BVHE Press Release: Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 Special Edition (Blu-Ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Releasing for the First Time in Over a Decade
To Astound the Eyes and Ears of a New Generation!
Highly-Anticipated Hi-Def Debut of Disney’s Acclaimed Masterwork and the Modern Magnum Opus it Inspired



[SIZE= 20pt]Fantasia & Fantasia 2000:
2-Movie Collection Special Edition [/SIZE]
On 4-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD
November 30, 2010

[SIZE= 10pt]BURBANK, Calif., September 2010 — Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 -- the magical, animated musical masterpiece and the contemporary classic inspired by it -- debut in highly anticipated Blu-ray High Definition and DVD 2-Movie Collection Special Editions on November 30. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is opening the Disney vault to be able to present these two films that broke the boundaries of imagination in the highest quality possible.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will be available in a 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack ($45.99 SRP) and a 2-Disc DVD ($39.99 SRP) for a very limited time only. The Blu-ray transformation of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will reveal the magic, music and majesty of both films as never before experienced, with state-of-the-art picture restoration of the original Fantasia and pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound. The Blu-ray combo pack is a tremendous value featuring, in addition to the two films in two different formats, a wealth of bonus features.

Among those Blu-ray special features is the highly requested Academy Award® nominated short Destino. Available for the first time ever on Blu-ray, the seven minute film is the result of a unique collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali begun in 1946, but put on hold due to studio financial concerns. In 2003, Roy E. Disney worked with a team of modern day animators to complete the film as a tribute to Walt’s pioneering artistic vision. Accompanying the highly anticipated short is an all-new feature length documentary entitled “Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino,” which explores the origins of the relationship between Disney and Dali, their collaboration on Destino, and ultimately how the film came to fruition so many years after its inception.

Fantasia, an unprecedented and magnificent feast of music and animated images, was initially released by the Studio in 1940 as a “road show” release. The following year, at the 14th Annual Academy Awards, Fantasia earned two Special Awards. The first was given to Walt Disney and associates for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures, being the first commercial film released in multi-channel sound using a process called Fantasound, and the second to conductor Leopold Stokowski and his associates “for…unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music…thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form.”

Considered avant-garde during its time, Fantasia has gone on to become one of the most popular movies of all time and today is considered a classic. In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Stokowski, this groundbreaking film, which consists of animation set to eight musical pieces, is narrated by Deems Taylor and includes an appearance by Mickey Mouse (voiced by Disney himself).

Equally impressive is Fantasia 2000, the awe-inspiring extravaganza of sight and sound, executive produced by the late Roy E. Disney. Featuring an array of celebrity hosts including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman and Quincy Jones, the film, like its predecessor, expertly visualizes classical music compositions with various forms of animation and live-action introductions. Fantasia 2000 is primarily performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by James Levine.

Synopsis: The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience. Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.

Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off. There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons, a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt]Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt]o With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
o Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.


Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt]Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.[/SIZE]
• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Disney’s Virtual Vault -- BD-Live Feature[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt]o Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection[/SIZE]

• 
  [SIZE= 10pt]Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt]o With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
o Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Combo Packs (Blu-ray + DVD in a single package): To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – Blu-ray Disc(s) plus a DVD in a single package. Classic Disney titles released as Combo Packs include Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $45.99 SRP and the 2-Disc DVD set is priced at $39.99 SRP.


STREET DATE: November 30, 2010
Direct prebook: October 5, 2010
Distributor prebook: October 19, 2010
Pricing: 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $45.99 SRP
2-Disc DVD: $39.99 SRP
Feature run time: 125 min – Fantasia; 75 min – Fantasia 2000
Rated:G
FastPlayTM: FastPlay enabled
Technical specifications may only apply to feature.

Blu-ray Discs
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 - 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
DVDs:
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 -1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com
[/SIZE]

 

[Charlie O.]

I really hope that Fantasia will truly be uncut this time around but is this forcing of the DVD  with the blurays is starting to become annoying to anyone else? To me its just a waste of space on the shelve and I hardly doubts its coming free of any extra cost.

 

[Charles Smith]

Yes!

 

It's still cut, and Deems Taylor's voice is gone.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Guys, there's no chance Disney EVER releases Fantasia with the stereotypical black centaurs again. Walt had them removed, and removed they will stay.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

Guys, there's no chance Disney EVER releases Fantasia with the stereotypical black centaurs again. Walt had them removed, and removed they will stay.

Well, of course I despise this kind of retro-editing, but what's really painful is that it's done so crudely with frames cropped and then blown up to inch the offending characters out of the visible frame. It leaves the whole sequence looking weird and disjointed. If I get to review it later this year, I'll have more to say on the subject then.

 

[Richard--W]

When did this censoring occur?

I thought it was recently, but if Walt Disney did it himself, it would be before 1967, right?

Has the original version ever been released to home video?

