The Halloween Book (Hardcover) - by Jane Bull

Review:

The Halloween Book is a veritable gold mine of creepy crafts to make Halloween the most spine-tingling night of the year. Unearthly decorations ("Silhouette Windows," "Flickering Faces," "Jeering Jars"), exquisitely eerie dress-up ideas ("Fearsome Features," "Creepy Costumes,"), and delectably ghastly goodies ("Buckets of Treats," "Beastly Buffet," "Hanging Horrors," "Cauldron Cocktails," "Spooky Potions") will provide days of creative fun leading up to the haunted holiday. The perfect resource for a Halloween party, with DK's superb photos and clever activities, games, and recipes, this volume is a steep step above the standard craft book. So pour yourself a mug o' vampire broth or hot chocolate bones, dig into some sausage fingers, and get started on your screaming streamers and menacing masks. (Ages 6 to 11) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-This is the "Martha Stewart" book of craft, costume, food, and party ideas for the ultimate Halloween experience. It shows how to carve a pumpkin, make hanging glass-jar lights, spooky window cutouts, and decorated flashlights. There are descriptions and photos of additions to fairy, pirate, witch, vampire, and ghost costumes, with elaborate face painting and perfectly cut-out, acrylic-painted, paper-plate masks. There are directions for a paper-m ch pumpkin and a cr pe-paper-decorated sand bucket for holding treats. Refreshments include sausage fingers, "bread roll monsters," gorgeous-looking creepy cupcakes, and "cauldron cocktails." Finally, there are instructions for a shadow theatre and other traditional party games. The photographs are stunning, but all of the projects look like they were made by adults or particularly handy, older children. One hopes that youngsters will not be disappointed when their creations don't look quite so perfect.


This is a fun book aimed at the younger set filled with a nice sprinkling of Halloween costumes, recipes, crafts, and party ideas. The ideas are by no means original, but as a mom and Halloween-freak , I found this book to be a good inspiration to cooking up your own ideas. (The monster sandwiches are priceless! )The photos are lovely, the printed varnished pages crisp and bright -- I can practically smell the pumpkin pie when I crack it open.

Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

Review:

This is a beautiful book and so user-friendly! It was great to avoid frantically running around from store to store, since this book has such simple patterns and shortcuts where you don't even have to sew, as well as last-minute panic solutions. The 100 different costume choices (from well-known bunnies, pirates and witches to the amusing gingerbread house, octopus, swamp monster) will last the Halloween life of my kids (and probably their kids too!), making this book quite the bargain. Making and creating the costumes was a fun family project and encouraged everyone's imagination. I like the idea that a portion of the proceeds of the book go to UNICEF.

I have made the squeleton costume for my 5 years old and it was a success.It was a great initiation to costume making for me.It also is easy to understand and do by them selfs for older kids. It is our favorite bedtime story.

Sam (age 5) and Kate (age 3) have been so excited about this book "reading" every page over and over and taking it to bed with them! Kate has memorized the names of each costume and has been able to ask for and describe a combination of costumes that she has imagined for herself!
This book is wonderful for inspiring creative imagination and the costume tips and patterns ARE easy and versatile enough for you to whip up an original costume with very simple inexpensive ingredients or with whatever you have in the house even at the very last minute!

I am very proud of Sam, who after much gleeful "study" of this book with his sister, decided to make his own costume modifying one of the ideas in this book - how satisfying for him to march in his school costume parade wearing an original costume that started from an idea from this book and made pretty much all by himself (hey, no sewing, or even glue gun needed for that one!) I'm sure we will get lots more year round dress-up inspiration from this truly "Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids" book to come... my mind is already brewing up some winter dress-up Birthday Party ideas!

In Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes For Kids, Halloween costume designer Leila Peltosaari showcases one hundred easy-to-make costumes complete with matching treat bags and accessories. The simple, step-by-step instructions are enhanced with detailed full-color photos and illustrations. The color-coded, easy patterns for 3 to 12 year olds are well-organized and feature a wealth of "no-sew" shortcuts and "last-minute" solutions. Highly recommended for even the most novice costumer, Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes For Kids is enhanced further with a history of Halloween, safety tips, and anecdotal background stories. With designs ranging from traditional and storybook characters to animals and clowns, to celestial beings and cultural tributes, most of the costumes can be assembled without a sewing machine and in only one evening. Many of the costumes are made form Polarfleece (a perfect Halloween fabric which is soft and lightweight, slightly stretchy, warm, versatile, with no hemming or seam finished needed -- and hotglues like a dream!). Although specifically targeted for the Halloween holiday, these are delightful outfits that can well serve for costume parties and school plays at any time of year!

Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids is the best I have seen on this topic. The full color photographs of the costumes, complete with makeup, are spectacular. The directions are thorough and easy to follow. Any of these costumes would be a terrific for Halloween and the ideas could also be used for making costumes for plays or other productions. At the price of store bought costumes or patterns, this book is a bargain, as it contains 100 costumes and many additional ideas. You won't be disappointed!




