A Disney classic has been released on Blu-ray/DVD, “Beauty and the Beast” Diamond Edition. Digitally restored, this edition of the movie is the brightest and clearest that it has ever been.
Of all of Disney’s animated classics, this one is my favorite. Hence, I was eager to watch all the special features. The making of this movie was an interesting process. In “Beyond Beauty – The Untold Stories,” we are told about how the movie came to be, from how the story developed to the animation to the music and on. I absolutely suggest watching this before watching anything else on the DVD. It gives the complete story about how it was made, and it will help you understand the other special features much better. One of my favorite stories told was when the producers decided to show an unfinished version of the film at the New York Film Festival. They were terrified that no one would like the film at all, especially in its unfinished state. However, the audience loved every second of it. It truly shows the power of story –telling when people can look past the faults. (No pun intended. Well… maybe sort of.)
Another great feature was “Composing A Classic.” Composer Alan Menken discusses how he and Howard Ashman created the music for the movie. The music from “Beauty and the Beast” is so iconic that it is fascinating to hear how Menken and Ashman thought of how to compose each song.
This edition also offers two deleted scenes. You can see why both were deleted. As well, you can choose from three different versions of the film to play. The Special Extended Version has an extra 11 minute musical number called “Human Again.” The Original Storyboard Version shows how the film evolved through running the original storyboards. Finally, the Original Theatrical Release is the movie that we all have seen and loved. Other features include: a new Beauty and the Beast music video with Jordin Sparks, family games, and a piece on its transition to Broadway.
“Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. From that point on, Hollywood started to take animation more seriously than it had before. We have seen how it advanced since 1991. All in all, “Beauty and the Beast” Diamond Edition is a must-have for everyone.
“Beauty and the Beast” Diamond Edition is now out in stores.
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