Blu-ray Review Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts, Volume 1 Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

As part of the studio’s 100th anniversary, Disney has released Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts, Volume 1 on Blu-ray.



Steamboat Willie (1928)



Released: 01 Jan 1929
Rated: TV-Y7
Runtime: 8 min




Director: Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney
Genre: Animation, Short, Comedy



Cast: Charlotte Jamquie, Walt Disney
Writer(s): Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks



Plot: Mickey Mouse is a mischievous deckhand on a riverboat that is under the command of the tyrannical Captain Pete.



IMDB rating: 7.5
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Disney
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution: 1080P/AVC



Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English 2.0 DD, Spanish 2.0 DD, French 2.0 DD



Subtitles:...

Continue reading...

 

[plektret]

No film grain
No tape hiss

 

[Rob W]

"That being said, many of the backgrounds do retain some noticeable texture, as if they were drawn on paper rather than painted on animation cels. "

That's because they were hand-painted on paper and not animation cells.

 

[Konstantinos]

I'm curious, why don't you love film grain in animation @Todd Erwin ?
I assume you like it in live action films, don't you?
And since you rated highly this video presentation, you agree with the removal of grain.

 

[Dick]

...In other words, we should maybe stick to the DISNEY TREASURES DVD series, as I suspected when this collection was first announced.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I'm curious, why don't you love film grain in animation @Todd Erwin ?
I assume you like it in live action films, don't you?
And since you rated highly this video presentation, you agree with the removal of grain.

I do like film grain, and if there was noticeable film grain, it would have received FIVE STARS.

 

[JoeDoakes]

It's just remarkable that Disney would release such a thoughtlessly produced product focusing on its two most popular characters. Perhaps someone is hoping that there never will be a volume 2.

 

[Robert Harris]

Todd,

I was going to review, but I presume you won't mind if I append to your work, with which I agree.

I found the release odd in a number of ways.

I seems to return to the old DVD tin format, of throwing shorts on discs with no particular rationale. I also don't understand why the release was limited to ten, as there plenty of space - no extras aside from some idiotic junior high school banter between to voice actors who don't really sound anything like the real Mickey or Minnie. "Boy, Mickey, you were were swell on the dance floor..."

To make matters worse, there's no way around the banter on the DVD, which seems set to "play all," while at least on the Blu, you can make a selection of he short, but you still have to listen to the idiotic banter and view a scrap book. I was waiting for honeymoon nudes to show up. Fortunately, they didn't, but we do get to see Minnie in just a grass skirt and lei, which I found a bit unnerving, as I have no idea how old she was in 1937. Presumably too young to need a top.

There's actually minimal difference between the DVD and Blu-ray from a normal seating distance, as the films weren't highly resolved to begin with, and (as you note) all grain has been removed. In the Blu-ray we do get some faux grain as some sort of minimal video noise.

All in all, an odd selection of scrubbed shorts that are okay. I checked through all of them, and On Ice appeared to be taken from a dupe, but I'm not sure that anyone cares. Probably no one at Disney.

Final thoughts...

Why window-boxed credits? Are these really old transfers?

Was the included version of Steamboat 1.37 or 1.19? I don't recall.

Also have no idea why there's a message at the beginning of the DVD that has all the resolution VHS.

They could have done something special, but the end result is rather "meh..."

Do I look forward to a second selection of some of the best animated shorts around?

Not really. And that's a pity.

The big positive here is for slipcover collectors, as it's a pretty one, with attractive embossing. What a happy place!

 

[RobertMG]

...In other words, we should maybe stick to the DISNEY TREASURES DVD series, as I suspected when this collection was first announced.

People still care about D

Todd,

I was going to review, but I presume you won't mind if I append to your work, with which I agree.

I found the release odd in a number of ways.

I seems to return to the old DVD tin format, of throwing shorts on discs with no particular rationale. I also don't understand why the release was limited to ten, as there plenty of space - no extras aside from some idiotic junior high school banter between to voice actors who don't really sound anything like the real Mickey or Minnie. "Boy, Mickey, you were were swell on the dance floor..."

To make matters worse, there's no way around the banter on the DVD, which seems set to "play all," while at least on the Blu, you can make a selection of he short, but you still have to listen to the idiotic banter and view a scrap book. I was waiting for honeymoon nudes to show up. Fortunately, they didn't, but we do get to see Minnie in just a grass skirt and lei, which I found a bit unnerving, as I have no idea how old she was in 1937. Presumably too young to need a top.

