Following one of the most extensive restoration processes in Disney's history, BVHE is delighted to announce the much anticipated Special Edition Disney DVD debut of the eternal classic Bambi on 14th February 2005. This will be the very first time the film is available on Disney DVD, heralding a new era for this timeless classic and making it a must own for all DVD collectors.
One of the most enchanting stories ever told, this Disney classic has undergone the most detailed restoration in the history of The Walt Disney Company. A dedicated team of film, computer and animation experts worked hard to ensure that Bambi remains one of the most celebrated and endearing films of all time. Using some of the most advanced technology and a talented team, Disney has worked on over 110,000 frames, requiring over 9,600 hours of work, to produce a film with a far greater depth and range of both colour and sound than its original format.
To ensure that generations to come can enjoy the magic of Walt Disney's most treasured legacy, the DVD experience is bought to you in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the cutting edge Disney Enhanced Home Theatre Mix. Presented in 4:3 ratio, this highly collectable two disc Special Edition DVD comes packed with bonus features giving insight in to the making and restoration of one of Disney's most treasured Classics. Disc One includes a chance to watch the film alongside Walt Disney's comments and notes while Disc Two includes never-before-seen deleted scenes, extensive featurettes on the restoration process and a sneak peak at Bambi sequel Bambi: The Great Prince of the Forest.
Synopsis
Set to the backdrop of a beautiful forest, this classic film follows the story of Bambi as he develops from fawn to stag. The story begins as morning light breaks across the meadow and Bambi - the new 'prince of the forest' is born. He soon emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit and Flower, the shy but loveable skunk.
Bambi and his friends embark on a journey of discovery in their woodland home enjoying the fun of skating on 'stiff water', nibbling fresh blossoms and frolicking through the woods. Exploring this new world and guided by the wisdom of his friend Owl, Bambi learns valuable lessons with every adventure - experiencing love, loss, growth and renewal along the way.
DVD Extras
The enchanting Bambi experience continues long after the credits roll with a forest of extras for all the family to enjoy from the comfort of your living room. Highlights include:
Disc One- Inside Walt's Story Meetings - Watch the film alongside script notes and meetings with Walt and the animation team as they plan out the final picture
Disc Two- Deleted Scenes - Winter Grass, Bambi's First Snow
- Set Top Screensaver - Create the sights and sounds of the forest in your own home with a set top screensaver, complete with changing seasons
- What's Your Season? - Are you as cold as winter or as warm as the summer fun? Simply by answering a few questions you can work out which of Mother Nature's traits you most possess
- DisneyPedia: Bambi's Forest friends - Learn all about deer and other woodland animals in this fun and educational look at how the real life animals compare to their animated friends.
- Disney Storytime: Thumper Goes Exploring - Join Thumper in a brand new interactive story starring all his woodland friends. Have the story read to you or read it at your own pace.
- The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born - A featurette broken down into six different sections all about the making of the film
- Restoring Bambi - A behind the scenes look at how the film was restored
- The Legacy continues - The legacy of Bambi is continued in a brand new adventure. Return to the forest in this sneak peek of Bambi II
- Disney Time Capsule - A journey back to 1942 to see what the world and the Walt Disney Studio was then like
- Art Gallery - Stills and images from art to animation in this Disney Classic
- Tricks of the Trade - A behind the scenes look at the animation tricks of the trade, filmed in 1957 and hosted by Walt Disney.
- The Old Mill - An animated short from 1937 that has been cited as one of the influences for the Bambi artists.
Did you know?- Walt Disney was a man who was not particularly well know for his praise, but announced "Fellas, this stuff is pure gold" when overseeing the artists originally crafting the animation
- In striving for realism, the artists heard lectures from animal experts, made field trips to the Los Angeles Zoo, watched specially filmed nature footage shot in the forests of Maine and even studied the movements of two fawns that were donated to the Studio
- The two fawns donated to the studio were from the Maine Development Commission named Bambi and Faline. The fawns were kept by the studio while artists studied their movements and behaviour. When they were fully-grown, they were released in nearby Griffith Park. Other animals, such as skunks and squirrels, were kept in the Disney zoo for similar purposes
- To aid in designing Bambi's scenes, Walt Disney travelled to Argentina in 1941, where he found his inspiration in the forests of Neuquén's province, Southwest of Argentina
- Maurice Day, an animator with Disney, brought Felix Salten's, the original author's, book to the attention of Walt Disney and when Walt decided to make the movie he thanked Maurice by planning to hold the premiere in Maurice's home town. However, the State of Maine objected, fearing that the film would offend hunters and the actual world premiere was held elsewhere
- The World premiere was actually held in the UK; the first Disney full-length animated feature to hold its world premiere outside the United States
- Pre-production began in 1936 and was intended to be Disney's second full-length animated film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Disney's quest for perfection delayed the project significantly, so that Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), The Reluctant Dragon (1941) and Dumbo (1941) were released earlier than Bambi
- Some scenes of woodland creatures and the forest fire are unused footage from Pinocchio (1940)
Bambi Disney DVD product information
Release date: 14th February 2005
Running time: 69 mins
Certificate: U
The Disney Enhanced Theatre Mix
The Disney Enhanced Theatre Mix has been specially designed to perform on home theatre systems for everyone to see, hear and interact with the new DVD elements like never before. Engineered to create a more dynamic and spatially enhanced audio experience - similar to the sound quality used in cinemas - it allows viewers will feel totally immersed in the film environment.