Reviews (749)

Destined to be a classic.
My title may sound a tad cliche, but I believe it. The guys at Pixar understand the mind of children - because they still haven't grown up! That's why Monsters, Inc. is the perfect balance of children's entertainment and adult sophistication. I love it when a studio produces movies that kids love, but at the same time are able to add a level of maturity and sophistication that adults appreciate - without sexual innuendo or appealing to the lowest-common denominator. (i.e. several instances in the movie, Shrek)

The animation is simply incredible; the characters are compelling and hilarious; Boo is worth the price of TWO admissions; the plot and backstory are completely ingenious.

Buy this movie. Enjoy it. Enjoy Disc 2. (Tons of extras - including "Mike's New Car" and another Pixar short entitled "For the Birds" -- PLUS, clips from the Monsters, Inc. office musical production "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me..." !!) With the possible exception of Toy Story 2, one COULD argue that this is the (or at least ONE of the) greatest animated movies ever made.

Sorry if I'm gushing too much. I love this movie. My kids love this movie. It's just plain, good, old-fashinoned FUN.

"MONSTERS, INC." will scare up a treat for audiences
Delightful, uproarious, fun, hilarious, cute and cuddly, jovial... Just a few of the numerous "happy" adjectives you could pin on Pixar's latest pixilated masterpiece "Monsters, Inc." Pixar once again proves itself Disney's most valuable asset with their knack for original stories and often witty and clever humor.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal provide their trademark voices for Sully, the big blue furry monster, and Mike, the cycloptic short green monster as they scare up kids' screams which are converted to energy to power the televisions and alarm clocks of the monster metropolis. (Seems very allegorical of the California power outages this past summer, no?) Conflict brews when Randall, the gecko-like monster, gets greedy and wants to become the top "scarer" by exploiting the screams of the innocent human child, yet show-stealing cute, Boo. While kids might get lost in the action of the movie, the CGI effects and clever Laurel and Hardy-esque slapstick of Sully and Mike (or Lenny and George, which ever way you want to look at it) will have the kiddies captivated from beginning to end.

While Dreamwork's box office baby "Shrek" may have just as good edgy, clever humor and depth, Pixar is far from being out of the running. Keep in mind, Pixar is already a veteran with "Toy Story 1 & 2" (with a third on the way), and "A Bug's Life". There's no doubt in my mind that Pixar and Dreamwork's will be at the helm of the fully computer animated feature for years to come. May the best company win!

For the time being, strap yourself in for the first in some great holiday flicks coming to the silver screen near you! "Monsters, Inc." is already off and running to box office gold, and is a wholly satisfying and entertaining movie for kids, parents, and "Average Joe" movie critics alike.

A big Kid at Heart
I was in the library with my niece and she grabbed this DVD. How can you say no to someone with the most adorable eyes. So I checked out the DVD, we went home and had a wonderful, wonderful time. This is the kind of movie you can appreciate no matter how young or old you are. James P Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman), and Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are monsters who work for Monsters Inc. Sulley is the best at getting his fair share of scares, but he has some competition in Randall who wants to be the top scare monster. The more screams collected, the more energy for Montropolis. The monsters are led to believe that if a child enters their "world" they will be contaminated and everything could be destroyed. The real fun part starts when this adorable human child named Marry (Boo buy Sulley) sneaks into Montropolis by accident. The kids are scared of the monsters, and the monsters are terrifiedof the kids. Sully and Mike try to get Boo back to her world, but she won't leave. Turns out Randall is her scary monster. Also turns out that Randal has a plan up his sleeve to extract screams that could put the other monsters out of work. It's up to Sully and Mike to save Montroplis and Monsters Inc. This is a fun, entertaining film that will leave with a happy, happy feeling when it's all over. Steve Bucemis I the voice for Randal Boggs, and other notable actors are James Coburn, and Jennifer Tilly (who has the perfect voice for animation, she should do more of it!!!) and Bonnie Hunt.

This is an adorable movie. One I will watch again, with or without my niece.

More Family Magic from Pixar! Great DVD Extras!
"Monster's, Inc." combines a fantastic cast, cutting edge imagination, and a tender storyline into a wonderful, delightful family film . . . it may even cure the nighttime frights of your wee ones!

Most of us were scared stiff at some point in our childhood by the spooky, imaginary "monsters in the closet," usually after we've read "Where the Wild Things Are" for the first time. "Monsters, Inc." plays on that near-universal fear by creating a rational explanation -- monsters live in a parallel universe, connected to ours by closet doors, and they power their land by the energy contained in human screams. Makes perfect sense!

Sulley (the hilarious John Goodman) is a celebrity in Monstropolis as the leading scare-getter for Monster's, Inc. Sulley is generally a lovable big blue yeti-bear-creature, but he can be quite terrifying. Blissfully unaware of the terror he unleashes, he enjoys his job. Basking in Sulley's reflected glory is his sidekick and assistant, Mike Waznowski (Billy Crystal, perfect as ever). Mike is a lime-green-yellow glob with one giant eye and an even larger mouth. He helps Sulley get the screams and stay one step ahead of the competition.

And the competition is fierce. The dragon-chameleon Boggs (Steve Buscemi, suitably creepy without being too scary for the kids) is right on Sulley's heels to be the scream champion, and he's willing to go to any lengths to beat his nemesis.

All is well in Monstropolis until Boo, a human child, accidentally finds her way through the closet and into Monstropolis. It seems that as scared as kids are of monsters, the monsters are equally scared of the kids -- their touch (allegedly) brings death and ruin. (This misunderstanding leads to great comic scenes as X-Files-type HAZMAT crews invade every time there's a kid sighting, usually to the woe of the monster who has seemingly been infected by the kid!)

Like all Pixar films, the glories are in the details. Check out the gentle satire of Hollywood celebrity culture, of mindless bureaucracy, and the perils of romance in the office. The animation is also wonderful -- Pixar continues to evolve with every picture. For example, Sulley's fuzzy hair is fully articulated as he zooms through various escapades.

The story is fast-paced, with enough jokes to keep the adults laughing . . . which is good, 'cause your kids will likely keep throwing this into the DVD player.

Speaking of the DVD -- there are lots of fun extras on this two-disc set. Personal favorites include the fake "outtakes," similar to those at the end of "A Bug's Life," a short film featuring Mike showing Sulley his new hi-tech car (with hilarious consequences), and an Oscar-winning short film, "For the Birds," which shows how funny animation can be, even in short doses. There are additional extras that will keep the kiddies occupied for hours.

All in all, a must for the family's DVD library.

100% Kid Friendly
There aren't many movies that can be seen over and over and over again and still be enjoyed so much. My little sister is addicted to Monsters, Inc. Instead of having to look under the bed to make sure there are no monsters there, she wishes and hopes that when the closet door is opened, Scully will be in there waiting to "scare" her. She was Boo for Halloween last year and requested a Little Mikey stuffed animal for her birthday. Basically, she can not get enough of anything to do with Monsters, Inc.

OK, I admit it. I'm hooked on Monsters, Inc. too. After seeing it thirty plus times with the little one, I still find myself actually watching it and laughing out loud. What a great movie with lovable characters.

Monsters, Inc. is a 100% kid friendly movie that adults will enjoy as well. ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Excellent job Disney.
I saw this when it first came out in theaters back in 1992. I was only 7 or 8 at the time, and it just didn't appeal to me as much as The Little Mermaid or The Rescuers Down Under. I don't really know why, but having just getting the DVD in the mail, my view of the movie is completely different.

Beauty and the Beast really is one of Disney's top 4 animated films. How they managed to combine a massive cast of characters into the main plot is amazing. Beast is one of my favorite Disney characters after re-watching this. There's so much emotion inside of him. Anger, rage, pity, ambition, and love. You'll really care for him from the moment he appears on screen. Belle is possibly the most humble heroine to date. She doesn't see that she's beautiful, but just cares for helping others and reading books. The supporting cast is just as good. Gaston, the villain, is just a....well I can't use the word. You can bet your money you'll feel the same way. But the characters are just the icing on the cake. The story is what the strong point's always been. Disney did a great job adding so much more to it, whereas the original didn't focus on anyone but Belle and the Beast really. But I'm sure you all know the story, so I'll just get into the features on this DVD.

