Conference koolit::disney

    It looks like Disney has added hard-ball marketing to artistic merit
    and technical achivement in animation:

 The following is output of the DowVision (TM) test system under
 development, contact SDSVAX::SWEENEY for more information.

Copyright � Dow Jones & Co. 1992
Source: Wall Street Journal
Headline: Disney Draws Interest With Unfinished Work
Time: Mar 27 1992 1005

Story: 
  Showing a rough, unedited copy of a film to any audience would make most 
Hollywood executives bristle. But the creative and marketing people at Walt 
Disney have made unfinished animation their favorite marketing tool.
  As part of its push to have "Beauty and the Beast" nominated for an Oscar, 
Disney last fall screened an unfinished copy of the movie -- with scenes in 
various stages, from faint pencil drawings to finished frames -- at the New 
York Film Festival.
  Disney whetted theater owners' appetites at a convention last month by 
showing a rough scene from "Aladdin," its latest animated feature, scheduled 
for release late this year. The clip, featuring a big production number called 
"Friend Like Me," follows the first meeting between Aladdin and the Genie, 
whose voice is supplied by actor Robin Williams.
  Disney, which is aiming to elevate the image of animation by showing the 
process involved, is making an event of presenting more scenes from "Aladdin" 
to members of the media this weekend. At the gathering, in Los Angeles, Roy O. 
Disney, the company's vice chairman, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of Walt 
Disney Studios, will discuss the movie. Lea Salonga, who won a Tony award for 
"Miss Saigon" and sings the role of Princess Jasmine in "Aladdin," will sing 
from the film's score.

    This note is for discussion on "Aladdin", Disney's 31st animated
    feature.
    
    Aladdin will debut in November.
    
    This adaptation of the 1150 year old tale was written by John Musker,
    Ron Clements, Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot.
    
    Howard Ashman was the original producer for the film. He and Alan
    Menken wrote six songs for the film. Ashman's untimely death in March
    1991 caused a slowdown in the production of the film.
    
    Changes took place in the script and this resulted in some of his songs
    becoming obsolete. Tim Rice ("Jesus Christ Superstar") provided lyrics
    for two new Menken songs "One Jump Ahead" and "A Whole New World."
    
    Aladdin's musical score will be different from that of TLM and B&TB.
    Aladdin's music will have movie-type Arabian music in Fats
    Waller-style.
    
    When the film comes out pay attention to the graphic representation of
    the film. Each character's surroundings (Jasmine's bedroom, the
    Sultan's throne room) all take on the shape of it's principal
    character.
    
    Soon we will be hearing names like Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Genie, Jafar (yet
    another entry in the long line of Disney villains), Iago, and The Magic
    Carpet.
    
    Mike

    The following is taken from an article Kathy Li posted to
    rec.arts.disney on USENET and it gives some detail on "Aladdin".  It
    sounds great.
    
    Some of it could be taken as spoilers (if you're really picky) so
    consider yourself warned.
    
    - Skip
    
Article 8649 of rec.arts.disney:
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From: [email protected] (the Rev. Mom)
Subject: REPOST: SDCC info on ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST lyrics [LONG]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Organization: CRS San Diego UUCP Gateway
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 16:58:50 GMT-0:08
Lines: 809

Hi! I posted two monster Disney-animated type articles a while
ago, right after the San Diego Comic Con, and I'm not sure they
made it out, so I'm reposting them.

--Kathy Li aka the Rev. Mom

--------------------
At the San Diego Comic Convention, there were two Disney
presentations.  One was given by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
about the making of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The other was given by
Eric Goldberg, Tom Sito, and Raul Garcia (supervising animator and
animators, respectively) of the Genie in ALADDIN.

Several little tidbits were let drop, and they showed us four
clips.  Little stuff outta the way first.  While these three guys
were at the Convention, other Disney animators were roaming the
San Diego Wild Animal Park to sketch animals as reference for
KING OF THE JUNGLE, [1993 release].  It will also be a musical,
with a score by Elton John and Tim Rice, feature an "all-animal"
cast, and be about the coming of age of a young lion.  The 1994
project is POCAHONTAS, which will also be a musical (they never
mentioned who'd be writing the songs), and will be directed by
Goldberg and Mike Gabriel. Wise and Trousdale have (tentatively)
been slated for the 1995 picture, whatever it will be--they don't
know, yet.

