DVD Dossier Blog: New Releases, Street Dates, Movie Reviews and Commentary

Transplanted and Enchanted

"Enchanted," the acclaimed new family-friendly hit, will arrive on DVD March 18th from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

The film is a modern day musical fairytale that cleverly combines heartfelt romance with a gentle spoof of Disney films of the past. In "Enchanted," an animated heroine from a far away kingdom finds herself transformed into a real live woman in bustling New York City.

Amy Adams leads an all-star cast as the lovely Giselle, a storybook princess-to-be lost in the Big Apple. Susan Sarandon plays the evil sorceress Narissa who exiles Giselle from her fairytale kingdom and James Marsden is her handsome prince, with Patrick Dempsey as a contemporary knight in shining armor and Idina Menzel as his girlfriend Nancy who suspects Giselle might just be a little too good to be true. 

The film features songs by award-winning composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and will be presented on DVD in separate widescreen (2.35:1) and full screen versions and on Blu-ray Disc. Audio (English, French and Spanish) will be in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound (DVD) and Dolby Tru HD (Blu-ray Disc).

Bonus features will include deleted scenes, bloopers, and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. A trivia based BD-Java feature - “The D-Files” - will be available only on Blu-ray Disc.

The Suggested Retail Price will be $29.99 for the DVD and $34.99 for the Blu-ray Disc, although most stores will heavily discount this title. Expect to pay no more than $18.00 or $24.00, respectively.

Pre-order "Enchanted" now and save 43%.

Pre-order "Enchanted" on Blu-ray Disc and save 32%.

Don't Miss Family Robinson

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will bring "Meet the Robinsons," its latest family-friendly animated adventure, to DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 23rd.

Join a brilliant young inventor named Lewis as he sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew. In the future - the year 2037 - hip-hoppin frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs.

In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can’t save it alone, he’ll need every bit of help he can get from the wonderfully wacky Robinson family, who help him learn to  keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself.

Based on the book “A Day with Wilbur Robinson” by acclaimed author and illustrator William Joyce, "Meet the Robinsons" was directed by Stephen J. Anderson, who can also be heard in the film as "Bowler Hat Guy." Other voices are provided by Daniel Hansen, Wesley Singerman, Laurie Metcalf, Angela Bassett, Adam West, and Tom Selleck.

Bonus features will include deleted scenes, “Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World,” Rob Thomas’s “Little Wonders” music video, “Kids of the Future” music video by the Jonas Brothers, “Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game," “Inventing the Robinsons” and director Stephen Anderson’s audio commentary. 

The Blu-ray Disc edition of the film will add these features: extra deleted scenes and an additional game
called “Bowler Hat Barrage!”

A complete list of bonus features follows after the jump.

The film will be presented in widescreen (1.78:1) with audio in English, French, Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound on the DVD, Uncompressed High-Definition Surround Sound [48k HZ / 24-bit] on the Blu-ray Disc).

The Suggested Retail Prices will be $29.99 (DVD) and $34.99 (Blu-ray). This will be a highly discounted title and we expect most stores will be offering this for $17.00 or less  for the DVD and $24.00 or less for the Blu-ray Disc.

Pre-order "Meet the Robinsons" now and save 43%.

Pre-order "Meet the Robinsons" on Blu-ray Disc and save 32%.

{Previously: Disney's High Def Magical History Tour]

Disney's Magical High Def History Tour

More details have emerged about "Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour," which we told you about in a Short Takes post yesterday.

This will be an 18-city mall tour starting August 17th in Los Angeles, continuing through December 23rd.

The tour, to be sponsored by Panasonic, will be an interactive exhibit designed to educate the public about the new next generation high-definition home entertainment technology backed by Disney, Sony, Fox and others (the Blu-ray Disc).

The tour will feature interactive kiosks, viewing stations and a special presentation theater where you'll be able to experience first-hand the capabilities and benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology.