On the first disc, you get 3 different versions of the film- theatrical, work in progress, and special edition. The theatrical is what you saw in theaters or on the home video release. Work in progress is mostly drawings in black and white while the voices and everything else is put in. The special edition has a few lines changed here and there, and the added musical "Human Again" into the film. Personally, I hated "Human Again". It comes right after and before other songs in the film, making you want them to just get on with the story. Plus the animation in it really stands out since it's newer and has those annoying shadows on every character that you see in so many made for video animated movies. There's also a commentary track that adds a lot of depth and information, and a game that unlocks another game. People complain about the picture quality of the movie, but it's not that bad. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a 7.5.

The second disc has a well done documentary on the making of Beauty and the Beast, story origins of a few other Disney movies, art galleries, music videos, more games, and much more. Amazon lists that the Broadway Musical is on this, but it isn't. It's mentioned in the documentary, that's all. This sets the standard for extras on Disney special editions of their movies. It's too bad The Lion King has nothing compared to this. Either way, if you like Disney at all...or just movies, you should go for this while you can. It's a masterpiece, and getting harder to find.

A thinking girl's heroine
When I saw "Beauty and the Beast" in the theater, I had a rare and magical experience: I felt like a child again watching an enchanting Disney movie. In fact, "Beauty and the Beast" seemed even better than the Disney classics like "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" that were such a wonderful part of my childhood. The animation is absolutely gorgeous--particularly the waltz scene, which feels incredibly three-dimensional. The songs are beautiful, singable instant classics.

Despite the animated characters, I felt like I was watching an old musical. The movie opens with a scene reminiscent of "The Sound of Music," with our heroine, Belle, singing on a hilltop about wanting more out of life. The "Be Our Guest" scene, featuring a Lumiere (the Maurice Chevalier-inspired singing candlestick), dancing dishes and champagne corks popping like fireworks, reminded me of the Busby Berkely musical extravaganzas of the '30s.

A big appeal for me is that Belle is a much different heroine than the Disney princesses of my childhood. Belle isn't looking for a man to rescue her from her life of drudgery. She loves to read and longs for a more interesting life. She already has the "town catch," Gaston, wanting to court her, but she's having none of it.

Belle's escape from "her provincial life" begins when her father, a kooky inventor, doesn't return from his travels. (He has sought shelter from a snow storm in a spooky enchanted castle and is being held prisoner by the Beast.) Belle tracks down her father and, out of concern for his ailing health, takes his place in captivity. The Beast, who has been placed under a spell, wonders if Belle might be "the one"--the young woman whose love will return him to his original human form.

The enchanted furniture, candlestick, clock and dishes added lots of fun characters to the traditional story. Cogsworth, a stuffy clock, and Lumiere, the match-making candlestick are a great comic duo. Cogsworth's romantic advice to Beast about wooing Belle is especially funny: Give her "flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."

Gaston, meanwhile, wants to woo and wed Belle himself. He sings about his he-man attributes in one of the funniest ode to a redneck that I've ever heard: "I use antlers in all of my decorating," Gaston sings about himself.

When Gaston realizes that Belle loves the Beast instead of him, he stirs up an angry mob to head to the castle. In another twist on the traditional fairy tale ending, Belle ultimately rescues the Beast--not the other way around.

"Beauty and the Beast" is a delightful classic whether you are a child or a grownup who knows how to feel like a child at times.

Pure Magic!
Bringing this classic fairy tail to life is one of the best things that Disney has ever done. Every second of this film is full to the brim with wonder and magic. More than ten years after first seeing it, there are still some scenes that make me gasp at their beauty.
The movie provides all of the usual Disney elements of gorgeous animation, skilled voice actors, awesome original songs, and non-stop entertainment, but there's something special in the mix. We get one of the most believable and heart felt romances to ever grace the animated world. As a child every time I read a picture book of this Fairy Tail I found it impossible to believe that a woman could love a beast, but Disney found a way to make it happen. You truly believe that it's possible, and feel her pain when she thinks she's lost him.
In the classic Disney fashion, Beauty and the Beast brings along a message for the kids to learn. We see the value of intelligence and compassion, learn to look beyond the superficial, and discover that love knows no boundaries.

After A While One Doesn't Notice It Is Animated
It is quite rare for any animated film to be treated with the same respect as any other honored non-animated one. In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale take the time-worn fairy tale of the outwardly loathsome beast who impossibly enough allows his inner nobility to shine forth sufficiently to cause the beauty to fall in love with him. Robby Benson is the voice of the Beast and Paige O'Hara is Beauty. Even for those readers familiar with the spoken tale or the revamped music video with Meatloaf as the Beast cannot help but allow themselves to be entranced with the seamless melding of sight to sound. The plot is simplicity itself with the Beast as the archetypal symbol of the rebirth of nobility long hidden by the evil spell of a unnamed wizard. There is nothing childish is the unfolding of the tale of Belle the Beauty who chooses to sacrifice herself in marriage to save the life of her doddering inventor father. Enter the Beast who is initially presented as the roaring brute that his tormenting wizard clearly intended him to be. Yet, as Belle ministers to his psychic wounds of self-loathing and his physical wounds incurred in defending her against a pack of wolves, the viewer can see a competing spell at work, one that is older than time itself--the power of love that the film's many songs allude to and function as as subtext that imbues it with timeless energy. There is, of course, some needed plot complications of unwanted attention heaped on Belle by the handsome but warped Gaston, who plots to snare Belle in marriage as firmly as he would stalk a reindeer for its antlers. As Gaston leads the villagers in an assault on the Beast's manor, one is reminded in reverse of the cliched villagers pounding at the walls of Doctor Frankenstein's castle, but in this case the attack in presented in comic tones that keep the real world of harm at bay.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has no down moments, with each fresh plot advancement heralded by stunningly effective animation and song. This film was a deserved nominee for Best Picture in 1991, and with repeated viewings, one may rest assured that the alternately gloomy and resplendent halls of the Beast will eternally resonate with the same cachet that gives Tara, Oz, or Rick's Cafe a ticket that allows the bearer to see just how awesome the human spirit can be.

The Beauty
This is a beautiful movie and is in a wonderful set. It has two discs with great behind the scenes stuff for Beauty and the Beast that you definitely wont want to miss out on.
The colors in this movie is beautiful and the music is lovely.
I really wouldn't miss out on this movie because it's a great film and a wonderful set. ... Read more

Description

The Dumbo 60th Anniversary Edition was the beneficiary of an electronic film restoration process where every frame of film was scanned into a high resolution computer system, then painstakingly examined and repaired frame by frame to eliminate negative and positive dirt, film scratches and the like. A high definition transfer was done and color correction was supervised by Disney Feature Animation to ensure faithful reproduction of the colors as they were originally intended. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

Excellent for two and three year olds and everyone else too!
Dumbo is a cinematic milestone and masterpiece of family entertainment. The storyline and characters are well rounded enough (just) to entertain adults and older children and the quality of the animation both holds children's attention and enables them to empathise with the principle characters. In addition, the moral of the story is well presented without being clumsily overstated as in much modern animation.

Both my children have frequently watched this DVD (which first came out (without extras) in Europe in 1999) since they were one and both enjoy it imensely.

I'm both astonished and disturbed that anyone could deem this movie unsuitable for children but can only assume they come from the same group of people who banned Robin Hood books from schools for being 'pro communist' and Shakespeare for being 'too explicit'!

The 'drunken scene' is funny, brief and discrete (all you see is the shadows of characters through canvas). As to fast forwarding through the dream sequence for the kids' benefit because it is 'too long' that is verging on irresponsible. All doing so teaches a child is that it's OK to have a short attention span and to zoom through films to the 'interesting bits'. Perhaps I was wrong though and the moral of the story has been hidden too deeply "Persevere - Don't Give Up" is lost on some people.

