Product Details
Format : Import, NTSC
Binding : VHS Tape
EAN : 9786304609828
Product Group : Video
Release Date : 1997-10-21
UPC : 786936056501
ASIN : 6304609825
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Editorial Reviews
From Amazon.com
Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke
Additional Features
Most of the beauty of Disney's Sleeping Beauty DVD comes from the dazzling restored picture that looks as sharp and vivid as films produced decades later. You can watch it in its 70mm widescreen anamorphic glory or in pan-and-scan format, but if you think you'll prefer the latter, a widescreen-to-fullscreen comparison of the "Once Upon a Dream" scene will show you how much you're missing. There's a bevy of historical material: a commentary track that includes art director Eyvind Earle, Mary Costa (the voice of Aurora), and supervising animator Ollie Johnston; a 1997 16-minute documentary that covers various aspects of production, especially the film's distinctive animation style; shorter featurettes that expand upon the documentary; art galleries; and three vintage short films related to Sleeping Beauty--"4 Artists Paint 1 Tree," in which the animators demonstrate their craft, the biopic "The Peter Tchaikovsky Story," and "Grand Canyon," the CinemaScope depiction of Ferde Grofé's famous suite. Kid fare includes the usual trivia game, art projects, a sing-along, a No Secrets music video, and a mistake-proof coloring game. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews
Reconsidering Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" as a restored classic (2008-10-07)  I have been trying to remember the first time I saw Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty," and I cannot remember if I ever saw it in a theater, caught it on television some time, or never sat down to watch it until it came out on videotape. What I did remember is not being particularly impressed by the movie. Certainly I did not consider it to be a classic Disney animated film like "Bambi" or "Cinderella," which is a way of saying that it was not on my "must have" list of Disney movies. Then I watched this 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition of "Sleeping Beauty" and all I can say is that however I saw this film for the first time it was NOT in this expanded version that has restored the original Super Technirama 70 dimensions of the film. I would have remembered a film that had art this gorgeous, even when it is this stylized and even when the music is classical high brow stuff. In the final analysis, "Sleeping Beauty" is clearly like no other Disney animated film, and that is a good thing. Disc 1 includes "Grand Canyon," a contemporaneous Disney feature (1958) that combines photography of the national park with Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite," and it would be the classical music that is the common denominator to the main feature. Disc 2 has Games & Activities over in the Cottage, while the Castle is devoted to the Backstage Disney special features. The games are pretty much geared for younger children (e.g., see "mop" and click on the item the word represents), so most of the goodies on the second disc are for the adults. There is a new documentary on "The Making of 'Sleeping Beauty,'" which combines archival footage with contemporary interviews. The "Never-Before-Seen Alternate Opening" and "Deleted Songs" are not animated but storyboard drawings accompanying the original, more traditional Disney-like, songs that were written for the film before Walt decided to go primarily with a score based on Tchaikovsky's ballet version of the fairy tale. If you have picked up any of these platinum editions, then you should be well versed in the sort of extras you can expect here in terms of storyboards, artwork, live-action reference footing, music video by some teenage singer, etc. The other one that stands out here is the fully immersive virtual tour of the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, a Disneyland attraction that actually existed before the part opened and years before the movie was released. Besides reminding us again that Walt Disney was a true visionary, the special features highlight the pivotal role of Eyvind Earle, the film's production designer. It was Earle who was given an amazing amount of freedom by Walt to design the settings and to paint most of the film's elaborate background paintings (which usually took a week to do, rather than a single day like in most animated films). The interviews with surviving members of the studio make it clear that Earle did not play well with others, but he was fully committed to creating a unique animated film and now that we can see the expanded version, there is no denying that is exactly what they accomplished. Consequently, I am confident I can remember in the future that "Sleeping Beauty" is a beautifully stylized animated film that is a unique jewel in the Disney crown.