The press release also says the tour will "focus on providing clarity for the growing consumer confusion around high-definition home entertainment and educating them on the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology."

Education is a good thing.

There are about 24 million HDTVs in American homes now, but about half of them haven't yet been hooked up to a source of high definition programming. Either people don't understand how to do it or they don't know that they're not already receiving HDTV signals.

After all, they purchased an HDTV and when they now watch a network broadcast, an "HDTV" logo appears at the start of most programs... so that must be HDTV, right? (Uh, no.)

There's also, understandably, a lot of confusion about the two competing high definition disc formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray, with claims of superiority and market dominance being flung regularly from both camps.

But don't think for a moment that Disney will provide "clarity for the growing consumer confusion around high-definition home entertainment."

What they'll do is tout their preferred format, Blu-ray, which, of course, they have every right to do. We just think it's a little disingenuous to suggest that they're embarking on an expensive promotional stunt to engage consumers in some sort of ecumenical discussion about next generation formats.

"Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour" will begin at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, CA and continue on to 17 additional locations across the U.S., including Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington DC, Long Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Austin and Phoenix.

A complete list of tour locations and dates follows after the jump.

The tour will feature "first-look" opportunities in each market including previews of the forthcoming Blu-ray Discs of Disney/Pixar’s "Cars," as well as Disney’s "Meet the Robinsons" and live demonstrations where you'll get first-hand experience playing the interactive “Liar’s Dice” game from the "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" Blu-ray Disc.

Also featured will be six to fourteen interactive stations (depending on the size of the mall) which will showcase all aspects of Blu-ray Disc technology. A special mini theater will host hourly live presentations.

The exhibits will be hosted by experts from both Disney and Panasonic, who will be available to answer questions about the technical aspects of Blu-ray and content featured on Disney Blu-ray Discs.

There will also be a sweepstakes, with prizes to include a Blu-ray home entertainment package comprised of a Blu-ray player and a library of Disney Blu-ray Discs.

The Early Bird Rings The Bell

We weren't surprised to learn this week that that Walt Disney Pictures will be making an all new  CG-animated feature called "Tinker Bell." Disney is famous for mining gold in direct-to-home video sequels and this film follows the release of their New York Times bestseller, "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg," which first provided the Neverland back story. (It, in turn, was followed by an apparel line, toys, a magazine and more books in the "Disney Fairies" franchise.)

We were surprised, however, to learn of the release date for "Tinker Bell." The film won't arrive until Fall 2008. So says DisneyToon Studios, which is producing the feature-length cartoon in which - they promise - you'll hear Tinker Bell speak for the first time.

Now, we're used to working a few months ahead here at The DVD Dossier, meaning that the new release announcements we share with you are usually for discs hitting store shelves two or three months from the date we provide you with details.

But no matter how much you believe in fairies, there's no way to get around this fact: the movie won't be out for another year and a half!

(If you can wait till then, expect to hear Brittany Murphy as the voice of the spunky and sassy fairy.)

Buena Vista Announces Blu-ray Array Today

The DVD news from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas continues... Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment (Disney) announced earlier today the company's most extensive Blu-ray Disc slate yet.

In North America, Buena Vista will release "Chicken Little" and "Finding Neverland" on March 20th; "King Arthur: Director's Cut" and "G.I. Jane" on April 3rd; "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" at a date to be determined in May; "Con Air," "Crimson Tide" and "The Rock" on June 8th; and "Cars," "The Recruit" and "Open Range" at some point this Summer.

Vince Becomes Football Prince

"Invincible " was released on DVD yesterday by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

This inspiring true story is based on the life of Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who, against extraordinary odds, became an NFL professional football player for his hometown team.

Like the city he lives in and his team, the down-and-out Vince (Mark Wahlberg) has seen better days. But then the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) calls an unprecedented open tryout and the 30-year-old bartender who never played college ball makes the cut.

