5/23/05

I’m adding a link to a JimHillMedia.com article (by Jim Hill himself no less) that discusses the movies sordid history in his fantastically long-winded style…or at least I think it’s fantastic…

Another thought about special editions is how these DVD’s include the option to view the original and special editions…films like Star Wars don’t even include that option…but the only thing George screwed up (in my opinion) was the “Greedo shooting first bit” (and I understand why George did that (to prevent Han from being perceived as a cold-blooded killer, which he wasn’t anyways because Greedo was going to kill him!), but it was unnecessary…you’re telling me that an expert bounty hunter misses a guy who was 3 feet in front of him?! Or that Han’s minute head movement avoided the blast?! Come on…)…everything else helps bridge that 30-year jump in technology you see when you watch the films in order…and I like it.

5/3/05

Wow. Today marks the release date of the 10th anniversary edition of the Disney Animated Feature, Pocahontas. What’s one of the biggest selling points besides being another great addition to any Disney fan’s animation library? The seamless integration of a new animated segment! I don’t really remember having any feelings one way or the other about “Human Again” in the Beauty and the Beast Special Edition, but when The Lion King Special Edition did this, I was a little pissy because I love the moment where Zazu is cowering in fear and Simba tackles him. I thought it was great. But then they replace it with a song from the Broadway musical (“The Morning Report”) that, while seamlessly integrated, just removes the comedic moment and doesn’t work for me. But Pocahontas had an original sequence and song that didn’t make the final cut. “If I Never Knew You”, an evocatively emotional love ballad between Pocahontas and a captured and soon to be executed John Smith. The accompaniment remained behind the scene, but the song was deemed to…ostentatious or something and remained only as a pop ballad over the credits. The real treat though was in 1996 with the release of the compact disc “Best of Country Sing Best of Disney” which contained a wonderful rendition of the song by Hal Ketchum & Shelby Lynne. Now I don’t know whether Mel Gibson and Judy Kuhn recorded the song back in 1995 (although that is the more likely) or if they were brought back into the studio recently, but I gotta tell you, it looks and sounds absolutely beautiful.