The Disney Treasures (Hardcover)

From Publishers Weekly
This lavishly produced volume offers a nostalgic, five decades-long chronicle of the Walt Disney Company, from the birth of the Disney Bros. Studio in 1923 to Walt Disney's death in 1966. Disney devotees will delight in poring over the book's vivid pages, as each highlight from the company's history is illustrated with a collage of photos, sketches, finished full-color drawings, brochures and posters, plus pull-out reproductions of memorabilia including Walt Disney's correspondence, tickets to Disneyland from 1955, even paper masks of Pinocchio characters issued by Gillette in 1940. Walt Disney Archives manager Tieman captures key episodes in meticulous but brisk chapters, from the birth of Mickey Mouse in 1928, to Disney's first feature film (Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, 1933), to Walt Disney's proposal for Disney World in Florida. Throughout, readers learn of the process behind Disney's groundbreaking accomplishments: the first cartoon synchronized with sound, the first cartoon in full Technicolor, the first feature-length animated film, the studio's entrance into live-action films and television and its revolution in character-merchandising. The volume includes a 60-minute CD with tracks of radio commercials plus selections from Walt Disney's interviews and speeches.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Selected from the vast archives of the Walt Disney Company, this historic collection includes handwritten letters and notes of Walt's, rare character sketches from the 1930's and 1940's, replicas of Disneyland's opening-day tickets, photos, movie theater programs, comic strips, greeting cards, commissary menus, and other treasures, reproduced in facsimile form. Many of these special features are designed to be removable so readers can touch and hold masterfully reproduced bits of history. In addition, the book comes with a 60-minute CD that features previously unheard audio of Walt Disney , radio commercials from the 1950s, and never-before-released sound tracks from the parks' most popular attraction.

Review: "Practically Perfect in Every Way!"
While we assume that the Walt Disney Company is reserving the title "The Walt Disney Archives" for a more in-depth study of the historic research materials housed at the Disney Studios, Robert Tieman's new book titled "The Disney Treasures" is a masterful overview of the spectular material preserved within these collections.
With speedy shipment of the first release from Amazon, this book instantly climbs to the top of the "A" list of books for collectors and fans of all things "Disney". Presently, no other book in the marketplace has rediscovered the heart of Disney history and preservation like this book.

Tieman has faithfully written an historic timeline of Walt Disney's life and career, and has reproduced a wide variety of removable icon pieces to illustrate each period in Walt's life. This book should be required reading for anyone seeking to better understand the person, motivations, and creativity of Walt Disney.

The removable "treasures" will bring hours of conversation and discovery to all generations. From Great Grandparents to the youngest child, all will enjoy sharing stories of the Disney they remember. Of particular importance are the many reminders that behind each of these treasures, lived a creative genius by the name of Walt Disney. Children will be reminded of the value of one person's contribution in the world we live in. By example, Walt Disney's singular contribution to the worlds of fantasy, enchantment, education and community cannot be forgotten.

In addition, listeners will enjoy the audio CD as they return to Walt's earliest boyhood memories, along with the later creative developments of the Disney Studios and of Disneyland as well. Let there be no doubt: The story is at it's best when Walt Disney is telling it!

This book is absolutely worthy of its name. [We're] proud to offer this book our Highest Recommendation!<P...

Review: WOW! The coolest Disney book EVER!!!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but man, I was just in awe with every page I turned. I love that it focuses on the Walt era, and with the removable memorabilia replications (hand-written notes from Walt, himself!), it's totally unique.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to any and EVERY Disney fan out there!!!

Review: A great book for all Disney fans
I find this book a great book, because it contains all kind of information about Disney. And it contains all kind of extra things inside it.

Review: Beautiful!
I think this book really beatiful!
It's a little jump in the past, with beatiful reproduction of small object that many young people don't know! Its a great experience hav in my hand tickets, cards and other object that have made great a man and his mouse!

Thanks from Italy!

Review: A treasure trove of nostalgia for Disney fans
For collectors,this book goes so well with any Disney collection such as that Fantasia DVDs,the Walt Disney documentary DVD,Frank and Ollie DVD and others.
If you like documentaries and well put together books,then this is an entertainig and informative book of Disney history,with all sorts of extras from nearly the last hundred years. This is a book to keep and enjoy for a lifetime.

Review: History of Disney Brought to Life
DISNEY TREASURES is tuly a treasure - filled with beautifully reproduced copies of memorabilia that remove from the book. The experience of holding this book in your hands is really something. The wonderful text and design are a perfect match too in this "museum in a book". Any Disney fan will love this book!


Oh and while I'm at it don't forget these books on costumes for children.



Creative Costumes for Children (Without Sewing) (Paperback)





Creative Costumes for Children (Without Sewing) (Paperback)

Review: Prrrfect booook for the costume inclined!
From kids to adults, everyone loves being someone (or someTHING!) else for Halloween. Singleton's book provides a wealth of ideas and resources, and the interior illustrations, photographs, and black-and-orange two-color printing make for a very attractive product.