Now Vince needs every bit of his gritty, never-say-die attitude and enormous heart to survive in the high-stakes world of professional football. Heartfelt and triumphant, and filled with body-slamming NFL football action, "Invincible" will have you cheering for the scrappy underdog who helps his team rediscover its winning spirit, and in the process rallied a city when it needed it most.

Bonus features include audio commentary with the real Vince Papale, producer Mark Ciardi and writer Brad Gann; a second commentary with director Ericson Core and editor Jerry Greenberg and a featurette: "Becoming Invincible: The Story of Vince Papale."

The film is presented on DVD in widescreen (2.35:1) with audio in English and French (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound), along with Spanish and French subtitles. In addition to the standard definition widescreen edition, "Invincible" is also available on Blu-ray Disc.

The Suggested Retail Price on "Invincible" is $29.99, although many DVD stores are selling this for as little as $16.00. 

This Bud's For You

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the "Air Bud" franchise, Walt Disney Home Entertainment debuts the Next Generation "Air Buddies" on Disney DVD today. 

It’s a daring rescue mission when five adorable golden retriever puppies (collectively known as “the Buddies”) must save their parents from evil dognappers.

An action-packed, tail-wagging adventure for the whole family, "Air Buddies" was designed to teach kids the thrills and pitfalls of independence, team work and the true meaning of family... while delighting them with a secret – these pups can talk.    

The cast includes Richard Karn, Cynthia Stevenson, and Patrick Cranshaw, along with the voices of Michael Clarke Duncan, Wallace Shawn, Debra Jo Rupp, Tom Everett Scott, Molly Shannon and the late - and legendary - Don Knotts.   

The film is presented in full screen with audio in English (Dolby Digital 5.1).

Loaded with bonus features, the DVD includes “Train Your Dog To Be A Star,” offering an opportunity  to learn how to teach your dog many of the stunts and tricks seen in the film. Also included is “Hollywood Backstage Pass,” that includes press  junket-style "interviews" with the puppies in which the dog stars answer questions and talk about the film, plus the “Puppy Profiler” that allows you to get up close and personal with the canine cast and helps you determine what puppy you are most like.

The Suggested Retail Price is $29.99, although we expect some major discounting of "Air Buddies" during the holiday shopping season; expect to pay as little as $20.00 for this title.

"Pirates" Walks The Plank, All The Way To The Bank

Walt Disney Pictures’ "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" instantly became the #1 DVD of the holiday season, selling nearly 5 million units on DVD in North America in its first day of sale Monday.

This puts the title on track to become the #1 selling live-action DVD title of all time.

Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment, which distributes Dinsey titles, will likely finish the year with the top three selling DVD releases: "Pirates," "Cars" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."

"Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" was released on Monday as both a deluxe 2-Disc Special Edition DVD set and as a single-disc DVD.

More Treasures From Vault Disney

The "Walt Disney Treasures" series will return to DVD on December 19th, when Walt Disney Home Entertainment releases four new 2-Disc sets straight from the vault.

An amazing collection of animated and live-action programs featuring rare and never-before-seen materials, each keepsake volume will be hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin and demonstrate once again the rich heritage of Walt’s legendary Studio. 

"More Silly Symphonies" presents a new collection of the young Disney Studio’s pioneering, outstanding early animated shorts, including two directed by Walt himself. "The Complete Pluto, Volume 2" delivers more hilarious hi-jinks from Mickey’s beloved canine companion, Pluto. 

"Your Host, Walt Disney" brings legendary live-action TV shows, hosted by Walt, to a new generation; and "The Mickey Mouse Club Featuring The Hardy Boys" is a family adventure from the Golden Age of Television, featuring Disney’s first “Hardy Boys” serialized film in its entirety. 

Details on each individual volume follow after the jump.

All four of these volumes will be individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate and an exclusive lithograph presented in unique collectible tins. 

Available just in time for the holidays, in a limited supply, each of these sets will carry a Suggested Retail Price of $32.99, although that's only a suggestion. Most stores will be selling these for $23.00 or less.

