DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty SE (Disney) --VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! (2 Viewers)

[Joe Caps]

Regarding the soundtrack - It was mentioned that the soundtrack CD to Sleeping Beauty mentions that it is the first stereo soundtrack. To say this is absurd is putting it mildly.
By the time Sleeping Beauty was released, there were undreds of true stereo films already in release including a few Disney films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the sea and Lady and the Tramp ( released as a MONO CD soundtrack from the same filks at Disney who seem to know little about the companies history.).
Apparently, SB was orignally to be made earlier than 1959 release. All of the vocals are recorded no on multi channel stereo mag tracks but on mono optical two track - voice on one track and piano temp track with orchestra to be added later. The Orchestra was recorded in Germany, NOT because of greater quality, but because there was a musicians strile in Hollywood and all studios were recording overseas. You end up with 1952 vocals from mono optical ,mixed with stereo orchestra recorded in 1958. The original soundtrack album released in 1958 was not really the soundtrack but rerecordings done for the album. Bill Shirley, the voice of the prince is gone and is replaced by Shirleys good friend Bill Lee ( the singing oice of Captain von trap in Sound of Music. Bill Shirleys voice is backon therecent true soundtrack CD.
Anyway, when Disney released the sleeping Beuaty boxed laser set several years ago. It had a two channel Dolby Surround track that was a REMIX from scratch. Not good. This remix is what is on the DVD soundtrack. The laser set also had a 5.0 ac-3 track, that oddly, did NOT use the remix but was the original 1959 soundtrack!!! This soundtrack had very few surround effects.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Is Dolby Digital, by the way, also recorded on digital discs? I seem to recall that as something specific to DTS (and perhaps SDDS), but it's been a number of years since I last ran across any info about the playback of these systems in theatres.

Dolby Digital and SDDS are printed on the film, along with the analog stereo track and the DTS time code (to control the CD-ROMs with the DTS track) on 35mm prints. Normal 70mm prints have mag sound or DTS (and only a few have DTS: Vertigo, Titanic, and some of the 2001 A Space Odyssey reissue prints. I'm not sure how many more there might have been in DTS), but not both at the same time, IIRC.

 

[Bill Burns]

Thanks, Peter.

 

[Aaryn Chan]

All this is great information, thanks for the explanations and the links. I'll take my time and read all of it. Thanx again.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Normal 70mm prints have mag sound or DTS (and only a few have DTS: Vertigo, Titanic, and some of the 2001 A Space Odyssey reissue prints. I'm not sure how many more there might have been in DTS)

The last round of Lawrence of Arabia 70mm prints had DTS, presumably as a cost-saving measure.

DJ

 

[Simon Caleb]

Those film clips I've had scanned will be online tonight.

On another note, the UK R2 PAL dvd contains a great sounding DTS soundtrack, great as in compaired to the Dobly Digital track also contained on the dvd.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

The last round of Lawrence of Arabia 70mm prints had DTS, presumably as a cost-saving measure.

Thanks, Damin. I knew there was an obvious one I was forgetting! They also made 70mm mag prints of Lawrence for that reissue. I don't know what sound formats are on the new 35mm prints, but I'll find out when I play it next February.

 

[Aaryn Chan]

But is it greater than the R1 DD?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Joe,
re: the Sleeping Beauty DD5.1 track. I haven't listened that critically yet, but it sounded like there was directional dialog (perhaps pulled in a bit) and infrequent surround use, mostly for choral parts of the score. If it's a remix from scratch, it sounds like it is at least in the ballpark of the original. It's certainly a lot better than the Lady & the Tramp remix (even after they corrected the editing errors from the laserdisc).

Regards,

 

[DaViD Boulet]

This soundtrack had very few surround effects. Anyway, when Disney released the sleeping Beuaty boxed laser set several years ago. It had a two channel Dolby Surround track that was a REMIX from scratch. Not good. This remix is what is on the DVD soundtrack. The laser set also had a 5.0 ac-3 track, that oddly, did NOT use the remix but was the original 1959 soundtrack!!! This soundtrack had very few surround effects.

Joe,

very interesting. This week I plan to critically compare the AC3 on the LD to the 5.1 on the DVD. Honestly, my impression of the 5.1 on the dvd is similar to Ken's...it sounds very authentic...like a real historical multi-channel mix...nothing like usual modern 5.1 remixes of older films we usually get. If it turns out to indeed be a new mix (are you 100% sure?), Disney has done it very tastefully and the results are impressive IMO. I've never had the chance to decode the AC3 on the LD until now so I'll pay special attention given your comments.

dave

 

[Simon Caleb]

I've finally got the Sleeping Beauty film scans uploaded.

Sleeping Beauty frame1
Sleeping Beauty frame2
Sleeping Beauty frame3
Sleeping Beauty frame4
Sleeping Beauty frame5
Sleeping Beauty frame6
Sleeping Beauty frame7
Sleeping Beauty frame8

They are taken from the non-anamorphic trailer, where the OAR has been recomposed to about 1:66:1/1:85:1.
What is does show is the vertical picture information matted out of the R1 & R2 dvd.

Happy compairing!

 

[Dustin James]

.

 

[Bill Burns]

Not to criticize, but to poke a little fun in friendly fashion (we kid because we love), I have to say that I really like the term "widescreen audio." I believe that makes P&S transfers "near field images," what?

Ah well -- the term gets the point across, which is all that matters. But I don't understand just what he means by "upgrade" -- if he means the tracks were cleaned of hiss and deterioration, great, but if he means, by upgrade, "remix," then purists may balk.

Thanks to Simon for the frame captures, by the way.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I checked this out last night. Wow, what a gorgeous transfer! I did compare it to my laserdisc, and there is slightly more information on the laser, but it's barely noticable. I did think that the Dolby Digital on the laser had a little bit more punch, but the DVD performed admirably. But the colors on the DVD! And the lack of noise! The laser had a lot of noisy reds, and the DVD was just about pefect in this regard. The movie itself is pretty mellow for a Disney, and then no punches are pulled for the dynamite finale. The ending battle with the dragon is probably my favorite scene from a Disney classic.

An all around great DVD.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Larry,

thanks for your comments...especially comparing the 5.1 AC-3 on the LD to the 5.1 on the DVD. I had intended to make that comparison yesterday at my friend's house (where my LD player with the RF output lives) but he's without power from the Hurricane and it might not be back for a while...

Glad you like the picture. Really puts that laserdisc to shame...doesn't it?

-dave

 

[Larry Sutliff]

Really puts that laserdisc to shame...doesn't it?

It isn't even a close contest!

 

[Richard Kim]

Right now, they're showing Sleeping Beauty on ABC in HD and in OAR, and the picture quality is incredible! I've never seen it before, but now, I may have to pick up the DVD.