Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack

I’m a huge Disney fan.  Growing up I loved all the classics and even got to see some of the “newer” classics like Pocahontas, The little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin when they first went to Theatre.  My favourite Disney movies as a child though were the three princess movies; Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. 

I can’t begin to explain how excited I was to find out I was pregnant with Keira; I couldn’t wait to watch Disney animation movies with someone who would be seeing them with fresh eyes and wonder.   Keira is now a devoted Disney fan although her favourites are  bit different from mine.  Top on her  most requested list currently is Tangled, the Princess and the Frog, Frozen and The Jungle Book.  

When I found out that Disney was releasing Sleeping Beauty  Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack I couldn’t have been more excited.  Sleeping Beauty and Snow White have been missing from my collection and I just new I had to catch Sleeping Beauty before it went back into the Vault.

Keira absolutely loved watching “Sleeping Cootie” (as she calls it) with me, and has added it into her rotation of frequently requested DVDs. 

You will be amazed at the sound and video quality for a film that is 55 years old, the colours are ridiculously vibrant and the sound  was perfect on my surround sound system.  Watching the Sleeping Beauty Diamond Edition Blu-Ray was everything I remember, but better!

“Sleeping Beauty” tells the wondrous tale of a princess cursed by an evil fairy, protected by three loving fairies and, ultimately, saved by “true love’s kiss.” Featuring the voice talents of renowned opera singer Mary Costa as Sleeping Beauty and Disney stalwart Eleanor Audley as the evil fairy, Maleficent, the film’s vibrant visuals were created by a team that included Milt Kahl and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men and an Academy Award®-nominated score, 1959, adapted from the incandescent music of Peter Tchaikovsky. “Sleeping Beauty” is the sixteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon and was the last animated feature produced by Walt Disney to be based upon a fairy tale. It is the tenth film released as part of Disney’s prestigious Blu-ray Diamond Collection.

Creating the ultimate at-home viewing experience, Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) contains digitally restored picture and sound, a digital copy of the film, and a variety of magical new bonus features:

‘Once Upon A Parade’ (Starring Sarah Hyland) – Behind every attraction, event and parade at the Magic Kingdom is a unique story.  Join Sarah Hyland from ABC’s “Modern Family” as she tells us the tale of Walt Disney World’s new Festival Of Fantasy Parade.  This magical “in world” short film goes behind the scenes of the new parade and shows how the residents and characters of Fantasyland created this parade to tell their stories. 

Art of Evil: Generations Of Disney Villains – This legacy piece spotlights Disney’s favorite villain animator, Marc Davis and his infamous creations of characters such as Maleficent and Cruella.  Throughout the piece, we will talk to modern day animators like Andreas Deja and also the new generation of Animators (Lino DiSalvo Animation Director of FROZEN) on how Marc’s designs and characters influenced what they do today. 

@DisneyAnimation: ARTISTS IN MOTION (Extended Edition) – Join Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee as she goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper. In this extended edition, go deeper into Britney’s process. 

BEAUTY-OKE “Once Upon A Dream” – Sing along to this kinetic text video of Aurora’s signature song.

Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes:

• The Fair (With Deleted Character – The Vulture) – In this version of the story, the fairies do not take the Princess to live with them in the forest.  Convinced that King Stefan’s order to burn all the spinning wheels in the kingdom will not prevent Maleficent’s curse, the good fairies put a magic circle around the castle and cast a spell:  “No evil thing that walks or flies or creeps or crawls can ever pass these castle walls.”
• The Curse is Fulfilled – The three good fairies have just returned Aurora to the castle and give her a crown.  They leave the room to give Aurora some time alone…but Maleficent pays her a visit.
• Arrival Of Maleficent (Alternate Scene) – Maleficent arrives uninvited to the christening of the Princess Aurora.

Classic DVD Bonus Features Include:

• The Sound Of Beauty: Restoring A Classic – This featurette covers the creation of the 7.1 mix of the score of Sleeping Beauty that was done for Blu-ray, using the source tapes from the original recording sessions resulting in an audio experience of superior quality with greater detail and fidelity that you have ever heard before.
• Picture Perfect: The Making Of Sleeping Beauty – Discover the behind-the-scenes magic that transformed a beloved fairy tale into a cinematic work of art. Legendary Animators, actors and film historians reveal the secrets behind Disney’s masterpiece.
• Eyvind Earle: A Man And His Art – Early in his career, renowned American Artist Eyvind Earle worked as a background painter at the Walt Disney Studio. Walt Disney liked his work so much that he entrusted him with the assignment to be the Art Director for Sleeping Beauty. This was the first time that one artist was given the responsibility for the entire look on one of Disney’s animated features. This piece follows Earle’s development as an artist and his years at the Studio.
• Audio Commentary by John Lasseter, Andreas Deja and Leonard Maltin

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