Pre-order "More Silly Symphonies" now and save 30%.

Pre-order "The Complete Pluto, Volume 2" now and save 30%.

Pre-order "Your Host, Walt Disney" now and save 30%.

Pre-order "The Mickey Mouse Club Featuring The Hardy Boys" now and save 30%.

Disney Goes Back To School

Disney double dips next Tuesday, December 5th - just in time for the holidays - with a 2-Disc "Remix Edition" of the Emmy Award-winning "High School Musical," which will offer more musical magic, in addition to all the features found on the original DVD. 

This rousing musical comedy, with its irresistible songs, dazzling dance numbers and fresh young cast, has become a worldwide phenomenon and a favorite among kids, tweens and families. The single disc edition of this TV movie was the #1 best-selling DVD during its home entertainment debut earlier this year and the fastest selling TV-on-DVD title in home entertainment history.

In adition, the “High School Musical” soundtrack from Walt Disney Records also made its mark and within a month of its release shipped Gold.  The soundtrack remained the #1 selling album on iTunes for three weeks, and rose to #6 on  the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

A “break into song” production, the movie follows two teens, Troy and Gabriella, who must learn to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, despite the polarization of high school cliques.

Troy, a popular high school basketball star, and Gabriella, a shy, academically gifted newcomer, both discover they share a secret passion for singing. When they audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High’s rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. 

In a desperate  effort to maintain the status quo, the “jocks,” the “brainiacs” and even the drama club regulars hatch plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage.  By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, Troy and  Gabriella inspire other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own.

Starring are Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson, Oleysa Rulin and Alyson Reed. 

With this new "Remix Edition" of "High School Musical," a “Dance-Along” featurette will be led by the principal movie cast, so you (or your kids) can have fun on the dance floor with the stars of the film. The new “High School Reunion” featurette reunites the cast for an exclusive interview on the remarkable impact of the movie.

There will be three music videos, including the song “Eres, Tu” – the Latin American version of the soundtrack's "When There Was You," sung by pop star Belanova. Also included will be behind-the-scenes video of the cast celebrating at Disney Channel's European premiere event in London and at the red carpet premiere of the DVD at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre.

A complete list of special features follows after the jump.

The film will be presented in full screen (both original and sing-along versions will be included), with audio in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound).

The Suggested Retail price will be $29.99, although this is expected to be a highly competitve title, availble at most stores for as little as twenty dollars.

Pre-order "High School Musical: Remix Edition" now and save 34%.

[Previously: Hollywood High; It's Not Easy Being Tween]

Disney, Target Play Nice

Disney and Target have apparently kissed and made up.

Target thinks that Disney's deal with Apple Comptuer is unfair. Apple has been offering Disney films as digital downloads on their iTunes service for several months. As part of that deal, Apple enjoys a wholesale rate a dollar or two lower than what retail stores - even the big ones like Target and Wal-Mart - pay for DVDs (generally about $!6).

Back in September, Target threatened to cut back on in-store promotion for Disney titles unless they were given a similar price break.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is a major Disney investor and sits on the board of the company, leaving some to conclude that he's getting an especially good deal with regard to Disney downloads. Wal-Mart, the nation's largest seller of DVDs, has also expressed its dissatisfaction with the lower prices on iTunes.

Apple is able to offer consumers Disney titles for a few dollars less than the big stores, although the download does not deliver the special features found on the DVDs: commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted and extended scenes and so forth.

The studio maintains that essentially makes the download a different - lesser - product and the lower price is justified. Now, as the DVD debut of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" approaches, Target seems to have softened its stance.

The LA Times reports this morning:

Target had a dilemma. It didn't want to bury "Cars," the hit animated film made by Disney's Pixar Animation Studios. Retailers count on hit DVD titles to bring customers into stores, hoping they'll spend money in other departments. "Cars" has had the strongest DVD debut this year.