ALADDIN is being directed by John Musker and Ron Clements [THE
LITTLE MERMAID, GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE] and has a score by Alan
Menken.  Howard Ashman did the lyrics for three of the five
songs; the other two have lyrics by Tim Rice [EVITA, JESUS CHRIST
SUPERSTAR, CHESS].  They told us which ones, but I'm not telling
until the movie comes out in case people want to have fun
guessing which is whose. 

Most of the character animation has been finished, and the
effects guys are the ones putting in the hours and ordering the
Domino's right now. ALADDIN is slated for a Thanksgiving release,
and has been previewing in "undisclosed venues", and kids like it
a lot.  Abu's their favorite character. :-)

My tape recorder's @#&!@% batteries went ten minutes into the
presentation, so I can only remember that Glen Keane [Beast,
Ariel, Ratigan] is doing Aladdin and that Duncan Marjoribanks
[Sebastian] is doing Abu, Aladdin's sidekick monkey.  I be*lieve*
James Baxter's doing Princess Jasmine, and that Adreas Deja got
Iago, the Parrot or possibly Jaffar, the villain, but I'm not
sure about that.  Other names they mentioned that I can remember
were David Pruiksma [Chip] (the flying carpet?) and Nik Ranieri
[Lumiere].

Next time I'll remember to put the fresh batteries in before the
panel starts. :-)

Voices are:

Aladdin (speaking): Scott Winger
Aladdin (singing): victim of the dead batteries. <sigh>.
Jasmine (speaking): Linda Larkin
Jasmine (singing): Lea Salonga [MISS SAIGON]
Abu: Frank Welker
Jaffar: Jonathan Freeman
Sultan: Douglas Seal
Iago : Gilbert Godfrey

and, of course, Robin Williams is voicing the Genie. 

They described the movie as not being a romance, like BEAUTY AND
THE BEAST, so much as a comedy/adventure/musical film with a
romance in it. :-) They also said that the color design is
phenomenal (with which I'll agree) and that everybody was just
watching the color dailies and just basking in it.  They *have*
shifted the style and have heard complaints of turning into
Warner Bros/Tex Avery, rather than using "the Disney style", but
Goldberg feels it's just a shift in styles like any of the style
shifts you see between the first five Disney films.

The guys explained about how they put together a working print
with a scratch track, demo tracks, and storyboards and then
replace it bit by bit with pencil animation, then cleaned
animation, and finally with color and effects as each scene is
done individually, it's spliced in, which is why some of the
clips we'd be seeing would go from pencilled art to painted art.

The first clip they showed us was of Aladdin going down into the
Cave of Wonders with Abu to fetch the lamp for Jaffar. They've
been warned not to touch anything, but Abu's a kleptomaniac. 
They meet the Flying Carpet (very funny sequence where the carpet
teases Abu), which shows them where the lamp is.  While Aladdin
gets the lamp, Abu sees a jewel he can't resist, touches it, and
all hell breaks loose.

Remember that flying sequence at the beginning of RESCUERS DOWN
UNDER?--well this is the next generation version, and it's like a
roller coaster ride.  There's a wave of molten lava that makes
the storm in THE LITTLE MERMAID look tame. And the cool part
about seeing the pencil-art version of Aladdin and Abu zooming
through the cave's tunnels on the Magic Carpet, is that I could
see the computer gridwork for the tunnel walls.  >-)

The carpet itself is an incredible blend of hand-drawn and
computer animation.  Look again at the trailer that's on the
front of the 101 DALMATIONS tape: the carpet's movement and
personality bits are all hand-drawn, but computer texture-mapping
has been used to put the intricate Persian design on it.  Niiize.

The second clip that was shown was the song "Friend Like Me",
which is a Cab Calloway sort of show-stopping number, and is
bound to plaster itself all over the ads the way that "Be Our
Guest" did.  Continuing from the first scene, Aladdin rubs the
lamp, and out pops a Genie w/Robin Williams voice saying, "Oi!
Ten thousand years will give you *such* a crick in the neck!" and
who then proceeds to do shtick that involves impersonating (in
quick succession) a game show host, Arnold Schwarzanegger and Ed
Sullivan.  He then breaks into "Friend Like Me", the lyrics of
which I would post, except that I can't figure out what the hell
they are from my tape because everybody was laughing too hard and
Robin Williams tends to tear around his vocal range.

If, however, you've seen the 101 DALMATIONS trailer, it's the
scene where he sings:

   Well, Ali Baba had them forty thieves
   Scheherazade had a thousand tales...

