Synopsis: A classic love story unfolds in the best Disney tradition as a lovely young pedigreed cocker spaniel named Lady, who lives a pampered life, finds herself falling romantically for Tramp, an amorous street-smart pooch without prospects. Although they have fun together on several dates, including a sentimental spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony’s restaurant, their relationship is strained not only by Lady’s loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp’s devil-may-care attitude that eventuallygets Lady in trouble and tossed into the dog pound. However, good-hearted Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from potential harm and thus wins Lady’s love and the affection of her human family.

You wouldn’t think that a love story from the point of view of two dogs could be as beautiful as it is in Lady and the Tramp.  At best, you would expect a cute but gimmicky story without any real substance.  At least, that’s what you’d expect if it came from anyone but Disney.  And yet, Disney took this basic idea and created something miraculous.

Everyone knows the story.  Lady is a cocker spaniel from a proper family.  Newly minted with her very own dog license, she finds herself on the streets after a misunderstanding involving her family’s new baby.  There, she meets up with Tramp, an independent mutt who shows her the ways of the world and the ways of love.

It really is a simple story, but within the framework of the plot lies something real.  The characters may be dogs, but the emotions are earned.  In this film, the love story is never forced on the audience, but comes naturally, as it should.  Through a combination of charmingly romantic music, wonderfully realized characters (both comic and serious), and stunningly gorgeous animation, Disney crafted another timeless masterpiece.

Having just been released in the two-disc Diamond Edition, this is the perfect time to re-experience the film.  This is the first Disney animated feature released in CinemaScope, and it is absolutely stunning.  It really allows you to marvel at the detail the animators put into the film.  Being a dog owner, I am very familiar with all the little movements that dogs do, and the animators captured this perfectly.  Every stretch, wag of a tail and lick of a hand was perfectly rendered.  And yet, even with this animal detail, these dogs still felt like realistic characters.

The extras on this Diamond Edition provide a great look at the film from the perspective of those who made it.  Featuring something called “Disney Second Screen, you can sync the film up with your IPad or laptop, and watch the movie while simultaneously getting extra content pertaining to that particular moment.  When watching with this feature, you can animate along with the film, and listen to recreations of story meetings taken from the actual transcripts.  It’s fascinating to hear that insight play with the film, giving that extra perspective to what you’re watching.

The Blu-Ray itself also includes a fascinating look at the apartment over the firehouse at Disneyland.  As most people reading this probably know, Walt frequently stayed in this apartment, overlooking the park below.  Including some terrific candid shots of Walt enjoying Disneyland before the park opened, this is a fascinating feature for any Disney historian.

Disneyland was being built while he was working on Lady and the Tramp, and it’s fascinating to think that Walt would start his days working on the film, and then go to Disneyland to oversee construction of the park.  As part of Disney Second Screen, you can even take a virtual tour of the apartment. Other features include three deleted scenes, a deleted song, and several bonus features carried over the previously released DVD.

Those features from the DVD are terrific as well.  There are clips from the Disneyland TV show, making of features, a look at the storyboards, the music, and on and on.  This is a truly remarkable film, and this release does it justice in evey way.  Whether you want to pour through the history of the production, or just marvel at the beautiful story, Disney has outdone themselves once again.

Filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Denzel Washington and other top talents vividly portray the life and times of Malcolm X. ?Here?s a man who rose up from the dregs of society, spent time in jail, reeducated himself and, through spiritual enlightenment, rose to the top,? Lee says. For his extraordinary work in the title role, two-time Academy Award winner* Washington was an Oscar nominee and the New York, Boston and Chicago Film Critics choice as 1992?s Best Actor.

Regardless of your thoughts on Malcolm X, the man, there is no denying the incredible filmmaking at work in Malcolm X, the film.  Director Spike Lee has taken the life story of one of the most polarizing figures in the racial movement and crafted a meticulously detailed biopic that never plays safe.  Running close to three and a half hours, Lee gives us Malcolm’s entire story, for better and worse.

Most biopics tend to give just enough details of their subjects backstory to get to the interesting part of their life and the moments that people are familiar with.  Malcolm’s life was always shifting, and every moment was significant.  This was a criminal who rose from the depths of prison to become the mouthpiece for the Nation of Islam and a figurehead for the black movement of the time.  His approach in this role was extreme, and some would say, racist.  In fact, he was so extreme, the very group he was representing ended up disassociating themselves from him.  This was a move that would eventually lead to his assassination.

