Did you get a chance to watch Disney‘s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray yet? Isn’t it amazing? You might recall how I gushed about it in my review. Well, my feelings haven’t changed. I think it’s in the running for disc of the year. Great feature, great transfer, great extras. All available for a pretty great price (still only $19.99 at Amazon.com!) They’re practically giving the disc away over there!

And speaking of giveaways, I’ve got a nice little Halloween present to offer a couple of you Snow White fans with iPhones. Disney’s reps have been good enough to offer me a couple of codes for the “Magic Mirror” iPhone/iPod Touch application and I’ll be giving them away tomorrow! No trick necessary for this treat. Just leave a comment below before the Witching hour tomorrow night (uh…that’s 12 midnight, I think…and let’s say Pacific time, just for s#!&$ and giggles, ok?) and I’ll pick two winners at random, to be announced early Sunday morning. Here’s the catch – the codes expire on Monday, Nov. 2nd!!! So, winners, you’ve got to get on it quickly and redeem those bad boys in the iTunes app store ASAP once you claim your prize.

CONTEST RULES:

1. Leave comment below (say anything you like)
2. 2 winners will be chosen at random from comments below
3. Contest open to all
4. Prize codes will be awarded Sunday morning, Nov. 1st!
5. Prize codes expire on Monday, Nov. 2nd!

PLEASE NOTE: iPod Touch users will need external earphones and microphone for speaking your questions to the Magic Mirror.

Inspired by one of the most iconic scenes from Walt Disney’s Original Animated Classic SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS comes Disney’s Magic Mirror for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Receive advice and answers to your questions from the all-knowing Magic Mirror by speaking or typing into your device.

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• The Magic Mirror bestows sage advice with dispassionate truth and poetic rhymes!
• Ask any question, future or present — romance, friendship, school, or work!
• Dazzling animation — just like the film!
• Type or speak your questions (microphone required for iPod touch)

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This fun and entertaining application includes state-of-art animation, official character voice and answers to almost any question!

Read more about the application or purchase it in the iTunes app store.

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UPDATE: AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Jack!

and

Lisa Morgan-Long!

You’ll both be contacted soon via email with your “Magic Mirror” code. Remember to redeem the codes quickly as they expire tomorrow!

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Stunning. Absolutely stunning. I wish I could turn back time to watch the gorgeous visual presentation of Disney‘s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray disc for the first time, all over again. Experiencing this, the first Diamond Edition release from Walt Disney Home Entertainment‘s new line of classic films on Blu-ray, was akin to feeding my hungry eyes a platter of pure 2D animated magic.

I don’t think I really need to run down the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for you, do I? (Read the full original English text by the Brothers Grimm here, if you don’t know it yet.) Disney’s interpretation is pretty much a classic by now. And though it feels it’s being told in a style that’s far from contemporary, Snow White holds up. Enough about the the story, let’s get to the meat of my commentary. Let’s talk about the Blu-ray disc itself!

Robert A. Harris, the famous film historian and preservationist responsible for restoring innumerable films like Lawrence of Arabia (in 1989), Spartacus (1991), My Fair Lady (1994), Vertigo (1996) Rear Window (1998) and more recently the Godfather films, has stated the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray disc is “…essential to any serious collection.” I’d say that’s putting it lightly. This disc is as good as home video gets. Disney has given the film, which many consider to be one of the most important in cinema history, the royal treatment. It looks and sounds absolutely terrific! The studio could have scrubbed it to the bone, removed all grain, sacrificed detail, chopped it to fit your widescreen plasma display or performed any number of operations that would have “improved” the film for modern home video audiences. Instead, they’ve allowed Lowry Digital to carefully bring the 1937 animated film to life, scanning all elements at 4K and using the same proprietary technology that has taken care of classics from The Wizard of Oz to the Star Trek TV series. I can’t imagine Blu-ray getting any better than this.

That being said, this Blu-ray presentation won’t be for everyone. There will be a portion of the audience disappointed by the warts-and-all transfer presented on the disc. There are damaged or misplaced cells within the film which cause it to appear out of focus for a time. This is fine detail that even Walt Disney wouldn’t have noticed during the creation of the film because of the lack of resolution of the Technicolor process. The studio could have digitally “corrected” this effect but chose instead to leave the work as it was created. Brilliant! Again, this is what Blu-ray should be.

