Disney's Hercules (1 Viewer)

[bob kaplan]

i realize that Disney will eventually get almost all its annimation on blu ('cept SONG OF THE SOUTH of course....darn!!!.
There is probably a plan some place as to which titles will be released and when....but i would just like to put a bid to move HERCULES up the ladder...The present DVD is not even anamorphic...At a friends house, i just watched Amazon's rent of the title...it filled the screen and seemed pretty "crisp"....much more so than the present DVD. Good music, at touch of cynicism, and neat annimation. Please think about it Disney.

 

[Matt Hough]

I love Hercules and feel it has never gotten the respect it deserves for its lively, amusing animation and killer score. Disney needs to do right by it pronto.

 

[Jason_V]

There are a handful of movies Disney seems to have either forgotten about or relegates to the corner for some reason: Hercules, Hunchback and Treasure Planet comes to mind. A lot of other releases from the era recieved two disc Collector's Edition releases alongside the original DVD (Dinosaur, Emperor's New Groove, Tarzan, Atlantis) or got a 2 disc edition for an anniversary (Mulan, Pocahontas). Perhaps Disney sees Hercules as a "lesser" title because it didn't catch fire at the box office like most of their other movies?

(I'd love to see Atlantis on Blu-ray. That would look awesome!)

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm on board 10000% with this thread.

Hercules needs to be respected. Along with Hunchback and Tarzan.

Jason: I think you and I have gone around on this before...but I haven't ben happy wth a single Disney release (not counting Pixar) since 1999's Tarzan. I loved all the animated musicals released between The Little Mermaid and Tarzan (and most of the early films, of course)...but Disney animation, for me, tended to drop off big time after Tarzan. My son and I wanted to actually walk out on Treasure Planet and Atlantis when we saw them in the theater.

We spin up our trusty DVDs of Hunchback and Hercules quite often in our household. Two very inventive musicals with terrific, terrific music (songs and score).

=============

Without thinking, I upgrade every Disney animated film when it is re-released by the studio. I just realized that Hercules is one of the few films that has never been re-released. I'm still working off the original "Gold Collection" of Hercules.

I DID get the awesomely cool supreme Collector's Edition DVD release of Tarzan, though.

 

[mattCR]

I'd snag Hercules and Treasure Planet in an instant

 

[Ethan Riley]

I think Treasure Planet gets an undeservedly bad rap. Really--WHAT is the problem with that movie? I didn't have a problem with it. I thought it was cute. Go figure. Everybody else acts like it was written by the devil or something. Is it really that bad of a movie??

 

[Jason_V]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon /t/319044/disneys-hercules#post_3905563
Jason: I think you and I have gone around on this before...but I haven't ben happy wth a single Disney release (not counting Pixar) since 1999's Tarzan. I loved all the animated musicals released between The Little Mermaid and Tarzan (and most of the early films, of course)...but Disney animation, for me, tended to drop off big time after Tarzan. My son and I wanted to actually walk out on Treasure Planet and Atlantis when we saw them in the theater.

We probably have. There's a 8 year or so gap where nothing Disney animation produced was well received. I'd argue that despite the reception, every film they released has tried to be something different, whether it was "good" or "bad." Most of the movies are nowhere near Lion King, Little Mermaid or Aladdin, but they do deserve the same love (in my opinion) as everything else. The only Disney animated movie I patently refuse to ever watch again is Home on the Range. It is a hopelessly messy story, terrible jokes and an overall bad film. It's one I can not defend in any way.

They tried something very different with Atlantis, whether it succeeded or failed. Treasure Planet is a spin on a classic story, already told by Disney. (I'm also a fan of the soundtrack.) Chicken Little is their first computer animated movie. I'd even defend Winnie the Pooh by saying the story is geared toward a a very G rated audience and the animation/some directing choices are very well done.

I will also one-up you on Hercules. I just pulled the original Limited Edition off the shelf...

 

[Jason_V]

Hold onto your hats...from today's Digital Bits...

Home on the Range and Treasure Planet: July 3
Rescuers, Lady and the Tramp 2, Pocahontas, The Tigger Movie, The Aristocats, Pete's Dragon: Fall
Atlantis, Brother Bear, Dick Tracy: Q4

This is among others (Evita, Hocus Pocus, Flubber, Santa Clause, etc.). My gosh...the only one I'm going to pass on is Home on the Range. This is just a bounty of Disney material. Something's not quite right here, but I'm not sure what it is yet...

