Releases For 5/6 (Operation Pan & Scan Continues!)

[Jake Lipson]

Here they are, and it's going to be an interesting week with a bunch of Movie Showcase mid-90's catalog fare, hence the thread title. Well, here we go....

• Operation Dumbo Drop (P&S-only)
  That Darn Cat (1997) (P&S-only)
  Tom & Huck (P&S-only)
  Perfect Game (direct to video, 1.33:1 OAR, not Disney)
  Toothless (Wonderful World of Disney, 1.33:1 OAR)
  Summer of the Monkeys (direct to video, P&S-only)*

*Summer of the Monkeys (based on the book by Wilson Rawls, author of Where the Red Fern Grows), was originally released direct to video on VHS in December 1998. However, to my understanding it was screened at a film festival or two and was created for the widescreen 1.85:1 ratio. However, it was obviously 1.33 on VHS and intended by Disney for the home video market, so weather or not it is presented correctly on the DVD release is up for debate, but I think it's P&S, personally.

And remember guys that the following week (5/13) Buena Vista is not releasing any discs under the Disney label. (The two that have been previously announced - those being <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i> SE and direct to video cheapquel <i>Atlantis: Milo's Return</i>) have been delayed to 5/20 to match <i>The Love Bug</i> SE and <i>The Rescuers</i>. So you won't see a 5/13 releases thread here until 5/13 falls on a Tuesday again and Disney decides to release something then. Got it? Good.

Okay, now, what am I picking up this week?? Summer of the Monkeys is one of the few movies I always said I have to have on disc and I'll be picking it up despite its incorrect aspect ratio if I have the money (DreamWorks' Catch Me If You Can special edition is also due this week and takes priority over a barebones catalog disc), although I'd like to see a correctlyframed 1.85 version in the future. I'd also like to get Toothless eventually. But, as I said, those two are if-I-have-money since Catch Me is a better movie and a better DVD. I'd also likely have picked up Tom & Huck if it was in its correct Cinemascope 2.35:1 aspect ratio (even if it was a non-anamorphic laserdisc transfer), but alas, nope. Since it's not a must- have like Summer of the Monkeys, Disney can forget about my wad of green dough on that one.

[MickeyMouseboy]

cool i have catch me if you can dvd at home, i might watch it tonight is a 2 disc

[Luke]

At least That Darn Cat and Operation Dumbo Drop are 16:9 widescreen in Europe. Nothing for my Tom and Huck, yet, though.

[MickeyMouseboy]

i watched country bears the other day! lol it wasnt that bad

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

On your pan-and-scan list,That Darn Cat is actually non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen,not pan-and-scan(like it said on the box.)

G'Day!

[Jake Lipson]

I know that, but when this thread was created at the end of April, no one knew that, so thus it got marked as P&S only.

[Luke]

I wonder if Operation Pan & Scan (great name, btw) will continue with the live-action releases that come next year. The older ones given "Special Edition" treatment are safe, and the Absent-Minded Professor re-release is a positive sign. So is the fact that no new theatrical live-action film has been P&S-only since last December's Country Bears release...just the catalogue ones. Then again, they've already butchered so many catalogue films from the late '80s and '90s, who knows if they'll stop? The majority is already released and butchered - International widescreen DVDs seem more likely than widescreen US re-releases.

[Porce]

I just hope Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are released in widescreen. Disney is so stupid - they actually put effort into the DVD features and then butcher the movie. I don't get it.

[Luke]

I just hope Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are released in widescreen. Disney is so stupid - they actually put effort into the DVD features and then butcher the movie. I don't get it.

Muppet Treasure Island is widescreen in R2. A little bit of the movie is cut for ratings reasons, though. Of course, it does you little good unless you've got a multi-region player (or a DVD-ROM drive).