Great, despite the grainy picture quality
This sweet animated film (only 64 minutes long) is truly a Disney treasure. The simple story is about a little elephant that just doesn't fit in because of his freakishly large ears. Timothy, a little circus mouse, befriends Dumbo and sees only beauty in his new friend. Dumbo entertains us, as well as teaches us a timeless lesson about love and tolerance in a world that is often times unkind and cruel. The animation is rather simple as compared to the detail found in Snow White or Pinocchio, but it somehow works because of the film's other strengths. In Dumbo your emotions run the full spectrum from laughter to tears. The musical numbers are memorable, especially "Baby Mine". Baby Mine is a tearjerker if ever there was one. The crows add great comic relief toward the end of the film. The Special Bonus Features on the DVD are a real nice touch and generous. Among the extras are a "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette, two animated shorts, and a Music Video of "Baby Mine" sung by Michael Crawford that will have you sobbing all over again, guaranteed! The only complaint I have was mentioned by other reviewers, that being the grainy quality of the film. This flaw simply does not make any sense. I would have expected that Disney, promoting Dumbo as the "60th Anniversary Edition", would have bothered to restore the picture and audio elements. The DVD back cover makes claims to Dumbo being digitally restored and remastered with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, but it certainly is not evident to me. I guess we should be thankful for the merits of the DVD which are many. Recommended.

A True Disney Classic
This is one of Disney's true enduring classics. The story is simple. A baby elephant is delivered to the delighted Mrs. Jumbo, but he has big ears. Dubbed Dumbo, he is soon separated from his mother and must find a way to deal with his ears on his own. With only Timothy Mouse to help him, he soon learns that, thanks to his big ears, he can fly.

I have always loved this movie. The story is simple, but moves quickly and from heart felt emotion to laughter easily. The moral is simple, but isn't preachy. Watching this movie again recently, I was surprised again at how much of the early story to told in song. I usually forget "Look out for Mr. Stork" and the song they sing as they build the circus in the rain when thinking about the classic songs. "Baby Mine" is one of my favorite Disney songs because of its heartfelt emotion and I love all the puns in "When I See an Elephant Fly."

This is a truly remarkable movie. Pop some corn, sit back, and joy this classic tale.

Good, yes... however...
Sure, it's a good tale. However, one thing you might consider before letting your children watch it is how dark this movie is. This movie is an exploration of some of the more darker and vile aspects of the human psyche. It is an animated meditation on abuse, slavery, and mistreatment. As such, it may disturb not only the children watching it, but the parents as well. Think twice about this one. There is also the very weird scene where Dumbo gets stinking drunk on alcohol and has "hallucinations." Yes, you should very much think twice about this one as a parent.

Dumbo, a classic
Made in the 40s and still appreciated by yours truly now. My favorite scene is when Dumbo and the mouse fall into the well and his wine in it. they get so drunk and they ended up hallucinating for like a 10 minute long substance abuse horror scene for children. honestly, unless you are taking shots of cheap vodka or smoking out of your buddies pipe whose name is an inside joke, do not let your kid see this part. (OR ANYOTHER SCENE because I remember crying when I was a little kid when Dumbo goes in a different cage than his mom on the circuis train and they get separated).
Anyways, about that scene. why does it last so long? was it like an inside joke to all the older viewers? i think this movie was the origin of the timeless hallucination of pink elephants. it is so trippy like when the elephants combine and they shoot into the sky or something like that and everything turns into fire works.
the next morning dumbo and his mouse friend end up in a tree and they're like man what happened. ... Read more

Amazon.com

World War II transformed the Disney Studio. Although nearly one-third of the artists had been drafted, production quintupled, up to 95% of it for military and government uses. Some of the films included in On the Front Lines have not been seen since their initial release; others were never shown to the general public. Anticipating the importance of animated training films, Disney produced the studio's first educational film, "Four Methods of Flush Riveting" (1941), using limited animation to train riveters at Lockheed. Decades later, "Four Methods" and the excerpts from military training films remain models of how to present information clearly and concisely.

Many of the wartime entertainment shorts are largely propaganda. Donald's nightmare of working on a Nazi assembly line in "Der Fuehrer's Face" is still hilarious slapstick. The grimmer "Education for Death" and "Chicken Little" have aged less gracefully. Disney's oddest wartime project was Victory Through Air Power (1943), a live action/animation feature based on Major Alex de Seversky's controversial book that called for the adoption of long-range bombers. By the time it was finished, air power was a reality.

Front Lines also includes several health films made for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, and bond-buying shorts for Canada that reuse animation from Snow White and "Three Little Pigs." This collection of genuine rarities is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of animation, the Disney Studio, or America during WWII. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, ethnic stereotypes, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Excellent and Entertaining as well as Educational
This collection has been the most aniticpated set for hardcore Disney fans and cartoon historians alike. Collecting all of Disney's war time cartoons into one set was just a great idea and a real gem to own. I watched the entire collection in one day with friends of mine and I showed it to some students I teach at school who were just dumbfounded that people did this with cartoons during the second world war.
An excellent set with many bonus features including Leonard maltin who comes on to explain the background of many of these animated shorts.
I recommend this to everyone, not as a baby sitter for young children, but as an entertaining and educational look at America's history in animation and WW2.

DIFFICULT BUT CREATIVE ERA FOR DISNEY
The years that the probable contents were released, as well as some info on the various works.

FILMS

1943
VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - This film was basically propaganda with some entertainment and some powerful animation. Mainly championed Major Seversky's 1942 book of the same title with the theory that long-range air power could defeat the WWII enemies. The scene of an American eagle attacking the Japanese octopus is very powerful, moving animation.

ENTERTAINMENT/PROPAGANDA SHORTS

1942
DONALD GETS DRAFTED-always enjoyed the idea of Donald reporting to the draft board in his sailor suit.
THE ARMY MASCOT-Pluto schemes to take over the job of a mascot goat, with hilarious results.
THE VANISHING PRIVATE-Donald goes crazy with invisible paint, leading to war with his sergeant Pete, with a perfect, funny ending.
SKY TROOPER-Donald wants to be a pilot, and his sergeant Pete gives him more than Donald bargained for.

1943
DER FUEHRER'S FACE-the famous and infamous cartoon in which Donald dreams he is in Naziland where he is forced to work in a munitions plant.
EDUCATION FOR DEATH-very strong propaganda about Germany's totalitarian state which turns an innocent young boy into a robotic soldier.
PRIVATE PLUTO-Pluto has a war with the chipmunks in guarding the area.
FALL OUT - FALL IN-Donald experiences some of the trials of Army life, such as super-long hikes.
REASON AND EMOTION-entertainment and propaganda used in a story about reason and emotion working together for the war effort, enjoyable animation.
VICTORY VEHICLES-Goofy shows off alternate transportation due to the wartime rubber and gasoline shortage, settling on the pogo stick.
THE OLD ARMY GAME-Sergeant Pete catches Donald sneaking back into base after a late night on the town, leads to a merry chase.
HOME DEFENSE-Donald's nephews conflict with Donald after he sleeps during his duty of watching for enemy attack.
CHICKEN LITTLE-The classic "the sky is falling" story, originally planned to have more wartime references.

1944
HOW TO BE A SAILOR-Goofy's story of the history of sailors, ending with him using himself as a torpedo to sink Japanese ships.
COMMANDO DUCK-Donald is sent on a suicide mission to wipe out an entire Japanese air base, with hilarious results.

EDUCATIONAL SHORTS

* = Created for Canada to sell their war bonds.

** = CIAA films (Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs) created to combat the German Nazy influence that was widespread in Latin American in the early 1940s.

1941
THE THRIFTY PIG * - animation from Three Little Pigs cartoon adapted, with the Big Bad Wolf wearing a Nazi hat and armband.
THE SEVEN WISE DWARFS * - animation from Snow White adapted to show dwarfs buying war bonds.

