The Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack ($45.99 SRP) is now available as a perfect gift for the holidays.
The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience. Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.
Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off. There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons (a personal favorite of mine), a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.
The Extras
Within the four-disc set are a variety of extras. Fantasia (Disc One) contains an interactive art gallery for both movies with Flow View and Thumb View, an alphabetical Smart View, a personal ratings system, optional music and more. “Disney Family Museum” is a four-minute overview of the San Francisco based attraction and “The Schultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure” (13 minutes) focuses on the long-lost journal of special effects animation genius Herman Schultheis and its incredible revelations about the revolutionary processes developed for Fantasia and beyond.
There is a new audio commentary by Disney historian Brian Sibley, plus the original DVD commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by Oscar-winning animator/author/expert John Canemaker as well as the alternate DVD commentary by executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, Canemaker again and film restoration manager Scott MacQueen.
Fantasia 2000 (Disc Three) leads off with “Musicana” (nine minutes) about the proposed, never-realized “new” version of Fantasia. “Dali & Disney: A Date with Destino” tells story behind the dream collaboration project between Walt Disney and surrealist master Salvador Dali. This documentary runs 82 minutes.
Available for the first time ever on Blu-ray, the strange yet wonderful short film Destino is the result of a unique collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. The collaboration began in 1946, but was put on hold due to studio financial concerns. In 2003, Roy E. Disney worked with a team of modern day animators to complete the film as a tribute to Walt’s pioneering artistic vision. The disc includes DVD commentaries by executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine and producer Don Ernst. Disc Three is also where the BD-Live action is, in the form of “Disney’s Virtual Vault.”
Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of this highly anticipated Hi-Def debut of Disney’s acclaimed masterwork and the modern Magnum Opus it inspired. The imagery and sound have never been clearer or more crisp.
