Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 (Special Edition Combo Pack) (1 Viewer)

[Charles Smith]

Bullshit is right. This is mindboggling and infuriating. Can a studio show more arrogance? What I'd really like is to have a way to buy this thing (since I can't not get the two "Fantasias" and "Destino" in high def) ... under protest.

 

[cafink]

Craig's thoughts mirror my own 100%. It's nice that (censorship aside) the audio & video presentation is so nice, but after such a wonderful DVD release, what a shame to take such a huge step backwards for Blu-ray. Very disappointing.

 

[Craig Beam]

While my disappointment with the blu-ray release remains profound.... I just finished watching Destino and the Dali/Disney documentary, and they are utterly brilliant. I'm a huge Dali fan (I have 3 Dali prints hanging in my den, and a fourth collecting dust in my garage), so this is something akin to an early Christmas gift. Honestly, one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I would have preferred that the Destino material get released on its own (which I believe was the original plan) or, at the very least, get its own disc in the set.... which would have freed up room for the vault material. In any case, between the two Fantasias and Destino, there's a staggering amount of wonderful material. It's shocking that Disney made such poor decisions with this release.

It is what it is, sadly, unless Disney relents and offers a physical disc of the vault material. Again, I'll be tracking down a copy of the Anthology DVD set to supplement the blu-ray, so I'm covered either way.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Craig Beam
The "Virtual Vault" is absolute bullshit. It's cumbersome and clunky (really, I have to place items into a queue? It's a buffet now?). I don't want to stream bonus content (very valuable content at that) in a little window on my screen. I want full screen; more to the point, I want a physical disc. And maybe this a player-related issue, but on my Samsung BD-C6500, the streamed content is AUDIO ONLY. That's right, no picture. I haven't tried it yet on my PS3, so maybe there's hope.

I reviewed the set on a PS3, and the Virtual Vault did stream both video and audio (though on a couple of pieces, the featurette paused to buffer, really infuriating). Like you, I would greatly have preferred a disc of the bonus material. And this also isn't the first time Disney has used that small view window with standard definition bonus material. I'd prefer that in regular 4:3 dimensions as well.

 

[Charles Smith]

How small is this window? And why??

 

[dana martin]

Originally Posted by Craig Beam
The "Virtual Vault" is absolute bullshit. It's cumbersome and clunky (really, I have to place items into a queue? It's a buffet now?). I don't want to stream bonus content (very valuable content at that) in a little window on my screen. I want full screen; more to the point, I want a physical disc. And maybe this a player-related issue, but on my Samsung BD-C6500, the streamed content is AUDIO ONLY. That's right, no picture. I haven't tried it yet on my PS3, so maybe there's hope.

I sold my brilliant Fantasia Anthology DVD set last year on the presumption that Disney would only set the bar higher on blu-ray. Don't get me wrong, the blu-ray picture and sound are breathtaking... but Christ, as an overall package, this release pales next to the DVD set. What a disappointing step backwards. Looks like I'll be buying the DVD set again... which god damn it, I shouldn't have to do.

to be honest, the presentation of Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 both look beautiful, now on to the bad, i did the exact same thing and i am dreading that mistake right now big time,

 

[Charles Smith]

If I'd already gotten rid of mine, I, too, would be re-buying it now. Also, I'm delighted that its "old fashioned" cover design is so handsome. None of this light blue pastels redesign crap (which most every studio is guilty of nowadays). It sits on a shelf, face out, lending dignity to that part of the collection.

 

[MatthewA]

This is why I never sell old DVDs until AFTER a better version comes out.

And this is why I will never sell the Fantasia Anthology DVD set.

 

[Craig Beam]

Update: the Virtual Vault content worked fine on my PS3.... but who cares? I'm not going to watch anything in that tiny window. I can stream high-definition content from Netflix, so I know it's technically possible to offer full-screen content. Why, Disney, why???

I'm hoping that the blu-ray (and DVD-only release) will drive the price of the Anthology set down over the next few weeks.

 

[Brian Kidd]

The Virtual Vault section is useless. I'm so glad I kept my DVDs. There is no reason this material couldn't have been included on the disc in 480p. None whatsoever.

As for the film itself? I was stunned by the picture and sound quality. I expected the picture to look great, based on Disney's previous BD releases of its classic films. My only nitpick is that it seems almost too clean. Almost like they removed the actual grain entirely and then added back some artificial grain so that purists wouldn't complain. I'm sure that's not the case, but that's just the how it looks to me. It still looks far nicer than I have ever seen it before.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sound. I have never heard a recording made in the late 1930s sound so clear. It is glorious. Several times I found myself closing my eyes and being swept away by the music.

Having FANTASIA in HD for under $30 completely justifies the purchase. I just wish Disney had seen fit to at least keep the wonderful supplements that were created for the DVD box set. It's a far better and more important film than many of Disney's films that have had fairly stuffed releases.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Having FANTASIA in HD for under $30 completely justifies the purchase.

I got mine for less than $12(!) by taking advantage of the Target combo offer (with Sorcerer's Apprentice--a blind buy for me) and the two $10 coupons from Disney Movie Rewards. An amazing deal, really.

 

[Brian Kidd]

I got mine for less than $12(!) by taking advantage of the Target combo offer (with Sorcerer's Apprentice--a blind buy for me) and the two $10 coupons from Disney Movie Rewards. An amazing deal, really.

Wow! You did get a good deal. I was pleasantly-surprised by SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. It's a solid Family Adventure. The effects are good and Cage is charming and funny.

 

[dana martin]

have the day off, and this is playing right now, just beautiful, and the statement about the sound from a title this old is true, just steller, for what it is, a marriage of images and music, this will never be surpassed, the only filmmaker ever to come close, at right classic music and visuals was Kubrick

 

[Charles Smith]

That is indeed a good deal, but I have no interest in Sorcerer's Apprentice and I wasn't going to be anywhere near a Target, so I settled for paying $20 for it at Best Buy -- where it's temporarily priced at $30, less the $10 Disney coupon. I thought of checking on Costco's price, but I haven't tried using a Disney coupon there yet and didn't want to further battle the horizontal rain we're enjoying today.

 

[ajabrams]

I don't think Costco accepts coupons (other than their own.)

 

[Richard--W]

Still another day gone by and no Blu-ray from the Disney Movie Club.

I should have bought it at CostCo or amazon for less.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I'll get this, but I'm glad I still have my Fantasia Anthology set.

 

[Richard--W]

It always perturbed me that there is no opening title on the original DVD of FANTASIA. I am no longer certain if the theatrical release had an opening title, but I think it did. I saw it a number of times, I should remember. Does the Blu-ray have an opening title or end credits?

 

The original 1940 release didn't have an opening title. The title card was shown during the intermission (as on the 2000 dvd release.) The 1990 re-release contained an opening title as well as end credits, taken from intermission footage. In 1940, audience members were given programs with the credits in them.

 

[Richard--W]

Thanks for clearing that up, I appreciate it.
It must have been the 1990 re-release containing an Opening Title and End Credits, taken from intermission footage, that confused me.
Does the Blu-ray contain the original intermission with the title?
or some kind of title and credit option?
My copy should be here yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but I want to know now.