 

[bob kaplan]

There is sooooo much there that i will buy....but i would still like to see HERCULES on the list...i am soooooo greedy...

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Jason_V /t/319044/disneys-hercules#post_3905612

I will also one-up you on Hercules. I just pulled the original Limited Edition off the shelf...

Hmmmm. I just pulled Hercules off the shelf and was surprised to learn that I "mis-remembered" which copy I had. Mine is labeled "Limited Issue" on the top of the DVD cover. I'm assuming that's the same one you have Jason.

And, I don't recall this ever being an issue for me before...but I think I have run into a non-anamorphic disc?!?

The 1.66:1 AR is surrounded by black bars on my display. Not just on the sides...but also on the top and bottom. Like I said, I don't remember that being an issue before when I would show it on my former DVD players.

EDIT**: I just read the fine print on the bottom of the back cover. It says: The motion picture contained on this DVD is presented in a matted screen or "letterbox" formatin which the film retains its original film dimensions.

 

[Jason_V]

That's it, Mike. The one that lists "Full Color Character Artwork" as an extra. I always got a kick out of that!

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon /t/319044/disneys-hercules#post_3912067
Hmmmm. I just pulled Hercules off the shelf and was surprised to learn that I "mis-remembered" which copy I had. Mine is labeled "Limited Issue" on the top of the DVD cover. I'm assuming that's the same one you have Jason.

And, I don't recall this ever being an issue for me before...but I think I have run into a non-anamorphic disc?!?

The 1.66:1 AR is surrounded by black bars on my display. Not just on the sides...but also on the top and bottom. Like I said, I don't remember that being an issue before when I would show it on my former DVD players.

EDIT**: I just read the fine print on the bottom of the back cover. It says: The motion picture contained on this DVD is presented in a matted screen or "letterbox" formatin which the film retains its original film dimensions.

It's definitely non-anamorphic. Maybe when you watched it previously, your TV had overscan that partially hid the windowboxing.

 

[TonyD]

I think all of that first batch of Disney DVDs were non enhanced.
btw Home on the Range and Treasure Planet are up for order on amazon.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Does anyone know if the Gold Collection of Hercules is anamorphic?

Not that it matters...because there'd be no real reason to double dip until the Blu is released.

 

[Mark-P]

Both the Limited Issue and Gold Collection discs were identical. it was simply a repackaging. http://www.dvdizzy.com/hercules.html

Does anyone know if the Gold Collection of Hercules is anamorphic?
Not that it matters...because there'd be no real reason to double dip until the Blu is released. 

 

[Mike Frezon]

Thanks, Mark!

 

[bob kaplan]

With all the titles released, is there a greater chance we might see HERCULES in the nears future....really needs to be up dated.

 

[Mike Frezon]

With all the titles released, is there a greater chance we might see HERCULES in the nears future....really needs to be up dated.

I was asking the very same question in this week's RoundUp, Bob. I sure hope so.

 

[Ejanss]

Even from the beginning of the whole push, when Treasure Planet and Home on the Range were first announced, and Atlantis/Brother Bear "later", I just naturally assumed they were planning to go back through the troubled '95-'05 years in reverse order, until they got all the way back to Pocahontas (where all the "trouble" started).
Except for the movies with 2-pack sequels, of course, which could be interspersed with the bare-bones 1-disks.

And now that Hunchback has been released, that means (checks engineer watch), we should be getting a bare-bones announcement if not in the next announcement, at least in one of the next two or three.
The 70's titles they don't mind so much, they've sold those before on DVD.

 

[Dick]

My prediction: We will get HERCULES, TARZAN and THE BLACK CAULDRON in one batch next year. 101 DALMATIANS and THE JUNGLE BOOK will be next year's Platinum titles. The six omnibus films will be released all at once, two titles on each disc, as follows: ICABOD AND MR. TOAD/FUN AND FANCY FREE; MELODY TIME/MAKE MINE MUSIC; SALUDOS AMIGOS/THREE CABALLEROS. That would leave only ALADDIN hanging for 2015.

I'm just surmising this based on Disney's recent release pattern. There are only 12 cell animation titles as yet unreleased.