|
|
Sleeping Beauty (Fully Restored Limited Edition) (Walt Disney's Masterpiece) 
Actors : Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy
Director : Clyde Geronimi
Studio : Walt Disney Home Video
by Walt Disney Home Video
Release Date : 1997-09-16
Publisher : Walt Disney Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9786304401132
UPC : 786936023862
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 238 reviews)
List Price : $26.99
Our Price : $5.99
|
|
| |
|
Marketadvisory.com |
|
Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke |
| |
|
| |
|
Detailed Remastering Extras Awaken Disney's Stunning "Sleeping Beauty" |
Walt Disney's 1958 "Sleeping Beauty" marked the end of the studio's first golden era and, by extension, an era in American filmmaking. Watching this 50th anniversary edition (the most lovingly compiled among these 2DVD resissue series sets), you sense everyone involved - Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men," animators, Walt himself, even the characters on screen - knew it.
For years Disney called his TV show, "The Wonderful World of Color," but in "Sleeping Beauty" he told an admittedly thin story (adapting an opulent Tchaikovsky soundtrack)almost through vividness alone. Sets overflow with near 3D level detail and depth, swirling scene to scene and rewarding the eye when stopping a frame. Green dominates: Princess Aurora's ponders and meets her future in the pastoral forest singing "I Wonder," dark pea-moss clouds surround and shadow villanous Maleficient's castle (joining royal purple in her angry frustration) or green flames where Aurora's betrothed Prince Philip defeats her in the film's climax.
Eyvind Earle's justifiably praised art background (feted in a DVD bonus) rests behind loveable ancillary characters. Three fussy good fairies (distinctive to the film's betterment by "Old Men" Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas,over Disney's objection), sweet forest animals always in Disney's repertory, a jolly king and tipsy troubadour jester divert and move the plot, pumping humor and life into a film little about plot to start with.
"Sleeping Beauty" was about allowing Disney's audiences one last unabashedly romantic, unironic visit to 14th century fantasyland, to the sword of truth and shield of virtue where (as Maleficient mocks),"True love does conquer all" and good fairy Fauna cries, "I just love happy endings." Almost every animated feature to follow, starting with Disney's 1961's "101 Dalmations," gave a sly wink or modern in-joke reference, stretching right to Princess Fiona's parody of forest scene in Dreamworks' 2000 postmodern masterpiece, "Shrek."
"Sleeping Beauty"'s bonus features acknowledge its cross-generational appeal. Three exceptional documentaries address its making (one covers the lengthy, excruciating "Sequence 8" alone). You get an instructive if overdramatic vintage "Disneyland" Tchaikovsky bio, featuring Walt Disney's explaining of "Sleeping Beauty"'s Technirama 70mm filming style and demonstrating stereophonic sound and widescreen picture. You get an intriguing if conventional alternative opening, deleted songs and storyboards.
You also get children's word and dance games and Emily Osment's gawky teen-pop version of Sammy Fain's "Once Upon A Dream." But the most notable extra is the film's digital remastering and soundtrack. It takes advantage of Blu-Ray and other home theater technology in ways even visionary Walt could not have imagined previewing the film for his TV audience. (To illustrate, compare this print with the bonus trailers from the film's re-releases). "Sleeping Beauty" stands as one of Disney's most important achievements artistically and historically, and this 50th anniversary set is the most complete and essential way to own it.
|
| |
|
An unforgettable story becomes even harder to forget |
The Sleeping Beauty story never gets old, no matter how old you are or how long ago you saw it. But this Platinum Edition brings out the best in the story with a great-looking digitally restored picture, making it now even harder to forget with colors that jump at you. If you can watch the movie on a widescreen TV you will enjoy it at its fullest as it was the first one that Disney did on 70 mm film.
Alongside the unforgettable tale, there are lots of extra material packing the two discs, such as children games, a great documentary on the making of the movie and even a short on the life of Tchaikovsky (whose music is featured on the film) that make this package a must have for Disney fans. |
| |
|
Reconsidering Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" as a restored classic |
I have been trying to remember the first time I saw Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty," and I cannot remember if I ever saw it in a theater, caught it on television some time, or never sat down to watch it until it came out on videotape. What I did remember is not being particularly impressed by the movie. Certainly I did not consider it to be a classic Disney animated film like "Bambi" or "Cinderella," which is a way of saying that it was not on my "must have" list of Disney movies. Then I watched this 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition of "Sleeping Beauty" and all I can say is that however I saw this film for the first time it was NOT in this expanded version that has restored the original Super Technirama 70 dimensions of the film. I would have remembered a film that had art this gorgeous, even when it is this stylized and even when the music is classical high brow stuff. In the final analysis, "Sleeping Beauty" is clearly like no other Disney animated film, and that is a good thing.