With a film like this, you need to have an actor capable of incredible range.  Denzel Washington more than lives up to the task and gives one of the best performances of his career, bringing Malcolm to life in a way that goes far beyond simple impersonation.  While he does manage to capture every physical nuance of the real Malcolm X, he also conveys the intensity in everything Malcolm did.  It’s a powerful role, expertly performed.

In watching the extras on the newly released Blu-Ray from Warner Bros., it becomes even more apparent just how brilliant his performance was.  Featuring a documentary on Malcolm X, it’s impossible not to be blown away at how eerily Washington was able to embody everything the man.  It’s a truly fascinating documentary, made even more so when viewed side by side to Lee’s film.

Other extras include a commentary track featuring Lee, along with his editor, costume designer and director of photography.  There’s also the original theatrical trailer, and nine deleted scenes.  Honestly, the film is long enough as is, and these additional moments weren’t needed.  There’s also a fascinating documentary called “By Any Means Necessary,” and this really focuses on the difficulties that went into getting this film made.  It’s a fascinating look at the controversy behind the scenes.

Warner Bros. has also included a 40-page booklet which is a welcome addition to the set.  It contains an essay on the difficulties associated with the film, including the controversies of the real Malcolm X.  There are also several biographies of the various actors, and some terrific photos.  Overall, Warner Bros. did a terrific job with this set.  Love him or hate him, this film won’t change your mind, but it will provide insight into this complicated and fascinating historical figure. 

While the specific events of The Help might not be real, the depictions of life in the South during the 60s couldn’t be more accurate. For this reason, The Help is an extremely important film, one that serves as a reminder of the darkness in our country’s past. The help of the title refer to the black maids who worked in the homes of the white families at this time. To the children, these maids were practically members of the family, often more of a parent than the actual mother. And yet, the were still treated as second-class citizens, forced to use seperate restrooms, drink from seperate fountains, etc. It’s sad, but this is a part of our past we must never forget.

Based on the best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett, The Help frames it’s story around that of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a wannabe journalist attempting to make a name for herself. Her breakthrough idea is to interview several black maids, and present the world from their point of view. It’s a radical plan, one that had never been done before, and one which would change the town forever.

This could have been presented in a heavy Oscar-bait sort of way, and while the film definitely deserves some Oscar gold, the film never has that self-serious air of importance you’d expect with a film such as this. I was surprised at just how funny the film is, and while this is definitely a serious subject, the film plays light with the material while never glossing over the importance of what we’re seeing. Writer and director Tate Taylor does a remarkable job balancing tone in this film, always finding the truth in every moment no matter how serious or lighthearted it may be.

Helping to strike this balance is a phenomenal ensemble cast, featuring Emmas Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Viola Davis, Octavia Davis, and a star-making performance from Jessica Chastain. Expect to see a lot of these women as we get into awards season. While I have seen most of these actors in a lot of other films, I was able to completely lose myself in their performances here. The film feels like a perfect snapshot of a time I never saw, and each of these performers inhabit their characters with the layers you would expect each of these people to have from living in that world.

In order to capture the reality of this world, Kathryn Stockett and Tate Taylor simply had to think back to their childhoods. It turns out that they both grew up together in the South, in the 60s. Taylor even had his own maid much like those depicted in the film. This is covered extensively in the fascinating behind-the-scenes features on the recently released Blu-Ray. In one of the features, Taylor even interviews his old maid. There’s an obvious affection for this woman he came to think of as another mother, and it’s sort of beautiful to see how everything came full circle for him with this film.

The main documentary on the set is called “Making of The Help: From Friendship to Film.” I feel like the key word in that title is “friendship,” considering that almost everybody involved behind-the-scenes have been friends for years. The film was shot in their old hometown, and some of the sets were actual locations from the director’s past. If he didn’t have a direct connection, the odds are still that he knew the history of the place. I can’t help but feel that it is this familiarity and personal connection that makes The Help so unique.

There are also deleted scenes, a music video, etc. But really, the standouts on this set are the making of doc, which is more of a history of the project than anything, and the interviews with the real maids. It truly is a touching feature. I would have loved a commentary track considering how obviously personal this film was, but what we get still provides a great deal of fascinating insight. This is a remarkable film, and definitely not one I expected to enjoy this much. We like to sweep these moments from our past under the rug, and that is why I am grateful for films like this. Films capable of telling an entertaining story while looking back without criticism, but with honesty and insight.