Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition

[Dusterian]

Gustaf Tengrenn's Snow White illustrations?

Ben, I think you would really, really like this book.

I like Gustaf's art too, and I may buy the book. I wish Snow White looked a little more like Gustaf's version...same with his Blue Fairy.

It's written by Cynthia Rylant who also wrote Cinderella's Mary Blair concept illustrated book, which of course I do own. Though in my opinion they didn't pick the very best Mary Blair Cinderella concepts for the book...but it's still a great book if you like concept art, Mary Blair, or the film.

They also have Mary Blair concept illustrated Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan books!

[Ben]

Nice ideas...I had not come across these before.

I'd have to see this first before buying though. Blair and Tengrenn naturally didn't "illustrate" these with a book in mind and from the cover of the Snow White one it has been made up from two disctinct images (a pencil sketch for the Dwarfs' cottage and the characters from the 1937 watercolor poster) and I would prefer original images than those composed like this to make up the pictures they need to fill the book.

Of course, this could just be for the cover, which is why I say I would look at it before buying, because the rest of it could well be original, untouched drawings and painting concepts. Still, nice ideas...they did this a while back in the Cinderella LaserDisc box set, including a book which was half making of the movie and half the story retold with production art.

[Dusterian]

This book could be different, but from the book I own of Cinderella, none of the pictures are changed...well, except one thing.

At least one picture is lengthened. By that, they simply copied some of the picture and lengthened the illustration with it. So the King's chamber becomes a little longer by a copy of a piece of the picture added on.

The other books have untouched art as the covers. Here's Peter Pan and Cinderella. You can actually take a look inside Cinderella's book on Amazon, actually.

I had the VHS edition of that LaserDisc Cinderella set, with the book. It has a nice cover, and of course the giant storybook box the set was kept in was great, with a great making of VHS and wonderful lithos... The book itself was actually recycled for the DVD's collector's set, but not with everything the same, though most of it was intact. What was mostly knew was some art from the DVD galleries and stills from the DVD restored version of the film were inserted. But the bit of information at the end of the book about the first restoration was axed from the reprinted book...I think the first restoration was more faithful than the DVD one but that's another topic.

[Ben]

I've pre-ordered the big Snow White set as we'll only get the basic edition in here, but I may cancel it yet. The artwork on all the releases is sadly a shambles, whichever combination one goes for.

The dwarfs all looking lovingly at the Witch? What's that all about? On the other one, with Snow White herself in the center, she's off model, and the Witch image at the bottom is badly composed.

As such I'm not actually sold on any of these releases and am basically more interested in the disc contents only. But I just really want to know what that book is...

[Daniel]

After getting the Steelbook from Best Buy, I'm not sure I still want to go for the "book" edition. I'm waiting to see it up close or at least pictures. If anything, the steely is certainly the most appealing, though pretty plain... best of the worst?

Here are pics that were posted elsewhere:

It's better in person, but you get the idea. One concept I love is the art inside. I'm betting the regular Blu will follow suite, but clear is so much better in this case. And the slipcover it comes with does pretty good job of making it blend in with regular BD's.

[Deco King]

I'm sure that the odd look of the cover art indicates that this must be a lenticular 3D cover in which , as you tilt the cover , Snow White's image changes into that of the Witch!!

I am like you Ben , greatly looking forward to seeing the book that comes with the Deluxe Edition , although I haven't heard if there is going to be a UK version of that available?

Incidentally in France there is a new edition , priced at 38 Euros ( presumably a paperback edition ) of Pierre Lambert's luxuriously illustrated version of Snow White titled : Blanche Neige coming out in October on www.amazon.fr , and my advice to serious collectors of Disney's work is go out and pre-order or buy a copy , having got the original hardback edition ( which unlike the same author's versions of Pinocchio/Mickey Mouse never got an English language reprint , possibly because of Steven Ison's book? ) as it's a really splendid Disney volume , the quality of the reproductions of cel art and pre production drawings is without peer!!

