Rating: Summary: REALLY HOLLERIN' OVER OLD YELLER! Review: "Old Yeller" is the heart-wrenching family drama about two kids and their faithful dog. Dorothy McGuire gets top billing but, like Tommy Kirk, plays second fiddle to that darling golden retriever. "Here Yeller - come back yeller, best doggon dog in the west!" This isn't Disney's best on DVD. In fact it's not even close to what a film like "Old Yeller" truly deserves. For starters, the print used to master this DVD is very softly focused while still managing to be riddled with edge enhancement, aliasing and shimmering of fine details. There's a lot of pixelization throughout that really breaks up fine detail. Color is improperly balanced in many of the outdoor scenes, with greens, in grass and trees shifting color from brownish beige to muddy green and then back again. Flesh tones often appear too, too orange. Fine detail is generally lost in the darker scenes. The audio has been remixed but is very, very strident and forward sounding. At times its painful to listen to and really doesn't hold a candle in comparison to fidelity of the day from other films of "Old Yeller"'s period. Extras: Disney gets top marks for their supplimental package on this and their other three "Vault Disney" releases. We get documentaries, isolated scores, vintage advertising and short subjects, a gallery of stills, trailers and television spots and interviews with the surviving cast members. What more could anybody ask for? BOTTOM LINE: The print is disappointing. The extras are amazing. Decide for yourself and then buy - or not.
Rating: Summary: My second favorite live-action film from Disney. Review: "Old Yeller" was Walt Disney's first boy-and-dog film, and is his best. Just about everything in this movie is perfect: the Technicolor photography, the acting, performances, and scenery. The best performance in the movie is from Tommy Kirk, as the older boy Travis. Tommy Kirk has been on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 50s', and a lot of Disney live-action films at that time, but this is his best role. For Disney lovers or first-time viewers, be prepared to cry during the scene near the end when Travis has to make a difficult decision about Old Yeller. It's one of Disney's most memorable heart-rending moments, along with Bambi's mother's death from "Bambi". "Old Yeller" is very much like "Bambi". "Bambi" is my favorite Disney animated film, and "Old Yeller" is also at the top of my favorite Disney live-action films list.
Rating: Summary: REALLY HOLLERIN' OVER OLD YELLER! Review: "Old Yeller" is the heart-wrenching family drama about two kids and their faithful dog. Dorothy McGuire gets top billing but, like Tommy Kirk, plays second fiddle to that darling golden retriever. "Here Yeller - come back yeller, best doggon dog in the west!" This isn't Disney's best on DVD. In fact it's not even close to what a film like "Old Yeller" truly deserves. For starters, the print used to master this DVD is very softly focused while still managing to be riddled with edge enhancement, aliasing and shimmering of fine details. There's a lot of pixelization throughout that really breaks up fine detail. Color is improperly balanced in many of the outdoor scenes, with greens, in grass and trees shifting color from brownish beige to muddy green and then back again. Flesh tones often appear too, too orange. Fine detail is generally lost in the darker scenes. The audio has been remixed but is very, very strident and forward sounding. At times its painful to listen to and really doesn't hold a candle in comparison to fidelity of the day from other films of "Old Yeller"'s period. Extras: Disney gets top marks for their supplimental package on this and their other three "Vault Disney" releases. We get documentaries, isolated scores, vintage advertising and short subjects, a gallery of stills, trailers and television spots and interviews with the surviving cast members. What more could anybody ask for? BOTTOM LINE: The print is disappointing. The extras are amazing. Decide for yourself and then buy - or not.
Rating: Summary: My second favorite live-action film from Disney. Review: "Old Yeller" was Walt Disney's first boy-and-dog film, and is his best. Just about everything in this movie is perfect: the Technicolor photography, the acting, performances, and scenery. The best performance in the movie is from Tommy Kirk, as the older boy Travis. Tommy Kirk has been on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 50s', and a lot of Disney live-action films at that time, but this is his best role. For Disney lovers or first-time viewers, be prepared to cry during the scene near the end when Travis has to make a difficult decision about Old Yeller. It's one of Disney's most memorable heart-rending moments, along with Bambi's mother's death from "Bambi". "Old Yeller" is very much like "Bambi". "Bambi" is my favorite Disney animated film, and "Old Yeller" is also at the top of my favorite Disney live-action films list.
