A 1942 Disney classic is back and better than ever with today’s release of the two-disc Platinum Series Bambi Special Edition. As fans rediscover vintage hand-drawn animation, they can also appreciate some modern 2D with the home video debut of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
Bambi is, of course, the story of a young deer growing to adulthood while experiencing the adventure and danger of life in the forest. Along for the ride are his woodland pals Thumper the rabbit, Flower the skunk and the wise Owl.
Coming into the digital age, Bambi has undergone what Disney is calling one of the most expansive restorations in the company’s history. The release fetures state-of-the-art remixed sound with an all-new 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix. In addition, around 9,600 hours were spent restoring more than 110,000 frames of the film.
Among the bonus materials packed onto the Bambi disc include a feature titled Inside Walt’s Story Meetings, which offers insight into the process of creating the film through actual discussions reenacted by voice actors and set to footage, sketches and other production items. There’s also never-before-seen deleted sequences, a making-of featurette, the interactive Forest Adventure Game, a sneak peek at the upcoming movie Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest, a Disney Time Capsule for the year Bambi was released and Thumper Goes Exploring, an all-new story told with audio and text.
Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Bambi Special Edition lists for $29.99 on DVD and $24.99 on VHS.
Directed by series creator Stephen Hillenburg, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has our yellow, absorbent hero leave his home in Bikini Bottom to find King Neptune’s stolen crown. In addition to series regulars Tom Kenny (SpongeBob) and Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), the movie boasts star turns from voice guests such as Alec Baldwin (The Cooler), James Earl Jones (The Lion King), Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation), Jeffrey Tambor (TV’s Arrested Development) and Clancy Brown (HBO’s Carnivale). Baywatch favorite David Hasselhoff also makes a live-action appearance.
Extra features include The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, a 20-minute animatic featuring the voice of Hillenburg, a featurette titled Saving the Surf and a "special undersea featurette" titled Case of the SpongeBob with voiceover by Hillenburg and Jean-Michel Cousteau. Fans also get the film’s “Submarine” teaser trailer and a demo of the SpongeBob Squarepants Movie game from THQ. The Paramount Home Video release carries a suggested retail price of $19.95 on DVD.
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