By the same token, the sound on the disc is fantastic! I’m sorry for all the unadulterated raving and praise I’m showering on this release but, man, they’ve really knocked it out of the park. The 7.1 DTS-Master Audio track could have been really insulting and over the top, translating the original mono elements into some surround-sound abomination. But again, Disney provides a truly dynamic presentation while remaining true to the spirit of the original work. And just to cover all of their bases, the studio has included the original mono track, for all you purists out there.

The bonus features on the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray disc are wonderful but problematic. Let’s start with the wonder. There is so much stuff packed on to two Blu-ray discs! I spent hours combing through every nook and cranny of this thing – a commentary track hosted by historian John Canemaker and featuring comments by Walt Disney himself, deleted scenes and storyboards, short documentaries and the Hyperion Studios tour which encompasses hours upon hours of shorts (Silly Symphonies in HD!), galleries, featurettes and audio snippets. And don’t even get me started about the creepy “Magic Mirror” which greets you every time you put the disc in. That thing will talk to you about the time of day, the weather outside, how many times you’ve watched the disc…Brrr…Creepy…

What I didn’t like about the extras was the Hyperion Studios tour navigation and the fact that Disney has failed to include all of the bonus features from the 2001 DVD release. In order to watch the features buried within the Hyperion tour (and they are multitudinous!) , the disc forces you to navigate your way through a maze of “rooms” within the studio. So, say for instance that I wanted to watch the “Steamboat Willy” short (Did I mention that all the Silly Symphonies are in HD! SILLY SYMPHONIES IN HD!!! “THE OLD MILL”, “FLOWERS AND TREES”, “GODDESS OF SPRING” AND MORE IN HD!!!! … You should really just stop reading now and run out and buy this disc.) I’d have to find my way over to the “Sound Stage” before selecting it. This is a drag. By the same token, I found it annoying that there wasn’t a “Play All” button that would have just taken me on the tour, allowing me to sit back and enjoy all the contents. I found myself having to press play on a new feature at least every few minutes. Hell, some of the little nuggets of information, like “Stories from the Camera Department” are less than 60 seconds long!

From what I can tell, this new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray is missing a few critical features from the 2001 DVD. Most critically a 40-minute documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury and more abandoned and deleted scenes. It’s a shame we’re all going to have to hold on to our old DVDs to have everything. I mean, the feature is the thing here and it is glorious. But this would have been a perfect disc for me, if Disney had made it a bit more comprehensive. Seriously, ditch the Tiffany Thorton music video (Who the hell is Tiffany Thorton anyway?) and give me more deleted scenes!

One final gripe – the packaging. I live for this stuff. I love Blu-ray and home video. And despite my familiarity with these sorts of things I found the dual package marketing strategy baffling. It took me ages to figure out that Disney was offering the same contents in two completely different packages, targeted at two different audiences. One release is in standard Blu-ray packaging, implying that the DVD included in the package is a bonus. The other release is in standard DVD packaging and strongly implies that the Blu-ray content is the bonus. ARGHH!! What a frustrating thing to do to your customers, Disney! I mean, I get it. I understand what the goal is but there’s got to be a better way. Just saying.

NOTE: The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray disc is only $9.99 at Amazon.com at the moment (Oct. 6, 2009.) Use the code “snowhite” to get $10 off their already amazingly low price!

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We’re only a few weeks away from getting our hands on Disney‘s Snow White on Blu-ray. Based upon the studio’s work on their Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio discs, we can expect great things. And now we have even more to look forward to. Disney has given us a look at what we can expect from their premium Diamond Collection line of Blu-ray discs all the way up to 2016!! 2010 will bring us Fantasia and Beauty and the Beast (as well as Fantasia 2000), continuing forward at a rate of two titles per year with The Lion King, Bambi, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians and more. More details in the press release below:

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 10 — (D23 Expo) — Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announced the launch of the new Diamond Collection today at the D23 Expo. Diamond Collection is the definitive collection of the Walt Disney Studios most historic and beloved animated classics that will debut on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

Beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on October 6, the Diamond Collection comprises an additional 13 of Disney’s most treasured titles, including: Beauty and the Beast; Fantasia and Fantasia 2000; The Lion King; Bambi; Cinderella; Lady and the Tramp; The Little Mermaid; Peter Pan; The Jungle Book; 101 Dalmatians; Sleeping Beauty; and Pinocchio.