The only verse I can actually make out entirely is:

   Mister Aladdin, sir, what will your pleasure be?
   Let me take your order, jot it down
   You ain't never had a friend like me!

Yes.  Williams ad-libbed.  Goldberg says they've got enough
material left over for 5 more Genie movies.  Rated PG-13 and
worse. :-)  Also that a common cry from Williams was "I can't say
that--this is a Disney movie!".  It looks great.

The third clip was a making-of montage, showing people working on
their respective bits of the movie, while the soundtrack is a
love duet that Aladdin and Jasmine sing while riding on the magic
carpet.  That one I can tell all of the lyrics, except for two
words.  It's a very sweet melody, sort of 6/8-time-ish, and Lea
Salonga just nails it beautifully.

=================== "Whole New World" =======================
ALADDIN:

I can show you the world:
Shining, shimmering, splendid.
Tell me, princess, when did
You last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes,
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways, and under
On a magic carpet ride.

A whole new world!
A new fantastic point of view.
No one to tell us, "No."
Or where to go--
Or say we're only dreaming
                              JASMINE:
                              A whole new world!
                              A dazzling place I never knew.
                              But now from way up here
                              It's crystal-clear
                              That now I'm in a
                              Whole new world with you!
Now I'm in a
Whole new world with you!
                              Unbelievable sights!
                              Indescribable feeligs!
                              Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
                              Through an endless diamond sky!
                              A whole new world!
Don't you dare close your eyes!
                              A hundred thousand things to see!
Hold your breath,
It only gets better           
                              I'm like a shooting star
                              I've come so far
A whole new world             I can't go back to where
                              I used to be
The new horizons
You'll perceive               Every time I (?) (?)
Every moment gets better.

          BOTH:
          I'll chase them anywhere
          There's time to spare    
          Let me share this
          Whole new world with you.

A whole new world
                              A whole new world
That's where we'll be    
                              That's where we'll be!
A thrilling chase
                              A wondrous place
          For you and me...

=============================================================

The fourth clip shown was a trailer that will be showing up on
the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST video.  It's pretty close to the 101
DALMATIONS one, with some added footage and a slicker voiceover.

In summary, I'd say it looks like a winner, and I have no idea
how the hell I'm going to be able to wait until Thanksgiving.

--Kathy Li aka the Rev. Mom
    

    This is taken from the "Ultimate Fall Preview" issue of PREMIERE
    magazine...
    
    "Aladdin"
    
    "Musical; written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker; songs
    by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice; from Walt Disney Pictures.
    
    "The Pitch:  Arabian teen angst, plus a magic lamp and a genie.
    
    "The Backstory:  Pitched to Jeffrey Katzenberg by Alan Menken and the
    late Howard Ashman in 1989; project taken over by Clements and Muskers
    after Ashman began work on 'Beauty and the Beast'; 'Evita' wordsmith
    Tim Rice called in to finish the lyrics.
    
    "The Key Player:  Jeffrey Katzenberg, who lives for animation -- and
    more importantly, spends for it.
    
    "The Buzz:  Looks to be this year's 'Beauty and the Beast', with the
    added hipness factor of Robin Williams as the genie.  Length a minor
    concern; when will the kids hits the bathroom?  Look for another Oscar
    assault.
    
    "Coverage:  'Jeffrey wasn't too wild about our original script,' says
    Musker.  'Each step along the way he had some story revisions.  We kept
    saying, "Well, wait until you see it in the next phase; then you'll
    like it."  Finally, we put it all up on sotry reels, where you have an
    hour-and-a-half version of  the movie with no animation, and showed it
    to Jeffrey.'  And?  'And he didn't like it very well.  So we had a
    heavy bit of rewriting to do.'"

Article 9033 of rec.arts.disney:
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!sun-barr!ames!tulane!agwbbs!Rich_Koster
From: [email protected] (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Aladdin
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 28 Sep 92 20:38:33 CST
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.

Max Howard, Director of Operations - Feature Animations Florida, said
the release of Aladdin will be November 20, others said November 25th,
but the consensus is "around Thanksgiving".  You can hear the soundtrack
of this film at the Disney-MGM Studios in both the Soundstage Restaurant
next to the Animation Tour, or by going upstairs to the Catwalk Lounge.
You hear it better when the place is less crowded, and you can go
upstairs to the lounge where it is more comfortable for lingering
and is above the busy din of the fast food atmosphere below, but it's
still difficult to make out the words.  Soundtrack began playing there
the first part of the week of September 14th.  We also heard it next
door in the lobby of the Brown Derby, the stairway connecting the
Catwalk Lounge to the Brown Derby, and in the restrooms there.
 