Review: Fun! Fun! Fun!
This is such a fun book for Halloween! I have enjoyed looking at the photographs and illustrations. I can't wait to try some of the creative costumes out on my children. The book makes it so easy to put together and understand! In this day of rush, rush, rush, its so wonderful to have a book that makes life simple. Thank you for such a great tool

Review: Clever Costume Creating for Halloween
I found this book to be very enlightning for ideas on creating Halloween costumes. It is full of so many good tips, many requiring a minimal amount of effort in putting together a costume. I would recommend this book to many, both young and old and particularly to parents who every year need to come up with a new and unique costume for their children to dress for Halloween.

Review: Clever Costume Creating for Halloween

Suzanne Singleton has certainly outdone herself on this release. Clever Costume Creating for Halloween is jam-packed with unique ideas for easy to make, NO SEW costumes. The illustrations help you visualize the overall effect and the instructions are packed with appropriate props and accessories.

Although I am an artist and consider myself to be pretty creative, when it comes to Halloween costumes I go blank. The creative part of me wants to do something original, unique. I definitely could never bring myself to buy those mass produced, plastic-masked versions available in the stores. When I flipped through Suzanne Singleton's book, my mind began to race with all the possiblities. I found myself thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? This is sooooooo clever!" Now my only problem is choosing which idea to try first!

Review: FUN & EASY NO SEW COSTUME Ideas w/visuals!,
This title had just been published a view days when I purchased it. If you are like me and love Halloween but panic at the thought of what to be? what to wear? This is for you! Singleton has written a book with A to Z costume ideas that are fun and refreshing and all NO SEW!
What you also receive with this book purchase are pages filled with fun to view black and white visuals of the costume ideas. The pages are bordered with corn candy and various halloween graphics which only adds to the fun and festive halloween spirit.

Year after year, my husband and I along with our children are invited to dress up Halloween costume parties.These parties are usually fun and yet I am always feeling pressure for myself and my family. What to do? Many Halloween costumes are so expensive for a one night event,(the nicer well made ones), and how much fun is it to buy the old cheap mass produced plastic ones? Like many women of today, I do not sew which only adds to my frustration. Well now here is the perfect remedy, this title is not only packed with fun and easy costume ideas but each page is sure to bring a smile with each costume visual!

It is cute, fun, festive and fills a need! Never again will you lose sight of the Halloween fun that costume panic brings!



The Incredibles (Widescreen 2-Disc Collector's Edition) (2004)
After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.

Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").

The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.

Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.

The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.

The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).

Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.

There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas

Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition) (1991)

Amazon.com essential video
The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar, and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. --David Kronke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

DVD features
Over a decade after it was made, this Oscar®-winning musical looks better than ever; the remastered film pops off the screen. This DVD debut has a whole disc of extras, but it's the film that matters here. You can see the original version, the special edition--which has a new song sequence, "Human Again," created for its 2001 release in IMAX theaters--and the unique "work-in-progress" edition that played the New York Film Festival and was seen on an earlier laserdisc release. Disney's... read more

Review: One of the best films ever made!
Disney's animated version of the classic tale, "Beauty and the Beast," is every bit as enchanting as the "tale as old as time" that it tells, making its way into our hearts as well as motion picture history. Being the first film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as six nominations altogether, Disney proves that it has what it takes to make an animated feature enjoyable for adults and children. I remember watching the film as a small child, and now, as an adult, is hasn't lost its luster, and everything is just as I enjoyed it before.

Through brilliant animation and song, as well as some terrific voice talents, the story of unexpected love comes to new and exciting life. Small-town girl Belle is forced to head into the woods once her father turns up missing, bringing her to a gloomy, secluded castle where she finds him and his captor, a vicious-looking beast. Of course, the beginning of the movie explains the beast's origins: he was once a selfish prince who, after turning out an old beggar woman, was transformed, given an enchanted rose, and told "if he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

This begins their rocky-turned-romantic relationship, as they begin to warm to one another. Meanwhile, the town brute, Gaston, has plans of his own, involving some sinister maneuvers involving Belle's father in hopes that she will agree to marry him.

Many have hailed this as the best of Disney's films, and they wouldn't be wrong in saying so, either. It's easy to see why the movie has become such a success: there are elements at work in this film, just as in every other Disney film, only they seem to have taken on a small degree of maturity with this film's creation.

The animation is some of the best and most believable I've seen for an animated film in a long time. Most of the scenes involving solely characters is the same as most of Disney's works, but there are scenes of pure life-like reality that have a special flare to them. The ballroom scene is one such scene: the camera angles sweep across a room filled with high-arched glass windows and a chandelier which looks as real as the words you're reading on this page. Some nice effects go into the creation of the castle as well, especially in the end once everything returns to normal.

