Sleeping Beauty (Fully Restored Limited Edition) (Walt Disney's Masterpiece)

Sleeping Beauty is considered one of Disney's most artistically beautiful films, and the new Platinum Edition 2 Disc DVD release is a fitting new polishing of the Disney gem. The story is about Princess Aurora, who was cursed as a baby by the evil witch Maleficent due to the fact that she was not invited to the christening. Fated to an eternal sleep upon reaching the age of 16, she is given somewhat of a reprieve by one of the Good Fairies who bestows upon Aurora the blessing of being reawakened by true love's kiss. The 3 Good Fairies (Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna) take Aurora into the woods as a baby and raise her as Briar Rose in order to keep her away from Maleficent, hopefully avoiding the curse in the first place. However, on the crest of her 16th birthday, Aurora happens to meet Prince Phillip and naturally falls in love. Neither knows the true identity of the other and that their kingdoms have already decreed that they marry each other. When she is returned to her parents, the King & Queen, Aurora is upset that she cannot marry her boyfriend from the woods, and instead, must marry a Prince she has not met (as far as she knows). Maleficent finds the Princess and carries out her original curse. Can Prince Philip save the Princess with true love's kiss?The film looks and sounds spectacular. Shot in Super Technirama 70, the widescreen (2.55:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs) film has been restored using state-of-the-art technology, and will fill up your speakers with its 5.1 enhanced home theater mix. For purists, the restored original theater track is also included. Either way you choose, Mary Costa (the voice of Aurora) sounds incredible. It would be hard to imagine anyone else vocalizing the Princess with such warmth and beauty. Eleanor Audley also deserves kudos for her vocalization of the evil Maleficent. She is definitely one of the most scary and memorable Disney characters.This project was special to Walt; it was the last feature based on a fairy-tale (until 1989's "Little Mermaid"). Since the studio had already done a similar tale with "Snow White," Walt wanted to make it different by adding a classical music inspired Tchaikovsky score and giving the film a less cartoony and more artistic visual representation. Breaking all box-office records, this film succeeded on all levels.And the extras...wow! On Disc One, in addition to the feature, you get:*Music & More: "Once Upon A Dream" music video performed by Hannah Montana's Emily Osment, who updates the song with a pop rock beat* Disney Song Selection: Instantly access your favorite songs from the movie* Backstage Disney includes audio commentary for the film (John Lasseter, film critic Leonard Maltin, and Disney animator Andreas Déja), Princess Fun Facts (pop-up trivia fact option while watching the movie), "Grand Canyon" short (1959 Oscar winner for best short subject film and features the music of Ferde Grof's "Grand Canyon Suite"), and The Peter Tchaikovsky Story. The Peter Tchaikovsky story was featured on the 1959 Walt Disney Presents anthology. It was a historic telecast due to the fact that home viewers could listen in true-stereophonic sound, by turning on two additional radios with ABC simulcast of the necessary stereophonic channels. Disney explains the process at the beginning of the featurette. You can choose between this version and the version that replaces Disney's explanation. Although the featurette was first broadcast in black and white, it was shot in color. The remaining color footage is here on this DVD set.* Naturally, there are trailers/promos for other Disney films, including the upcoming theatrical release "Princess & The Frog" and the next Platinum Edition DVD release, "Pinocchio."Extras on Disc 2:Games & Activities:* Briar Rose's Enchanted Dance Game: Learn to Waltz, taking on the role of Princess Aurora or Prince Phillip.* "Sleeping Beauty" Fun With Language Game. This one is definitely for VERY young children who must identify the most basic of words using visuals from the film.Backstage Disney:* Picture Pefect: The Making Of "Sleeping Beauty" (43:32) A wonderful documentary detailing the making of the movie. Features interviews with animators and Mary Costa, who is still beautiful today. Watching this will definitely enhance your appreciation for this movie as the artistic masterpiece that it is.* Eyvind Earle: The Man and His Art (7:33) is about the man responsible for the artistic backgrounds and overall look of the film. Disney stepped up everyone's game at the animation studio by having Earle oversee the design. Features interviews with Alice Davis and John Canemaker.