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What do a space alien, a little girl, Hawaii, Elvis Presley, a man named Cobra Bubbles, and surfing all have in common? Family, of course!
Lilo & Stitch, recently released on DVD, is the story of an alien criminal (Stitch) who crash-lands in Hawaii and is befriended by a little girl (Lilo) The movie provides a story that is quite original and refreshing compared to most films these days. Over the course of time while Stitch is being pursued by alien forces determined to bring him to justice and Lilo is about to be removed from living with her sister by a human services officer, they learn more about the true meaning of family.
This deceptively simple sounding story receives a somewhat simple DVD release. The main focus on the disc is the movie, as it should be, but this disc does not come with as many extras as some others have, although most people should find the collection of extras adequate. My favorite of the extras is a 20 minute behind the scenes look at the making of the movie. This documentary looks at all the aspects of production, giving you an idea of all the challenges and decisions facing the filmmakers. Particularly enjoyable are the voice recording sessions, as well as getting a glimpse at what goes on in the mind of a director.
Other extras include deleted scenes, a couple of music videos, and a couple of featurettes on the look of the movie and animating the hula. There is a "DisneyPedia" featuring facts on the Hawaiian Islands, along with a "Create Your Own Alien Experiment" game. Also included are all the teaser trailers featuring Stitch in other Disney movies. While all these extra features are entertaining, I usually find myself just watching them once, even though I may watch the movie several times. Many animation fans call for more features spread out over a two disc set, but I find this to be a good presentation of the movie.
The movie is presented in anamorphic widescreen, which gives a wonderful view of all the animation, as well as the beautiful backgrounds, which were all painted with watercolors. The sound on this disc is quite good, and I found that the bass kept the subwoofer working in several scenes. Rated PG for "mild sci-fi action", Lilo & Stitch has something for most everyone. Walt Disney the man is often overshadowed by the corporation that bears his name. Some aspects of his life have become confused with legend, and now his family is wanting to set the record straight so that everyone can know the man behind the myth.
Walt: The Man Behind the Myth was also released in early December. This film produced by the Disney family features a great look at Walt Disney by the people who knew him, and features many interviews along with archival footage and home movies. Originally broadcast on ABC in the fall of 2001, Walt presents a picture of the man behind the famous name and attempts to dispel some of the myths about him. Watching the different people speak about Walt, it is easy to see their love, affection, and appreciation for this man, even though at times he could be stern and serious as opposed to the happy gentleman that appeared on television every week. Some of the people interviewed for the film have since passed away, emphasizing even more the importance of getting this story told now.
The film is narrated by Dick Van Dyke, who is also one of those interviewed. Among those who are interviewed are such Disney legends as Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc and Alice Davis, Buddy Baker, Rolly Crump, Fess Parker, Peter Ellenshaw, Marty Sklar, and Card Walker. Disney historians and authors interviewed include Bob Thomas, Bill Cotter, John Canemaker, Leonard Maltin, and Disney archivist Dave Smith. Among others interviewed are Ray Bradbury, Art Linkletter, Chuck Jones, and John Lasseter. And in one of my favorite touches, appearing on the screen in addition to each person's name and title is that person's signature. I am always fascinated to see how people write their names, so this was fascinating to see. The version of the film on the disc is much longer than the version that was shown on ABC. Due to the commercials found on broadcast television, the film had to be heavily edited to fit the time slot. Here on DVD, the film is almost 2 hours long without all the commercial breaks. The extras on the disc include even more interview footage divided up into different categories. Because the interviews were the best part of the movie, seeing even more interviews gathered together on a particular subject is quite a treat. Another of the extra features is a short behind the scenes look at the making of the film, including comments from Walt's grandson, Walter Miller, who served as executive producer. Also included is a look at the filming of location scenes that were used between the interviews. And included as another rare treat are excerpts from Walt's home movies with narration by Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter.
The video is presented well, although I could see some compression artifacts in the black backgrounds of some interviews. Still, this is a great presentation of this significant piece of Disney history. This film will become a great source for future Disney historians and fans along with the best biographies written about Walt. Walt: The Man Behind the Myth is currently available from Disney Stores and at the Disney theme parks. - Story by Steve Burns; Artwork ©Disney E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below. |
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