The is one of the most moving Disney soundtracks to come along since that of "Cinderella" and "Pinocchio." It is clear that composers were striving to capture the feeling and influence of their previous score for "The Little Mermaid," and they truly succeed in doing so. The songs are delightful and will have kids and adults alike smiling and singing along. The score is the perfect underlining for scenes of romance as well as tension and suspense. In case you were wondering, three of the originally written songs were nominated for Academy Awards; that should say something.

This is one of Disney's most ambitious and successful projects, ranking alongside such cinematic achievements as the successes of "Citizen Kane" and "Gone With The Wind." Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, as well as its Oscar nominations, "Beauty and the Beast" is a hallmark of a time when movies were something that everyone, young and old alike, could enjoy on the same levels. This is the best picture of 1991. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition

Review: My Favorite Disney Classic
Belle is bored with life in her village. Her only escape is her books, and she longs to have an adventure of her own. When her father heads out to a fair, he gets lots, and Belle finds him in an enchanted castle. The objects are thrilled, because if she and their master, the Beast, fall in love, they will all be freed from the enchantment. But will Belle be able to see past the outward appearance? And what about the handsome bore back home who wants to marry Belle?

I feel in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and that love has only grown over the years. The story is the right mix of fun and uncertainty. Gaston was a wonderful addition to the mix because his story was the part I was most uncertain about the first time around. The artwork on the film catches your eye from the first shot of the castle, and doesn't let go. Beside the incredible background shots are wonderful drawings of the characters. I especially love the boyish excitement they manage to give the Beast in several scenes. Finally, there's the music. Every song adds to the story and is memorable in its own right.

This DVD is perfect for any fan of this movie. Disc 1 includes three versions of the film. The first is the "in progress" version shown to the New York film festival 6 weeks before the premier of the movie in 1991. While it's fun to have, I won't be watching it regularly. The second version is the original release. And finally comes the special edition, with the added scene and "Human Again." Ironically, this is probably my least favorite of the songs added to the Broadway version, but it does advance the story. And, there's always the option of watching the original version. Obviously, the version that you are supposed to watch is the special edition, as the audio commentary and sing along bonus features only work with this option. All three come in Dolby 5.1 sound, which sounds great.

The second disc features hours of bonus material. Most of it focuses on the making of this movie. Everything is covered, from original idea through characters and the Broadway version and special edition. Galleries show character designs over the course of the project. Also featured is the original treatments for "Human Again" and "Be Our Guest." Celebrity voices give background on the original story and Disney versions of classic tales. And there's a fun documentary as the stars of "Even Stevens" take a backstage look at all the work that goes into making a feature animated film.

This is the only film so far to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Watching the film, the reason is clear. This is something the entire family can enjoy. Don't miss your opportunity to catch this classic film.

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Review: Classic Tale
This all time classic Walt Disney film, will get your heart pumping with
feelings of joy and love. It will show you that love can be found in unexpected
places. This fairly tale takes place a long time ago. Belle¢s father, an
inventor, was on his way to a fair, but took a wrong turn and ended up at a
castle. When he doesn¢t return home, Belle sets off to look for him, and in turn
becomes a prisoner in the ferocious beast¢ castle, where it¢s filled with
talking furniture, who in the end turn back into there human form. Now Belle no
longer has to look into books for an adventure, for she is on one of her own.
As the two spend many days and nights together, Belle shows the beast how to
love. This amazing enchanted story is one for the whole family, with its magical
touch and fantastic musicals. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition

Review: A Walt Disney Classic
This all time classic Walt Disney film, will get your heart pumping with feelings of joy and love. It will show you that love can be found in unexpected places. This fairly tale takes place a long time ago. Belle's father, an inventor, was on his way to a fair, but took a wrong turn and ended up at a castle. When he doesn't return home, Belle sets off to look for him, and in turn becomes a prisoner in the ferocious beast' castle, where it's filled with talking furniture, who in the end turn back into there human form. Now Belle no longer has to look into books for an adventure, for she is on one of her own. As the two spend many days and nights together, Belle shows the beast how to love. This amazing enchanted story is one for the whole family, with its magical touch and fantastic musicals.

Review: Beauty and the Beast Penetrates Your Heart, and Like The Best of Books, Is Wondrous For The Soul

When watching Beauty and the Beast, I feel as if I am not watching an animated film. Instead, I feel as if I am being told a story, a love story, and perhaps the most sophisticated and beautiful love story ever to be told. Beauty and the Beast penetrates your heart, and like the best of books is wondrous for the soul.

It is just as good as any other animated film ever made. It packs just as much magic as Snow White, as much drama as Pinocchio, as much wonder as Fantasia, and all the great songs, characters, and merriment of The Little Mermaid. The film could not have been realized in any other medium but animation, because of the level of fantasy it requires. With art you can achieve an unreachable level of beauty, mood, and atmosphere.

What also strikes me about Beauty and the Beast is the level of realism. I know that the Beast's castle is drawn on a piece of paper no larger than my torso, but on screen I feel small and overwhelmed in its presence. It is as if I can find something if I could look around the corners of one of the castle's corridors.

