disney films

I’m always thrilled when Disney releases more of its feature animated films on Blu-ray, because I know it means the best quality picture, and I usually get to introduce my children to a film they either hadn’t seen or have forgotten about. In this case, Treasure Planet was one of my oldest son’s favorites back when it came out. It was one of the first Disney films he wanted to watch on repeat daily. He just loved the characters and was at the perfect age to get attached to them. Home on the Range was actually one of my daughter’s favorites when it was released as well. She loved the yodeling scene and the horse, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. While neither movie may have received critical acclaim and they aren’t my personal favorites, they represent a part of Disney history and certainly, like my children, built fans with their release.

That said, both films look spectacular on Blu-ray. There are some scenes that seem to just be made for this technology and the backgrounds and colors are just fantastic. The Bonus Features for Home on the Range are: Audio Commentary; animated short “A Dairy Tale: The Three Little Pigs;” 4 Deleted Scenes; Music Video; Trailblazers: The Making-of “Home on the Range;” Art Review; YodelMentary; Joke Corral: Herd of Jokes. On Treasure Planet the Bonus Features are: Deleted Scenes; RLS Legacy: Virtual 3D Tour & Treasure Hunt; DisneyPedia: The Life of a Pirate Revealed; Visual Commentary and More!

If you are looking to complete your Disney film library, of course these are must-haves, I think Home on the Range is worth it for the yodeling scene alone and Treasure Planet for the amazing space special effects scenes. They are available July 10 on Blu-ray:

Add them to your collection today!

Tin Toy the very first Pixar short I saw back in the early 1990’s when I’d attend animation festivals in Boston. I fell in love with their ability to pull you in to the story and tug at your heartstrings. Who else could show you a silly wind-up toy or a bunch of snow globes and you would suddenly feel for them and care about their situations? Since that first short film, Pixar has continued the tradition, obviously branching out into feature films but not leaving the short film medium behind. It’s wonderful to see how far they’ve come both as a company and the technology of animation itself.

With each new Disney/Pixar feature film, I anticipate the short which precedes it almost as much as the actual movie and La Luna was no exception after seeing this clip:

La Luna is visually stunning as well, a perfect appetizer for Brave, which is a feast for the eyes. There are no words spoken in La Luna, but none are needed as communication is achieved while spanning generation gaps. Just as Brave highlights the mother-daughter bond we so rarely see in Disney films, La Luna shines a light (pun intended I guess) on three generations of men: son, father, and grandfather. It is a wonderful commentary on letting children discover their own path, make their own choices, and reap the rewards of their own hard work. A simply beautiful tale, which yes, brought me to tears. (This may be because my own littlest son, Giovanni, looks so much like the little boy, Bambino, in the film, but I’d like to think it’s just that great of a short film!)

The musical score by Michael Giacchino is a perfect accompaniment, as usual. La Luna now holds my choice for best Pixar short. Directed by Enrico Casarosa and produced by Kevin Reher, La Luna appears before Brave, which opens everywhere this Friday, June 22. Enjoy!

Treasure Planet and Home on the Range Now on Blu-ray

Pixar Short “La Luna” – A Heartwarming Tale Of Generations