Blu-ray: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition

Snow White, Disney’s first feature film, is back and looks and sounds better than ever **** 4 stars
By Gabrielle Pantera

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 10/9/2009 – The story of a young princess with a wicked stepmother who is jealous of her beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Walt Dinsey’s first full-length feature film. Originally shown in 1937, Snow White was recently shown at Hollywood’s El Capitan theater in anticipation of it’s Blu-ray/DVD release.

Walt Disney had difficulty finding the right voice for Snow White. A Disney casting director phoned well-known voice coach Guido Caselotti for help. Caselotti’s daughter Adriana overheard the conversation and got on the phone. She sang and spoke in a young girl’s voice. Guido was embarrassed by his daughter and ordered her off the phone. However, the casting director had already asked her to audition. When Disney heard her, he immediately cast her.

In Snow White, every day the wicked queen asks her magic mirror, who is the fairest of them all? As long as the mirror says “you are”, Snow White is safe. When the mirror states Snow White is the fairest in the land, the queen decides to do away with the fair young princess. Snow White escapes a huntsman who has orders to kill her. Due to her goodness and kindness, the forest animals love Snow White and lead her to the Seven Dwarfs’ house. She happily cleans up the place hoping they’ll let her stay. How long can she stay safe?

Snow White only sees the good in people. A bit of a dreamer, her trusting nature charms almost everyone, even Grumpy.

Snow White won an honorary Academy Award for Walt Disney as a significant screen innovation. The film has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field. At the awards show, 10-year-old Shirley Temple presented Walt Disney with one full-size Oscar statuette and seven miniature ones. One of the film’s songs, Some Day My Prince Will Come, was nominated for Best Musical Score. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hasn’t been available since 2001.

Snow White defined Disney. Because it was such a success, Disney went on to make more feature films. Within two years, the studio would complete Pinocchio and Fantasia, and had begun production on Dumbo, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.

Snow White is the first in the new Disney’s Diamond Collection, a wonderful addition for everyone who love’s Disney animation. The colors are brighter and the sound quality is great. And, Snow White’s voice doesn’t sound as annoying. The Diamond two-disc Blu-ray and one-disc DVD is a great value if you have a Blu-ray player. If you don’t, the deluxe two-disc classic standard definition DVD will be available on November 24th for Thanksgiving. Either version is a great gift. Both are available for a limited time only.

The new Blu-ray Diamond Collection will include The Walt Disney Studio’s most prestigious animated classics. Fourteen of Walt Disney’s most treasured animated classic titles will be released through 2016.

Blu-ray features:

Magic Mirror –The magic Mirror guides the audience through Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Mirror recognizes viewing patterns, knows where the audience has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This marks the first use of this technology in a Disney Blu-ray release and provides viewers with the control to personally create a customized Snow White experience

DisneyView – Disney’s pioneering animated feature is brought to the modern era of widescreen high definition viewing by allowing the user to expand their viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film. Utilizing Disney Blu-ray technology, acclaimed Disney artist Toby Bluth was able to draw beyond the borders of the classic full frame cinema and fill the otherwise dark edges of the screen with beautiful custom imagery, giving audiences a new view of the animated classic favorite.

About Toby Bluth – Disney artist Toby Bluth tells how the movie inspired him to

create the superb DisneyView art.

Audio Commentary with Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker

“The Princess and the Frog” Sneak Peek

Backstage Disney: Diamond Edition

Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White

featurette that never got made. For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone.

Hyperion Studios – Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built where Snow White was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark, experiencing life at Hyperion Studios in the 1930s. This amazing “Backstage Disney” feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, never-before-heard animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney’s gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.

The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.

Music: “Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton

Family Play Games

What Do You See? – To win this exciting interactive game, players must untangle scrambled images.

Jewel Jumble – Players put jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine in the proper order to win this game.

DVD Bonus Features

Audio Commentary with Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker • “The Princess and the Frog” Sneak Peek

Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White

featurette that never got made. For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.

The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.

“Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton

Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride – An interactive set-top game for the whole family

Animation Voice Talent

Disney Through The Decades – A series of video segments with celebrity hosts

“Heigh-Ho” Karaoke Sing-Along

Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray™ Is Suite!

Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go

The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

Price: $39.99 SRP (2-Disc DVD out November 24th $29.99)

Feature run time: 84 minutes,

Rated G

Blu-ray Disc: 1080p Hi-Def

Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.33:1)

Sound: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Languages: English SDH, French, Spanish

Subtitles: Engish, SDH, French, and Spanish

DVD

Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.33:1)

Sound: 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT

Languages: English SDH, French, Spanish

Subtitles: Engish, SDH, French, and Spanish