When we went into the Soundstage Restaurant last year before the release
of Beauty and the Beast (B&B for short), there were generic Old west set
decorations in there.  These were changed to the B&B "set" to promote
that movie, and the soundtrack from B&B played there as well.  About a
month ago this set was changed to look like an Arabian village instead,
but there are still traces of the original western set (you can still see
some of the wood beams from the adobe remaining).  The bartender at the
Catwalk Lounge told us that they had been playing generic Morrocan music
when they switched to the Aladdin "set" until the soundtrack was ready,
and he said the generic music was horrible!
 
The funny thing is that the folks amblin' on in, hot, sweaty, hungry and
thirsty, don't know what they are hearing and seeing:  To them, it plays
and sounds like ambient Muzak with a movie theme, when in fact they are
listening to the songs and incidental music of an upcoming blockbuster
hit more than two months ahead of time.  You can see some promotional
stills from it in the lobby of the Animation Tour.  The B&B soundtrack
is still playing in the Animation Tour lobby, as well as when you are
put on hold when calling Disney's main phone number.
 
The previews of coming attractions portion of the backstage Special
Effects Tour *does not* yet have any references to Aladdin.  It is
devoted instead to the upcoming live action films.  Speaking of the
soundtrack, a representative from the Disney records attending the
business groups portion of the Disneyana convention denies the soundtrack
is out in a public forum where it can be heard.  (But then, we found that
many Disney employees were not aware as many Disney enthusiasts are of
all the details that Disney has recently released to the public).  The
recording should be out just prior to the general release of the film.
 
Merchandising that we saw available for "Aladdin" were a jacket with
the logo on the back (not many of those) and an animated flip book,
with a scene from the movie on one side and sketchwork of the same
scene on the back.  These were at the Disneyana Convention and the
public attending it, not available to the general public at the parks.
 
We saw clips of Aladdin at the convention.  They showed us rough
drawings and completed animation rough-edited with music and time code
(computerized editing) to form a scene, and some portions had supers
(words superimposed on the film) "Property of Walt Disney Productions"
over sequences.
 
One completed portion dealt with Aladdin rubbing the lamp when he first
gets it and out comes Robin Williams' version of the Genie.  If you are
familiar with Robin's stream-of-consciousness bouncing-off-the-walls
improvisation style of stand up comedy you will know the essence of how
he plays the voice of this character, and how the animators incorporated
these mannerisms into the character of the Genie.  This particular scene
includes "A Friend Like Me", a hilarious song about how the Genie is now
in service to Aladdin so let's get on with the "wish is my command"
stuff song.  The Genie turns himself into a wide variety of personalities
in the scene, like Hitler, Ed Sullivan, dancing girls, and Elvis.  Trust
me, you will have to see Aladdin more than once just to see and get every
detail out of this scene because you'll be laughing and rolling too much
to get it all the first time.
 
The scene with the "Whole New World" duet between Aladdin and Princess
Jasmine was shown to the conventioneers.
 
Another scene they showed was Princess Jasmine confronting the evil
character Jafar about imprisoning Aladdin, featuring the parrot Iago
(comedian Gilbert Gottfried) getting caught in a door as it closes.
They played this scene four times, showing the 4 stages of production:
 
1) Script (starting from a script "because we don't have Walt anymore",
who Max Howard, Director of Operations - Feature Animations Florida,
described as the master storyteller.
 
2) Storyboard (still shots combined with just the voice portion of the
soundtrack).
 
3) Pencil Animation (storyboard shots replaced with the pencil test).
 
4) Special Effects (the clip now showed tone mattes, shadows, and
clean-up of the rough pencil drawings).
 
5) Color Backgrounds, Sound & Music (the completed version of the scene
was shown).
 
(The above is from my notes and recollections, which is why the "four
stages of production" works out to be five!)
 
The soundtrack overall is less Fats Waller sounding than rumor states,
but does sound have a strong influence of stereotypical Arabian movie
music with a lush Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" or even an Albert W.
Ketelby (composer from the 1920's look for an album called "In a
Monastery Garden" in the classical music section of a record store or
library, and listen to a cut called "In A Persian Market"). The
incidental music by Howard Mencken is beautiful and reminiscent of
"Beauty and the Beast".  The main love song in the film also has a pop
duet version at the end of the soundtrack, sounds as if Peabo Bryson is
back for another go with another female singer, sounds very similar to
the pop duet of the "Beauty and the Beast" main title tune.
 
