Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by droosan » October 8th, 2010, 8:53 am

My Beauty and the Beast: Work-In-Progress standalone U.S.-release Laserdisc rotted, as well. But I do have a japanese Laserdisc boxed-set of BatB, which contains both the original presentation and the work-in-progress version in CAV format .. and that edition still plays fine..! 8)

While I have sold-off some of my Laserdisc titles -- I've always been sure to make a 'back-up' recording of any bonus features, for myself.

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As for the Blu-ray packaging .. Ben, you can have mine, if you like; as GeorgeC says, I re-package all of my own discs, anyway.

If I don't send my original BD sleeve to you by mail, it would only end-up in a box in my storage unit.

I do tend to keep all the sleeves (though, for what purpose, I don't yet know) .. but the clamshells generally go in the recycle bin (with the exception of single-disc Amaray cases -- which I give to friends & co-workers, for use with their personal demo-reels).

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Post by Ben » October 9th, 2010, 8:11 am

Thanks Droo...sent you a PM. :)

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by Darkblade » October 9th, 2010, 9:27 am

Looks like I'm going to have to get myself a PS3 for the blu-ray in order to see this film. :)

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by Randall » October 9th, 2010, 10:54 am

droosan wrote:But I do have a japanese Laserdisc boxed-set of BatB, which contains both the original presentation and the work-in-progress version in CAV format .. and that edition still plays fine..! 8)
There are a couple of copies of this on eBay right now, and I like the look of it. Any caveats on this set, Droo? Are there any subtitles?

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by droosan » October 9th, 2010, 3:15 pm

The main feature disc does have japanese subtitles 'burned-in' (though, most of these are over the black letterboxed portion, and so don't intrude on the movie image).

But the 'work-in-progress' discs have NO subtitles. They do have selectable bilingual audio -- japanese on track 1, english on track 2). They are also, as I mentioned, in CAV format .. allowing frame-by-frame stepping, etc.

Also included is a 32-page paperback book titled The Making of Beauty and the Beast. It has japanese text only, but is profusely illustrated.

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I'd snagged my own copy of this boxed set at Anime Expo, sometime in the late 1990's. At the time, I'd kinda wondered if it wasn't a 'redundant' purchase, since I already had both the original feature and the 'work-in-progress' version on U.S.-release Laserdisc .. but it became totally 'worth-it' when I later discovered that the U.S. 'wip' LD had rotted.
Last edited by droosan on October 9th, 2010, 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by EricJ » October 9th, 2010, 3:19 pm

Darkblade wrote:Looks like I'm going to have to get myself a PS3 for the blu-ray in order to see this film. :)
There's been a bit of whining in the last week that the new 3-D upgrade has thrown off some PS3's ability to play a few of Disney's regular Blu's including the B&B features, but don't worry, Sony's working on it, and it should be fixed within a week or two--
Usually the PS3 has the most trouble-free pedigree for players, and the shortest loading times for those annoying spinning-countdowns.

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Post by Randall » October 9th, 2010, 4:58 pm

Thanks, Droo! I may just get it then, as the subs will disappear once the film is zoomed, and it'll be nice to have the original, original version again. The book sounds nice too.

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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by Bill1978 » October 9th, 2010, 5:16 pm

Great review of the Diamond Edition Ben. Even though I have Beauty in a number of formats, I've decided to definitely get this one just because of one bit of information you replied. The Beast's stutter has been returned. Not only does it bug me that they removed it in the Platinum Edition totally destroying the possible uncertaining in the Beast's conviction but on my stereo system at least, it is a very jarring noticeable edit, audially.

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Post by Randall » October 10th, 2010, 12:59 am

Just read your review, Ben--- Did I read it right that the WiP version is actually on the included DVD as well, playing full (wide)screen? And when watching the "original" version on the BD, the castle is messy again like it's supposed to be when watching the "original" version?

Sounds like the set came out pretty good, overall, considering the mistakes that could have been made.

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Post by Dacey » October 10th, 2010, 1:16 am

Gah! There are too many titles out at once right now. I still don't have "Black Cauldron" or the newest "Tinker Bell," and "How to Train Your Dragon" comes out on Friday. "Beauty & the Beast" may end up having to wait at my house. :(
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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by LotsoA113 » October 10th, 2010, 8:53 am

The Blu-Ray certainly sounds good...though I think I may just wait for Fantasia instead.

