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‘The Jungle Book’ and Racism in Disney’s Animated Features

The release of The Jungle Book on Blu-ray today has become, as when Saving Mr. Banks was unveiled a couple months ago, an unplanned forum on a most thorny issue for the Disney uber-fan: was Walt Disney a racist/sexist/anti-Semite, and if so, was he a super-racist/sexist/anti-Semite, or just your average, garden-variety racist/sexist/anti-Semite? Even though the …

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Blu-ray Review: ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ makes a foundation for cinematic horror

During the silent era, the reinvention of visual horror allowed filmmakers and producers to experiment in film techniques that would become a mainstay in the genre’s mode of expression. Many of these relied heavily on makeup (Frankenstein, Dracula) or early pioneering special effects (The Haunted Castle, The Phantom Carriage), but some relied on more human sensibilities. Mere movement and facial expressions dominate the horrific tone in F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, Max Schreck’s grotesque, almost Korinian features have remained a cornerstone of vampiric imagery for nearly a century. In the same vein, John Barrymore has managed a horror portrait in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that has left John S. Robertson’s vision of the Robert Louis Stevenson story a target for restoration and preservation against countless other Jekyll remakes. Barrymore’s future star power is present in his depiction of the familiar transformation scene — overacting by today’s standards perhaps, but the contortions and physical limits he is willing to break in order to make the change memorable has itself solidified Robertson’s interpretation as a milestone in early horror.

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One of 2012’s best, ‘Lincoln,’ marches onto Blu-ray

One of last year’s very best films, Lincoln, arrives on Blu-ray today. This excellent historical epic, which garnered its lead, Daniel Day-Lewis, another Best Actor Oscar, is also being sent on DVD to most school districts across the United States, so hopefully, it can become a standard for generations to come. Lincoln steps right where …

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‘Peter Pan’ mostly delightful on the new Diamond Blu-ray

It’s been 60 years to the day since Peter Pan, the Walt Disney animated classic, opened in theaters nationwide. So what better way to commemorate the birthday of the boy who wouldn’t grow up than by checking the film out on Blu-ray for the very first time? That, at least, is the thinking behind Disney’s …

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‘Frankenweenie’ a visually striking Blu-ray release with sparse supplements

Maybe Tim Burton should stick to stop-motion animation from now on. Some of his most creative films, his biggest qualitative successes, haven’t been in live-action or overdosed on computer graphics. You may think of him as the director of Batman or of Beetlejuice, but Burton’s impact is most powerfully felt in the 1993 Disney film …

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‘Cinderella’ and ‘Santa Paws 2’ direct-to-DVD releases for the die-hard princess and dog lovers only

Blu-ray technology is a blessing and a curse. Because it’s now the standard in home media creation and distribution, the basis behind this innovation has perhaps become obscured. Some of the greatest films of all time have been given new life on Blu-ray, as recently as last week, for example. (One can only imagine how …

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On Blu-ray, ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ comes to life once more

As much as you may want to fight it—OK, as much as I may want to fight it—the Christmas season continues to start earlier and earlier each year. This year, it’s safe to say that Disney assumes Christmas begins right after Halloween ends, as evidenced by their newest catalog release on Blu-ray, the 1992 family …

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‘Secret of the Wings’ a bland, inoffensive entry into the Disney DTV canon

Secret of the Wings, the latest in the Disney Fairies series, is the movie-length definition of the word “innocuous.” It’s hard to imagine that anyone would be truly offended by the film, and that any children would be too scared or frightened by the extremely friendly, candy-colored world of Pixie Hollow and the neighboring Winter …

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‘The Great Mouse Detective’ and ‘Pete’s Dragon’ arrive on Blu-ray with sparkling transfers, while lacking features

On one hand, it’s hard not to applaud the Walt Disney Company for its recent and seemingly tireless efforts to release as many of its older films that aren’t considered categorically huge successes onto Blu-ray. (Later this year, we’ll see everything from the Santa Clause trilogy to Babes in Toyland get a high-definition release from …

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‘Cinderella’ just as vibrant and beautiful on Blu-ray, despite lack of new features

Cinderella is, perhaps, Disney’s most enduring animated feature. Though Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs predates it in terms of princess movies, Cinderella has had an even more lasting effect on children around the world. So, this 1950 film finally being released on Blu-ray is cause for celebration simply because of its event-like status. By …

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Blu-ray Recommendation: ‘Inception’

——————– Inception Directed by Christopher Nolan Written by Christopher Nolan 2010, USA For a filmmaker often accused of possessing a cold, clinical, fussy approach, Christopher Nolan seems to produce an awful lot of movies propelled by obsession. His 2000 breakthrough, Memento, used its backwards structure to underline the jumbled frustration of its protagonist – in …

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AMC teams with Anchor Bay Entertainment for The Walking Dead

AMC and Anchor Bay Entertainment announced today that Anchor Bay Entertainment will distribute AMC’s original hit series, The Walking Dead, on Blu-ray™ and DVD in the U.S. and Canada. I personally couldn’t think of a better company to distribute the series. Anchor Bay has a great reputation of releasing quality products for feature films, children’s …

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Time For Another Visit to THE Cabin

Easily one of the most requested titles for Blu-ray™ from Anchor Bay Entertainment’s unparalleled library of horror films, Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult classic The Evil Dead will officially make its high definition debut on August 31st with The Evil Dead Blu-ray™. For the release, two all-new 1080p anamorphic transfers in 1.85 and the original director-composed …

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