Disney tried a gentle approach to appease Target, but it also hinted at more dire consequences if the retailer didn't cooperate with the Burbank entertainment giant.

Disney suggested sealing a deal that was in the works to license a Disney character for a product line made exclusively for Target. Target was hoping to build on the success of a 2-year-old contract that gives it exclusive use of an older rendering of Winnie the Pooh on infant clothing, strollers and lotion containers.

But Disney also indicated that it could play rough if pushed, inviting Target to contemplate a Christmas season without "Pirates," the No. 1 film of the year, due on video Dec. 5.

After that, the negotiations turned a corner. Target even agreed to put a display of "Cars" DVDs in a much-prized position in front of its checkout lanes. Target is expected to get its new character license this month, and negotiations on other issues are said to be continuing in a conciliatory vein.

As for Wal-Mart, Disney is keeping the peace by offering them assistance with their own forthcoming download service.

The stores may have called off the dogs for now, but we expect more trouble ahead as the studios continue to pursue digital delivery of their products direct to consumers. The stores - who helped create this revenue stream for the studios - will no doubt continue their fight to hold the line on DVDs, which - as the Times points out - are often sold as loss leaders to get people into the store to buy higher margin items.

Upset Pirate Pays His Debt

Disney's biggest box office champ of all time will arrive on DVD December 5th. That's the day Walt Disney Home Entertainment will release "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in a deluxe 2-Disc Special Edition and also as a single-disc DVD.

This action-packed film has grossed over a billion dollars to date (worldwide) and is the epic sequel to the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl," for which Johnny Depp earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as the rogue pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.

In the first "Pirates" film, Captain Jack saved the day, but now he finds he has a debt to pay: he made a bargain for his soul with Davy Jones himself, the ghostly, fearsome ruler of the ocean depths. It looks like a one-way trip to Davy Jones's locker, but the crafty Captain Jack won't go down without a fight.

Dashing Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and beautiful Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) once again get caught up in Jack's adventures across the Seven Seas. Escaping hostile natives on an exotic island and fighting the mighty Kraken are just some of the thrilling escapades Jack faces, because nothing will stop him from finding the fabled Dead Man's Chest and winning his freedom.

Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce reprise their roles from the first flick and newcomers to the adventure include Bill Nighy as the eerie Davy Jones, Stellan Skarsgård as the washed up sailor Bootstrap Bill, and Naomie Harris as the mysterious sorceress Tia Dalma.

The single-disc DVD will feature screenwriter audio commentary and never-before-seen "Bloopers of the Caribbean." The Special Edition will feature holographic packaging and include all single disc features, plus these additional extras: a behind-the-scenes documentary; a Captain Jack featurette; a sword- fighting featurette; "Creating The Kraken" (on the film's sea beast); "Fly On The Set" (an on- location view of filming); a featurette on the legend of Davy Jones; a bonus program on the newly "re- Imagineered" Pirates of the Caribbean theme park attraction; star-studded, red-carpet Hollywood premiere footage and producer Jerry Bruckheimer's personal on-set photo diary.

A complete list of special features follows after the jump.

The film will be presented in widescreen (2:35:1) with audio in English, French and Spanish, along with closed captions (English) and subtitles in French and Spanish.

The Suggested Retail price will be $29.99 on the single disc and $34.99 on the 2-Disc Special Edition. Street prices are expected to be considerably lower, about fifteen and twenty bucks, respectively.

Pre-order "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" now and save 43%.

Mermaid Serenade

Walt Disney Home Entertainment will dip into its vault and release a new 2-Disc Special Edition of the most-requested Disney DVD title ever, the 1989 Academy Award winning (Best Song and Best Original Score), "The Little Mermaid" tomorrow, October 3rd.

The eighth addition to Disney’s acclaimed “Platinum Collection,” this highly-anticipated release will likely become one of the top-selling DVDs of the year.