The story introduces us to Belle, who is yet another Disney heroine (in the spirit of Ariel) who is ambitious, determined, and extremely attractive. She lives in a fantasy world of her own, reading books of far off places, but the advances of the town brute Gaston, and the mediocrity of the provincial town in which she lives, make her yearn for her own adventure away from the village. Her father, a absent-minded inventor sets off for the fair, but after taking a wrong turn, stumbles upon an enormous castle. Once inside, he is captured by a ferocious beast and is imprisoned in the dungeons. And after learning of his disappearance, Belle sets off to search for her father.

We already know (from the opening prologue)that the Beast that prowls the castle's rooms and wings was actually a handsome young prince who was transformed into his monstrous form as punishment for his cruelty to others. Once arriving at the castle, Belle becomes a prisoner in a trade for her father's freedom. This, however not without many obstacles and trials, is where the love story begins.

Like the best of Disney's animated films, Beauty and the Beast is surrounded by a cast of talkative and musical supportive characters. Inside the enchanted castle, we meet Lumiere, a French candlestick; Cogsworth, a tightly wound clock; and Mrs. Potts, a frumpy and warm-hearted teapot. These characters add another level of drama and intensity to the film, for they too have the desire to transform back into their human forms as well. The villain this time around is the chauvinist pig Gaston, who makes a powerful transition to a menacing bad guy by the film's third act.

Beauty and the Beast also has a musical score that is among the best the studio has ever created. For starters there is the high-spirited "Be Our Guest" number which is a destined Disney classic in the spirit of "Under the Sea". There is also the hauntingly beautiful title song, "Beauty and the Beast" sung by Angela Lansbury, which combined with a fantastic ballroom sequence, is pure cinematic brilliance.

Along with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast celebrates the return of "The Disney Classic". It seems as if the filmmakers have dashed the thought that animation is just for kids, and made a film that combines every ingrediant needed to make a great film.

Beauty and the Beast takes the best of every element of film and molds them into a entertaining feast of the senses. It reaches back to every individual, instead of the targeted "kiddie" audience that most animated films demote themselves to.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition) (1938)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential video
One of the brightest nuggets from Disney's golden age, this 1937 film is almost dizzying in its meticulous construction of an enchanted world, with scores of major and minor characters (including fauna and fowl), each with a distinct identity. When you watch Snow White's intricate, graceful movements of fingers, arms, and head all in one shot, it is not the technical brilliance of Disney's artists that leaps out at you, but the very spirit of her engaging, girl-woman character. When the wicked queen's poisoned apple turns from killer green to rose red, the effect of knowing something so beautiful can be so terrible is absolutely elemental, so pure it forces one to surrender to the horror of it. Based on the Grimm fairy tale, Snow White is probably the best family film ever to deal, in mythic terms, with the psychological foundation for growing up. It's a crowning achievement and should not be missed. --Tom Keogh --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

DVD features
Disney figured out that it's not necessarily how many extras a DVD offers, it's how effortlessly the fan can view them. In two "guided tours," a viewer can see a selection of the excellent extras on the history and creation of Walt Disney's crown jewel. Disc 1 has an informative 40-minute documentary, plus karaoke songs, a neat trivia game, and Barbra Streisand's new version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come." Like Fantasia, the commentary track is expertly made up of historical recordings... read more

Review: Disney Magic Makes SNOW WHITE Classic DVD
I was extremely excited to receive this DVD.... Upon opening it, one gets the feeling that it is truly a special edition. The packaging is very nice: the DVD box is sturdy with two openings for each disk. The pamphlet inside the DVD is gorgeously produced and very helpful.

My first impression is that Disney has spent much time making this DVD user-friendly. There is an abundance of directions and drawings showing you what is on the disk and how to get there. Since there are two disks and a KINGDOM of information to pour through, these directions are very welcome (even to this seasoned DVD-viewer!)

Disney pulls out some familiar faces to make the experience as warm as possible: Disney himself appears in various footage; Angela Lansbury narrates the documentary and provides a "tour" of the disks; Michael Eisner shows up; and Barbra Streisand sings a specially recorded version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come".

SNOW WHITE, the movie, looks gorgeous and, although old fashioned, is quite wonderful. SNOW WHITE, the double-disk, is a lot of information to wade through. I am amazed at the amount of behind-the-scenes film that exists! Disney must have suspected that he was creating a classic - he filmed every aspect of it! I especially enjoy the HALL OF ART section. There are 3 halls of various story art (i.e. "The cottage"; "The castle"; "the Forest"; etc.) Although initially I found it hard to move from hall to hall, I eventually figured it out. The animated HALLS are extraordinary and the art that "hangs" there is incredible -- various renderings and attempts at bringing the story and locales of SNOW WHITE alive. It's even more incredible that Disney Co. held on to these papers for all these years.