1942
DONALD'S DECISION * - uses animation from 1938 Donald Duck cartoons "Donald's Better Self" and "Self Control" to convince Donald to buy war bonds.
ALL TOGETHER * - uses animation from several sources, including The Band Concert (1935) and Mickey's Amateurs (1937) to show several Disney characters in a parade to sell war bonds.
THE NEW SPIRIT - Donald is encouraged to pay his income tax to help the war effort.
FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR - Stresses the importance of farmers to the war effort. Includes the Three Little Pigs leading a long line of pigs.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRING LINE - Minnie & Pluto star in an effort to show how important it was for housewives to save kitchen fats and greases for the war effort.

1943
THE GRAIN THAT BUILT A HEMISPHERE ** - Tells the history of corn and its importance to the world.
THE SPIRIT OF '43 - Donald Duck resists Nazi propaganda and pays his taxes to support the war effort.
WHE WINGED SCOURGE ** - The Seven Dwarfs point out ways to defeat the malaria-carrying mosquito.
DEFENSE AGAINST INVASION ** - Shows the human body's ability to fight off germs through vaccination.

1945
CLEANLINESS BRINGS HEALTH ** - The difference between the Clean Family that is happy and healthy and the Careless Family that is unhappy and unhealthy.
WHAT IS DISEASE ** - Shows what causes disease and how to protect against disease.

1946
PLANNING FOR GOOD EATING ** - Careless Charlie is used to teach a family about good dietary habits.

TRAINING FILMS

1942
FOUR METHODS OF FLUSH RIVETING - basic animation for education purposes
STOP THAT TANK (BOYS ANTI-TANK RIFLE) - a great deal of live action but fun, enjoyable animation of Hitler being blown to Hell by the rifle

1942-1945?
TRAINING FILM MONTAGE - A selection of scenes from various training films, I assume.

There are a few war-related entertainment shorts not listed here - one or more might be added to this collection instead of what is listed above.

1943
DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE - most likely short. Donald has continual trouble with flat tires due to the wartime shortage of rubber.
PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO - small connection to the wartime. Short releated to the Latin Armerica trip and the Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros films developed from that trip.

1944
THE PELICAN AND THE SNIPE - same info as for Pluto and the Armadillo.

1945
DOG WATCH - Pluto is a watchdog for a Navy ship.

The war years were a demanding time for the Disney Company. Most of their meager resources were devoted to the war effort. But this era contained a great deal of creative effort that might not have existed if not for the war.

I have seen most of these war works, and I consider them fascinating and among the best of all of Disney's work. I much look forward to owning them on DVD.

GREAT CINEMATIC LESSONS IN PROPAGANDA
This is trully a grat collection of war-time propaganda from WWII made by the Disney Studios. Some of these movies feature our favorite characters Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. Others feature specific characters created on purpose.

The main thing about this collection is Mr. Disney's master hand behind each film. Quality animation (and expensive animation from the studio that elevated animation to an art on its own).

They alert, inspire, teach and (last but not least) entertain. Some of these little gems are a bit violent and you should see them before deciding if they are suitable for your children. But anyway, these are great films and should be seen by anyone who want to see some of the best propaganda films aver made.

It is all great if you check Nazi propaganda films at the same time... they are very different. In these here films Mr. Disney never lost his touch and the style that made his studio famous.

In this double DVD you will find lots of things... one feature-length film (VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - a trully memorable film that explains the importance or air power to american forces and also the strategical and logistic problems WWII represented to America). This is certainly a landmark film.

The DVDs also contain an enormous list of cartoons (in the short form) that cover a large variety of subjects and moods.

This is one of the best titles in the collection and an important piece of History. Should be treasured. The quality of the DVDs is outstanding... as everything that is made with care.

I just don't understand why the tin cans are not numbered anymore (like the previous titles in this collection).

Finally!
Of all the film studios that produced "propaganda" cartoons during WWII, none have been better kept hidden than those made by the Walt Disney studio. Sure a couple of them slipped through the cracks into the public domain, but as a whole they remained sealed in the Disney Vaults until now.

While not every single cartoon made during the War (Disney produced numerous "how to" films made only for those in the actual armed forces, clips of some are shown on these DVDs), it does include all the theatrically released features. Stars like Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Pete, Minnie and Huey, Dewey and Louie star in these wartime cartoons. Mickey Mouse only appeared in one short, using borrowed animation from "The Band Concert."

There is also the full length animated WWII feature "Victory Through Air Power," which is considered to be amongst the rarest of all the Disney features. This DVD set is well worth the buy.

History Buffs and Disney Fanatics Will Love It
During World War II, Walt Disney almost bankrupted his company producing stuff for the war effort. Now, we get a chance to see this part of animation history at home on DVD with this two disc set.

Disc 1 features 29 shorts. They range from entertainment with a patriotic edge, like "Donald Gets Drafted" or "Private Pluto," to shorts purely to help with the war like "The New Spirit" and "Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firing Line." There are even shorts used to fight disease in South America like "Cleanliness Brings Health" and "The Winged Scourge." I was surprised to learn from this disc about the films Disney was making for Canada even before the US entered the war.

Of course, the highlight of this disc is "Der Fuehrer's Face" which finds Donald trapped in Nazi Germany.

Disc two's main attraction is "Victory Through Air Power." This feature length movie was produced to bring the arguments of a book by the same name to more people. It makes a compelling argument that the Allies needed to build up their air forces to win the war, arguments about modern warfare that still apply today.

Disc two also features a few of the educational shorts Disney produced during that time. Frankly, after viewing the two that are included in their entirety, I'm glad that most of them are just highlighted. I don't find watching a film on how to fire a gun or how to flush rivet that entertaining. There are lots of production galleries and even galleries of some project this Disney fan had never heard of before. Finally, we have interviews with Disney veterans Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney.

This is a set that Disney buffs will want because it fills in some time in the studio's history. It also has interest for historians of all stripes as it presents a picture of life on the home front during World War II. Since the entertainment value of much of the disc is low, I took away one star. I probably won't go back to this set in the near future, but I was fascinated by much of what I saw here and am thrilled that the studio released this material so fans can view it today. ... Read more

Description

There's thumbthing for everyone in this 6 DVD box set from writer/director Steve Oedekerk (Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Jimmy Neutron, Ace Ventura)! Includes "Bat Thumb" (2001, 28 min.) - Super hero Wuce Bane and his sidekick Blue Jay must save Gaaathumb City from the evil, despicable, and poorly dressed "No Face." "The Blair Thumb" (2001, 28 min.) - A clever tale about three thumbs who encounter terror during their search for the truth behind The Blair Thumb. "Frankenthumb" (2002, 32 min.) - Gasp as a deceased Thumb is brought back to life in this outrageous spoof of the gothic horror classic. "The Godthumb" (2002, 31 min.) - A gripping tale of true crime mixed with sensationalistic falsehoods and wrapped in vicious mobster stereotypes. Don't fuhgeddaboudit! "Thumb Wars" (1999, 29 min.) - Reluctant hero Loke Groundrunner and his tasty companion Princess Bunhead battle Black Helmet Man and the Evil Thumbpire! "Thumbtanic" (1999, 27 min.) - They thought nothing on earth could come between them. Then, they hit an iceberg... ... Read more

Reviews (13)

thumb are good
Everyone loves a parody, but no parody surmounts to a cast of dressed-up thumbs with goofy animated faces. And once the initial awe of this wears off, the movies pack a lot of off-the-wall humor and clever dialogues to boot. If you aren't a fan of stupid or bizarre humor, this may not be for you. Also, being a boxed set, you're going to get some great movies and some terrible movies in one. Hey, they can't all be good, right? So if you want my humble opinion, buy Thumb Wars and enjoy. If you're itching to get your hands on more, then slowly go down the list until you find the one that makes you mad.

