A new concept for Disney DVDs (open brainstorming)

[Big Disney Fan]

I've just thought of another concept for Disney DVDs. It was actually thought of in tandem with this thread here: An idea for a Disney shorts collection (open brainstorming). But in this case, it's about the animated features, rather than shorts, as is the case with this link here. It is actually something really bold and kind of unwieldy to shake things up here.

Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering what I would do to shake things up here. Well, what I've thought of was to have a different set of DVDs and have not one, but two, movies in one volume for this set. It would be like a double feature, except on DVD instead of in the theater.

Anyway, for this first set, I've thought of doing one that would combine the first two Disney movies, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Pinocchio". These movies would all be paired in tandems, usually for similar themes or just chronology. Of course, such DVDs would require at least three discs each.

What do you think of this concept? Some time later, I will explain the new bonuses of the first volume, which, as stated earlier, would have both "Snow White" and "Pinocchio".

[estefan]

Disney did do this once when they recently re-released The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos, putting them on the same disc.

I think the problem with this comes with what if somebody likes one of the films and not the other. For example, I'm not too fond of Hercules, but I really like Hunchback of Notre Dame, so why I should I have to buy a flick I really like, if I have to also get the one I dislike.

[dvdjunkie]

How can a person not like any Disney Animated Classic. I think this is a brilliant idea.

I would like to bring up the fact that Cosco and Sam's Club do bundle two Disney titles together during the holidays.

But that withstanding I like the idea of both "Parent Trap" movies (not 1 and 2, but the original and remake with Lindsay Lohan) would be a great combination. I already own a British copy of both "Freaky Fridays" on two discs with all of the original extras. That's the bonus of having a non-region DVD player.

I don't think putting the movies in chronological order would solve anything, but rather two movies with basically the same theme. That's my suggestion and an example would be "Robin Hood" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame" or the live action "Robin Hood and his Merrie Men".

Some good brainstorming here.

[Heil Donald Duck]

How can a person not like any Disney Animated Classic. I think this is a brilliant idea.
.

There lots of Disney features I dislike a lot and in all cases films made after Walt Passed a way.

[Big Disney Fan]

I don't think putting the movies in chronological order would solve anything, but rather two movies with basically the same theme. That's my suggestion and an example would be "Robin Hood" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame" or the live action "Robin Hood and his Merrie Men".

The only reason I thought of having "Snow White" and "Pinocchio" together is because they're the first two movies. I was also thinking of pairing up "Dumbo" and "Bambi" similarly. "Fantasia" would be paired with "Fantasia 2000".

Where themes are concerned elsewhere, I was thinking of some of the following (some are no-brainers, others more subtle): the two "Fantasia" movies together (as stated earlier) and the two "Rescuers" movies together.

I also thought of pairing together "Song of the South" (for the VERY FIRST time) and "Mary Poppins", because, as different as their themes really are, they actually have some things in common. Here are what they are: 1) They both have scenes of live-action mixing with animation; 2) There are dialects spoken by some of the characters in both movies; 3) Both movies feature songs with nonsensical words for titles (i.e., Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious); 4) They also feature songs on laughing (i.e., Everybody's Got a Laughing Place, I Love To Laugh); 5) Some of the live-action characters have personalities the likes of which other characters in the movies don't think should be messing with their children; 6) Both movies are musicals; 7) They both received Academy Awards, mainly for the songs; and 8) They were both released in years that had the numbers 1, 9, 4 and 6 in them (1946 and 1964, respectively).

[UmbrellaFish]

I also thought of pairing together "Song of the South" (for the VERY FIRST time) and "Mary Poppins", because, as different as their themes really are, they actually have some things in common. Here are what they are: 1) They both have scenes of live-action mixing with animation; 2) There are dialects spoken by some of the characters in both movies; 3) Both movies feature songs with nonsensical words for titles (i.e., Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious); 4) They also feature songs on laughing (i.e., Everybody's Got a Laughing Place, I Love To Laugh); 5) Some of the live-action characters have personalities the likes of which other characters in the movies don't think should be messing with their children; 6) Both movies are musicals; 7) They both received Academy Awards, mainly for the songs; and They were both released in years that had the numbers 1, 9, 4 and 6 in them (1946 and 1964, respectively).

Wow, you've thought a lot about this!

Personally, I don't like the idea of bundling movies in this fashion because it sort of belittles both of the films. Having one big release separate to themselves is sort of like an event, well, I mean, I don't have to explain how Disney markets their video releases as events.

With that said, bundled movies might be a good idea for cost effective releases similar to Warner's "TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection" which bundles 4 classic together for 20 bucks (but you can pick them up for 14).

[Big Disney Fan]

For the name of the series, how about The Walt Disney Masterpiece Treasures?

And I also thought of something else: all the infamous package films of the 1940s won't be left out either. They will all be merged into two sets of three as well, depending on the theme. And each will also receive some interesting titles, with the reasons why they have those titles being (in parentheses).