Well, in case you can't tell, I highly recommend the special SNOW WHITE disks. You will spend days looking at everything that is included -- or you can opt to spend an hour and a half viewing the original,gorgeous film that started the Disney empire....

Review: A Masterpiece gets the Treatment it Deserves
The Disney Company has over used the term Masterpiece when referring to its own movies. But this one truly deserves that title. While its animation betray its age, the story and characters are still fun, and its place in history also makes it a must.

The story is simple and familiar. Snow White's wicket stepmother wants her killed because Snow White is "the fairest of them all." She is saved from this fate, and hides out with seven dwarfs. But will the queen find her and try to kill her?

Walt's genius here was in creating the characters. The dwarfs have very distinctive personalities, and some of the best scenes in the movie revolve around them. (The scene where they first come home is a classic.) The animals add some humor as well, especially when cleaning the cottage.

The plot moves along well, and when I first saw it in college, I was drawn into the story even though I knew the ending. I actually felt tears when the dwarfs were mourning Snow White.

By today's standards, the animation is flawed, especially for the prince. However, there are some truly beautiful scenes as well, particularly the sun set when the dwarfs are coming home. Fans of Disney in the 30's will recognize the feel of some of the silly symphony cartoons. The important thing to remember when watching this movie is its place in history. This is the first animated movie ever, produced when everyone thought no one would ever see it. The fact that we're still watching it is a testimony to Walt as a filmmaker and pioneer.

This DVD set is the perfect way to enjoy this movie. The picture and soundtrack have been lovingly restored, and look and sound incredible. The sound is presented in Dolby 5.1 and its original mono. I didn't notice that much difference between the two modes, but it's nice to have the option. The first disc also contains a wonderful audio commentary. Recorded interviews with Walt Disney are interspersed with comments from John Canemaker. I learned quite a bit about the film from this commentary. The second disc contains all you would ever want to know about the history of the film. They've got character design changes, completely abandoned concepts, deleted scenes, and information on the releases over the years to name a few things. I spent hours soaking up the information and enjoying every moment of it.

This is truly a classic movie that belongs in any film fan's library. Hurry and get this wonderful set before it disappears.

Review: Hail to brunettes in this sickening age of blonde Barbie overkill
A truly wonderful film, from it's technical accomplishments (done the hard way) to the rich, fascinating nature of its characters. Surely Walt turns in his grave over the current state of Disney, in which hypersexualized youth pervade cable and the entertainment industry as if all innocence had evaporated and only little girls and their best friends controlled all the world. Leave it to the Grimm brothers and Walt's fine taste in storytelling to timely remind us that strangers are dangerous, that people act maliciously for petty reasons, and that the death of innocence is a tragedy that brings worlds to a standstill.

Review: The Greatest Animated Film of all Time, but was only the Beginning
It was almost 10 years after Walt Disney and the mouse he created became worldwide household names, that he gave Hollywood the first ever full length animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". One of the greatest American films of all time, one of most renowed and the animated film to have the most releases from 1937-1993. An important masterpiece that is was once called "Walt Disney's Folly" but, who said that was very wrong, the film was immediate phemonenon and the highest grossing film of all time till it was knocked by "Gone with the Wind" I've been a fan of Disney for a long time and I know of all the animated films this is the one to see first. Snow White was only the begining, cartoons still stayed with Disney, but Snow White was Walt's turn to the movies. If you love Disney as much as I do then see the most celebrated animated film of all time, the merriest and scariest of them all. See the one that started it all and still the fairest one of all. "SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

Review: Classic! Great!
Now I just got this DVD yesterday at Game Stop (I was lucky enough to find it used for only $16.99) and I was amazed at how many bonus features there are! I was a little surprised, because the bonus features are 190 minutes, where as the movie itself is only 84! I'm telling you, you shouldn't be spending the money on the movie itself, because the bonus features make this DVD! I felt so lucky when I got this because I did some reasearch, and this DVD is worth $70.00! I used to have the original VHS version from the '90s, but it broke about 5 or 6 years back. Then when this DVD came out, I wanted it, but never got around to it! All-in-all, this is one of the best DVDs in history. A lot of work was put into it, and you can tell. Thanks, Disney!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Peter Pan has a special place in the realm of classic animated Disney films: it instills an element of childlike wonder. The 1953 version of James M. Barrie's story is colorfully told and keeps on the straight and narrow of the book. Barrie's wondrous focus on child's play is the key to its longevity: kids who don't grow up, shadows that run away from their owners, pirates, a fairy, and the magic ability to fly. In short, you can't help wishing the adventure would happen to you. Fueled by a few memorable songs (the stunner being "You Can Fly") and the strong impression of the pixie fairy Tinkerbell and the goofy Captain Hook, Disney's version of this story neither supplants nor lessens the Broadway version with Mary Martin that was produced for television the same decade. Unlike some classics, Peter Pan never ages along the way. --Doug Thomas --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Additional Features
How "special" is the Special Edition? Very, especially if you consider the initial edition of the Disney animated film contained only one extra: a French soundtrack. This new edition packs some background on the story, plus two games for the kids. Roy Disney hosts the excellent commentary track, which combines archival recordings of Walt Disney along with new commentaries from some of the "Nine Old Men" of Disney animation, as well as other experts and talents. The "restored picture" doesn't add... read more

