Now, with the video release of 'Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs', Disney's list of films that would "never be relesed on video" has gotten a little shorter. Of course, back when Disney execs made such a rash statement, I doubt they had any idea they could make a couple hundred million on a video release. That kind of money has a way of changing peoples minds, so now one of film's greatest landmarks has made it's way to home video. Originally released in 1937, 'Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs' was the first full-length animated feature. Beautifully drawn and filmed in glorious Technicolor, this film has recently undergone a complete (and expensive) restoration using Kodak's Cineon system and the latest in digital audio technology. The result, considering the age of the film and the fact that it was shot on notoriously unstable nitrate film stock, is nothing short of fantastic.
The color palette is rich and vivid with almost no signs of age. The image is absolutely clear, though I did notice a slight softening of focus in a few scenes. There is also an occasional shift of intensity, but I found this to be very slight and barely noticable. Mostly the image is solid and stable. Video artifacts also seem to be held in abeyance. Not a trace of chroma noise or pressing related grain to be found. This is a gorgious transfer that does justice to this wonderful film.
The soundtrack of this film was originally mono. For the recent theatrical reissue, Disney created a 'rechanneled' Dolby Stero soundtrack. This is the soundtrack used for the CLV laser disc (and VHS). Though many purists may take issue with this practice, I found the audio on this disc to be quite pleasing. The 'stereo' treatment adds a nice depth to the score, however, seperations and use of the surround channel are somewhat limited. For those that prefer the original mono soundtrack, the CAV 'collector's edition' has multi-audio capability allowing the viewer to choose between the stereo and the mono tracks.
The film runs 84 minutes and the disc is formatted in CLV on both sides. The side break is very well chosen, coming at a natural fade. The disc contains 28 chapters. No extras are included (you'll have to spring for the CAV for those). List price is $29.95. A true bargain.
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