Animators are making the rounds to fantasy and animation conventions
carting Aladdin rough cuts with them.
 
During the "Meet Prince Ali" clip (containing the genie song) during the
Disneyana convention, a surprise stage show took place while the clip
played.  In came real animals with humans dressed in costume portraying
Aladdin and Princess Jasmine.  They were riding beautiful horses which
might have been Arabian horses.  An ornery camel was also brought in,
led by his animal handler, and it was a good thing no one was riding it!
He got a little too close to those of us in the first row, and the
handler motioned to a regularly-dressed cast member to come up and tap
the camel on the rump to move it closer to the stage.  These animals
were apparently well trained not to soil the brand new carpet in the
convention center!!

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Internet: [email protected]
    UUCP: rex!agwbbs!rich_koster

The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were each released the Friday
before Thanksgiving.  This is a popular release day for films hoping to attract
holiday season box office recipts.

If tradition holds, that would put Aladdin in the theatres on November 20, 1992.

    Sounds like a good day to take the afternoon off.
    
    Mike_who_said_the_same_thing_last_year

    Those of you with toddler-sized daughters -- the Disney store at PLM
    has a Halloween costume of a Harem Girl's outfit from Alladin (the tag 
    says the name of the character but I can't remember it). It's really
    cute! 
    
    Linda

Article 9123 of rec.arts.disney:
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From: [email protected] (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Disneyana - Grand Entrances
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 5 Oct 92 05:08:46 CST
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.
Lines: 61

1.  The Disney way of introducing new Theme Park characters to
enthusiasts:
 
The characters of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine were brought out to
the Fantasia Ballroom of the Contemporary Resort Friday, September 25,
with great fanfare.  The ballroom was darkened.  The back doors opened
and spotlights swung to the back of the room, to reveal the Aladdin
character (nice chest! says my wife) riding a horse (Arabian?),
followed by a live camel, followed by the lovely Princess Jasmine
(nice chest!) riding her own horse (Arabian?), to the music soundtrack
of the upcoming animated feature.  My wife Carol said as she turned
around in her seat to look at the procession into the ballroom, she
could see several rows of people with their jaws just about down to
the floor in amazement.  We sat in the front row and got to see the
three animals stop in front of us while everyone waved a friendly
wave.  The camel was a little too close in front of us -- and we
began to regret we were in the front row. ;-)  It would not be budged,
even though its handler tried his best.  He motioned to an assistant
and she came up and shoved the camel on its rear, and it moved a more
comfortable distance away from the front row.  We were worried what
the animals might do to the spotless carpet in the brand-new
convention center, but those animals were *very* well-trained and
no souvenirs were left behind for us collectors! ;-P
 
2.  The Disney way of introducing the company archivist to
enthusiasts:
 
Again, same ballroom, different day, same back doors and spotlights,
to reveal a Wells Fargo armored truck, Mickey Mouse sitting on top
of the hood and waving to his fans as the truck was being driven
into the ballroom, if I'm not mistaken to the soundtrack of the
Main Street Electrical Parade.  The truck drove around the
perimeter of the ballroom to the front.  Most of the gusts in the
room were on their feet at this point and clapping with the music.
Out of the truck comes Dave Smith and his assistant carrying a
briefcase containing the rarest and most fascinating things, to be
described in another post.
 
3.  The Disney way of announcing the dessert course at a banquet:
 
Same ballroom:  Bring up the music, parade the wait staff in their
best dress in front of the hall, stack thedessert trays in their
hands with fire on the trays, then parade through and between the
tables to serve the goodies.
 
4.  The Disney way of inaugurating the start of the 1st Disneyana
Convention:
 
Have a live stage show outside, with most of the costumed characters
dancing and prancing for the folks, two of the balloons from the
20th Anniversary Parade billowing up in front of the crowd, daytime
firewrks at 9 a.m., and then have costumed paraders on stilts, also
from the 20th Anniversary Parade, and also all the costumed
characters, parade into the ballroom and lead everyone outside
inside.  All this began with the best and hugest character breakfast
buffet outdoors we've ever seen!