Review: THERE IS NO WIDESCREEN VERSION !
I can't add anything to the praise for this film. If you love Disney films, this is considered one of the classics. I just wish to briefly comment on the criticism of the lack of a widescreen version. The first widescreen film, The King and I, was released in 1956. Previous to this all films were full screen. Peter Pan, released in 1953, and a good many of the Disney classics are only available in full screen aspect. This is not the Pan and Scan alteration of an original Widescreen format. The way this film is presented on the DVD is the original aspect ratio; Nothing has been altered. I have seen this so called criticism leveled against many Hollywood classics such as Casablanca, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Please, get off your high horse and stop whinning about how Disney or whatever movie company is ripping you off. None of these films ever had a widescreen version to begin with. Do a little research and you could be content to enjoy these classics in the aspect ratio they were orginally presented in. Thats all I wish to say. --This text refers to the DVD edition

Review: I Love This Movie!
The children in the Darling family love story about Peter Pan. So naturally when he shows up one night looking for his missing shadow, they're thrilled to go back with him to Never Land. There, they face Indians and "the world's most famous crook," Captain Hook. Will they survive their adventures with the boy who never wants to grow up?

I have always had a fascination with this story. As a kid I remember checking the Disney picture book version out of the library week after week. When I finally got to see it, I was enthralled. There is just something magical about the story. It's partially the coming together of all the boyhood adventures in one place. Mermaids, Indians, and Pirates? What more could any boy want? And, of course, the ability to fly. The "You can fly" sequence over London is one of my all time favorites. The whole movie really is animated very well with a story that movies quickly from place to place with lots of humor to keep everyone entertained and gorgeous animation of the fanciful Never Land.

This special edition is worth tracking down. The picture (original full frame) is sharp and the surround sound is very nice. Extras include a documentary on the making of the movie and a promotional theatrical featurette from the original release. The "audio commentary" is unique. Hosted by Roy Disney, it consists of selections from interviews of the voice talent, live action models, animators, and animation historians. While not your usual commentary, it's fascinating stuff and well worth a listen. Finally, there's a treasure hunt game and DVD storybook for kids.

This movie still brings a smile to my face and probably always will. Maybe my friends are right when they say I love this movie so much because I always wanted to be Peter Pan.

Review: About the missing scene
I was glancing at the other reviews and noticed some reviewers wondering what became of the missing scene in which the audience is asked if they believe in faeries. The fact of the matter is this scene, which was vital to the original play, was purposely omitted by Walt Disney is his animated version. In fact, when the Disney version appeared in 1953, many reviewers who were great fans of the Barrie play complained about this, among them, Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times, and Herbert Brenon, a British director who made a very popular silent film version of Peter Pan in 1925. Why would Disney do this? Crowther speculated that Disney assumed that Americans were more literal minded in 1953 than their British counterparts were in 1904 (when the play was first staged), and so wouldn't buy into all that faerie stuff. Also, Crowther sardonically added that perhaps Disney was afraid that Americans would find it simply too embarrassing to deal with too much "pixiness." Go figure. Anyway, that's the story behind the missing scene.

Review: I love this movie!
This movie is absolutely one of the best Disney movies! I love this movie so much I used to tell everyone my name was Wendy! A few years back when this came to DVD I wasn't aware of it and I didn't buy it until a few years later on Amazon.com in the new and used part! When you order through that you have to be CAREFUL with whom you choose to deal with because when I purchased the movie I received a bootleg version. It looked normal until I opened the case and it was a fake because of the material used on the DVD. I compaired the DVD with my other Disney DVD's and it was not the same. I spent over $25 on a copy! That really made me mad. If you order from here be aware! There are so many liars out there! I learned my lesson to ask questions if you have any and if they seem suspicious don't buy from them. Thanks I hoped I helped you! But truly this is a wonderful movie for all ages!

Review: You can fly, You can fly, You can fly
This is a magical movie. It tells kids ( and adults ) that you must believe in magic and enjoy life and use your imagination...who doesn't!? We LOVE this movie and it's by far one of the best classic childrens movies ever made!!! BELIEVE! :)

Review: Used to be my fave
This is my dad`s fave movie. I saw this movie when I was in 1st grade. It was my fave. I never wanted to grow up then. Then in 3rd grade I thought the movie was a little to babyish for me. I still loved it. Then in 4th grade I became obsessed with Dakota Fanning, then Christina Ricci, the to her character in the Addams family, Wednesday, then back to Dakota Fanning. Anyway that`s just like my life a little. But Peter Pan is a movie make for children who have a imaganation and will belive with faith. It makes your mind fly off with Peter to Never Never land, the place is where no one ever grows up. There is an evil foe though, Captian Hook. Use your imaganation and fly off to Never never land and watch Peter Pan!