“Walt Disney’s gift of telling captivating and engaging stories was matched only by his passion for presenting them in the most spectacular way,” commented The Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook. “We are proud to continue his pursuit of excellence with ‘The Diamond Collection,’ which brings the films that are the foundation of our Company to audiences of all ages across the globe.”

As part of the new Diamond Collection criteria, each film will be thoroughly restored to the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented levels of interactivity, personalization and customization only made possible by Blu-ray technology. The Disney Diamond Collection will represent a major transformation of the home entertainment industry providing families with more engaging, entertaining experiences than any other format.

Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment adds, “Because today’s family rooms are more technologically-advanced and consumer expectations are higher than ever, we are excited to announce the launch of the Diamond Collection. We believe that the collection offers consumers the opportunity to enjoy these timeless classics like never before, and underlines Disney’s commitment to continue to bring the best quality product and immersive experiences in to the home.”

Kicking off the new worldwide collection in October will be Walt Disney’s first full-length animated feature film, the one that started it all, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Two titles will be selected each year, including Beauty and the Beast and Fantasia in 2010, as Blu-ray Diamond editions, each title will be released from the Disney vault for a limited time.

The new Diamond Collection takes full advantage of the newest breakthroughs in film restoration to exhibit these movies in Blu-ray Hi-Def, ensuring each film is digitally enhanced from their original negatives providing for the first time ever a pristine 1080p picture and Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound.

WDSHE is updating each Diamond Collection disc to contain newly branded features that offer a more immersive, user-friendly experience that will keep families entertained for hours. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ‘Diamond’ treatment includes:

Hyperion Studios, a ‘Backstage Disney’ feature, which allows audiences to be digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand the Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built and where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark experiencing life at Hyperion Studios back in the 1930′s. This “Backstage Disney” feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney’s gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.

The Magic Mirror offers ‘Smart Navigation’, using the latest in Blu-ray technology, the iconic Magic Mirror guides the audience through the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition features with ease serving as the “host” for an incredibly immersive experience. The Mirror will recognize viewing patterns, knows where the audience has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This marks the first use of artificial intelligence in a Disney Blu-ray release and provides viewers the control to personally create a customized Snow White experience.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall is one of ‘Disney’s Family Play’ features, through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer with a series of questions, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone. Additional Family Play features include, What Do You See? an interactive game, where players must untangle scrambled images and Jewel Jumble a game where jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine must be put in order to win the game.

About Disney’s New Blu-ray Diamond Collection:

The new Blu-ray Diamond Collection represents The Walt Disney Studio’s most prestigious animated classics. The Blu-ray Diamond Edition Discs will be comprised of 14 of Walt Disney’s most treasured animated classic titles to be released through 2016. These titles represent the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented levels of interactivity, personalization and customization, only made possible by Blu-ray technology.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the third in Disney‘s line of amazing high definition releases of popular films from their library of animated classics. If this, their first animated feature, is given anywhere near the love and care that their previous Blu-ray releases received, it might just be considered definitive. I’m not sure how they could improve on what they accomplished with their Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio discs. October 6th can’t come soon enough.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
(October 6, 2009 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Special Features:

• Disney View
• Snow White Returns Storyboards
• Audio Commentary with Walt Disney
• Princess and the Frog Sneak Peek
• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Game
• What Do You See Game
• Jewel Jumble Game
• Scene Stealer Activity
• Hyperion Studios
• The One That Started It All- featurette (Walt’s Vision of a sequel)
• All New Music Video, Someday My Prince Will Come by Sonny with a Chance Star Tiffany Thornton
• Also includes bonus features from original DVD release

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