Thumb-tastic
Contains the six "Thumb" movies as originally released, original case, artwork, and all, each of which remains available seperately. There is no new content in the box set, but this makes a great gift or starter collection (especially at the... price)and each of these films is a must-have for lovers of parody and offbeat humor. After you're done watching the films, be sure to catch the "cast interviews" and additional features, many of which are as funny or more so than the films.

Frankenthumb is the BEST!
This is a great series. Sometimes you just need a laugh, and this package will deliver. Frankenthumb is fantastic. Be sure to watch the cast interviews and other special features. These are often as good as the feature.

The Thumbs of New York
When are we thumbfans going to get another dose? Wouldn't Steve and his thumbs turn The Gangs of New York into a thumbtastic The Thumbs of New York? Daniel Day Lewis's character New York is already wild enough...imagine him as a thumb!

Thumb
These are the funniest movies I have ever seen. After seeing it I told all my freinds about it and they said it was very funny too. So if you need a good laugh by this DVD. Now! ... Read more

Description

Presented on 4 DVDs, The Man Who Planted Trees Deluxe Edition is the complete collection of celebrated works by one of the most acclaimed animators of our time, Frederic Back.

This tribute to Frederic Back contains 9 animated short films, fully digitally re-mastered for the first time, featuring: Academy Award winners The Man Who Planted Trees and Crac!, and the Academy Award nominated film The Mighty River.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Interviews with Frederic Back, Interview with Jean Giono (author of The Man Who Planted Trees), Interview with Hubert Tison, Frederic Back Biography, Interactive Menus, Photo Galleries, and Lists of Festivals & Awards. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Back's work deserves to be seen by a wide audience
Others have listed the contents, so I won't bother. I bought this on the strength of two shorts-Crac! and The Man Who Planted Trees, both of which I have on VHS, but wanted on DVD.I figured anything else was a bonus.All nine of the animated shorts are good to excellent, but I now have two more reasons to be delighted to have bought this set: All Nothing and The Mighty River.The Mighty River is almost as incredible as The Man Who Planted Trees.It deserves to be more widely known than it is.Everything on the set is worth checking out, but most especially watch the various Photo Galleries.The detail is all the more impressive in stills.A most highly recommended set.

Pricey, But Worth Every Single Cent
I have heard of Frédéric Back's The Man Who Planted Trees before by virtue of it being an Oscar winner for Best Animated Short in 1988, but have never seen it. When I found out that there was this DVD set collecting all his work, I was quite enthusiastic about it. It was expensive, but I ordered it anyway. And then I was left thinking or the next three weeks if my money was dumped into the drain for something I didn't know what to expect.

Since receiving my copy of The Man Who Planted Trees DVD, I have watched all the animated shorts, and bonus features. I am so amazed by his work -- both as an animator as well as an environmental activist.

When I was watching the films, I was thinking that this guy is carzy -- To think that Back hand-drew and used coloured pencils to complete every individual frame (background and foreground) of the film is just incredible. His films play with a continuous flow of images that is very much like a stream of consciousness projecting life at it's fullest -- alert, active and vibrant. And to add to that liveliness is the suitably used Impressionistic style with the rich beauty, movement and colour.

To some extent, as I watched the "The Man Who Planted Trees" and "Crac!" I was reminded of Winsor McCay's work such as "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1913). Here is a man so dedicated to his art. When McCay drew 10,000 ink-drawings to make the Gertie move, Back spent five years doing some 200,000 drawings to make his 33-minute The Man Who Planted Trees film.

That's what I call dedication and passion to his work and art. And you don't come across people like that very often.

So is the DVD set worth buying? I believe it was money well spent.

Brilliant Animation with a Heart, a Soul and a Purpose
Whether you are a longtime fan of the work of Canada's Frederic Back, or you are just discovering the masters of animation, you'll both be equally and incredibly pleased with this four-disc anthology.Nine films are included: Abracadabra, Inon or the Conquest of Fire, The Creation of Birds, Illusion?, Taratata!, All Nothing, Crac!, The Mighty River and The Man Who Planted Trees -- as well as several insightful interviews and a documentary retrospective of the life and work of Frederic Back.All are presented beautifully, with each film looking and sounding fresh and well-cared for.

But beyond the presentation, these films (particularly The Man Who Planted Trees, Illusion? and The Mighty River) get to the heart of environmentalism and stewardship.They are not shrill or glib, not reactive or stalely didactic -- these films are awash with animism and life, each using this unique medium to exhalt the beauty of creation, and to exemplify the folly of excess.Back's impressionistic style flows like a river itself, rolling and moving and churning, urging us to face the simple truths of our abuses, and to consider the possibility of a more harmonious course.

I'll stop there, because I'm afraid I'm making Back's work sound contrived.Walt Disney once said that a true animated film could not be put into words, and he was right.I can only urge you to see these truly remarkable films, and to share them with the youngest generations. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although the book The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1931) listed Donald Duck as one of Mickey's friends, he didn't appear on screen until the "Silly Symphony" "The Wise Little Hen," three years later. Donald's personality began to gel in "The Orphan's Benefit" (1934, on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White), when he threw his first temper tantrum. He began as dumpy-looking character with a long beak and thick legs, but was soon redesigned and made more appealing.

Donald's firecracker temper made him a favorite with audiences--and the Disney artists. By the late '30s/early '40s Mickey was no longer allowed to kick someone, break a window, or get into a really embarrassing situation. Donald was, and he did. If Donald encountered a mechanical device, from an outboard motor to a waffle iron to a riveting gun, the results were sure to be disastrous. He was routinely outwitted by chipmunks, ants, bees, and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who came to visit in 1938 and stayed for more than 60 years.

The Donald Duck shorts featured some of the broadest slapstick comedy the Disney studio ever produced. They lack the razor-sharp timing, extreme takes, and wild gags the animators at Warner Bros. and MGM were developing at this time. But they're still funny and retain a nostalgic charm, especially such classics as "Don Donald," "The Autograph Hound," "Mr. Duck Steps Out," and "Put-Put Troubles." (Rated G, suitable for ages 8 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use, minor ethnic stereotyping) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Donald Duck in DVD
Finally the waiting is (almost) over!, in December we are going able to get this wonderful collection.

A congratulation to Leonard Maltin because he can persuade Disney Company to release those "Treasures" unedited... by the way, those sets (including all those in the past two waves) are for collector and animation buffs, it's somehow irritating find reviews from parents that are angry against the Goofy collection because that included "No Smoking" and "tomorrow we diet"... it's because those bad reviews (and complains in the Disney Consumer service) that WD company had not released, until now, "Fantasia" uncensored and "Song of the South".... if you think that those uncensored shorts are offensive, please buy any of the direct-to-video sequels that WDC releases from time to time...

INFORMATION ABOUT WALT DISNEY TREAURES WAVE 4

Take this as a rumor, but the following are probably the sets for the next year

-Mickey Mouse in Black and White Volume II

-Assortment Set (to include BEN AND ME and DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND)
-Mickey Mouse Club
-The Complete Pluto

(courtesy of dcap3 from the animationshow forum ;) )

It's a shame that the "Chronological Donald" vol. 2 is not presented in this future wave.... i would be change the "Assortment Set" for another Donald volume, only time will tell... also, where is "Silly Simphonies Vol. 2"?

Sooooooooooooo!!!! In 2 Words: Just Ducky!!!
Wonderful to see the unedited, uncensored, and unbound Donald in his early work at the Disney Studios! Braveaux, WD! The only drawback has been mentioned before, so I quote from a previous reviewer "The big drawback however is Leonard Maltin's sermonizing about gunplay and stereotyping... all the unPC stuff. I feel like he thinks morons are watching these cartoons. He keeps giving the "that was what was done then, but we would never consider doing it now". Ok, Leonard, once is enough, thanks."

BUT......... even Little Lame Leonard cannot hold this Duck down, and Donald's everlasting charm overshadows even Mr. Maltin's limp noodle routine!

I can't wait for the next set, though it does not appear it will be coming out in 2005. My personal favorite, the Fountain of Youth, which has Donald and his 3 nephews visiting the fabled Fountain of Youth in Florida only to find themselves in comedy hijinx with a local gator, will hopefully be included then.

