Disney DVD Question

[Ernest Rister]

The Platinum Titles are:

Snow White (1937)
Pinocchio (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Bambi (1942)
Cinderella (1950)
Peter Pan (1953)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
101 Dalmatians (1960)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Beauty and the Beast (1990)
Aladdin (1992)
The Lion King (1994)

That's 14 titles. 2 a year gives you a 7 year cycle, similar to the old theatrical distribution model.

If Disney released 4 a year, then the company's crown jewels will have been dumped on the market in a span of 42 months. I don't see that happening.

I think for the time being, we're going to see the same Platinum 2-a-year model...BUT think about all the great audio/visual wonders that await Blu-Ray outside of the Fabled 14.

In 1990, The Rescuers Down Under knocked me off my feet with its score and visuals. There has never been a decent DVD release of this title. I can't wait to see a Blu-Ray version. That's going to be a personal "must have" the moment it is announced.

Ditto The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Aside from its problematic Gargoyles, this was perhaps the most visually accomplished Disney animated feature since Sleeping Beauty, with an ambition to the staging and layouts not seen since Pinocchio. It's also a must have.

And then there's all the remaining Pixar titles (Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles), plus Tron, Tarzan, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Dumbo, Mary Poppins, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Treasure Planet, The Three Caballeros, Alice in Wonderland, The Black Cauldron (never released with 16:9 enhancement), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mulan, Hercules, Fantasia 2000, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Darby O'Gill, and scores upon scores of others.

It's more likely we're going to see 4 animated features + Disney live action catalog + 2 platinum titles every year -- like adding whipped cream and sprinkles onto a rich hot chocolate.

So even though I believe we won't be seeing 4 "Platinum" titles a year, we're going to be seeing some fantastic things from Disney Blu-Ray.

Criticism of the 7 year vault cycle is unfounded, in my opinion. Disney has been very aggressive in releasing big name titles on Blu-Ray, with vast and rich supplements. They have a massive catalog of titles outside those 14 animated cultural milestones.

Besides, does anyone else remember Disney's first year of DVD titles? True, you got 101 Dalmatians, Little Mermaid, Jungle Book, Pinocchio and Peter Pan. You also got old transfers, no 16X9 enhancements on wide-screen titles, and supplements that included "Full Color Artwork Printed on the Disc".