* Alternate Opening (3:28) is recreated with storyboards and sketches. After viewing this, I'd say they made the right decision, as the music intended for this sequence was more pop-oriented and not fitting the classical Tchaikovsky score.* 3 Deleted Songs* 8 Art Galleries, including visual design, character development, storyboards, publicity, and a detailed look at the Storybook featured in the film's opening,* Original Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough attraction, unseen for years, presented in a virtual digital recreation which is BREATHTAKING. Almost like being at Disneyland. "Tour" it yourself, or with host Tony Baxter explaining your tour as you go through. There is also a featurette explaining the history of the walkthrough.* Sequence 8 (Forest Scene) (5:30) is a featurette that shows the detail and labor that went into this sequence put together by Disney's famous "Nine Old Men." This sequence alone cost the studio over $10,000. It is also interesting to note that only about 8 drawings were able to be done per day because of the precision required; considering it takes 24 to make a second of film, well...you do the math.* Publicity features 3 trailers (teaser, original 1959, and 1995 re-release)* "Four Artists Paint One Tree" (16:08) is a 1958 featurette that has four Disney artists (Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle, Joshua Meador, and Walt Peregoy) painting the same tree, each showing their own personal style. Walt Disney himself encourages each to "be themselves." An excellent lesson for budding young artists.* Storyboard sequences* Live-action reference footage. See three of the black and white films that were shot to aid the animators. Especially fun to watch is the sequence where Prince Phillip fights the dragon.For those wanting the Blu-ray, here is the exclusive content:* Maleficent's Challenge - Go head to head with one of Disney's most infamous villains. Think of anything in the world and Maleficent will read your mind.*Dragon Encounter - The ultimate audio experience utilizing Blu-ray high-definition 7.1 or 5.1 audio quality. Explore Maleficent's dungeon in a fully-immersive audio sensory adventure like you've never experienced before. Deep in the bowels of Maleficent's dungeon a dragon encounter awaits.*Cine-Explore - An all new Cine-Explore experience with full motion Picture-in-Picture featuring commentary by John Lasseter, Andreas Deja & Leonard Maltin.*Restoring The Sound Track - This featurette covers the creation of the all new 7.1 mix of the score of Sleeping Beauty that was done exclusively for this Blu-ray release using the source tapes from the original recording sessions resulting in an audio experience of superior quality with greater detail and fidelity than before.*Customized Living Menu - This menu is exclusive to Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc owners only. It is a "real time" virtual castle that magically changes based on the viewer's location, time of day and current weather forecast (requires Live enabled players). If preferred, viewers will also have the ability to manually change the castle's weather to match any of the Magic Kingdom Castles around the world.*Disney BD-Live Network - The Disney BD-Live Network is just one of the many ways viewers can continue to stay connected and engage in their favorite movies.*Movie Chat - Communicate with your remote friends on-screen while in a synchronized viewing party using your remote control or any text enabled device such as a laptop, desk top or any PDA device such as a Blackberry, iPhone or most other regular cell phones. Your chat session will appear over the movie and occur in real-time while watching the movie together.*Movie Mail - Record a personalized video message of themselves, superimpose that capture onto one of many pre-selected clips of the movie, and send it off to a friend, colleague, or relative. This specific feature enables the Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc owner to personalize a special greeting.*Movie Challenge - Test your skills against other players in a synchronized, real-time, online trivia game while watching Sleeping Beauty with anyone online. Movie Challenge is always active no matter what time of the day it is, and there will always be a game in progress.*Disney Movie Rewards Live - Accumulate Disney Movie Reward Points by participating in many Disney BD-Live Network activities. Viewers can redeem points for exclusive content such as Avatars, downloadable extras and more.*A DVD of Sleeping Beauty -Blu-ray owners will also receive a special bonus DVD of the movie!What a set! Definitely not to be missed for your Disney home movie collection.