Buy it...... Donald and Disney put the CLASS in classics, and continue to demonstrate why these will ALWAYS be ageless and enduring!!!

I love Donald.
Not too long ago one of my friends asked me "Why Donald?" He was referring to a period in the studio's history (never more prevalant than in the wartime films, available on another DVD) when Donald Duck was the big star. Why, asked my friend, was Donald Duck so wildly popular. More to the point, why did they decide that he would be the ideal star of morale-boosting, patriotism-inspiring war films? The answer is simple: Mickey Mouse is an idealist. He's how people SHOULD be. If the world were more like Mickey, it'd be a happier place. But, despite their overall "When You Wish Upon a Star" attitude (which seems to have died with Walt. Boo, Eisner!) the animators knew that things were not perfect and that the majority of Americans were like Donald Duck. You make fun of his temper-tantrums, but how many times in your life have you blown a fuse over something seemingly unimportant? We are all of us a little bit of Donald Duck...after all, who hasn't felt, at least once in their life, that no one understands us?

That's kind of a nice thought, isn't it?

Disney's Lovable Duck Gets His Due
Finally, Disney's greatest character gets the spotlight! Donald is the everyman-just a regular guy that has to put up with the travails of everyday life. Whether it's a wild animal or an inanimate object that raises his ire, Donald keeps the viewer laughing with his lovable voice and temperamental antics. This volume features Donald's debut in "The Wise Little Hen" and all his starring shorts from 1936's "Donald and Pluto" to 1941's "Chef Donald". It also includes a short piece on Donald's original voice Clarence "Ducky" Nash, photo stills and memorabilia stills, and introductions and commentary by Leonard Maltin. The easter eggs that I've found include a short 1940 short "The Volunteer" and two excerpts from "The Reluctant Dragon". It would have been nice if the DVD also included all of Donald's shorts in which he wasn't in the starring role, such as "Lonesome Ghosts" and "Orphan's Benefit" among others, but this is still one of the best collections of any kind that has been put together. I can't wait for the second volume, which will probably feature all of Donald's wartime shorts, to come out. It'll definitely be worth the wait, just like this set was. Now if Disney releases the 39 episode Quack Pack on DVD, all Donald Duck fans will have years of Donald viewing pleasure.

Donald is definitely the best
Donald Duck IMHO is the best ,and this DVD opens a door which was closed for decades.. You can see all the films that Donald started in ..and more. Never did Donald duck have a DVD dedicated only for him. Great if you love this little angry duck. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Where Oh where has my Underdog gone
If you are someone who grew up watching the faded reruns of the courageous canine you will be stunned by the rich colors and stereophonic sound of the digitally remastered episodes of this animated classic. The cliffhangers and original episode titles may be gone but the edits are smooth making this collection of DVD's nearly perfect. A five star collection with enough pluses like the once missing and very memorable theme song and opening credits. The reasonably priced videos are also worth adding to your collection because additional cartoon adventures of Underdog are on the tapes.

The best investment for entertainment this year
This has to be the best entertainment investment I have made this year. Looking at these old cartoons really takes me back to my youth filled days sitting in my grandmother's kitchen eating lunch and watching the re-runs of Underdog. The short cartoons, are also awesome to view again. This gets 5 stars for nostalgic and general purposes. My five year old nephew sits down and watches them with me, and he loves the cartoons. And this is a little guy growing up on the new He-Man, Pokemon, Digimon, and the new Transformers. This was well worth the money if you are into this type of nostalgic scene and want to be a kid again in your own time.

A Great Cartoon Butchered by Classic Media
Did I miss something that the other reviewers saw? Or did I get a defective DVD set? This set would have been alot better if Classic Media kept Underdog as the original TV series. Each Underdog episode was initially shown as a serial with cliff-hangers. In between each cliffhanger was a short like Tennesse Tuxedo. What Classic Media did was to run each episode in one complete uninterrupted showing. This takes away from the original series' charm. The "Cliffhanger episodes" are banished into the features section which is a shame because the cliffhangers are classics in and among themselves. The features would have been better if they interviewed some of the actors such as Don Adams or even some of the people involved with the production such as Howard Stern's father, Ben. Instead you get co-creator Joe Harris' creepy account of a never before seen Underdog episode written for two girls.

This collection of episodes holds up well but is incomplete
Most of the time, I cringe when I see my old favorite shows that I haven't seen in years. After watching these DVDs, I was pleasantly surprised that Underdog still brings a smile to my heart.

These DVDs were packaged both separately and together as this box set. They are NOT the complete series, which ran for a lengthy 120 episodes over 7 seasons.

There really isn't a single clunker in this small selection of episodes whose plots range from the standard evil-invention-of-the-week (The Vacuum Gun) to the moral tale about standing up to evil (The Witch of Picayoon, my favorite episode) to alien slapstick (Zot).

If anything, I was disappointed because each disc was over so quickly and left me wanting more. On each disc, there are teasers to "Episodes available on VHS" but these either never existed or are out of print.

There's no need to fear! Underdog is Here!
When I was just a little boy, my heart was filled with glee whenever my friend Underdog appeared on my TV. From lovable, humble shoeshine boy to dynamic flying hound, no better television show for childhood could be found. Now that I am older, I find (oh happy glee) that Underdog can once again be seen on my TV. This Collector's Set Edition, so carefully restored, can once again be purchased, to view or just to hoard. But I have a niece and nephew, ages four and six, just about the age to love this canine's cartoon tricks. I think that they will be amazed and find it quite sublime to make friends with an Underdog who lyrically fights crime. So let's lift a toast to Underdog, a hero for all time, and I hope you will forgive me for reviewing this in rhyme. ... Read more

Description

Explore deep relaxation and inner calmness Journey to the world of inner peace and beauty Imagine.... relaxing so deep, you find peace within

AV3X brings new meaning to the term "Relaxation Video".

AV3X is your passport to a calm, peaceful, relaxed state of mind.

Explore a world of relaxed, peaceful consciousness as light and sound stimulation gently guide you into a meditative state of mind.

Take a power-relaxation break and feel the virtual mind machine relaxation in minutes!

AV3X is the Digital Meditation™ Experience.

AV3X technology was created by Christopher Oliver,Mind Machine virtuoso and internationally renowned expert in Audio-Visual Mind Stimulation.

Christopher Oliver has created the mind machine sessions for many popular light and sound mind machines including the Photosonix NovaPro, Muse, Muse #, 515, Halcyon, NovaPro 100, and the Innerpulse.

He has been featured on Fox News: "The Mind Machine", on talk radio: "KPFK Challenge", and featured in the AVS Journal - "The only magazine dedicated to light and sound mindmachine technology".

Christopher Oliver pioneered the use of dual independent binaural beat sessions in AVS -light and sound mind machines. He created all of the sessions for515 as well as the NovaPro, GalaxyPro, and Muse,the very first light and sound mind machines to offer dual binaural beats in the world.

You will be amazedhow DEEPLY relaxed you get when you watch AV3X. Glide into another world, a beautiful, colorful world without 'thinking' about everyday earthly things.It's the ultimate relaxation DVD video!

View a free online demo :
av3x.com/Videos/AV3X-Demo.wm ... Read more

Reviews (30)

If you only buy 1 DVD this year, this should be it!
I read the reviews of this DVD before I bought it, and I was skeptical that the product would live up to them. I was afraid I would be dissappointed when I got it since my expectations were so high. I didn't need to worry. It EXCEEDED my expectations!

It really is like nothing else I have ever experienced before, except maybe in my dreams. Flashing lights relax the mind while beautiful fractal-type images fill the screen, with a relaxing ambient soundtrack. All the way around top notch quality.

As an artist, sometimes I face creative blocks. Each time I've watching this DVD my mind comes up with dozens of orignial ideas. I think of it as my digital muse. It also helps to bring back memories.

It is a DVD I will watch over and over and over.