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Internet: [email protected]
    UUCP: rex!agwbbs!rich_koster

    Rep to <<< Note 305.6 by LJOHUB::GOLDBERG "Len, Corp. Business Practices Group" >>>

>The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were each released the Friday
>before Thanksgiving.  This is a popular release day for films hoping to attract
>holiday season box office recipts.
>If tradition holds, that would put Aladdin in the theatres on November 20,
>1992.
    
    Well according to the  back cover of the latest Disney Store Holiday 92
    Catalog (the one with the  Beast  on  the  cover), release date is Nov.
    25th (day before Thanksgiving).
    
    Claude

    A few days back a castmember verified November 25 as the big day.
    
    The merchandise you see in the stores is a temporary assortment of
    Alladin "stuff". They've learned to wait and see before investing
    big money for film merchandise.
    
    Somehow I think Alladin will do well.
    
    Mike

    re: "Aladdin" stuff
    
    Actually, I think there's been more merchandise out for this film prior
    to its release than past ones.  For example, it's only been recently
    that you could pick up ceramic figures of Cogsworth and Lumiere from
    the Disney Store, whereas I've already seen quite a few from "Aladdin"
    (the Genie, Princess Jasmine, Abu the monkey, the villain).
    
    Anyways, now, I just need to figure out a way to be there opening
    night... 
    
    - Skip

    If you want another dose of Aladdin-itis, check out the Nov. 9th issue
    of TIME magazine.  There's a three-page (quite a few pics) review and
    it's all raves!!
    
    Now I know I have to be there opening night!!
    
    - Skip

    The following contains spoiler info on Aladin, read at your own risk.
    
    
Article 10129 of rec.arts.disney:
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From: [email protected] (Zarina  Mustapha)
Subject: ALADDIN : Preview
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Sender: [email protected] (The Network News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
Reply-To: [email protected] (Zarina  Mustapha)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 21:09:05 GMT
Lines: 82


Well...I just went to see the preview of Disney's latest full animated
feature: ALADDIN at a theater here in NYC.  What I am about to say is
solely from my personal point of view (which favors BatB); and my
opinion may not reflect the quality of the movie itself.

OVERALL : Viewing ALADDIN on its own, i.e. without any reference point
 	whatsoever, it is rather entertaining.
	Viewing ALADDIN and comparing it to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or
	THE LITTLE MERMAID, well, hard to say this...but it is a MAJOR
	disappointment.

ALADDIN : His facial features were very close to those of Prince Eric's
	in THE LITTLE MERMAID.  Even his voice was like Eric's.  A flaw that I
	could detect was the difference in the "speaking" voice and the
	"singing" voice; it was rather noticeable.  Personally, I
	think that the quality of his "singing" voice was not as good as
	Gaston's (or even the Beast).  His personality was not as rich
	as the Beast's, he may be sneaky at times.

JASMINE : She was the princess in this story, and at a certain angle,
	she looked like Belle.  The introduction of a strong, politically
	correct female protagonist in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has sort of
	"forced" Disney to keep up the good work.  In this case however, they
	tried so hard that it almost failed.  Disney did not develop her
	character enough for the audience to notice her intelligence.
	Instead, the auxiliary lines like "She is smart," or "Do you think I
	am stupid?" were used to illustrate this character.  It is true
	however, that Jasmine was sick and tired of the life within the palace,
	and that she yearned to see the world.  Somehow, she did not possess
	the strength like Belle's.  Her "speaking" voice and her "singing"
	voice did not really reveal any noticeable difference.

THE GENIE : This guy was cool.  In fact I think that this character was
	more entertaining than the protagonists.  Robin Williams did a good
	job, he deserves a nomination.  The Genie impersonated almost
	everyone, from Arnold-T2 to Ed Sullivan.  You may notice several
	additional characters from the previous animations like
	Pinnochio, Sebastian...  He made the movie entertaining.
	Otherwise...

JAFAR : This villain was eeeeeviiillll!!!  More evil than Ursula, I
	like this one.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS : ABU the monkey belonged to Aladdin, and he was
	cute and mischievous.  The MAGIC CARPET was very nicely made
	(animation-wise).  IAGO the parrot was equivalent to Lefou,
	except that this parrot was smarter.

THE ROMANCE : I would say, ALADDIN contained an overdose of romance.
	Jasmine and Aladdin fell in love a bit too quickly, kissed a bit too
	early.  The romance was back to the old love-at-first-sight theme like
	those in the animations before BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  The
	ending was a bit too cheesy, it could have been better.

