I just noticed an interesting special feature listed on the specifications for The Nightmare Before Christmas Collector's Edition DVD arriving in stores today. Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour provides viewers with a virtual tour of Disneyland's annual holiday makeover of the classic attraction. An optional "Off Track" feature reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the popular overlay.Additional features new to this edition include commentary tracks by Tim Burton, director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman, and a Christopher Lee rendition of Burton's original poem upon which the film was based. I usually steer clear of DVD "double-dips" but I have to admit being especially intrigued by the Haunted Mansion Holiday feature. If anyone happens to pick up the set, let us know your impressions via the comments section.
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4 comments:
Jeff - FYI, Netflix is carrying Blu-Rays, and they're showing this available . . . just in case you want to try before you buy.
The Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour is way cool; makes me wish there was a feature like this on Bluray for the original mansion. The trivia track is actually on-screen popups that give info on both the NBC overlay as well as the original Mansion. It's almost like being there!
Off Track is extraordinary. It goes through the regular Haunted Mansion Holiday tour with each scene being dissected with concepts, anecdotes, and history by Steve Davison (VP WDI Creative Entertainment), Brian Sandahl (Senior Art Director), and Tim Wollweber (Illustrator). Even X Atencio stops in with a tidbit or two. The tour on its own, or with the trivia subtitles, is also done very well, and even captures the feel of how it would be to ride the attraction by blurring the pans back and forth through a scene, as if the guest were turning their head this way and that.
My only real complaint is that both the tour and Off Track explanations show very little, and do not expand upon at all, the revamp Hitchhiking Ghosts scene with Oogie Boogie, Lock, Shock, and Barrel and the Hurry Back with Little Sally. Other than that, these segments are well worth the time, Off Track runs right around 40 minutes between the tour and additional content, if you are interested in the attraction.
Tim Burton never struck me as being particularly Disney.
Your Web site proves not only how wonderful and in many wasy superior the old Disney craft was, but that if they brought it back today would be a big hit.
Especially with those who not only long for the gems of the past but for those who tire of the crudeness and crassness that passes for entertainment these days.
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