Oh and Dacey. Great new icon. It looks very nice. Love the Simpsons myself.
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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by Dacey » October 10th, 2010, 3:08 pm

Thanks, Lotso. :)

Truth be told, I've only seen a handful of episodes so far, but I thought that this one was really good. Nikki was a pretty hilarious "love interest" for Bart.
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Re: Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray

Post by LotsoA113 » October 10th, 2010, 9:26 pm

Yeah, that was a good episode. 8/10 from me. Sarah Silverman played Nikki in the episode and I've always liked her.
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Post by Ben » October 11th, 2010, 4:51 am

Thanks, Bill. :)


Rand: the WIP version on the DVD does play fullscreen (anamorphic), BUT it's not the true WIP that the LaserDisc contained or as it is shown (in a stoopid small window) on the BD. It's presented like the Platinum disc, showing the WIP workprint seamlessly branched with finalized footage from the Imax SE cut laid in, just like the Platinum disc. I got excited there for a second myself, but to see the real WIP, you need the WIP LD.

Regarding the versions, the default is the Imax SE, with the changed backgrounds at the end of Something There, leading into Human Again and then the altered cleaned-up castle. When you select the "original" version, it plays the Imax SE's first half (no noticeable changes other than cleaned up animation and tweaks) and then, when it gets to the end of Something There, there are a couple of shots with the altered backgrounds - ready to lead into Human Again - but before that begins, the film leaps to Beast in the bath tub, with a horrible cut that's replicated on the DVD. So at this point, one background and the original close up on the Beast as the water rinses him off are both changed/missing. THEN the film appears to revert to the original messy castle, at least in the scene when Beast is getting ready to meet Belle, though of course the animation still has the cleaned up Imax touches.


I should clarify my score of 9 for the main feature. I was really on the knife edge about it, since the original version naturally warrants a 10. BUT we haven't been given the true original here, and the default is the Imax SE, with the added Human Again sequence.

In short, I don't know if HA actually adds anything to the film. As it was originally intended, and if they'd worked it in as they eventually did, it might have been fine, but as it is, I've never been able to feel it felt part of the "original" movie. The fact is that is slows things down and bunches three songs (Something There, HA, Beauty And The Beast) right up against each other. That's fine in a stage show, where the songs have been added anyway, but for the film it feels like a glut of such moments, especially in balance to the first half.

Also, for me, the animation isn't quite as seamless. It looks slightly more simplistic, like it was done with a few cut corners. Oh, not by much, but it's not quite as deep as the original. And the sequence itself kind of goes off on a tangent rather than sticking with Belle and Beast just as their story is getting interesting, with too much frivolity like the wardrobe coming crashing down from a great height, etc. It just feels too "wild" and cartoony for the rest of the film.

It was nice to put it back, but to now call that the default version of the film...would that version have landed the Oscar nomination? Or might it have been called too long? Instead of B&TB being an almost perfect film, might it not instead have been called "good, but with an unnecessary song sequence?". It sustains it in retrospect because everyone loves the film, and so adding something only makes it "more", not always "better", but because it was intended originally there doesn't seem to be some big "Greedo shooting first" outcry about it.

Not that there should be, but the song was cut and replaced with Something There for the same moment. It should, in a way, be one or the other, not both. They saw the song in the stage show, liked how it was done, and went back to add material for a reissue. But then they couldn't take out a song everyone loved, so both are in there now and, as such, I don't think it helps the pacing of the movie. So that's why the score is a 9, not a perfect 10.


FINALLY, I also couldn't access the timeline clips off the Beyond Beauty documentary. I'm using, at the moment for my reviews, my bulit-in BD drive with PowerDVD. I couldn't access the same kind of formatted clips in Prince Of Persia either, but less bothered about that! However, they worked on a friend's set-top player, which is where I was able to play a couple, but anyone know why they're not automatically working? I upgraded my PowerDVD player too, but it sounds like Disney's high-tech BD authoring tinkering is giving some drives problems.

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Post by EricJ » October 11th, 2010, 1:55 pm

It was nice to put it back, but to now call that the default version of the film...would that version have landed the Oscar nomination?
(Unfortunately, in 1991, yes, but we've had that discussion before.) ;)
Or might it have been called too long? Instead of B&TB being an almost perfect film, might it not instead have been called "good, but with an unnecessary song sequence?". It sustains it in retrospect because everyone loves the film, and so adding something only makes it "more", not always "better", but because it was intended originally there doesn't seem to be some big "Greedo shooting first" outcry about it.
Seems like the number was inserted JUST as candy to get audiences to go to the IMAX revival, and "we meant to put it there" as historical justification.
Fact is, by the time a movie's already out on home theater, a theatrical revival has to come bearing gifts or not all, no matter how big or cool the screen. I didn't care for the movie to begin with, so I can't honestly say whether having that as the "default" version hurts or helps it; I would say, however, that I like the additions when they don't affect the rest of the original in general, and that I preferred a messier castle.

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