 

 

 

[Patrick McCart]

Is the edited section still cropped and zoomed or did they at least put some effort into it by re-painting the character? I can't imagine how the zooms will hold up in 1080p, considering they look atrocious on DVD.

 

Is there at least a possibility they'll include the original narration and uncut section as a branching option? It just seems hypocritical that Disney will release all the fairly offensive B&W cartoons on DVD without cuts.

 

[JoHud]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

When did this censoring occur?

I thought it was recently, but if Walt Disney did it himself, it would be before 1967, right?

Has the original version ever been released to home video?

 

 

 

The black centaurs were first censored during the 1969 rerelease. Whether Walt was actually involved in the censoring is debatable and there does not seem to be conclusive answers

 

What I find more disappointing is the complete removal of the surviving Deems Taylor intros. Its pretty lame that they can't at least be viewed in the extra features.
 

 

[Charlie O.]

Here's the uncensored footage if anyone wants to know what they are missing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_playlists&uni=1&search_query=Fantasia+Censored

 

[Brian Borst]

Originally Posted by JoHud



 

The black centaurs were first censored during the 1969 rerelease. Whether Walt was actually involved in the censoring is debatable and there does not seem to be conclusive answers

 

What I find more disappointing is the complete removal of the surviving Deems Taylor intros. Its pretty lame that they can't at least be viewed in the extra features.
 

 

I agree. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone who can do a Deems Taylor impersonation, so we'd still have the rest of his dialog? Concerning the black centaur, I'd wish that they would just leave it intact for the animation fans, and let the regular people choose what they want. Either the censored version, or the uncensored. It's a shame that Disney couldn't even give us that.
 

 

[Sumnernor]

Here is a link done by Duck Dodgers of GAC of most of the scene til the storm:

 

http://classiccartoons.blogspot.com/2008/07/return-of-sunflower.html

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by Brian Borst



 

I agree. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone who can do a Deems Taylor impersonation, so we'd still have the rest of his dialog? Concerning the black centaur, I'd wish that they would just leave it intact for the animation fans, and let the regular people choose what they want. Either the censored version, or the uncensored. It's a shame that Disney couldn't even give us that.
 

Back in 2000, they already got Corey Burton to redub his dialogue because the gaps in what existed and what didn't were so huge.

 

Why is it so hard for this studio to at least try to present the film as closely as possible to how it was at the premiere?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The branching capabilities of BD should have been exploited so that we could see either the 115 minute version with Deems Taylor's actual voice or the Corey Burton re-dubbed 125 minute version. It ain't rocket science, after all.

 

Regards,

 

[dana martin]

agreed, but has disney used branching on any of there releases, you get what you get, and i do agree in a perfect world they could release it, get it over with and attone for what was done in the past, but really lots of people would find the wrong thing in the context of the art verses the time, same reason WB has avoided some very notable missing toons, or not given Tom & Jerry a complete proper release. i have no problem with what is right, what is just, but to stick ones head in the sand and act as nothing like this ever happened in the companys existance only makes it worse than it really is. Same kind of bastards would want to put pants on the statue of David.

 

Too bad the Treasures line isn't continuing or better yet on Blu-Ray at this time. Disney could release a limited edition in the tins that has the uncensored version on it.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Digital Bits mentions that they're at least using more "seamless" editing this time. It'll be interesting if they just opt to digitally re-touch "Sunflower" instead of airbrushing the character out entirely. Still, they had the chance to release a definitive home presentation of Fantasia and they blew it.

 

[Brian Borst]

Originally Posted by Patrick McCart

The Digital Bits mentions that they're at least using more "seamless" editing this time. It'll be interesting if they just opt to digitally re-touch "Sunflower" instead of airbrushing the character out entirely. Still, they had the chance to release a definitive home presentation of Fantasia and they blew it.

According to someone at UltimateDisney, Sunflower is deleted the same way as on the 2000 DVD. It's only less obtrusive because of the grain removal that's been performed.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I really need to know. Would all hell break loose if Disney released Fantasia

unedited? Would the company be forever marred if they finally decided to

release Song of the South?
 

I just don't understand this and I'm certain so many of you don't either.

 

Instead of turning our back on a controversial period of our history why

not present these films as they are, with an introduction by a film historian

to put things in proper context. There's a real opportunity here to teach our

children how far we have come out of Hollywood racism.

 

I know all of this is old hat, but it greatly saddens me that Disney doesn't

stand up for its own history and decides to instead censor it and make
certain the public never sees these films (despite the fact they are allowing

the bootleggers to make a lot of money).

 

If they did the right thing and released an unedited Fantasia or Song of

the South would there be a negative reaction by the media? Well, perhaps

a small part of the media. And that reaction would be short-lived once the

studio stood firm ground on its reasons for release. Within a short period

of time life would go on as it always does.

 

Enough already.

 

[Charlie O.]

Would kids today even care about Fantasia? This seems more like a item for collectors than for family viewing.