THE SONGS : I don't know why I did not think the songs were great.
	Except for the first two songs, the rest of the songs were not what I
	call "plot carriers".  The songs did not blend homogeneously with the
	flow of the story like THE MERMAID or BEAUTY...  The tunes were not as
	catchy.  Considering the fact that ALADDIN took place in the Middle
	East, the songs were pretty Western-like to me.

MISCELLANEOUS : Certain scenes were superb, but not as outstanding as
	the Ballroom Scene in BEAUTY...  Disney used more computer-generated
	animation in this one.  The women were rather sexily dressed for some
	reason.  There was this scene where Princess Jasmine has a
	transparent veil sliding down her body (she was dressed, otherwise
	ALADDIN would be rated R) to seduce Jafar.  Even the Genie was
	shocked!!
	Color-wise, rather dull.  Red, yellow and blue dominant.
	ALADDIN also did not have a character that could act as a window for
	the children to connect to the story.  I guess Abu, the carpet and
	Iago would do, but Chip and Flounder served a better purpose in 
	BEAUTY... and THE MERMAID respectively.

ALADDIN is not that bad.  Entertaining, as I said, but Disney could
have made it better.  Again, however, this is just a humble point of
view from behind this eyes + pair of glasses of mine.
[====================================================================]
[  <ZARINA MUSTAPHA//[email protected]>                     ]
[   Henry Krumb School of Mines                                      ]
[   School of Engineering and Applied Science                        ]

    The following contains spoiler info on Aladdin, read at your own risk.
    

Article 10155 of rec.arts.disney:
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!concert!gatech!darwin.sura.net!tulane!agwbbs!Rich_Koster
From: [email protected] (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Siskel & Ebert review Aladdin
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 8 Nov 92 13:19:57 CST
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.
Lines: 124

Here is the review broadcast on Siskel & Ebert's (Disney!) syndicated
TV show this weekend:
 
Shown is a short clip of Robin Williams' "Genie" character singing
"You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me!"
 
SISKEL: "That's Robin Williams, of course, as the voice and
inspiration of the Genie in the bottle in `Aladdin', the new Disney
animated extravaganza, and he's the *real* star of the movie.  It's
an extraordinary performance -- the perfect melding, if you think
about it, of a talent and an art form.  Robin Williams really is an
animated character in his ability to constantly change shape and
character.  He's the main reason for adults to see Aladdin, in fact
if the film were called `Genie' I think it would be more truthful
labelling.  In the film a princess is reminded by her father, the
Sultan, that she must marry a prince within three days."
 
Shown is clip of Princess Jasmine saying "I hate being forced into
this.  If I do marry, I want it to be for love."
 
SISKEL: "Meanwhile a young man named Aladdin dreams of marrying the
Princess.  He and his pet monkey have stumbled across a magic lamp
with almost disastrous results."
 
A clip shows Iago the monkey grabbing a jewel from a golden idol's
hand.  A disembodied voice shouts: "Infidels!  You have touched the
forbidden treasures!  Now, now you shall never again see the light of
day!"  Iago puts the jewel back, but the voice continues and the
golden idol melts, looking very demonic.  The voice sounds very much
like Robby Benson's Beast.
 
A clip of Genie appearing out of the lamp is shown, with Siskel's
voice-over:
 
SISKEL: "Once the lamp is rubbed, at the movie's 40-minute mark,
Aladdin becomes a great entertainment.  Here's Robin!"
 
The clip of Genie continues.  Genie says "Oi!  Ten thousand years
will give you such a crick in the neck!  Hang on a second! (turning
his head completely around as if he were unscrewing a jar)  Whoaaaa!
Wow!  Does it feel good to be outta there!  I'm tellin' ya, nice to
be back ladies and gentlemen!  Hi -- Where are you from, what's your
name?", the Genie says, holding his tail like a microphone as if he's
a TV game-show host.  Aladdin replies, "Uh, Aladdin."  Genie says,
"Aladdin!"  Aladdin's name appears, glowing in mid-air, surrounded by
tracer lights, as the Genie continues: "Hello, Aladdin.  Nice to have
you on the show.  Can we call you Al, or maybe just Din?  Or how
'bout Laddie? "  The lighted sign changed from "ALADDIN" to "AL" and
then "DIN".  The Genie is now dressed in tartan clothes as he says:
"Sounds like `Here boy! (whistling as if to call his dog)  Pfee!
Pfee! Pfee! Pfee! C'mon Laddie!'"
 