I have never written a review before on Amazon, but I felt so strongly about this DVD that I wanted to recommend it to everyone.

Power Nap in a Box
As a television videojournalist, my days can be stressful and can put a strain on my eyes. Looking for ways to unwind without putting chemicals or alcohol in my body, I found out about light and sound machines for relaxation. But after a little research I found even the least expensive one runs around US$125.00.

Then during a random web search I noticed Christopher Oliver's 'AV3X: The TV Mind Machine.' At about $US30.00, it sounded like a bargain and worth at least a try. I ordered from Amazon and it arrived in two days.

Now, I've seen some interesting computer generated animation videos which are sometimes interesting, sometimes painful to watch. I'm talking about the random, swirling, bubbling, lava-lamp style CGI shows with new age music that probably accompany Grateful Dead music at parties. AV3X is *not* that.

First of all, it's not meant to be 'watched' so much as 'experienced.' Visually, you'll see drifting, swirling, vivid computer generated images, much like the patterns of color you'll see if you close your eyes and look toward the sun for a few minutes. These are overlaid by a white, pulsating flash that you hardly notice after about 30 seconds. The sounds include running water, atmospheric music, and an almost imperceptible throbbing beat. It may not sound like much, but put it all together and it floods the senses. Turn off the lights, settle back in your comfy chair, and pick one of the tracks.

If you're not drooling and numb within about 5 minutes, I'd be surprised. Well, maybe not that relaxed, but it's possible. At any rate, if you let your thoughts fade and focus on what you're seeing and hearing, you'll almost automatically relax. Your body can't help it, because it's responding to a built-in reaction to the pulsing lights and beats. The music, sounds and visuals are just for interest, and they *are* very interesting, and draw you into the experience.

Bottom line: buy it. Seriously. You'll get the effect every time you watch it, don't worry. And you won't believe how well you'll sleep that night!

Stunned by the Effectiveness of AV3X!
I have been interested in binaural beat technology for a while now. I have experienced its effectiveness many time, but none of that prepared me for this amazing DVD. The first thing anyone notices upon playing this video is the amazing visual effects. They immediately have a soothing effect that can hardly be described with words. However, the experience soon goes beyond that. By the third track on this DVD, I felt as if I could not move even if I had wanted to. I was riveted in my seat and noticed that my breathing had slowed. I felt as if I were in a deep trance and actually part of the images that were flowing on my television screen. Unfortunately, I fell alseep sometime during the fourth track because of the immense relaxation that I was experiencing. I've only made it through the entire DVD once since that first viewing.

I know that people who have no experience with this type of technology may be extremely skeptical, but I urge you to try it before making any rash decisions or dismissing it as impossible. Much research and science has gone into producing this DVD, and the effects of that careful preparation is immediately evident by the results. I have found no greater tool for meditation or relaxation to date and highly doubt that anything can surpass it. To get all this at a fraction of the price that this technology usually carries with it is all the more reason to purchase this DVD immediately.

In summary, I HIGHLY recommend buying this DVD if you enjoy feeling relaxed and at total peace with the world. This is like a technological prozac, and I, for one, am addicted!

The Visuals Are Stunning and Effective
The visuals are breath taking. You can't keep your eyes off them. In just five minutes, you will find that your mind gently slips deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation and meditation.

What is remarkable about this DVD, is that you don't have to know anything about how to meditate. All that you have to do is turn on the TV!

This item is perfect for "couch potatoes."

AV3X Ultimate Digital Meditation
Hi Christopher,

WOW WOW WOW.... I just finished watching the AV3X DVD for the first time... it is so worth the money.

It is great. I am having a meditation group in our 55+ condo rect center on Thrusday's and I will be using this with the group to just get them relaxed.

Thank you so much. Words can not express how wonderful this DVD is.

Again,

Thank to you and all who made this happen.

Arianna Christaino
Maderia Beach Florida ... Read more

Amazon.com

By 1939, when the earliest films in this collection were made, Mickey Mouse was the most famous cartoon character in the world. The unsuccessful hunter in "The Pointer" (1939) and the irrepressible magician in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (1940) rank among his finest performances. In both films, he sparkles with vitality.But as Mickey grew more popular, more restrictions were placed on what he could do, and the character grew dull. Those restrictions become obvious when the viewer compares these films with the shorts on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color. In "Mickey's Birthday Party" (1942), he clowns and stumbles through a comic dance routine, but it feels like he's working for the laughs. In 1936, when a more impish Mickey danced with a deck of cards in "Thru the Mirror," the fun came from the stylish grace of his movements: That Mickey didn't need to mug for the camera. In the later films, Mickey serves as a genial straight man, with Pluto and other side characters supplying the comedy.

A new generation of animators faced the same problems and restrictions when they tried to revive the character in "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983) and "The Prince and the Pauper" (1990). The extras include some deleted animation from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and the five opening sequences from the "Mickey Mouse Club" (1955), the last time Walt Disney provided the character's voice. (Rated G, suitable for all ages: minor cartoon violence, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Excellent and overdue collection of Mickey's Best
I love Mickey Mouse cartoons. They might not be as funny as Donald Duck's, Goofy's or the entire Looney Tunes set, but they do posess a certain little magic, not to mention quality, to them that make them more like little artistic masterpieces rather than comic gems. This said, I'm glad we finally get to see "Runaway Brain" released on DVD, along with fellow Oscar-nominated shorts "The Pointer," "Mickey and the Seal" and "Mickey's Christmas Carol." The extras are more than plentiful and the inclusion of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", although already available in both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, is, as always, welcome, especially in a collection that is supposed to showcase what the mouse is all about...I've been a fan forever and I really couldn't have asked for a better DVD set than this!

Excellent!!! Also, Wave 4 announced!
I am very happy with the Disney Treasures Wave 3 collection. It's great to finally have Mickey's Christmas Carol, Runaway Brain, and Prince and the Pauper finally available on DVD along with the other classic Mickey films. Also enjoyed On the Front Lines, Chronological Donald, and Tomorrowland. They did not let me down. It has also been announced (and I've heard from a very reliable source) that the Disney Treasures Wave 4 will most likely be released in December. They are going to be "Mickey Mouse in Black and White Vol.2","Disney's True Life Adventures","A Pluto Collection", and the one I'm excited about, "The Original Mickey Mouse Club, Season One." Anyway, thank you Disney, and keep them coming! They are worth the wait!

Complete Mickey Mouse
Growing up as a kid in the 80s, my only real exposure to Mickey Mouse in animated form was in Mickey's Christmas Carol, and it soon became a personal favorite of mine.

This DVD set finishes off the theatrical releases of Mickey Mouse, right up to his most recent film "Runaway Brain." This DVD is great as it includes scenes from Feature length films that Mickey Appeared in, such as "Sorcerer's Apprentice," from "Fantasia," and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" from "Fun and Fancy Free."

Truthfully most of the shorts on this set are when Mickey was no longer the most popular animated star at Disney. In some of these cartoons he takes a supporting role to Donald and Pluto, but the full charm of these cartoons is still there.

Leonard Maltin, an expert on animation and movie history, is on the disc with special features. He also appears more often then not to preface certain cartoons to let us know that they are not "Politically Correct." While other reviewers found this annoying, I would rather have the preface then have Disney keep these treasures locked in a vault. Think "Song of the South" as an example.

They are consistent...
... at Disney's, because if they are proud of the crap they're making now, they're right to be ashamed of what their predecessors did. But, I'm not quite sure which is worse: cutting like they did for "Saludos Amigosos", or, like they're doing now, marring the DVDs with a new "Politikally Korrekt" feature (which doesn't even get a disabling option in the menu for people with a fully working and correct mind). If the nerds who 'think' (although the word is not very appropriate for the activity of the messy thing between their ears) that even the past should be adjusted to their nonsensical view of the present, why don't they destroy all evidence of that "shameful past": books, movies, magazines, and even people remembering this past; so, although some 20 years late, they would give a good start to George Orwell 1984's world. I never got much consideration before for Leonard Maltin as a film critic (he's too much of an Hollywood enforcer for that). And this new kind of performance he's doing for Disney won't help improving my opinion.