The Little Mermaid (Limited Issue) (1989)

Amazon.com essential video
From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured that "magic" that had been dormant for thirty years. In the tale of a headstrong young mermaid who yearns to "spend a day, warm on the sand," Ariel trades her voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch (classically voiced by Pat Carroll), for a pair of legs. Ariel can only succeed if she receives true love's kiss in a few day's time and she needs all the help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull, and a flounder. The lyrics and music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are top form: witty and relevant, and they advance the story (go on, hum a few bars of "Under the Sea"). Mermaid put animation back on the studio's "to do" list and was responsible for ushering Beauty and the Beast to theaters. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton



Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald, Volume Two (1942-1946)


Review: Many enjoyable and funny Donald Duck cartoons


The official announcement of the exact contents of this DVD set has just been made, with the set containing the Donald Duck cartoons of 1942-1946. These first official announcements occasionally have some mistakes or omissions, but they are generally accurate. In addition to the cartoons, the following extras were announced:

A chat with the current voice of Donald Duck.

The complete episode of the Disney TV Show "A Day In The Life Of Donald Duck", first shown February 1, 1956. The cartoon Donald (and his car, at times) is placed in live-action settings to show his "typical work day". One special scene has Donald arguing with his "voice" Clarence "Ducky" Nash, with Nash getting the last "quack". Jimmy Dodd, Roy Williams, and the Mouseketeers also appear. A few of Donald's cartoons are included.

A featurette on Donald Duck artists Carl Barks "The Art And Animation of Carl Barks".

The 1940 Donald Duck public service short 1940 "The Volunteer Worker". If this info is correct, I don't know why this is repeated from the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set Chronological Donald Duck Volume 1.

A timeline of the Walt Disney Studios during the World War II years 1941-1945.

Donald-themed still frame art galleries.

The cartoons below noted with a "*" were also previously released on the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set On The Front Lines. Cartoons noted with a "+" should be in the set, but were probably mistakingly left off the official announcement list.

1942
1. The Village Smithy - Donald is a smithy who is continually frustrated in his work on a wagon wheel and trying to shoe a donkey.
2. Donald's Snow Fight - When Donald destroys his nephews' snowman, the snow fight escalates into Donald's snow ship attacking the nephews' snow fort. The nephews win the fight, with hilarious results. My favorite of the Donald/nephews conflict cartoons.
3. * Donald Gets Drafted - Donald eagerly obeys his army induction order, but soon suffers through a humiliating physical and a sadistic drill sergeant. I always got a laugh out of Donald reporting to an army induction in his sailor suit.
4. Donald's Garden - Donald continually has gardening problems - first, with his watering can and water pump; and then with a gopher who eats his prize watermelons.
5. Donald's Gold Mine - Donald's conflicts with his donkey in his gold mine results in finding gold; but, in the end, Donald looks like one of his bars of gold.
6. * The Vanishing Private - Donald uses invisible paint to camouflage an anti-aircraft gun. His sergeant Pete angrily chases an invisible Donald. Pete finally loses his temper by throwing grenades where he thinks Donald is. Donald gets the last laugh when a general has Pete thrown into jail, with Donald as the guard.
7. * Sky Trooper - Donald continually bugs his sergeant Pete by saying he "wants to fly an airplane". Pete tricks Donald into being a member of a parachuting team. When Donald refuses to jump and Pete tries to force him out of the plane, both Donald and Pete fall out without a parachute. As they fall, they dislodge a bomb, which destroys the general's headquarters. Donald and Pete both end up doing KP peeling potatoes.
8. + Bellboy Donald - After Donald's hotel manager gives him a lecture about Donald's impoliteness to the guests, Donald is taunted continually by Junior, Senator Pete's son. Donald controls his temper until the very end, when Donald ends up spanking Junior after Donald has lost his temper and his job.
1943
9. * Der Fuehrer's Face - Donald has a nightmare that he is living in Nazi Germany, where everything (buildings, trees, clouds, etc.) is shaped like a swastika. He dreams of bayonet discipline, starvation, hard labor on a munitions assembly line, and having to "Heil Hitler" every minute of the day. He awakens to find himself glad to be a U.S. citizen. This is a very effective propaganda cartoon and is also an entertaining, funny cartoon. It is the only Donald Duck cartoon to win an Academy Award.
10. Donald's Tire Trouble - While speeding through the countryside, Donald has a flat tire. Due to the wartime rubber shortage, Donald has several hilarious misadventures in trying to fit the flat.
11. Flying Jalopy - Donald buys a defective plane from Ben Buzzard, who makes Donald's life insurance out to Ben and then proceeds to try to wreck the plane while Donald is flying it.
12. * Fall Out - Fall In - Donald suffers through the drudgery of the life of a soldier, including impossibly long marches through all types of weather. Donald wrestl