In this case, "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros" will be merged together. Actually, they already were merged together some time ago under the rather mundane title of "Classic Caballero Collection". The new title for this set will be called "South of the Border With Donald Duck" (because both movies are Latin American travelogues that feature Donald Duck quite prominently). The second set will have both "Make Mine Music" and "Melody Time" merged together under the title of "Music Land" (after not the 1935 Silly Symphony cartoon, but a compilation movie made in 1955, comprised of random pieces from both movies rolled into one). And the third set, which merges "Fun and Fancy Free" and "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", will be titled "Four Fabulous Characters" (since both movies each contain two separate featurettes in one, and the latter movie's working title was "Two Fabulous Characters").

And, of course, all the censors/political correctness that marred these movies on past DVD releases will be long gone. This means that Goofy (in "Saludos Amigos") and Pecos Bill (in "Melody Time") will be able to once again smoke cigarettes where they once couldn't, and in "Make Mine Music", the entire Martins and Coys sequence which opens the movie will be intact, as well the breasts of the Fred Moore-created girls in the All the Cats Join In scene.

[milojthatch]

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. While I've been pushing this whole "save the Disney treasures and Disney Afternoon," I've been think about different way Disney could release films or shows as well.

I think one idea that has really stuck with me is for them to start doing what Warner has been doing with their "DVD on Demand" site. I know that means putting shows and films on DVD-R's which are not as popular with many DVD/ Blu Ray Enthusiasts, but I think I really like the idea. I think once it caught on, there could be a lot of business for Disney without much of the cost. I personally think this is the wave of the future of home entertainment, and that it is a big market that once fully realized could have a lot of impact on a lot of different customer bases.

It could be used to please film and tv enthusiast that want films or shows that would not normally be released. It would be used for the controversial "airline" versions to be sold to the public finally. It could turn into "custom" DVD's where the customer decided what extras he or she wants with their film, if any. It could even turn into what you are talking about with putting two films together in one package. It could be huge with enough foresight. Oh man, just thinking about the possibilities makes me get excited!

[Margos]

I also thought of pairing together "Song of the South" (for the VERY FIRST time) and "Mary Poppins", because, as different as their themes really are, they actually have some things in common. Here are what they are: 1) They both have scenes of live-action mixing with animation; 2) There are dialects spoken by some of the characters in both movies; 3) Both movies feature songs with nonsensical words for titles (i.e., Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious); 4) They also feature songs on laughing (i.e., Everybody's Got a Laughing Place, I Love To Laugh); 5) Some of the live-action characters have personalities the likes of which other characters in the movies don't think should be messing with their children; 6) Both movies are musicals; 7) They both received Academy Awards, mainly for the songs; and They were both released in years that had the numbers 1, 9, 4 and 6 in them (1946 and 1964, respectively).

If you were pairing them, though... I feel that SotS really goes better with So Dear to My Heart. Really, they have very similar themes in some respects, and share the same child actors. Meanwhile, Mary Poppins would be better off paired with Bedknobs and Broomsticks, because there are just so many similarities between them.

[BILLONEE]

I think absolutely, positively "Mr. Boogedy" & "Bride Of Boogedy" must be released together. Holloween is coming & it'll be a big seller for sure. The other idea I have is for a series of complete movie Box sets on Hayley Mills, Kurt Russel, Annette Funicellb, etc. They'd be awesome!!!

[Big Disney Fan]

I'm trying to figure how to do the pair-up with "Snow White" and "Pinocchio". More importantly, the arrangements and the bonuses. My main concern is in the two different "Snow White" DVDs' bonuses. Here, you can look at the two DVDs' respective pages to see what bonuses are there: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/snowwhite.html (2001 release), http://www.ultimatedisney.com/snowwhite ... ition.html (2009 release). It's said at the end of the review for the 2009 release that one release compliments the other well and the 2001 DVD focuses more on the making of the movie itself while the 2009 release is more on the mechanics of the animation process.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to do the bonuses here, since each release of "Snow White" supposedly compliments each other well. Any help on how to do things here would be greatly appreciated.

[merlinjones]

No -- definitely not for Walt's animated classics, the company's crown jewels - - that tandem packaging cheapens the title.

But I would encourage them to do themed box sets that add something new to the assortment that wouldn't otherwise be available (the other home video companies do this all of the time, but not Disney), giving us a reason to buy it.

Example: Annette Movies Box Set with Shaggy Dog, Babes in Toyland (new deluxe version), Merlin Jones, Monkey's Uncle (currently a DMC exclusive), Horsemasters (new) and Escapade in Florence (new).

[Big Disney Fan]

No -- definitely not for Walt's animated classics, the company's crown jewels - - that tandem packaging cheapens the title.

How would that "cheapen" the title? I think tandem packaging is plausible. Did you know that they oftentimes paired up movies together with each other in theaters? Disney did this all the time. More often than not, it was not in the states, and on the rare occasions that it was, it was usually a live-action movie paired with an animated one (i.e., when, in 1962, "Almost Angels" was paired with a reissue of "Lady and the Tramp").