I can’t wait to show this to my grant granddaughter. She going love it

5 STARS (HIGHEST RATING): THE MOVIE, THE MONEY, & THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY DVD:"Sleeping Beauty" (1959) marked a stunning departure from the usual "house style" of animation at Disney Studios. The Disney Version, principally designed by artistic genius Eyvind Earle, is most definitely set in an enchanted, 14th Century, Medieval Kingdom. Earle gets his own DVD featurette entitled "Eyvind Earle: The Man And His Art." Legend has it that "Sleeping Beauty" took six years to create (but according to the new 2008 "Picture Perfect: The Making Of Sleeping Beauty" DVD Documentary, the film was actually in various stages of development for nearly a decade) at a cost of $6 Million Dollars. And, for once, you can see every penny up on the screen. (The 2008 DVD release has an even "wider" Widescreen aspect than the 2003 release). Everything is so detailed and lush, it adds up to an addictive movie experience that invites multiple viewings. Pefection came at a heavy price; both financially and personally. Walt Disney himself spared no expense to have Tchikovsky's stirring musical score recorded at a Stereophonic Studio in Germany, and that had nothing to do with the actual animation! Upon first release, the film made an impressive $3 million, but that was only half its cost. Nevertheless, the film won prophetic and instant praise as "an unmatched vision of pagentry and adventure." Certainly, the film has now made back its cost with theatrical re-issues, video, DVD, and Blue-Ray releases. Many artists in addition to Eyvind Earle labored on "Sleeping Beauty." Sequence director Eric Larson worked on the infamous Sequence 8 (Princess Aurora meets Prince Phillip in the forest) for well over a year. When that sequence alone cost $10,000 Disney fired Larson from "Sleeping Beauty" and put him to work on "101 Dalmations." Disney later told Larson that animated features (Once, Disney's bread and butter) were just too expensive and might well bankrupt the studio. By the mid-1950's, Walt Disney's time and interests were occupied with opening Disneyland theme park, live-action movies and "The Mickey Mouse Club" TV Show." Disneyland opened in 1955. In 1957, Walt Disney was wise enough to promote "Sleeping Beauty" with a park attraction two years before the film's release. The original "Sleeping Beauty" Attraction is recreated as a "Virtual Walk-Through" DVD Bonus Feature. Disney was determined not to (exactly) repeat his own fairy-tale past. Although visually sophisticated, the film tells the story in straightforward fashion. "Sleeping Beauty" is blessedly free of the "comic bits of business, tricks" and "story padding" found in "Snow White" and "Cinderella." Three tiny good faeries named Flora, Fauna and Merriweather attempt to save Princess Aurora from the curse of "Mistress Of All Evil" Malificent, voiced with chilling authority by Eleanor Audley (who also voiced Lady Tremine, the abusive Stepmother of "Cinderella"). A nice case of "mistaken identity" is also employed in the narrative. When Phillip (voiced by Bill Shirley) and Aurora meet in the forest, he thinks she is a peasant girl. Aurora falls in love with him not knowing that he is the Prince she has been betrothed to since birth. Indeed, she (going by the name Briar Rose) does not yet know she is really Princess Aurora at all. While the "Prince Charmings" in "Snow White" and "Cinderella" are bland afterthoughts; essentially footnotes to the plot, Prince Phillip takes an extremely active role in saving both Aurora and his Kingdom from Malificent. She hisses, "Now you shall deal with me, Oh Prince, and all the Powers Of HELL", as she transforms herself into a fire-spewing dragon. What follows is one of the most thrilling and nightmarish battles of good vs. evil in cinema history. Prince Phillip just barely survives, but he emerges as a strong and hunky hero we can be proud. True, Aurora herself takes a back seat to the faeries, Malificent, and Prince Phillip. But critics who complain about Aurora's secondary role should remember that, in the original fairy-tale, the title Princess does FAR LESS! Whereas Snow White is depicted as an innocent child, Aurora is very much a lovely young woman who is clearly ready for the romance she longs for. And she is beautifully voiced by soprano Mary Costa. Animators John Lasseter, Andreas Deja, and "Entertainment Tonight's" Leonard Maltin provide lively and informative Audio Commentary that is far superior to the grim and dreary tone of the Commentary on the 2003 DVD release. Among other things, we learn that Eleanor Audley initally turned down the choice role of Malificent because she was battling tuberculosis. Fortunately, she eventually felt better enough to do the voice recordings. "Sleeping Beauty" was also the last feature to be completely drawn, inked, and painted by hand. Afterwards, the Studio moved to the less expensive Xerox process for the modern-day story of "101 Dalmations." I find "Sleeping Beauty" to be an absolutely hypnotic and mesmerizing film; one that should be cherished forever. On the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, I hope it is finally regarded as an apex in animation and the Crown Jewel of Disney's fairy-tale features."Sleeping Beauty" is one of a kind, and the last one of its kind.