Disney has really screwed up with the lack of information regarding the UK release. A lady Kathie Kennedy who works in the London branch of The Walt Disney Company on the "Information/Customer Services Line" , says they are not allowed to tell customers a specific release date , as it may be put back or change in some way , although HMV/Play.com/amazon.co.uk are all giving the official UK release dates as November 2nd for the Blu Ray and November 9th for the DVD !

Alas , the UK edition of the Disney website www.disney.co.uk , greets the user with a 2001 Edition Platinum Edition trailer as the pre-order information instead of the splendid Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs mini website that is available on the www.disneygo.com website in the US !

[Ben]

My big hope is that the deluxe set book is the long-awaited English edition of Pierre Lambert's book...that would be the thing that sells it to me. If it's not that, and is just a selection of stills, etc...I have all that kind of thing in the book that came with the LaserDisc set in 1993.

That the book is getting a paperback reprint in October whispers good hopes to me, but if the big book does turn out to be a dud, I'll probably go for the smaller, standard book/BD box...though I still don't like the packaging and the book is only likely to be a reprint of other volumes I probably have.

I don't see that as a lenticular cover...why have the witch turn into Snow White? And what would happen at the bottom? They switch there too? Too messy. I don't think the UK will get the big box...as with Warners, they know that the real collectors will import, and otherwise there just isn't the kind of demand in the UK for expensive sets like this - they're pushing it a bit in the US too, remember, and I can't see many of these sold.

Dan's right in that the steelbook case is probably the most "collector worthy", but even then it seems out of balance to have the logo and apple halfway down the front and they're only reusing the 2001 art on the back. My biggest complaint is the bog-standard "Walt Disney" logo...this was Walt's personal baby and they should at least go with the "Walt Disney's" instead of the banal, slap-it-on-anything signature. Animated classic, direct to video or television dross...it seems they just plonk "Walt Disney" on it now, even on stuff as important as this release.

Ho-hum...

[Deco King]

I agree with you Ben , and it's precisely the fact that makes me so angry - this is such an important title Disney's Folly Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs without which there would be no Disney Studios any more - due to get a Blu Ray release in less than two month's time , and that as of today's date ( September 8th 2009 ) there has been virtually no pre-release publicity and that the Disney offices cannot two months before it's due out confirm it's bloody release date whereas Hannah Montana and other modern crap is overhyped like nobody's business!!!

* The images of Snow White and the old Witch would turn into each other (Snow White large image and the Witch tiny and then vice versa ) !!!

However it would make far more sense to me , if it were the Wicked Queen's reflection that changes into Snow White as the Witch never looks at her reflection in the Magic Mirror so it's not really a good idea! Maybe the Wicked Queen turning into the old Witch would have been a nicer touch!

Here is the link to Amazon.fr's page for the forthcoming re-release of Pierre Lambert's book Blanche Neige : http://www.amazon.fr/Blanche-Neige-Lamb ... 482&sr=1-2

[Aaron_03]

How come this isn't call "Platinum Edition" anymore?
Is this still part of the Platinum series?

[Ben]

No Aaron...the Platinums are old news. Disney's going for the Diamond Collection now!?

Thanks Deco, that's precisely the book I'm hoping is being bundled in the big box...and the one I wish I picked up when I was at the Disney art show in Paris. But, then again, I did already drag home with me almost a suitcase full of other books, so I can't complain too loudly!

[Aaron_03]

So, are the following releases will all be diamond editions and are Platinum Editions completely finished?

Why does Disney change so much?

What am I going to do with Pinnochio and Sleeping Beauty?

I found this site, so I guess their making the change.

http://www.popcultureshock.com/disney-a ... ray/48380/

[Randall]

The Platinum line has been retired. All new special editions will be Diamond Editions to differentiate new releases from old.

It's all just marketing. No big deal.

[Aaron_03]

Yea but the movies in the platinum series will move to the diamond series right?
So, if that's the case, Pinnochio and Sleeping Beatuy till eb re-releasing like 8-9 years from now on diamond edition...

[Randall]

Well, no. Not necessarliy. Disney doesn't plan that far ahead. By then, there may well be another name for their special editions. Or DVD/Blu-ray may be dead by then.

[Randall]

More info on the new branding:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/diamondco ... -0910.html

So, Platinums are being retired, while only Blu-ray will be given the Diamond monicker.