Anyway, more often than not, it wasn't in the U.S.A., but they did pair up Disney animated movies in Japan, especially in the 1980s. (They also paired up live action movies with animated ones in the U.K., but that's another story.) Here are some pictures of posters from those releases:

Here is a poster for a double feature of Japanese reissues of "Pinocchio" and "Dumbo":


Here's another of a reissue of "Snow White" paired with "Oliver and Company":


And one more for a reissue of "101 Dalmatians" paired with "The Little Mermaid":


I also have at home a program for a double feature for Japanese reissues of "Peter Pan" and "Sleeping Beauty". My mom got that on ebay for herself exclusively for "Sleeping Beauty". She really enjoys that movie.

I could go on and on and on, but I think I've made my point here. My point is, it's something that can be done. Besides, you know how some people really clamor for releases, right? Think of the people who will have more to do than ever.

And furthermore, dvdjunkie did mention that Sam's Club and Costco tandem packaged movies together during the holidays.

[nomad2010]

I don't like the idea of bundling. I think that labels two movies as equal to each other when really they each are brilliant on their own merits. What I would love to see Disney do, is limited, numbered, special collectors editions. I'm talking sets aimed toward adults. The could make a limited number of these sets with extensive bonus features, or booklets. The artwork and packaging could be a lot nicer, more adult friendly as the european covers are sometimes. I'd like to see the canon number on the side of the packaging. I just think that as collectors and mature Disney fans, we deserve real "collectors editions." These films are American cinema classics and each and everyone deserves an extensive release. As fans, I think we deserve that... Even if it means only 10,000 or 20,000 sets produced.

[Escapay]

Bundling at wholesale clubs is the retailer's prerogative, but for the actual studio that creates the set to be purchased, it's a different ball game entirely.

For one thing, the budget is different. A budget for a two-movie collection is different (and lower) than if the two movies were being released separately (and no, you can't add up the two individual budgets to get one megabudget). So the amount of money you have available for a bundle set is less. Less money spent on restoration, less money spent on music clearances, less money spent on writing, filming, and editing the special features (along with paying the participants), because you have to spend it on more than one film. Thus, in a way, it does "cheapen" a film, because less money is spent on how to present that film. Unless the DVD producer is given carte blanche on how to "make" these movie collections, they're better off treating them as individual movies.

Also, you need to consider if the consumer needs for such a collection. Why bother with a two-movie collection if the movies were already released individually before? And in some cases, are superior to the two-movie collection? Unless it's a box set that highlights a particular actor/director's career (e.g. The Signature Collection from Warner) or a box set that celebrates a particular genre (e.g. Columbia Film Noir Classics), most movie collections just serve to get more bang for your buck by releasing already-released movies in a more compact less-cases-to-worry-about configuration. With the idea of bundling Disney movies, they've already done that with existing discs (as have other studios). But to release a two-movie collection as something of a "new" release (ala "Classic Caballeros Collection"), again, the question is "does the consumer need this?" It has to be a step up from both the technical presentation and the special features (provided that that's the consumer you're reacing out to). Thus, the two-movie collection better have bells and whistles that they want to have, not just bells and whistles for the ability to say "We've got all these new bells and whistles included now! Re-buy the movies again!"

Also, considerations need to be made for consumers who don't care about bells and whistles, they just want the movie. Since a majority of consumers ARE movie-only fans, would a tricked-out multi-disc everything-and-the-kitchen sink Mega Collector's Edition Times Two be something that will be worth all the expense to research, produce, print, and advertise? It has to be a big movie that does gangbusters with the audience, something that entices people to pay a little more than they're used to. Think Warner's Ultimate Collector's Editions. Or the big honkin' $300 box set for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But at the same time, remember that even if 1,000 ardent fans will pay anything for the big shiny toy, there can be 100,000 more who's fine with just the movie. They need a bone thrown their way too, even if it has a few lil extras included.

This is why Disney rarely does "big" releases. It needs to be something that's guaranteed to sell, and even then, they know they may lose money on certain ways that they're selling it.

albert

[Big Disney Fan]

So what is the solution here?

[Escapay]

Quit playing the make-believe wishful-thinking "If I ran WDHE..." game and let them do their jobs (even if they do a sh!tty job half the time)?

albert

[Big Disney Fan]

Quit playing the make-believe wishful-thinking "If I ran WDHE..." game and let them do their jobs (even if they do a sh!tty job half the time)?

albert

Don't take this the wrong way, but what's so bad about wishful thinking?

[Escapay]

There's nothing wrong with it, but when you write about it as if you were actually making these sets, it borders on the unhealthy side of wishful-thinking. This is why I've stopped contributing to the "Ultimate Disney DVD/Blu-Ray" thread. You took it waaay to seriously, and that's what you're doing here too.

albert

[Big Disney Fan]

There's nothing wrong with it, but when you write about it as if you were actually making these sets, it borders on the unhealthy side of wishful-thinking. This is why I've stopped contributing to the "Ultimate Disney DVD/Blu-Ray" thread. You took it waaay to seriously, and that's what you're doing here too.

albert

Well, I'm a serious Disney fan. That's why I came up with a lot of great ideas here.