"Hunchback of Notre Dame" -- safe to buy? (1 Viewer)

[Luis M]

The Hunchback is for me as good as it gets with animation, it is my favorite Disney movie. I just love the whole look of it. The transfer could have been much better and so could have been the sound. the direct to video sequel on the other hand is my least favorite movie from Disney.

 

[George_C]

Sorry Ernest, but the Gold Collection version of Hercules is most definately not OOP. Go to Ultimatedisney.com and on the left hand side of their site you'll see the link to OUT-OF-PRINT DVD List, it's in bold text.

As you can see they list both versions of Pinoochio, Mulan, and Peter Pan as being OOP, but only one version of Hercules, the Limited Issue version.

The Gold Collection Hercules is still readily available at any number of B&M as well as there online counterparts including
Toys R Us/Target/
Best Buy
Circuit City
Walmart

Major chains don't have this many copies of any other OOP DVD's espcially Disney's and even more so on their on-line counterparts.

Gold Collection Hercules is still in print.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Well, I'll be dipped in ambrosia and swallowed by a three-headed dog...

A Disney fan on the IGN message board posted a list of titles going back into the vault, and this list included, the GC versions of Hercules, Pinocchio, and Mulan, along with the SE version of Peter Pan. That was two years ago. I never bothered to look, I just believed what the guy said on the internet cause it sure sounded official. Now, *of course* the LE titles were discontinued - there's been a GC version of Hercules since the summer of 2000, but for the last two years, I've believed that Hercules was OOP. I've even listed it in articles I've written about Disney titles no longer available, and no one has ever corrected me on it.

Turns out you can order it right now off Disney.com. Either the IGN posting was wrong, or Disney had a change of heart. In any case, Hercules is available.

Believe internet message board postings at your own peril. My bad.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Agree with Dan 100%.

However, I'd still say go and get it. It's worth it to own this disc and the audio is very good. Hopefully our interest (as demonstrated by DVD sales) will prompt Disney to revisit this title in the future with an improved image transfer.

Oh...the R2 version has much better image quality. Much less grain and much less ringing/mosquito noise.

 

[Frank@N]

George,

Thanks (!) for the Target tip on Hunchback.

I went over last night and found a copy for $15.

The DVD wasn't even listed as on sale per the shelf label.


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I put it on at home immediately to see what the deal was with the transfer.

Once I started watching, I couldn't turn it off.

There are a few specks that pop up and at times more than a few.

It tends to be more noticeable during the slower, darker sequences in the middle of the film.

The brighter, fast moving sequences look really nice.

There is some grain, but nothing on a par with the worst offenders (Sex and the City S1, for example).

In short, a great movie and good 16x9 transfer.


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Jim,

Sorry, I'm the one that dragged that issue into your thread.

 

[Jim Harvey]

Not a problem - I was just getting really confused with all the discussion. I just wanted to make sure it was "safe" to buy Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame on DVD. I fear that a new version is on the way, or something. I love the movie to death and I just want to make sure it's safe to plunk down $15 for it. So...is it? No immediate special edition coming, or anything?

 

[Ernest Rister]

Well, there is no such thing as a Disney animated feature film "safe" from double dipping. Re-issuing animated features is a primary source of income for the Mouse House. They could re-issue six animated films a year for seven years and never repeat themselves once, if they so chose.

 

[Jim Harvey]

Well maybe I'll take my chances and pick up this disc, then. I've been meaning to for a long time, but just never got around to - it was always so pricey. Even if they do a double-dip somewhere down the line, then maybe it won't be such a bad thing.

 

[Sean*O]

Just wait for the HD version if you are a stickler.. no telling when it will arrive, but there is always something better on the horizon in you are content to wait.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Gasp, I'm suprised I'm the first person to mention this!

When Hunchback was originally announced for DVD release, Disney put up information for two different releases, a single-disc version simmilar to what we got now and a double-disc, fully-loaded Deluxe Edition with all the single disc stuff and more.

Within a few hours, they removed the specs for the Deluxe set, and only released the single-disc. It is believed that they were holding out the two-discer for a future double dip.

With the news that Alice in Wonderland, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stitch and Mary Poppins would recieve 2-disc sets this year, it was widely rumored that the double-disc Hunchback would finally come home in 2005. However, since Pocahontas and Lilo & Stitch have been delayed until next year, it now seems the earliest we'll see a reissue of Hunchback will be in 2006, and it will probably be billed as a 10th Anniversary Edition. But, yeah, the content for a better edition DOES exsit, so it WILL be coming at some point or another.

But the current disc is exellent and very well worth owning in the meantime, especially considering there's AT LEAST a two-year wait for the SE.

Other notes: The reason it is on sale is because Disney gave it a temporary price drop this spring along with a few other animated titles. Robin Hood, Aristocats, Treasure Planet, Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbalenia, and A Bug's Life CE are the others. (Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. will be recieving temporary price drops this summer after the others go back up.)

And, yeah, Hercules is most definately in print in the Gold Colleciton form. Disney gave it away as a freebie in their Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal over the 2002 holiday season, which is how I aqquired my copy.

 

[Jim Harvey]

I remember that, actually, when news of the two-disc leaked out early. I was incredibly disappointed when it was eventually taken off. It's prett obvious that the current Huncback gift is the first disc of the two disc deluxe set, much like how Disney did their two disc sets ages ago. The Hunchback disc is very similar to the one-disc Tarzan release that Disney put out, as an alternative to the two disc. It's the same thing.