Showing posts with label Cinderella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cinderella. Show all posts

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Blu-ray Review: Cinderella: Anniversary Edition


Walmart
Last week, Disney Home Entertainment re-released the classic animated classic Cinderella on Digital HD and Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code Anniversary Edition combo pack, which is also part of the The Signature Walt Disney Collection.

Based on the fairy tale by by Charles Perrault, Disney's Cinderella originally hit the big screen in 1950. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson, the animated classic featured the talented voice cast of Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Rhoda Williams, James MacDonald, Luis van Rooten, Don Barclay, Mike Douglas, William Phipps, and Lucille Bliss.

The 75-minnute film tells the tale of Cinderella, a young woman who's forced by her stepmother, Lady Tremaine, to work in her own home as a maid and sleep in a tower. Her stepsisters Drizella and Anastasia are just as cruel as their mother. Cinderella's only friends are the mice (Jaq, Guz, and many others) that also live in the tower.



The King of the land is tired of the Prince's refusal to get married, so he and the Grand Duke organize a ball and invite every single young woman near the kingdom, in the hopes they will find the perfect wife for the prince.

Upon hearing about the ball, Lady Tremaine is determined to have one of her daughters marry the Prince. Since all young women have been invited, Cinderella would love to go as well, but Lady Tremaine piles more work for her to do, just o she wouldn't have time to make a dress.

Let's just say with a little help of her animal friends and her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella attends the ball wearing a gorgeous dress and glass slippers, and she enchants the Princess with just one dance.


Blu-ray Bonus Features include:
  • New Features
    • Try This Trivia on for Size – Join Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker from Disney Channel's Sydney to the Max and put your knowledge of Cinderella to the test.
    • In Walt’s Words: Enhanced Edition – Watch the movie and gain some insight into its production with storyboards, archival photos, sketches and transcripts. 
  • CLASSIC Features
    • Diane Disney Miller “Cinderella” Film Intro – In this introduction to the animated classic, Diane Disney Miller describes how Cinderella helped launch a studio renaissance.
    • The Real Fairy Godmother – Learn about the real-life inspiration for the Fairy Godmother: Mary Alice O’Connor, wife of Disney layout artist Ken O’Connor.
    • Behind the Magic: A New Disney Princess Fairyland – Discover how Imagineers created a Fantasyland at Walt Disney World featuring each of the Disney Princesses.
    • The Magic of the Glass Slipper – World-famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin creates a very exclusive “Glass Slipper” in honor of a beloved Disney classic. 
  • THE ART OF CINDERELLA 
    • Concept Art  - View a gallery of concept art from the feature's production.
    • Character Model Sheets – View a gallery of character model sheets from the feature's production. 
    • Story Sketches – View a gallery of story sketches from the feature's production.
    • Live-Action Reference – View a gallery of photos taken from live-action footage shot as a reference for the animated feature.
    • Pencil Animation – View a gallery of pencil animation from the feature's production.
    • Behind-the-Scenes Stills – View a gallery of behind-the-scenes stills from the feature's production.
    • Feature Stills – View a gallery of stills from the feature. 

 

Final Thoughts

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Blu-ray Review: Cinderella


Cinderella
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Helena Bonham Carter
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00UI5CTE2
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Now available to own on Btu-ray, DVD and Digital HD is Walt Disney's Cinderella. No, I 'm not talking about the classic 1950 animation film, but I'm referring to this year's live-action version. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Thor), the film stars Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger and Helena Bonham Carter. Bonus Features includes Frozen Fever Theatrical Short, A Fairy True Comes to Life - Filmmakers and stars reflect on Cinderella's enduring power; Staging The Ball - Experience the making of the lavish Palace Ball Sequence; Alternative Opening: Ella's Childhood - View added moments from Ella's Childhood; Ella's Furry Friends - See how the animal stars honed their memorable performances; and Costume Test Fun - See the work of Academy Award-winning® Costume Designer Sandy Powell (The Aviator, 2004) and share some lighthearted moments with the cast.

Based on the Charles Perrault fairy tales as well as the 1950 animated classic, Cinderella centers on a Ella (played by Lily James) who was raised by her father Ben Chaplin after her mother (played by Hayley Atwell) suddenly passed away. It was just her father and her until he announced that he had fallen in love on one of his business trip with a widow mother, Lady Tremaine (played by Cate Blanchett), and plans on marrying her.

Despite being shocked about the news, Ella becomes excited about the idea of having a step-mother and two step-sisters, Drisella (played by Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (played by Holliday Grainger), and lovingly accepts them into her home. Unfortunately, she figures out quickly that things aren't going to be fun when she is tricked into giving away her bedroom to her step-sisters in exchange for the dusty attic. Sadly, Ella's father had fallen ill and died on one of his business trips, leaving Ella alone with her evil step-mother and step-sisters, whom force her to become the maid (well, more like a slave) of the household.

Out of the blue, words gets out that the Prince (played by Richard Madden) is throwing a huge ball at his families kingdom and that he's searching for his princess that he briefly met in the woods, which just happens to be Ella.