Available "for a limited time only" - and for the first time as a “Platinum Edition” - this enchanting, music-filled adventure has several "must-sea" DVD bonus features: a new “Under The Sea Adventure: A Virtual Ride” (based on an actual Disney Imagineering concept); a new “Kiss The Girl” music video performed by “High School Musical” star Ashley Tisdale; a new “Treasures Untold” making-of featurette about the film’s history, creators and music; a new Disney Feature Animation short film “The Little Match Girl” based on another one of “Little Mermaid” creator Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tales, plus never-before-seen deleted scenes.

"The Little Mermaid" ignited an animation renaissance at Disney and around the world, and this edition features an all-new digital restoration and an all-new 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix.

On DVD, the film is presented in widescreen (1.78:1) and features audio in   English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and French and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0), along with subtitles in English.

The Suggested Retail Price is $29.99, but many stores will be discounting this by as much as 50%.

High Octane Car-acter Comedy

The Disney/Pixar hit, "Cars," will arrive on DVD just in time for the holidays on November 7th. 

From director John Lasseter and the creative team behind "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo," the latest Disney/Pixar hit, "Cars," is a musically-charged, animated comedy about a hotshot rookie race car who goes on the ride of his life.

Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, George Carlin, Paul  Dooley, Jenifer Lewis, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Wallis, Michael Keaton, Richard Petty, Cheech Marin and John Ratzenberger, the film blends a heartfelt story, music and computer-generated animation.

(Ratzenberger, by the way, is the only actor to lend his voice to all of Pixar’s feature films... just in case you're trying out to be a contestant on "Jeopardy" sometime soon.)

The musical score for "Cars" is by Randy Newman and his songs are sung by many top artists including Sheryl Crow, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, James Taylor and John Mayer.

"Cars" on DVD will include an exclusive all new animated short “Mater and The Ghostlight,” starring Mater, the  rusty but trusty tow truck. This  mini-movie was produced by the same creative and technical teams who developed "Cars." The story is set in the town of Radiator Springs and tells the legend of the Ghostlight – a mysterious blue light that haunts the town and its  residents.

Also included for the first time on DVD is Pixar’s “One Man Band," which played with the film in theatres and spins a tale of two competing street musicians vying for a little girl’s attention.

Rounding out the bonus features will be the behind-the-scenes “Inspiration for Cars,” a journey with John Lasseter that explores how the story of the film was born, as well as deleted scenes and a special sneak peek at the highly anticipated next Disney/Pixar feature "Ratatouille."

"Cars" will be available in separate widescreen (2.39:1) and full screen versions, with audio on each in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound).

The Suggested Retail Price will be $29.99, but this holiday title will heavily discounted by many retailers just so they can get you into their stores... expect to pay as little as $16.00.

Pre-order "Cars" now and save 47%.

How Much Trouble Is That Doggie In The Window?

When Disney's remake of "The Shaggy Dog" hits stores tomorrow, it will carry with it a warning: Don't try this at home.

It's a response to what the LA Times is calling the "101 Dalmatians Effect." Kids watch a movie like "Dalmatians" or last month's DVD release of "Eight Below" or tomorrow's "Shaggy Dog" and think it would be fun to own a dog just like the one on screen.

Parents often can't say no.

So they get a Dalmatian or a Siberian Husky or a Bearded collie and soon discover that the dogs shed too easily, or get bored too quickly, or eat too much, or chase cars, or chew furniture or bite small children.

And then they place those animals in a shelter or they abandon them.

That's why The American Kennel Club and Disney have joined forces to provide an informational insert In every DVD package warning that the dog(s) in the movie may not be right for you and your family. The warning suggests people visit the Club's web site  to get specific information on a particular breed before buying a dog.

More on Disney's involvement from the LA Times:

Disney has a department that supervises community education and outreach programs. The studio has included other educational inserts in DVDs; one about child safety issues came with the animated "Cinderella" DVD, for example.

"As a company, we're selective about what kind of messages we'll support," says Lori MacPherson, a senior vice president at Disney. "We get a lot of requests. It has to make sense with the movie and with our company goals.