Great conclusion to Mickey's color career
Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol. 2 is a great dvd package. Included are some very entertaining shorts and featurettes, many of which I had forgotten until I just viewed them again. In my opinion, I prefer the shorts on Vol.1, but it is nice to finally have the whole collection to enjoy forever.
A lot of people have complained here that Leonard Maltin's introductions to some of the shorts are annoying and unnecessary. I agree to an extent, that they can get repetitive. But Maltin was a major player in getting this great material released to the public in all of its uncensored glory. It does seem rediculous that we need to put shorts like "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip" into perspective when Mickey dresses like an indian, because it was all done in fun and not meant to offend. Personally, I think that anyone who gets offended by a cartoon has bigger issues to deal with in their lives. We live in such a politically correct world though, that if he did not do this we may not be able to see the original versions. So you should thank Maltin for working so hard to get these to us.
Okay, as far as the content goes, it is great and each has its own charm. Highlights for me were "Mr. Mouse Takes A Trip", "The Little Whirlwind", "Orphan's Benefit"(Donald steals the show again), "Mickey and the Seal", and "Mickey's Christmas Carol(my new holiday favorite. Of course that only is the tip of the iceberg. Others are included that were already available, like "Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" that are nice to have in a complete set. Extras are plenty on this volume as well.Included are the following:
"Mickey's Cartoon Comeback"
"The Voice Behind the Mouse"---The evolution of Mickey's voice
Mickey Mouse Club Titles in Color---5 original openings to the show.(This will be a Treasure in the next wave by the way)
"Mickey Meets the Maestro"
Mouse Mania-- A very strange stop motion short that you gotta see

Mickey Cartoon Physics from "Plausible Impossible"
Mickey on the Camera Stand from "Tricks of Our Trade"
"The Making of Mickey's Christmas Carol"--My favorite extra
Publicity and Memorabilia Gallery
Story and Background Art Gallery
In my area this and the Donald treasure have been the biggest sellers. This has a lot of entertaining content between the shorts, featurettes and the extras, which include great behind the scenes looks at how a lot of this material was brought to the screen. The picture never has looked better and probably never will. Children and adults alike will enjoy what this set has to offer, so get your copy now before they are gone. So far I have viewed this, Donald and Tomorrowland and I would rank this #3 behind Donald(1) and Tomorrowland(2) and I am about to go through On The Front Lines. But I say I rank it third and that is not a bad thing, fans of Mickey and animation in general should appreciate this set. It is definately worthy of bearing the Walt Disney Treasures name. ... Read more

Reviews (98)

Peter Pan
I'm still a fan of the Disney Classics but I have to say that Peter Pan isn't one of my favorites and for the same reason that a lot of people don't like this one and that is the scenes with the Indians (hence 4 stars unstead of 5).

PETER PAN is about the boy who could never grow up and after chasing his shadow in the bedroom of Wendy, John and Michael, he invites the 3 to fly with him to Neverland. It's a wonderful story of adventure, fun and flying. All children will enjoy this one.

Now again, my reason for taking a star off is obviously for the derogatory and stereotypical depiction of Native Americans in this movie. Regardless that this movie was made in 1953 still doens't make it right. As parents, it really should be the responsibilty of the parents to explain and to teach children the right way. I will say that every child should enjoy PETER PAN, but afterwards every parent should take the time to explain to the children that making fun of another culture is wrong.

Either way it goes, if you're looking for other great Disney classics look for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SPECIAL EDITION, THE FOX AND THE HOUND, ROBIN HOOD, SLEEPING BEAUTY and CINDERELLA. Also check out some of the new Disney's like MONSTERS INC and TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2.

You'll (almost) believe you can fly
Of all Walt Disney's animated films, "Peter Pan" is my personal favorite. This classic tale of the little boy who never grew up has Disney stamped all over it. It also varies refreshingly from the versions that preceded it. In previous plays acted on the stage, Peter Pan was always played by a young woman, but in the Disney version he is all boy. He's brash, mischievous, more than a little cocksure of himself, able to fight and defeat a grown pirate captain, and on top of all this, he can fly. What else is needed for a children's hero? Tinker Bell is one of Disney's best inventions. On the stage she is a blob of light flitting here and there; only in animation could she be realized as a real pixie, vain, conceited, totally devoted to Peter and madly jealous of Wendy. The three children, Wendy, John and Michael, are very well done in the movie, and the opening family scenes are priceless. When Peter and Tinkerbell sneak through the children's window, and zoom back out again with the children in tow, we want to sprinkle on some pixie dust and fly right out there with them. Second star to the right, here we come. The scenes at Neverland are funny and original, and the pirates are a riot. One of Disney's most hilarious, and underrated, characters in all his films, is the crocodile, Hook's nemesis, who can't wait to get another chomp out of him. (Poor Hook is reduced to a bundle of shattered nerves every time he hears that tick-tock, tick-tock coming towards his ship.) The only negative in this film is the scene in the Indian village; the stereotypes that were accepted without question in the 1950s are almost embarrassing now. However, it can't and doesn't detract from the fun. The songs are okay, nut nothing special; it's the action and animation that make this movie. Of all Disney's animated films, "Peter Pan" was the one I used to wish was real when I was a child. Maybe there is a little of Peter Pan in all of us.

Poor adaptation of Barrie's play misses the point.
"The Disney version" of "Peter Pan" clearly demonstrates what is so wrong with "The Disney version" of too many classic stories. It turns Barrie's play into a simple adventure tale, in which the dramatic and (dare I say it?) psycho-sexual elements at the center of Barrie's fantasy are discarded wholesale.

There are defensible reasons for this, I suppose. Drama requires talking, but characters who stand around gabbing bring an animated film to a dead stop. I also suspect that Disney simply didn't understand the story in the first place. It wasn't until the Ashman/Menken era that Disney films finally developed any dramatic focus.

It's unfortunate, because "Peter Pan" starts off well enough. The late Sammy Fain's "Second Star from the Right," played over the title cards, has one of the most-ravishing melodies in the history of American popular music. (Look for the albums "Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach" and "Heigh-Ho! Mozart" for superb "classical" arrangements of Disney tunes.) The "You Can Fly" sequence is inspired (and can you name any other pop song with an accelerando passage?). But everything quickly bogs down thereafter, with Captain Hook's machinations providing the only fun.

There just aren't enough good things in the Disney "Peter Pan" to make up for its failure to treat the source material in an honest and serious fashion.

A great cartoon classic, one of Disney's best
This wonderful Disney production offers flights of fancy that appeal directly to children's fertile imaginations. The ability to fly, to be a devil-may-care youngster and never grow up, to engage in derring-do with pirates, never having to bother with school, and exploring fantasy worlds of islands, mermaids, Indians and mysterious caves is a powerful magnetic pull for young dreamers. The lush color lensing of this animated adventure is superb, and the characters and catchy tunes add to the pleasure of watching this film, for young and old alike.

Peter Pan, the title character, is a spry, charming lad who loves his carefree existence. He is, however, upstaged by his companion, the delightfully naughty Tinker Bell, a temperamental pixie who literally sees red when Wendy accompanies Peter Pan to Never Land. Captain Hook and his shadow, the crocodile, the sniveling Smee, the beautiful mermaids, and the stoic Tiger Lily are the characters who stand out in this movie. Wendy and her brothers, John and Michael are okay and basically come along for the ride. The sprightly song "You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!" is just one of the memorable tunes for which Peter Pan is fondly remembered.

A quick, enjoyable Disney viewing.
This movie animates one of the most imaginative plays ever written, albeit with a little 'Disneyfication.' It's by far my favorite; there is an enjoyably long spectrum of characters. Every time I watch this movie, it takes me back to those times I wish I was in Never-Never-Land.

P.S. The claim that this movie is an allegory to the JFK years is easily refutable, since this movie was made in 1953, while the play is over a century old. ... Read more