Saludos Amigos & Three Caballeros

[BJWanlund]

I don't think anybody has REALLY explored how extraordinarily different the Saludos and Caballeros audio tracks from the film are from the versions that have been previously released. Maybe Randy T. would know: Is there going to be a Saludos Amigos & Three Caballeros combo soundtrack with every single different version of each song released by Disney?

Also, is it possible to include those old radio spots from the laserdisc on this new album? Thanks in advance Randy!

BJ

 

[Randy Thornton]

Hiya BJWanlund,

At the moment, there are no plans to release a true soundtrack for ?Saludos Amigos / The Three Caballeros?. And honestly, if I were given the OK to restore that soundtrack, I more than likely wouldn?t include any theme park material or radio spots. I?ve always treated the soundtracks as tributes to the films and their composers. Demo recordings and alternate takes from the film itself ? if I can find them, absolutely. Anything beyond historical reference of the film itself probably won't be included if I were allowed such a release.

Randy

 

[micca]

BJ, when you say "extraordinarily different" would you please elaborate? I'm a big fan of 3Cab and own the LD box and the previously released DVDs of 3C and SA. I hadn't planned to purchase the new combo re-release expecting them to become available on Blu-Ray at some point in the future. TIA.

 

[Greg Ehrbar]

The above comment, I think, refers to the Disneyland record album that is now on iTunes. It features studio version (very good ones) of the scores from SALUDOS and CABALLEROS, though I think some might be soundtrack score material (Lake Titicaca?)

The new DVD combo does not have anything I could find that was not on previous DVD or LD releases, but the picture was cleaned up considerably and the sound quality improvements are noticeably enhanced when you compare the earlier DVDs side by side.
I did a review of the new DVD here:
http://www.mousetracksonline.com/review.php

 

[BJWanlund]

Thanks for answering the question that was directed at me, Mr. Ehrbar.

I've not exactly been online very much as of recent. I did buy the DVD of it, and I thought it was okay. Not the greatest DVD release on the Earth, but it's better than the previous releases by far.

BJ

 

[Gurgitoy2]

I'm just at a loss as to why they didn't just port over the laserdisc extras. The stuff was already done, they just had to port it over...how much more would that have cost? There was a LOT of stuff for these two movies on the LD set...it's really a shame only a fraction made it to DVD. I was actually kind of shocked to find out just how much bonus material they dug up for these two package features for the Archive set.

 

[David S.]

I totally agree, Ben.

Unfortunately, BVHE hasn't been putting as much effort into recent DVD releases as they could be. There has been some speculation over on the Ultimate Disney forums that they could be holding back on some bonus features to encourage people to double dip (or triple, or quadruple) for future Blue Ray releases, but I really hope this isn't the reason - especially since many consumers will likely stick with standard DVD unless it becomes obsolete.

But the sense that they've just been "mailing in" most of the the standard-def DVD releases seems to have really begun in late 2005, when the out of print 2-disc Tarzan collectors edition was advertised as a 2-disc reissue, but arrived in stores only as a one disc, which seems to have been intended as the first disc of a two disc set, as it had less bonus features than many one-disc releases (no making of or art gallery!).

Also, around the same time, Emperors New Groove got reissued only as a one disc leaving most of the meaty bonus features on the OOP 2-disc CE "in the vault".

Around 2004 they put out solid 2-disc sets for Alice In Wonderland, Pocahontas, and Mulan, but every reissue since then of a catalog "animated classic" (other than the "Platinum" titles) has been one disc affairs that offer maybe a slight improvement over the original release, but hardly getting the deluxe treatment they deserve.

Also, the new animated films from Feature Animation are arriving on DVD only as single disc releases with no alternate 2-disc version targeted at "collectors".

Even the last 2 Pixar DVDs (Cars and Ratatouille) were only available as a single disc, far skimpier than the packed 2-disc CE's the previous Pixar films were so acclaimed for.

Lastly, there are still a ton of classic live action Walt-era films and anthology episodes yet to see the light of day on DVD.

I really hope they turn things around.