Yoo Hoo, Bea!
On November 16th '96 you wrote to All:
 BR> On one of the movies I seen a preview for one of the older disney movies
 BR> that is about to be re-released coming soon. Are they going to be doing
 BR> this with all the older movies like Lady and the tramp and such?
Uhhhhh... you mean putting previews on their new home video releases of
what they plan to release in the future?  Yes.  ;-)
Seriously:  Disney, since they started putting their feature length
animated films on home video in the mid 1980s, has had a policy of
releasing them for a rather limited amount of time on the market and
then holding off for a period of several years before re-releasing
the same titles again.  The only two movies to be re-issued to home
video since all this began are "Pinnochio" and in February "Bambi".
There is a rumor on the rec.arts.disney.* newsgroups that "The Little
Mermaid" will be released to theatres Christmas of _next_ year (1997)
and then re-released to home video in early 1998, a moratorium period
of about 8 years since the last time it was in theatres/home video.
That is, if the rumor is true.  Disney hasn't announced anything
official about this.
A couple of years ago Disney put a preview on one of its home videos
that "Sleeping Beauty" would be released again to home video, however
the re-release never took place.  The only thing you can count on is
the pre-ordering hype that takes place in Disney Stores and Suncoast
Video Stores:  If they say XYZ Disney movie is coming out on home
video on such & such a date, then you can believe it.  Disney Stores
have no information beyond only a couple of months in advance, if
that, of Buena Vista Home Video's plans for releasing/rereleasing
specific titles to the market.  It has been the practice for the past
few years that the Disney summer blockbuster animated feature gets
released to home video the following March and to laser disc several
months after that.  "Hunchback of Notre Dame" will follow this pattern.
But for which animated "classics" will be chosen any given year for
rerelease or when, it's anybody's guess until Disney makes some sort
of _official_ announcement.
Be wary of offers you see of "I have a copy of XYZ Disney movie
available for sale".  Some of the prices are exorbitant!  Sometimes
the prices are dirt cheap.  Sometimes you get a legitimate copy
even though it's been viewed a few times.  Sometimes you get a
counterfeit.   Be aware. :-)
Sorry the news isn't better or more definite.  :-)
--Carol Koster: CKoster@neosoft.com or Fido c/o Rich Koster 1:3828/1.3
  FidoNet Disney Echo Moderator
 * "Oh, bother! I suppose I shall have to find another one." -Winnie the Pooh
--- April V1.0+
(1:3828/1.3)
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