Disc 1 includes "Grand Canyon," a contemporaneous Disney feature (1958) that combines photography of the national park with Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite," and it would be the classical music that is the common denominator to the main feature. Disc 2 has Games & Activities over in the Cottage, while the Castle is devoted to the Backstage Disney special features. The games are pretty much geared for younger children (e.g., see "mop" and click on the item the word represents), so most of the goodies on the second disc are for the adults. There is a new documentary on "The Making of 'Sleeping Beauty,'" which combines archival footage with contemporary interviews. The "Never-Before-Seen Alternate Opening" and "Deleted Songs" are not animated but storyboard drawings accompanying the original, more traditional Disney-like, songs that were written for the film before Walt decided to go primarily with a score based on Tchaikovsky's ballet version of the fairy tale.
If you have picked up any of these platinum editions, then you should be well versed in the sort of extras you can expect here in terms of storyboards, artwork, live-action reference footing, music video by some teenage singer, etc. The other one that stands out here is the fully immersive virtual tour of the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, a Disneyland attraction that actually existed before the part opened and years before the movie was released.
Besides reminding us again that Walt Disney was a true visionary, the special features highlight the pivotal role of Eyvind Earle, the film's production designer. It was Earle who was given an amazing amount of freedom by Walt to design the settings and to paint most of the film's elaborate background paintings (which usually took a week to do, rather than a single day like in most animated films). The interviews with surviving members of the studio make it clear that Earle did not play well with others, but he was fully committed to creating a unique animated film and now that we can see the expanded version, there is no denying that is exactly what they accomplished. Consequently, I am confident I can remember in the future that "Sleeping Beauty" is a beautifully stylized animated film that is a unique jewel in the Disney crown. |
| |
|
Once Upon A Dream |
|
The story of Sleeping Beauty is a timeless classic. And the Disney version is my favorite overall. The demure Aurora is sweet, kind, and innocent and has a simple and understated beauty to her. Her song "Once Upon A Dream" is one of the most beautiful songs in the Disney songbook. The colors used in the film are stunning. And, last but never least, the villain Maleficent is one of the most evil Disney villains ever created with the blackest of hearts. I root for her every time I watch the movie. Who doesn't love someone who gets all mad and exacts revenge just because she's not invited to a party?! Talk about holding a grudge... She truly is the Mistress of All Evil. |
| |
|
A timeless classic |
It has been over two decades since I last saw Disney's animated film SLEEPING BEAUTY. I was just a small child in elementary school when I first saw the film. Once again, Disney digs deep into their vault and re-releases the classic animated film as part of their platinum edition series. The two dvd set includes the remastered version of the film and a slew of bonus features that the family is sure to enjoy.
The story of Aurora, princess to King Stefan, she is a welcomed into the kingdom with a lavished celebration. The infant is greeted by King Hubert and his son Prince Philip, whom Aurora is betrothed to marry later in life. Then Aurora is paid a visit by the three good fairies Fauna, Merryweather, and Flora. Flora and Fauna are able to bless the child with the gift of beauty and song but before Merryweather could bless the child, the evil witch Maleficent drops in unexpectedly. Displeased that her presence was not wanted at the celebration, Maleficent curses the child that she will die at the age of 16 with a single prick to her finger by a spindle. Thankfully Merryweather weakens the curse to simply a deep sleep. Reluctantly, King Steffan allows the three good fairies to take Aurora out of the kingdom until she is the age of 16, to protect Auroa from Maleficent's curse.
As mere mortals, the three fairies raises Aurora as Briar Rose in the forest without raising a suspicion. In the meantime, Maleficent has her army (who are totally incompetent for comedic value) out searching for Aurora for 16 years. When she realizes her army's mistake of looking for a baby for 16 years, Maleficent sends out her pet raven Diablo to search for Aurora. With the assistance of the fairies, Prince Philip goes to rescue the princess who had fallen under the evil witch's spell.
Everything you expect in a Disney animated film is there, song, comedy, drama, and a anti-climatic ending is here in the lavished remastered film. This was the first time I have seen SLEEPING BEAUTY since I was a child. I almost forgotten how good this film is. The colors in this new version is vibrant. The music is beautiful. The music in today's Disney animated films lacks the beauty and elegence of the classic Disney films like the orchestral score for SLEEPING BEAUTY. Once again Disney does a wonderful job at remastering and re-packaging SLEEPING BEAUTY. |
| |
|