We knew people tend to see our movies and fall in love with the dogs in them, so when the AKC suggested this to us, it wasn't a complicated decision."

No word yet from the studio on why they let so many families buy baby elephants without first warning them that they don't actually fly.

Fox and Hound Come 'Round

Walt Disney Home Entertainment will bring a 25th Anniversary Edition of their acclaimed classic "The Fox and the Hound" to DVD on October 10th.

The film tells the story of two best friends who didn’t know they were supposed to be enemies.  The adventure begin when a lonely widow adopts an orphaned fox cub named Tod. The mischievous fox soon meets up with Copper, an adorable hound puppy.

As the innocent pair grow up together, they become inseparable friends. But the day soon arrives when their friendship is put to the ultimate test. With timeless values such as love, courage and respect for life, "The Fox And The Hound" has captured an honored place among Disney’s most beloved and endearing animated classics.    

The voice cast includes Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson, Sandy Duncan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat  Buttram, John Fiedler, Paul Winchell, Keith Coogan and Corey Feldman

Extras will include a sing-along, a games and activities storybook, a "Fox and Hound" art gallery, two featurettes and two bonus classic shorts: "Lambert The Sheepish Lion" and  "Lend A Paw."

The film will be presented in full screen, with audio in English (Dolby ® Digital 5.1 Surround Sound), plus French and Spanish. Subtitles will be available in English.

The Suggested Retail Price will be $29.99.

What the World Needs Now... Are Heirloom-Quality Narnia Bookends

We've just received word from the folks at Disney that they intend to release a new extended version of "Narnia" later this year. We'll try to talk them out of it, but we doubt we'll be successful.

It's not that it's a bad film - it's not - it's just that this new edition is, well, unnecessary. And its release will no doubt annoy many fans who have purchased one of two editions - including a 2-Disc Special Edition - that were released this April ("Narnia" has already become the top-selling DVD of the year, with more than 11 million units sold).

Clearly, the folks at the Mouse House haven't read our rant on the new extended version of "King Kong" and why we think that's a less than stellar idea. The same principles apply here.

How many times do they intend to go back to the well before the lion, the witch and the wardrobe run dry?

It's a rhetorical question, but that won't stop us from answering it. The answer is, unfortunately, at least twice more.

Walt Disney Home Entertainment and Walden Media have announced that they will bring forth what they're calling the ultimate “Narnia” DVD collection: "C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe 4-Disc Extended Edition" on December 12th.

They say that this new edition will only be available for seven weeks - during the Christmas holiday season (probably just a coincidence) - before it gets tucked away into the Disney Vault.

The "Extended Edition" - which they refer to as an "EXTENDED EDITION" (they insist on using all caps, perhaps to distinguish this "new" edition from the virtually identical editions already available) - will feature a new, "extended" (duh!) version of the film with "enhanced special effects and an extended, climactic battle scene."

Also included will be “C.S. Lewis – The Dreamer Of Narnia” (an all-new feature-length film about the author of the original ‘Narnia’ tome) and “Visualizing the Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe: The Complete Production Experience" (an in-depth look at the process and technology of adapting the book into the motion picture.

But wait, as they say, there's more!

If you pre-order now, you'll also get a set of Ginsu Knives.

No, not really. Disney will, however, also be releasing "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe 4-Disc Gift Set."

This "Limited Edition" offering will feature the 4-Disc Extended Edition, er, sorry, I mean EXTENDED EDITION... plus a pair of "heirloom-quality" bookends from the creative artists at Weta Ltd., the people who designed the creatures for the film (and the same folks who performed similar duties on "Kong" and are also responsible for the Kong figurine in the recently announced "King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition Gift Set."

(You might want to look into whether Weta is a publicly-traded company; if so, I'd buy stock now.)

The Extended Edition will carry a Suggested Retail Price of $42.99 and the Gift Set will go for $79.99 (SRP).