A Disney Masterpiece (2007-11-24) This film is another Disney Masterpiece,I really enjoyed it. I've always love fairy tales; even as an adult (I am 21 years old) I still love them, and "Sleeping Beauty" is one of my favorite fairy tales from Charles Perrault, along with "Cinderella" and "Puss n' Boots." I'd love the scenery,it's like stepping through a magic tapestry and going back in time to the Middle Ages; I'd also love the color-styling of Eyvind Earle, and THIS film was the reason Eyvind Earle became one of my favorite artists.This film has an excellant soundtrack with additional music from Peter Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" ballet, and if there's one I love in a movie is a very,VERY good soundtrack. This film has a Top-notch voice acting like :Mary Costa ... Princess Aurora/Briar Rose Bill Shirley ... Prince Phillip Eleanor Audley ... Maleficent Barbara Luddy ... Merryweather (The Blue Fairy) and Bill Thompson ... King Hubert (Philip' Dad) So watching this movie is definitly worth watching; so I give Sleeping Beauty two BIG thumbs up!
Unforgettable, timeless classic (2004-07-13) One of my favorite movies (animated or nonanimated). THere is a quality and rich story that seems lacking in so many of todays movies (Disney movies included). The music just lifts you up and carries you into the Princess's world, and the ending leaves you with a pleasant sigh without being totally predictable. If you liked the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast, you'll love this.
A delightful animated masterpiece!!!! (2004-06-23) Sleeping Beauty is one of the most ambitious animated films ever made. It's a gorgeous, elegant, and absolutely amazing landmark in animation; a film so charming, memorable, and beautiful that it has been hailed as the most incomparable film in the animated genre, and with good reason. Detailed backgrounds, glorious colors, outstanding visuals and beautiful music are all contributing factors to the grandeur pageantry that "Sleeping Beauty" enthralls on its audience. Up until the last few years, "Sleeping Beauty" was actually considered one of the few Disney 'failures.' That means, a poor box-office success. But that was 1959. Since then, the film, like "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia," has returned to theaters many times and made way on video for new generations to enjoy, earning large estimates of money and critical praise, not to mention being the most requested Disney film on video after "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" and "The Lion King." It was finally re-released in a fantastic Special Edition DVD, and looking back, I can't believe this was once considered a failure. As if! This is not just a timeless tale of good and evil; the plot is elegantly portrayed with rich textures and stunning animation. Sleeping Beauty is one of Disney's best animated films, EVER, and a must-own DVD for any collection. If only Disney still made films like this. I don't think we could be so lucky. Don't delay, get this before time runs out!!!
Beautiful Artistry and Animation (2004-05-25) Sleeping Beauty is Disney's retelling of the fairy tale of the same name. This DVD release of Disney's 75 minute movie features options to view it in either the original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, or in a "pan and scan" 1.33:1 aspect ratio version that captures most of the action while using the full height of a standard television screen. A second DVD includes supplemental material on the history and making of the film. The story itself departs somewhat from the traditional fairy tale version, with a story line that provides a little more scope for character exposition and interaction. The result still retains a fairy tale feel, and the plot remains simpler than most of Disney's other animated features. The biggest strengths of the movie are in its wonderful animation, artwork, and music. The animation is perhaps the best of any Disney movie. The animators were exceptionally good at using facial expressions to help tell the story - Maleficent's face perfectly expresses her smug satisfaction when something goes her way, and Princess Aurora's expression when she first meets Prince Phillip by surprise perfectly communicates the various emotions that are running through her. The animation of the action is also wonderful, with some of the best moments being Aurora's dancing and Phillip's battle with the dragon. The background artwork is terrific. Each background is really a high quality painting, full of scene specific detail and yet all coordinating to give the picture overall artistic unity and medieval feel. And yet, all this beautiful background coordinates with the characters in a way that avoids overpowering them. Unlike some of Disney's other animated classics, this film did not use original music, but instead wisely went with Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet music. Tchaikovsky's beautiful classic music perfectly complements the beautiful, artistic nature of everything else in the film. All the attention to artistry and detail made the film too expensive to be a commercial success in 1959, but it also made the film a timeless classic that can continue to be enjoyed today and far into the future. Get it now, or you may have to wait seven years for Disney's next rerelease.
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