SLEEPING BEAUTY [1959/2014] [Diamond Edition] [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD] [US Release] Treasure Animated Classic Brought to Life like Never Before! One of Walt Disney’s Most Elaborate and Engaging Animated Features!Fall under the glorious spell of Disney's Ultimate Princess Fairy Tale! The magic is real as you experience all the pageantry and power on Blu-ray – and for the first time ever on Digital HD – with incredible high-definition picture and thrilling, soaring sound!Beauty, wonder and adventure spin together in a grand legend that transcends time as Maleficent, one of animation's most spectacular villains, sends the kingdom's beloved Princess Aurora into an enchanted sleep. In a majestic story that awakens all your senses, Good Fairies arm brave Prince Phillip to defeat a fearsome fire-breathing dragon and rescue Aurora. But success in battle may not be enough, for the only way to awaken the Princess is with True Love's kiss!Create memories that will last a lifetime with Disney's illustrious ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ a must-own for every family's classic collection! Narrated by Marvin MillerFILM FACT: ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ marked the first animated feature to be shot in Super Technirama 70mm, a technique that exposes images onto double 35mm frames, which are then processed on a 70mm print. The film was printed on special printer lenses developed for Disney by Panavision. The format, which allows the film to move horizontally through the camera instead of vertically and provides a greater range of vision, required the artists to move the characters through a large field of action via intricate mathematical calculations, and to create new colour schemes.Voice Cast: Marvin Miller (Narrator voice) (uncredited), Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, Bill Thompson, Bill Amsbery (uncredited), Candy Candido (uncredited), Pinto Colvig (uncredited), Rosa Crosby (uncredited), Dal McKennon (uncredited), Thurl Ravenscroft (Singer voice) (uncredited)Directors: Clyde Geronimi (supervising director), Eric Larson, Les Clark and Wolfgang ReithermanProducer: Walt DisneyScreenplay: Bill Peet, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright, Ted Sears, Winston Hibler, Erdman Penner (story adaptation) and Charles Perrault (story "Sleeping Beauty")Composer: George Bruns (score), Jack Lawrence (score), Tom Adair (songs) and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (adaptation)Video Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1 [Super Technirama 70mm]Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English: Original Stereo Theatrical Mix, French: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese: 5.1 Dolby Digital and Russian: 5.1 Dolby DigitalSubtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese and RussianRunning Time: 75 minutesRegion: Blu-ray: All Regions and DVD: NTSCNumber of discs: 2Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home EntertainmentAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ was originally made available in 2008 by way of the 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition Blu-ray release, which was such grand treatment on Blu-ray is only befitting of the labour of love that ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ became from the Walt Disney Studio in the 1950s. The film's production spanned almost the entire decade, beginning with story concept work in 1951 and ending in 1959 with the film's theatrical release. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was a great strain on the studio's finances, especially from its concept and of course its manpower. It cost so much, in fact over $6 million, that even though it was a box office success upon its release, the animation film still did not recoup its production costs on its initial run. Since then, however, ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY,’ has become a most profitable property for the Walt Disney Company, as its nearly 50-year legacy has touched generations of filmgoers...I'm sure I'm not the first to make the observation that the villains of Disney's animated features are often more interesting than their heroes and heroines. Think of Cruella de Vil in '101 DALMATIONS,' the Wicked Witch of 'SNO WHITE,' or the Beast of 'Beauty and the Beast,' and it's easy to savour all of the cruel wickedness far more than the blandly-vanilla sweetness. Nowhere may this be more true than with ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY,’ a perfectly fine fable in the Disney canon, but one where its titular Princess Aurora and her romantic melodrama are overshadowed by the vividly drawn supporting characters, and particularly the delightfully-demonic Maleficent. ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ is one where all of the story and character elements all come together in letting us see how the Disney's technical artistry create something truly special.By now the story of ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ is known by just about anyone who ever had a fairy tale read to them as a child. Based on the first section of Charles Perrault's short story "La Belle au Bois Dormant" and published as part of Perrault's 1697 book "The Tales of My Mother Goose." It's only fair to Disney to say the source material is slim at best. Culled from a mere four paragraphs from Perrault, the tale is quite straightforward and simplistic. Running a brilliant 75 minutes, and the film shows all aspects of its main human characters, which are generic at best. The villain, Maleficent, energises the film, and even the animal characters seem more, well, animated. The real beauty of ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY,’ is in the stunning details, its supporting characters, its wondrous visual acumen, its memorable songs and its beautifully-rendered animation.‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ is remembered as much, if not more, for its sights and sounds. 'Sleeping Beauty' was produced at a crucial period in American cinema, as television was sweeping the nation and moviegoers were rapidly abandoning the theatre seats for the comfort of their couches. Like all of the major studios at the time, Walt Disney was looking for something new to attract its dwindling audiences. ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ was the first Disney feature to adopt many technological advances of the time, including 70mm (Super Technirama 70) and six-track audio. The film is also a widescreen beauty, composed in 2.55:1, and produced in three-strip Technicolor. It is also the last hand-drawn Disney feature to be inked entirely by human hands.The result is that there is much to savour and admire in ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY.’ The film is absolutely and undeniably beautiful and its animation is as splendid as any of the unquestionable classics in the Disney pantheon, including 'SNOW WHITE,' 'CINDERELLA' and 'BAMBI.' Marking a further creative departure from past Disney features; ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ has a more arch and defined visual style. Next to the Barbie-like Aurora and angular evil of Maleficent, the plump Snow White seems positively cherubic by comparison. The colour palette, too, is darker and more foreboding. The forest is teeming with menace, thanks to the use of rich, deep purples, green, and reds that are gorgeously realised. The contrast with the far more cheery world of Aurora is also thematically ripe, adding a suggestion of complexity to a story that is greatly in need of depth.With its action and intensity, ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ is also more aggressive than some previous Disney features. The climactic battle to lift the curse that imprisons the slumbering Aurora, between Prince Philip and an awesome dragon Maleficent, is quite suspenseful and visceral, enough that I'm sure it has scared the out of many small children over the years. The reign of misery that Maleficent and her shadow self/raven Diablo cast upon the kingdom is also no child's play. There is a heft to the darkness in 'Sleeping Beauty' that further helps to off-set the clichéd and conventional aspects of its romantic confections.‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ may have a plain story, but its strengths are in its spectacle and its select memorable moments and characters. Maleficent is superbly designed, and brought to smooth, scheming life by the excellent voice work of Eleanor Audley. Even her raven sidekick has a pronounced personality, becoming a creature the viewer just loves to hate. Aurora and Phillip's initial meeting and courtship in a highly stylized forest setting is probably the film's most memorable sequence. If not that, then certainly the thrilling climactic battle between Phillip and Maleficent, transformed into an awesome and gorgeously evil dragon. Every turn of a head is carefully drawn and choreographed, and every corner of the screen is filled with luxuriant detail. All of it, down to the last leaf, tapestry, or rocky crag, shines through in this totally beautiful stunning in this high definition Blu-ray release. “It is truly a sight to behold."Blu-ray Video Quality – ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ has received a wonderful and stunning 1080p encoded offering of a beautiful transfer restoration, with at last framed at 2.55:1, showing more area at the top/bottom and sides of the picture than ever seen before). According to a provided Disney's press materials, 'Sleeping Beauty' has undergone a meticulous frame-by-frame clean-up, culled from the original nitrate negative and requiring years to complete. The result is clearly superior to any video or theatrical, for that matter, presentation seen before. If this is indicative of Disney's future Platinum Series presentations, fans are in for a treat. The source is just about impeccable, with no traces of dirt or blemishes. Blacks are pure, with little of the print fluctuations that usually plague material of this vintage. Contrast is vibrant but retains a film-like look, and there is no faux-digitisation of the image. The originally, already-brilliant Technicolor palette is superior and, in some cases, greatly improved over the previous DVD version. Darker scenes, such as night-time forest scenes and those with Maleficent boast much cleaner and deeper purples, reds and blues. And thanks to the wonders of digital technology, the often disastrous misalignment of three-plate Technicolor is absent here, so the image is always uniform. Detail and sharpness also receive a noticeable boost. The image is three-dimensional, with appreciable depth and excellent clarity even in the most detailed shots. Shadow delineation sees a jump over the inferior DVD release, such as fine textures of Aurora's clothing or minor details in background plates which are now clearly visible rather than vague mush. It's also no surprise that this is a rock-solid encode, with no apparent edge enhancement or motion artefacts.Blu-ray Audio Quality – Going above and beyond the audio usually offered on re-masters of classic titles, Disney offers a stunning awesome 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track for 'Sleeping Beauty.' It's an excellent beautiful remix, with the studio utilizing newly-discovered 35mm 3-track recordings. Certainly, ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ has never sounded better. It also offers the Original Stereo Theatrical Mix. ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ has been expanded nicely to 7.1. The rear soundstage is nice and full, with the original sound stems utilized to create truly discrete effects that pan smoothly between channels. I did not notice any great exploitation of the two extra surround channels, but certainly the surrounds are full and alive with sound. Minor ambiance is also nicely sustained, particularly during the outdoor and action-y moments. Clarity and depth to dynamic range is full-bodied, with the elements betraying their nearly 50-year age. Low bass is also deep and tight, but not overpowering. The score is also technically impeccable, with a richness I wasn't expecting from the original older title release. All spoken words are very clean and very nicely pronounced. As with this Blu-ray release, Disney has more than earned the Platinum designation with this 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio upgrade.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Special Feature: 3 Deleted Scenes (Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes) [1080p] [13:00] Here we have three new, never before seen deleted scenes like:“The Fair” (with deleted character The Vulture) In this version of the story, the fairies do not take the Princess to live with them in the forest. Convinced that King Stefan’s order to burn all the spinning wheels in the kingdom will not prevent Maleficent’s curse, the good fairies put a magic circle around the castle and cast a spell: ‘No evil thing that walks or flies or creeps or crawls can ever pass these castle walls.’“The Curse is Fulfilled” The three good fairies have just returned Aurora to the castle and give her a crown. They leave the room to give Aurora some time alone…but Maleficent pays her a visit.“Arrival of Maleficent” (Alternate Scene) Maleficent arrives uninvited to the christening of the Princess Aurora.All three items are presented by way of original storyboards, narration and newly recorded voice work.Special Feature: Once Upon a Parade [2014] [1080p] [9:00] Modern Family's Sarah Hyland shares the fairy tale "history" of Walt Disney World's new “Festival of Fantasy” Parade with a small group of young Disney tourists and how the “Festival of Fantasy” Parade was saved by a quick-thinking peasant girl, whom she plays in the story. “Once Upon a Parade” stars the amazing Sarah Hyland from ABC’s “Modern Family”, and we had a fantastic time working on the project. I’m not certain I know a bigger fan of the Disney Parks than Sarah? Check out this video, where Sarah talks about the project, her passion for all things Disney!Special Feature: The Art of Evil: Generations of Disney Villains [1080p] [10:00] Animators Lino DiSalvo [‘FROZEN’] and Andreas Deja [‘ALADDIN’ and ‘The Lion King’] share memories of their favourite Disney villains and discuss the keys to creating memorable antagonists, all while looking back at the career, contributions and iconic characters of classic Disney animator, Marc Davis [‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’], among many others, who appears via vintage interview snippets.Special Feature: @DisneyAnimation: Artists in Motion (Extended Edition) [1080p] [4:00] Join Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee as she goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper. In this extended edition, we go deeper into Britney Lee’s process. I thought this particular item was a complete load of old rubbish and a total waste of time!Special Feature: Beauty-Oke: Once Upon a Dream [1080p] [3:00] A dynamic sing-along for "Once Upon a Dream."Classic Bonus Features:Special Feature: The Sound Of Beauty: Restoring A Classic [1080p] [11:00] Presented in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, this stunning feature, where we sit down with Randy Thornton and Terry Porter, the sound restoration technicians that worked on the film's [2008 50th Anniversary Edition] sound mix. As the men point out with "before and after" comparisons, the lack of compression has yielded hidden intricacies of the soundtrack that have been lost for decades. As Walt Disney Music President Chris Montan makes clear, the difference is quite audible, and it makes the luscious experience of the film that much better, with sound and music to match the picture.Special Feature: Picture Perfect: The Making of Sleeping Beauty [2008] [1080p] [44:00] The centrepiece of this making-of special fresh documentary, mixes newly-discovered production footage, vintage interview material with Walt Disney, and new chats with Disney historians, animators and industry luminaries, especially among them is PIXAR's John Lasseter. It nicely encapsulates the production troubles that befell 'SLEEPING BEAUTY,' which at the time