releases from the first wave Disneyland USA and Davy Crockett: The Complete Televised Series should follow afterwards, though this could not be confirmed, as neither could following releases, though it does seem likely.

The Lion King: Special Edition

Still disappointingly being released 6 months after the Region 1 release, the March 2004 release of the 2 disc Lion King: Special Edition will feature a DTS soundtrack that the Region 1 does not, slightly making amends for the extended wait.

So hope this is of interest to someone beyond me.
I have a multi-region, so I have or will be getting these all 3-6 months ahead of the rest of Australia.
Lucky me, BUT I think this is very poor form on Disney's part. 2 month delay for Nemo? 6 months for the Lion King? 3 years for the Treasures?
Maybe Disney Australia have their hands tied by Big Brother, but so much for encouraging buying locally....

[Loomis]

The brilliant people over at the brilliant DVDBits have reported theat Nemo will come out here on January 16, 2004. (The reporter who posted that is particularly brilliant).

It is currently up for pre-order at EzyDVD.

Strangely, no word yet on other January releases, which we normally have at this stage...

[michelle]

January for Finding Nemo! meh! what a lag ...
not suprising i suppose, seeing that Finding Nemo is still showing in a lot of cinemas...

please tell me that besides the pan and scan (which i will not miss) ... that nothing else has been cut off for the R4 dvd...

i got the region 1 lion king dvd ... simply because i have this obssessive compulsive disorder which forces me to have all my platinums looking the same in their little box and all! (damn! what happened to snow white?)

as for the treasures ... i was too slow (and too poor) to get them on amazon before they ran out faster than i could say credit card ... so yay! tins? (*repeats* 'what tins? there are no tins') bah! stuff it ...

any news on Frank and Ollie?

thanks for the update Loomis! I appreciate ya!

oOo ... and there was this big cardboard cut-out mabob-y thing of brother bear at fox studios

[Loomis]

any news on Frank and Ollie?

thanks for the update Loomis! I appreciate ya!

oOo ... and there was this big cardboard cut-out mabob-y thing of brother bear at fox studios

No news as yet on F & O here, Michelle. Mine shipped from the US yesterday though!!! Very exciting...

Nemo. To my knowledge, we will get everything the US except P & S, but we get DTS to make up for it (I believe the UK is the same).

As for the big cut-out doo-bah-y thing at Fox, I saw that too, but couldn't find the appropriate forum to put it in. (There is one in the George St Hoyts big wacky complex thing too). Is it just me, or do the inclusion of the wooly mammoths make it look a little 'Ice Age'?
Anyways, I don't think it comes out until Boxing Day (like everything else), when I will be busy watching Return of the King (La Premiere of course).

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

I wish we got DTS.

[Loomis]

And to add more to this thread...
The Lion King has been announced for Australia on 25 February 2004.

EzyDVD already has it up for preorder.
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/225233

Thanks again to the good folk at DVDBits (they are all brilliant).

[Tony]

That is good news re The Lion King.... I have however noticed that Ezydvd are still showing "Make Mine Music" release date as 19 Nov. I wonder if they know something we don't or if they have just been lax in removing ?? They seem to be "on the ball" with other things, so it just makes me wonder.

[Loomis]

Re: Make Mine Music
Yeah, a few of the retail places still have it up for order.
I've since cancelled mine, for various reasons, but I guess we'll know next week or whenever it is.

Here is the link (before they removed it from the main page) indicating that it would have been uncut too...
http://www.bvhe.com.au/viewtitledetails?TITLE_ID=933

[ThiagoPE]

finding nemo in pan scan! it is simply ridiculous!

and your release of the lion king will just have the english audio track?

[Tony]

Loomis - how do you get into the "view title details" section of the BVHE web site ?... Thanks for sending the link, but I have never seen this info before.

Do you have any comments re the November Disney web site ?... No mention of Three Caballeros, Saludos Amigos, Fun and Fancy Free and Melody Time etc..... pathetic !!

[2099net]

finding nemo in pan scan! it is simply ridiculous!

and your release of the lion king will just have the english audio track?

"eschew the Pan and Scan transfer" actually means "ignore", so the Australian release will actually be widescreen only (much like I expect the UK release to be - given the fact it will have a DTS track and has had re-recorded introductions to the discs classified by the BBFC).

[michelle]

brother bear pitted against lord of the rings? that sounds promising ...

with the wooly mammoths ... do they have a big role? i thought it was moose? (mooses?) ...

there have been people (namely critics) who have ... what's the word ... criticised! brother bear for being unoriginal and too similar to ice age ... but i guess we have to wait to judge for ourselves ...

and damn ... it looks like they slapped that gold collection label on the make mine music dvd ...

[ThiagoPE]

finding nemo in pan scan! it is simply ridiculous!

and your release of the lion king will just have the english audio track?

"eschew the Pan and Scan transfer" actually means "ignore", so the Australian release will actually be widescreen only (much like I expect the UK release to be - given the fact it will have a DTS track and has had re-recorded introductions to the discs classified by the BBFC).

i see.
but the people there likes the pan and scan? here this "ignore" will be very welcome... (we hate pan and scan)

Thiago

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

The wooly mammoths have non-speaking small roles taking Kenai,Koda,Rutt,and Tuke to the Northern Lights.

[Loomis]

Loomis - how do you get into the "view title details" section of the BVHE web site ?... Thanks for sending the link, but I have never seen this info before.

Do you have any comments re the November Disney web site ?... No mention of Three Caballeros, Saludos Amigos, Fun and Fancy Free and Melody Time etc..... pathetic !!

As far as I know, you can just click on the titles to find the details of the DVD/VHS. I don't remember this always being a feature though. I think they are upgrading the site slightly (and myabe that is why they have been slow to update the content?).

The other big news (I just posted this on DVDBits as well) is that Pirates of the Caribbean is coming to Aussie DVD players on March 17. Mark your diaries ye mateys.

Finally, re: the other titles you mention, if you can't get the BVHE links to work for you, here are the direct links:

Three Caballeros
Saludos Amigos
Fun and Fancy Free
Melody Time
Not much in the way of detail though. Nothing as to whether they will be uncut or not (Melody Time hopefully will be, based on the UK release, and you never know with the others...).
Hope this helps some.

[Loomis]

BVHE titles for the New Year (January & Feb):
They have actually updated thier site today!! Yay!

Disney have announced their line-up for the first two months of 2004. Some of the major titles have been announced already, and include The Lion King: SE for the 25th February. Strangely, Finding Nemo is not on the list, although it is up for pre-order from a number of retailers.

The 28th of January will see:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (seemingly a cut down version of the US 2 disc); Belle's Magical World and the Swiss Family Robinson (which contains many, but not all, of the US features).

Go here for the full list (above is just the highlights):
http://www.bvhe.com.au/news