There's actually minimal difference between the DVD and Blu-ray from a normal seating distance, as the films weren't highly resolved to begin with, and (as you note) all grain has been removed. In the Blu-ray we do get some faux grain as some sort of minimal video noise.

All in all, an odd selection of scrubbed shorts that are okay. I checked through all of them, and On Ice appeared to be taken from a dupe, but I'm not sure that anyone cares. Probably no one at Disney.

Final thoughts...

Why window-boxed credits? Are these really old transfers?

Was the included version of Steamboat 1.37 or 1.19? I don't recall.

Also have no idea why there's a message at the beginning of the DVD that has all the resolution VHS.

They could have done something special, but the end result is rather "meh..."

Do I look forward to a second selection of some of the best animated shorts around?

Not really. And that's a pity.

The big positive here is for slipcover collectors, as it's a pretty one, with attractive embossing. What a happy place!

Sad that they restored the classic library yet they really have NOT one person to advocate for mining them for fans who want them = what a sin

 

[Lord Dalek]

Steamboat Willie is 1.19:1 on D+. I assume its the same transfer.

 

[Timothy E]

I'm curious, why don't you love film grain in animation @Todd Erwin ?
I assume you like it in live action films, don't you?
And since you rated highly this video presentation, you agree with the removal of grain.

You raise a good question. Do we need grain in animation? I tend to view animation as a different creature from live action.

I am sure everyone has their own opinions on grain in animation. I look at it this way: did Walt Disney want his animation to be grainy?

Animators use film as a medium as a platform for their artwork and storytelling. Did Walt Disney ever finish an animated project and complain that there was not enough grain obscuring the artwork? Or Chuck Jones? Or any of the great animators? Or did they intend their artistry to transcend the medium of film?

No one wants to see DNR that changes or removes the artwork. Is there any harm if animation is displayed without grain so long as it retains true fidelity to the artistic intent?
Opinions may vary.

 

[SD_Brian]

Do we need grain in animation?

Uh-oh...you likely just re-opened Pandora's box with that question.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I also don't understand why the release was limited to ten, as there plenty of space - no extras aside from some idiotic junior high school banter between to voice actors who don't really sound anything like the real Mickey or Minnie. "Boy, Mickey, you were were swell on the dance floor..."

The studio could have fit more shorts if they had opted to use a BD50 rather than a BD25, which is pretty full.

 

[Robert Harris]

The studio could have fit more shorts if they had opted to use a BD50 rather than a BD25, which is pretty full.

View attachment 173542

Thanks for checking that. Makes sense. There are so many of these shorts, they’ll probably never get through them. Amazed that we didn’t at least get Flowers and Trees.

I wonder how many other sites will review this honestly?

 

[Robert Harris]

You raise a good question. Do we need grain in animation? I tend to view animation as a different creature from live action.

I am sure everyone has their own opinions on grain in animation. I look at it this way: did Walt Disney want his animation to be grainy?

Animators use film as a medium as a platform for their artwork and storytelling. Did Walt Disney ever finish an animated project and complain that there was not enough grain obscuring the artwork? Or Chuck Jones? Or any of the great animators? Or did they intend their artistry to transcend the medium of film?

No one wants to see DNR that changes or removes the artwork. Is there any harm if animation is displayed without grain so long as it retains true fidelity to the artistic intent?
Opinions may vary.

We do, because it tends to hold together the layers of animation, and make non-movement less evident.

Grain still needs to be reduced because it’s tripled, but not removed.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Amazed that we didn’t at least get Flowers and Trees.

I think they are saving that for a Silly Symphonies collection.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I wonder how many other sites will review this honestly?

We'll likely find out over the next week, as I was able to turn this review in less than a day, and it does not street until 2/7.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Flowers and Trees has been on blu-ray for a VERY long time. It was included on Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in 1080p from an older ip.

 

[Robert Harris]

Flowers and Trees has been on blu-ray for a VERY long time. It was included on Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in 1080p from an older ip.

Pretty much all reasonably important shorts have bee on something. They love to reuse titles.

 

[Paul Penna]

We do, because it tends to hold together the layers of animation, and make non-movement less evident.

Grain still needs to be reduced because it’s tripled, but not removed.

Has it been established that Disney retains - some? many? all? none? - of the oringinal successive-exposure negatives of their Technicolor shorts and features?