By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
The Next Great Clutter-Buster Blu-Ray
As the Blu-rays have rolled, like DVD, they have become more and more standard. They almost always look better than DVD. Some films are better cared for in the transfer than others (usually because of money). And the pleasure of a package like the Miramax set of Kung Fu flicks (Hero, Zatoichi, Iron Monkey, and The Legend of Drunken Master) is undeniable, even if you would expect more visual punch from a Blu-ray of Hero.
Then there are the Blu-rays that land on the doorstep and are immediately saran-wrapped and unsticky-stripped and you can’t wait for the Blu-ray to warm up to see what it’s going to look like.
It’s been a little while since I have gotten one of those. It’s not that I don’t watch a lot of great films in Blu or that they don’t look great… it’s just that some films have that, “Ohmigod… what’s it going to look like” thing about them. The Kubricks… the first Criterion Collection Blu-ray… The Godfather… The Dark Knight…
And now, the third Disney classic on Blu, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.
The film joins Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio on the Blu shelf. And all three are a true joy.
I love 3D animation… so much of the work has been great. But this, the mother of them all, is a stunningly sophisticated piece of art. It’s not the same density of image that we have become used to, but the facial details on the dwarfs or the eerie use of German expressionism in the magic mirror or the simplicity of the animals helping Snow clean up… something we have now seen a thousand times… but with so many of the same things expressed that now require a snappy piece of dialogue and a character voice from Gilbert Gottfried.
And the colors… has anyone, including Disney, ever been as daring about the use of color as in these early films? In a way, the big colors of Scooby Doo seem to pay this work some homage. But even those are muted compared to Disney.
I’ve written before about how watching these films is like watching a different form of the craft, like seeing a Rauchenberg, a Picasso, and a Rembrandt on the same wall and being told they were the same kind of art. But my, how beautiful this work is.
Not many films can make you stop your day to watch and keep your attention to every detail all the way through. And the preview of Dumbo, due early next year, looks no less thrilling.
Funny, but I have yet to make the transit to Blu-Ray. One day, soon maybe, but not yet. But when I do, I know that I will be purchasing the old Disney first. Is this a nostalgia thing? Maybe (I do love the occasional slip in fluency of the character’s movements), but the images and the colors and the coloring and the plates are a wonder to behold. I have many, many old Disney on VHS and DVD and oddly, thinking about it now, the very first purchases I made in BOTH formats was Pinocchio. Still one of my all time favorite films.
Honestly, if there is a film that would swing me around to Blu-Ray it’s that one.
Heads up for all us mortals who don’t get advance Blu-Rays dropped off at our front doorstep (and I apologize if this sounds like shilling for a particular vendor) but as of this moment, Amazon is offering a $10 discount off the purchase of the Blu-Ray pre-order of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Just input the promotional code “snowhite” (only one W) at checkout. This brings it down to under $18! And David is right, the “Sleeping Beauty” and “Pinocchio” Blu-Rays are magnificent.
And the pleasure of a package like the Miramax set of Kung Fu flicks (Hero, Zatoichi, Iron Monkey, and The Legend of Drunken Master) is undeniable
I’ll deny it — $75 for near-bare-bones editions of four films isn’t very pleasurable IMO, especially when one of the four doesn’t even have the option of the original dialogue and two of them are only in their cut, Harvey-approved versions (three if you count Hero, but Zhang never did his director’s cut of that one). The “new” Miramax doesn’t seem very interested in foreign pickups, but they’ve still got a bunch of older ones in their library and I worry about the rest of them. At least they let Criterion have Chungking Express.
David, does the Blu-Ray have all the extras — interviews, docs, etc. — that were on the “Platinum Edition” DVD? Or do I have to keep both versions?
Joe – The Blu-ray says “Platinum Edition” and has a load of extras, including interviews, docs, a look at the old storyboards for a Snow White sequel, etc. I’m not sure how they match the DVD.
Bob- Fair enough.
Not to mention Harvey bought up huge chunks of the Golden Harvest and Golden Princess libraries, forced Tai Seng to withdraw their editions, and then buried them. What I wouldn’t give for a decent copy of PROJECT A!
There’s a perfectly good Hong Kong DVD.
i had to practically bludgeon the boy over the head and tie him up to force him to watch ‘pinocchio’ with me, but i’m glad i did because he was really taken by the stunningly beautiful artwork (he’s artsy-fartsy like his mum) and he even enjoyed the very dark and bizarre and sweet story once he got into it
Bob V: With English subs?
Yes, with English subs. It’s in a box set with part II. The number of HK DVDs with no English subs can probably be counted on two hands (excluding TV series).
I should add, in Miramax’s defense, that they licensed a bunch of those Golden Harvest/Cinema City productions to Brentwood’s BCI Eclipse label — but then Brentwood shut the entire label down. With the unreleased stuff I think it’s more a matter of finding willing licensors, I’m actually more worried about the stuff Miramax previously released.
Cool, thanks.