November 30th Releases

Tomorrow, three Disney movies are being released-a special edition disc of Fantasia/Fantasia 2000, Waking Sleeping Beauty, and The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story. The first DVD includes the 1940 Walt Disney classic Fantasia, which features animation set to classical music with brief live-action introductions between songs. This film started out as a new "comeback short" for Mickey Mouse (as audiences were beginning to get bored of the character), but as the cost of The Sorcerer's Apprentice grew, Walt Disney decided to make it into a full-length feature with other animated segments. It was a box office flop upon its initial release, but is today considered a classic.
I may be a bit biased on the topic of Fantasia, because, while I recognize the beautiful animation and music, it has never been a favorite of mine. And this is coming from Walt Disney's (arguably) number one fan. I find it a bit boring because of the lack of dialogue. I have seen it multiple times, but I can never seem to watch it all the way through because I almost fall asleep. My favorite segment, however, is The Pastoral Symphony, set to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, because it has wonderful animation and music that I can listen to.
I cannot review Fantasia 2000 because, sadly, I have never seen it. It is a sequel to Fantasia, and from what I realize, the set up is very similar. It has 8 animated segments with live-action interludes, and the pieces are all set to classical music.
On the other hand, I can't wait for Waking Sleeping Beauty! I love love love watching Disney documentaries because the behind-the-scenes information and trivia is really interesting to me. This particular documentary is about Disney animation in the mid-1980's, when the films were box office failures, and how they "regained their magic" (http://www.wakingsleepingbeautymovie.com/) when they created The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and other movies during the Disney Renaissance.

The final movie being released, The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, is also a documentary. The Sherman brothers, Robert B. and Richard M., wrote music for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The AristoCats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and The Parent Trap, as well as writing the famous song "It's a Small World (After All)". This documentary is the story of their lives and contributions to Disney films (and non-Disney films).

Well, I'll probably review these movies after Christmas, because they might just be in my stocking (wink, wink, if my parents are reading this...). Go out and buy them as soon as you can!