Toon Talk: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition - Oct 13, 2009

Kirby Holt: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition
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Sound wise, there are several listening options, including a new 7.1 mix as well as the audio commentary track carried over from the Platinum set that features archival audio of Walt himself discussing his first feature film.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS:
The Awards

The Academy Awards:

  • 1938 Nominee: Best Music, Score (Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline and Paul J. Smith)
  • 1939 Honorary Award (one Oscar statuette with seven miniature Oscar statuettes) to Walt Disney for �Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, recognized as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field�.

New York Film Critics Circle:

  • 1939: Special Award to Walt Disney

Venice Film Festival:

  • 1938: Grand Biennale Art Trophy to Walt Disney

National Film Preservation Board:

  • 1989: Inducted into the National Film Registry

American Film Institute:

  • 1998: Named #49 on AFI�s 100 Years � 100 Movies
  • 2003: The Queen named #10 Villain on AFI�s 100 Years � 100 Heroes & Villains
  • 2004: �Someday My Prince Will Come� named #19 on AFI�s 100 Years � 100 Songs
  • 2005: �Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?� nominated for AFI�s 100 Years � 100 Movie Quotes
  • 2006: Nominated for AFI�s Greatest Movie Musicals
  • 2007: Named #34 on AFI�s 100 Years � 100 Movies: 10th Anniversary Edition
  • 2008: Named #1 Animated Film on AFI�s 10 Top 10

On to the disc one supplements, beginning with quite a surprise from the Disney Archives: an outline for a planned (but obviously never produced) sequel to Snow White! Titled Snow White Returns, this possible short subject intended to incorporate the �bed building� and �soup eating� sequences that were cut from the original film into a story about the dwarfs� preparing for a visit from their beloved princess. Perhaps the current Disney animators will pull a Destino and complete this project sometime in the future.

In the Games & Activities section, the creators take full advantage of Blu-ray capabilities to provide some extra fun, such as with a Magic Mirror princess personality test and a harder-than-it-looks guessing game. But it�s �Jewel Jumble� that will actually have you coming back for more. Kind of like Bejeweled meets Tetris, players must maneuver Grumpy�s mine cart to catch falling diamonds and jewels, stacking them in like colors to gain points. All of the games also let you save your scores.

Also included is a new �Someday My Prince Will Come� music video performed by Sonny With a Chance star Tiffany Thornton that is a far cry form the sublime Barbra Streisand version found on the 2001 release.

It is also worth noting that, in addition to the usual �Sneak Peeks� (including Blu-ray editions of Dumbo and Beauty and the Beast, both due next year), the disc one bonus features also include an exclusive sneak preview of the first six minutes (some in work print form) of Disney�s return to traditional animation, The Princess and the Frog, in theaters December 11.

The bulk of disc two is taken up by the massive interactive feature called �Hyperion Studios�. Named after the Disney Studio that saw the creation of Snow White, this is actually several kinds of bonus features collected under the guise of a virtual tour of the �birthplace of modern animation�. Using your remote control, you can make your way through the various studio locales (such as the �Story Room�, �Animation Department� and �Sound Stage�) and click on �interactive hot spots� to explore such items as featurettes using archival interviews with legendary Disney artists, various galleries, abandoned concepts and more.

Amidst all this, you�ll learn why the Ink and Paint Department was referred to as �the nunnery�, the unique way they recorded the echoes in �I�m Wishing� and see the deleted �Bedroom Fight� scene. You�ll even get a slew of bonus shorts (making their high def debuts), including such benchmarks as Steamboat Willie, Skeleton Dance, Flowers and Trees and The Old Mill. Capping off the Hyperion tour is a new mini-doc titled �The One That Started It All�, focusing on the lasting legacy of Snow White as the first American feature length film. And don�t worry about getting lost amongst it all; click on �Index� and you�ll see a list of everything -- with checkmarks next to the ones you�ve already viewed.

Rounding out the disc are a collection of �Classic DVD Features� from the original Platinum release, including the �Dopey�s Wild Mine Ride� game, a featurette on the voice actors, two deleted scenes, a �Heigh Ho� sing along and the �Disney Through the Decades� feature updated with a new introduction and a section on the 2000�s hosted by John Ratzenberger.

Toon Talk Rating: A-

Coming Soon:

  • Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure promises more Pixie Hollow adventures from our favorite pixie (Disney DVD, October 27).
  • �Out of the night, when the full moon is bright �� This year�s Walt Disney Treasures offers the first two seasons of Zorro (Disney DVD, November 3).
  • Oscar winning director Robert Zemeckis teams up with Jim Carrey to bring the Dickens yuletide classic to life in Disney�s A Christmas Carol (November 6).

Discuss It

Related Links

-- Kirby C. Holt
-- Logos by William C. Searcy, Magic Bear Graphics

Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ... In addition to his Toon Talk reviews, Kirby is the creator of Movie Dearest, a blog for movie fans.

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted October 13, 2009
-- Kirby C. Holt
-- Logos by William C. Searcy, Magic Bear Graphics

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