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Rating:  - Disc 1 Might Not Work!!A friend got this for me recently, and tested on my older Samsung multi-region DVD player, and Disc1 worked fine. An hour later, when I went to my home, tried watching Disc1 on my multi-region LG and the player keeps on showing up the "reading" message, until it tells me that there's "No Disc". Disc2 works fine on both players though. -- My copy also came without the tin box, though I have no idea if the new one comes with one, I'm guessing it does. So AM a little disappointed. Without both issues from above, I would've given this collection a 4/5 because it contains some of the shorts I watched growing up. Though presented in decent state, I was hoping for a little better looking restore. Rating:  - Amazed.For the record, Silly Symphonies were never really that appealing to me. The thing about them was, either they were really good, or just nothing too special. However, more of the ones I always enjoyed most are found on here. As a child I owned a small VHS collection of them and the three cartoons contained on the program, "Father Noah's Ark," "Peculiar Penguins" and "The Tortoise and the Hare" were 3 of the most beloved shorts of my childhood. And much to my delight, these three are all on here, along with a whole lot more. With the exception of 1935's "Three Orphan Kittens," each Silly Symphony to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short is present. In addition to the afforementioned "Tortoise and the Hare," the other two most popular cartoons in the series are found in "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Old Mill," the latter of which is absolutely stunning visually, musically, and overall. Two of the earliest cartoons to be released in Technicolor are also present in "Flowers and Trees" (also an Oscar winner) and "Babes In The Woods." Is that enough for you? Didn't think so. My very favorite Silly Symphony of all time is what really puts the icing on the cake for me with this collection, "Woodland Cafe." The atmosphere of the cartoon is just so upbeat and exciting, and it's nice to see bugs portrayed in such a way as you'd never expect it possible. What's also nice is that unlike the television broadcasts they used to run (which would ultimately become the only easy way to get these cartoons), no scenes are cut out, such as the dialogue between the swing band in "Woodland Cafe." There are two minor flaws. Ultimately, "Lullaby Land" was not restored particularly well, but that does not matter since honestly, that short is not among Walt's finest in this series. In fact, it is among my least favorites, along with "Mother Goose Melodies," so I might as well say there's only one flaw. That flaw is that occasionally, the image goes out of focus in "The Grasshopper and the Ants," but it doesn't really bug me too much. Some may gripe that it doesn't include all the cartoons in the series, but don't worry, there is a second collection available. The bottom line: I just LOVEEEEE the Silly Symphonies. Rating: - Images out of focus here and thereI've seen most of these shorts before, and as a Disney fan, I'm very disappointed with the blurred scenes that appear from time to time in each every cartoon on the DVDs "Silly Symphonies - Vol 1" and "More Silly Symphonies". The Grasshopper and The Ants were out of focus or alignment in some scenes, as many others favorites like The Goddess of Spring, Father Noah's Arch, The Piedpiper,The Night Before Christmas, The Moth and The Flame, Three Blind Mouseketeers, etc. It seems like the three stripes of Technicolor suddenly became out of alignment, and later return to normal position. I hope the Disney staff can guarantee better image quality in the next midia (Blu-Ray or HD-DVD). I only don't want my money back because I love these Disney's masterpieces so much, and these DVDs are all we have today. Rating:  - Frustrated with Easter eggsThe historical notes were nice once or twice, and the cartoons are fine overall: some I like, some I skip. However, I find the menus and Easter egg system irritating. I don't own a television, and I very rarely play DVDs on my Mac. In fact pretty much the only time I play a DVD is when I'm so sick that I can't read instead. Silly Symphonies works for me in that circumstance because the music is still good, even if you close your eyes for a few minutes. The cumbersome interface is irritating: multiple screens, multiple Easter eggs, multiple irritations. Why not give me something iTunes-like, which lists all the shorts in order and lets me choose which I want to see today? I really just want a simple list of ALL the shorts, or a "Play All" button that actually "plays all" instead of "plays some, not counting the ones that are hiding here and there." Rating: - Awesome Collection of Early Disney AnimationThis collection of Disney shorts includes cartoons that are classics, set standards, and won awards. This collection includes the 1932 Oscar winner "Flowers and Trees," the 1933 Oscar winner "The Three Little Pigs," the 1934 Oscar winner "The Tortoise and the Hare," the 1935 Oscar nominee "Who Killed Cock-Robin" (which needs a little work to find - see below), the 1936 Oscar winner "The Country Cousin," the 1937 Oscar winner "The Old Mill," and the 1940 Oscar winner "The Ugly Duckling." The presence of these cartoons alone makes this collection an outstanding addition to any collection of classic animation. Beyond these award winners are more cartoons that helped Disney perfect the techniques that he would eventually use in full length animated features. The special features on this DVD make it clear that it was more than just a single cartoon that helped Disney perfect the techniques that would eventually appear in movies such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Pinocchio." According to one of the DVD extras, the beginning of the Silly Symphonies was "The Skeleton Dance." This marvelous black and white cartoon seems simple and yet sophisticated. The quality of the animation borders on crude, but the number of frames and the detail far exceed the crude animation we typically see on television today. There are other black and white cartoons in this collection, though they make up a minority of the collection. One of the greatest cartoons of all time is "The Old Mill." Though the cartoon is relatively short, the cartoon tells its story with great drama and sophistication. The cartoon transcends mere animation and has achieved art. Again, the number of frames per second provides quality rarely seen in contemporary animation. The exception to this statement is computer generated animation, though in most cases computer animators have been focusing on technique and comedy rather than art. Perhaps that will change. Most of these cartoons are enjoyable and fun for their comedy. Many cartoons were directed toward children, but some, like "Who Killed Cock-Robin," were probably more for adults than children. That particular cartoon had a number of adult elements, including a sexy female bird whose voice did a good job of impersonating Mae West. This two disk DVD collection does not have all its cartoons listed in its menus. There are "eggs" or "Easter eggs" that link you to additional material on the DVD's. "Who Killed Cock-Robin" is one of those features. There are several others, including several introductions by Walt Disney. Not every menu has an egg in it, but many do. To find these eggs, try moving your up/down and left/right cursor around each menu from different locations. At least one egg is in a menu title. Another egg is a hat. Finding this extra material can be a little tedious, but some people enjoy the hunt. The 1930's was a golden age of animation for Disney Studios. The Silly Symphony features were partially experiments, and partially entertainment. They succeed at entertainment, and the Disney classics of the 40's and 50's shows that Disney learned much from these experiments. If you have young children who have yet to be exposed to the classics of animation, or if you want to relive an era where quality was valued in animation, then buy this set and give yourself a treat. Enjoy! |
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