Those "heirloom quality" bookends? Priceless.

(Gee, you think any of those will wind up on the Antiques Roadshow thirty or forty years from now?)

If you're interested in further details, we've included specs on both of the "new" "Narnia" releases after the jump.

[Previously: The Lion Sweeps Tonight; Narnia: Which Witch Will You Choose]

Dinosaur and More Announced for Blu-ray

Buena Vista Home Entertainment announced yesterday that they will begin releasing titles on the Blu-ray Disc format beginning September 19th.

Titles available on that date will include Walt Disney Pictures' "Dinosaur" and "Eight Below," as well as Miramax Films' "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "The Great Raid."

These four titles mark the first wave of an ongoing release strategy from Buena Vista which will support the Blu-ray format.

Both "Eight Below" and "Dinosaur" will feature "Blu-Scape," exclusive high-definition short films inspired by the movies available only on BVHE Blu-ray Discs. These shorts will be shot by renowned cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg.

A second wave of releases is planned for October 17th, including Disney's "Glory Road" and "Haunted Mansion," Touchstone Pictures' "Dark Water" and "Gone in Sixty Seconds" and Dimension Films' "The Brothers Grimm." In this second wave, "Gone," "Glory" and "Haunted" will feature Blu-Scape shorts.

Most of these Blu-ray titles will carry a Suggested Retail Price of $34.99.

Zoo Coup

What kind of animals would escape from the zoo and go to the wilderness on a rescue mission?

See for yourself on September 12th when Walt Disney Home Entertainment releases "The Wild."

Featuring an all-star vocal cast and cutting-edge computer animation, "The Wild" is a cartoon comedy about a mixed-up team of lovable animals who embark upon an outrageous adventure.

Voices in "The Wild" are supplied by an-star roster of talented actors:

Kiefer Sutherland stars as Samson, the lion leader, Greg Cipes is Samson’s son Ryan, Jim Belushi is Benny the street-savvy squirrel, Janeane Garofalo is Bridget the quick-witted giraffe, Richard Kind is Larry the dim-witted anaconda, William Shatner is Kazar the scheming wildebeest, Patrick Warburton is Blag, the clumsy wildebeest side-kick, and comic Eddie Izzard is Nigel, the caustic koala.

The film’s high-energy soundtrack is filled with tunes by Everlife, Lifehouse, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Idle & DuPrez; along with a musical score by Alan Silvestri.

Extras will include five never-before-seen deleted scenes, an Everlife music video and at least two behind-the-scenes featurettes.

"The Wild" will be presented in widescreen (1.78:1) with audio in English, Spanish and French (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound).

Suggested Retail price will be $29.99.

Pre-order now.

Life's A Stitch... Then Leroy Drops By

The lovable animated characters from Disney’s "Lilo & Stitch" are back -  including Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley - along with Stitch’s evil twin Leroy and 625 other "experiments" in the direct-to-home-video release "Leroy & Stitch," available on DVD next Tuesday, June 27th from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

This all-new adventure will include a bonus never-before-seen episode from the "Lilo & Stitch" TV series and a "Big Red Battleship Flight Simulator" game.

In this sequel, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley have each gone their separate ways. Jumba’s back in the lab, Pleakley teaches college, Lilo’s in Hawaii and Stitch commands a Big Red Battleship.

But when Dr. Hämsterviel breaks out of prison, he creates the ill-mannered Leroy, the evil twin of Stitch. One Leroy is disastrous enough, but Hämsterviel plans to clone Leroy into an entire army. It’s up to Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley to band together again, and with help from all 625 of Stitch’s experiment cousins, stop Dr. Hämsterviel’s plans.

When the chips are down, our friends discover that the one place where they all truly belong is together.

To which we can only say, "Awwwww."

The film will be presented in widescreen (1.78:1), with Disney's FastPlay "easy start-up feature" and audio in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound).

Suggested Retail Price on "Leroy & Stitch" is $26.99.