Rating: Summary: "...best doggone dog in the west!" Classic of Classics! Review: A boy, a dog, the old west... AND Fess Parker! This movie simply could NOT have failed! If someone out there still hasn't seen it, I envy their opportunity! Fred Gipson's book was filmed faithfully by Disney (you can't say THAT very often! ) in fantastic Technicolor and the dog actor was GREAT-- one of the all-time best canine performances!Sure, we all know it's a bummer, but it's also the best, most character-defining bummer on film! It just can't be recommended highly enough! AL
Rating: Summary: Great Movie - Family oriented Review: A great family movie. Teaches a lot about life and the trials youth must face. The dog does die (from rabies contracted from a wolf, not his owners!), yet that is a fact of life. We live in an 'instant' society where the current generation seems to actually believe that the events programmed into video games - like getting more chances if you mess up - are real. They are not! Old Yeller shows that life is tough, but it is worth living.
Rating: Summary: Touching Disney drama - Excellent DVD release Review: Another of the "Vault Disney" entries, this DVD release of the classic Disney drama "Old Yeller" offers fans of the familiar story truly enjoyable extras plus the wide-screen, THX restored print of the wonderful film itself. Many DVD's claim to include bonus material, but these "Vault Disney" titles really follow through with vintage material presented in a creative, user-friendly format. The best part of this release (aside from the film itself, of course) is the widescreen presentation. I truly hope that Disney will continie to release ALL of its title in their original theatrical ratios. Thank you to everyone involved in the first-class DVD release of this film.
Rating: Summary: Best cow dog movie I've ever seen. Review: Excellent movie about an unwanted stray yellow black mouthed curr that adopts a family and wins their hearts by saving their lives several times in 19th century Texas. I wish my cowdog worked cows like that one.
Rating: Summary: Best doggone dog in the West Review: Grab your pillow, your favorite stuffed animal and head into the family wagon! Wait! Come Back! Okay, the days of the Drive-in movie are all but gone. But, the folks from Disney have created a terrific alternate experience with their "Vault Disney" DVD series. Each film fully restored, commentaries and documentaries galore and a cartoon short (Pluto in BONE TROUBLE) preceding it making the evening a family event just like the Drive-in... without the fumes or the fighting with your brother. The quaint film OLD YELLER is basically a boy and his dog story. Travis is left as man of the house when his father (Fess Parker of Coonskin cap fame) goes on a cattle run. What follows is a coming-of-age story as Travis protects his mother (Dorothy Maguire) and his young brother Arliss. All the time, he is fighting growing love for the flop-eared scoundrel, Yeller. The stray dog quickly becomes a protector and a member of the family. But, when rabies hits many animals in the area, the tension turns to tears. Tommy Kirk does a great job as the young Travis, the first of many performances for Disney. At the time he was a teen idol, which is ironic as he is the anti-Backstreet Boy. But, in there is the movies greatest triumph. The film is a wilderness adventure without the cynicism of today's family films. Kevin Corcoran was the animal loving brother Arliss. His energetic performance is a pleasure to watch. He has dialogue like "Quit Rockin' my dog!" and his characterization was reused in several more films (Swiss Family Robinson) but never to the same success. And with Davy Crockett and Dorothy Maguire as parents, the film comes in as corny and solid. The film is filled with animal 'performances' highlighted by Yeller. ...
Rating: Summary: Stop killing dogs Review: I can't stand it when dogs die in the movies. I'd much rather watch people die before dogs. I could laugh my butt off watching Meryl Streep in pain from cancer in that dumb movie with Renee Zellweger before I can stand to see a dog suffer. Just tears your heart out.
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