represented a considerable cost investment for Disney, as well as a shift in the studio's animation techniques, among them being the fact that this was their last hand-inked feature. Kudos to Disney for not whitewashing the story and details of wild cost overruns and internal politics are not discarded, which makes for really fascinating viewing.Special Feature: Eyvind Earle: A Man and His Art [1080p] [8:00] Focuses squarely on the life and career of Sleeping Beauty's most talented art director Eyvind Earle who directly painted or at least supervised the production of every single background seen in the film, with incredible amounts of detail crammed into every angle.Audio Commentary: Commentary is with PIXAR guru John Lasseter, film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, and Disney animator Andreas Deja: The trio offers a nice balance of perspective. Deja illustrates the technical aspects and changes in animation styles that 'SLEEPING BEAUTY' ushered in, as well as some behind-the-scenes Disney politics; Maltin gives his typical lavish spin on the film's legacy within the Disney canon, while John Lasseter is the most persuasive in detailing the lasting influence the film has had on the medium. Before the audio commentary starts, you get to actually see Andreas Deja, John Lasseter and Leonard Maltin in the studio with a short introduction before the start of their very nice and interesting audio commentary in conjunction with the film. You also get other original audio snippets from Walt Disney and some of the original cartoonist.Blu-ray Sneak Previews: Disney 101 Dalmatians [Diamond Edition]; Maleficent; Disney FROZEN Sing-Along Edition; Disney PLANES: Fire & Rescue and Disney Legend of The Neverbeast.Finally, this ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ 2014 Diamond Edition release is filled with endless features and bonus footage taken right from the Disney Vault that’s sure to excite viewers of all ages; the ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ set includes an all new making-of documentary. Plus, it takes you further inside the pre and post-production process, serving up an alternate opening, and it is a beautiful celebration of Tchaikovsky as well as the Disney artists, along with countless other snippets that have never before been seen. This 50th Anniversary Diamond Edition is a veritable set that is a definite “once upon a dream” for lovers of all things Disney and especially their magical animation feature films and the treasure trove. Although, this new 2014 Diamond Edition has the same brilliant digital presentation as the 2008 Blu-ray edition, the biggest flaw is the bonus content, which sadly the Disney people have decided to drop some of the special extras from this 2014 Blu-ray release. So if you happen to own the 2008 edition, hold on to that. But if you aren't a fan of supplements or feel this will be a better upgrade, fell free to indulge in this new edition of a delightful Disney animation classic. Watching the film again, I was also struck by its script. Much of the dialogue is extremely poetic, which simply adds to the film’s overall mystique. Most animated films do not have particularly outstanding dialogue, but are just well-plotted. Sleeping Beauty not only has wonderful dialogue, but also improves on the overall plotting of the original piece, by reworking the original story and having Aurora and Phillip meet and fall in love before Aurora is put to sleep my Maleficent’s curse. There is simply so much here to appreciate, from the great script, outstanding voice talent, brilliant animation, the wonderful song “Once Upon a Dream” that always stays with you, and the Tchaikovsky score that is perfectly fitted to the film, despite having been composed decades before the animation film’s conception. ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ is truly a masterpiece and one of the best of the Disney classics. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film FanLe Cinema ParadisoWARE, United Kingdom

Compared to todays Pixar films Sleeping Beauty seems old fashioned with a very basic cartoon drawings. However it brought back memories of watching this film when I was younger. Some wonderful scenes with the fairy godmothers changing colours of Sleeping Beauty's dress. Not many songs in this film but still worth watching again all these years later. I'm not sure it will hold the attention of my grandchildren but I'll try putting it on for them soon and see what they think

The film itself isn't one of my favourite Disney ones, but i am a fan of the Princess stories and i'm building my disney collection up :'). I'd say that considering i brought a platinum edition version and it's a disney classic, the price was okay, although i do think overall it's a little expensive for just one dvd. However the copy itself was new and arrived within the estimated delivery dates.

Studied tales still enthralled by versions &afsptions by differing culturesZ.As this had 4 stars consistently the assumption is one of quality.Only ok good decor and effects.Banal Underwhelming

A classic, loved by me as a child and now loved by my daughter and probably in the future by her children. The 50th Anniversary edition doesnt really have any extra features however it is still well worth owning if perhaps you are upgrading your video collection as the picture and sound quality is great and its nicely boxed. Lovely to own or give as a gift