SISKEL: "The film's bad guy is pretty good.  Jafar is the sultan's
evil counselor -- a would-be prince who himself wants to marry the
princess.  For now he's stuck with a wise-cracking parrot with a
funny voice, by comic Gilbert Gottfried."
 
A clip shows Jafar saying: "Marry the shrew, I'd become the Sultan.
The idea has merit!"  Iago: "Yes, merit, yes! And then, we'd drop
papa-in-law and the little woman off a cliff!  Yee-aaaahhhhhhhhhh,
KUR-SPLATT!"
 
SISKEL: "How does Aladdin rank with `Beauty and the Beast' and `The
Little Mermaid'?  Not quite as good.  The story is rougher, more
oriented toward boys than girls.  The songs are not classics.
Lyricist Howard Ashman, who worked on all three films, died during
the production.  But on the positive side, Aladdin also takes greater
risks.  It isn't just built for kids, it does stretch the animated
form and I do recommend it highly.  And I think that Robin Williams
does deserve to become the first voice to be nominated for best
supporting actor."
 
EBERT: "I'm pretty much in agreement with you.  I didn't think that
it was up to the two previous films from Disney, but I did think it
was good and I do think that Robin Williams is terrific here."
 
SISKEL: "Yes."
 
EBERT: "I wonder how much input --"
 
SISKEL: "I do, too."
 
EBERT: "-- he actually had in the animation process because some of
his bits of business and some of the moments where he imitates
everyone from Ed Sullivan to Arsenio Hall are really funny."
 
SISKEL: "Very funny."
 
EBERT: "And it's almost as if Williams must have been working at the
script level with these people in order to develop this comic stuff.
So he's really good, but the movie is not quite up there with
`Mermaid' and `Beauty and the Beast'."
 
SISKEL: "Well I think it's because the boy is kind of lackluster and
you don't feel his drive is important.  They kind of got split into
terms of `Who is going to be the lead -- the boy or the girl?'  And
that doesn't hold together.  And then, the problem is `Who can
compete with Robin Williams?'.  He's just blows everyone out of the
water."
 
EBERT: "Walks away with the movie."
 
- - -
 
At the end of the show, they summed up their review:
 
EBERT: "Two thumbs up for Aladdin, a new animated musical with
terrific work by Robin Williams."
 
A still from the movie showed it is rated G.  They briefly chatted
about another movie, then said:
 
SISKEL: "And I also think that Robin Williams' performance is in a
category by itself."
 
EBERT: "Yes, it is. Yes, it is."
 
SISKEL: "This is an amazing piece of entertainment that adults will
like probably, again, a whole lot more than their kids."

-- Via DLG Pro v0.995

Internet: [email protected]
    UUCP: rex!agwbbs!rich_koster

    
    Entertainment Weekly magazine has a two page discussion of Alladin as the 
    feature movie review in the issue to be on the newsstands this week.
    There is also a one column discussion of the use of animation rather
    than voices for the magic carpet and similar characters.
    
    Spoiler if you don't want to know some details:
    
    They rate the movie a A (BatB had only received an A-) and said that
    the weakest part of the movie was the music. They felt that the songs
    were not as good nor as memorable as either TLM or BatB.
    
    Linda 

Copyright � 1992 Dow Jones & Co. from Press Release News Wire
THE DISNEY CHANNEL AIRS THE EXCLUSIVE WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE OF `THE 
MAKING OF ALADDIN' ON NOV. 15


          John Rhys-Davies Hosts The Half-Hour Special

  BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Making of Aladdin" will have 
its world television premiere on The Disney Channel on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 5:30 
p.m. (ET/PT), announced Stephen D. Fields, senior vice president of original 
programming for the premium cable network.

  John Rhys-Davies hosts this Disney Channel half-hour special about the 
creation of Walt Disney Pictures' 31st full-length animated film, "Aladdin."  
Through sketches and storyboards to finished sequences and interviews with key 
animators and voice talent, viewers learn how the movie's characters and 
artistic style were developed.

  "The Making of Aladdin" also focuses on the composition of the movie's five 
new songs and original score by four-time Academy Award- winner Alan Menken 
and lyrics by multi-Academy Award-winner, the late Howard Ashman, and Tony 
Award-winning songwriter Tim Rice.

  Interviews with the animators, such as supervising animator for Aladdin Glen 
Keane, help viewers understand the creation and development of the feature's 
characters.  And a look at Disney's state-of-the-art technology helps explain 
the magical effects that created Aladdin's amazing carpet ride.

  Through a colorful tapestry of magic, music, adventure, romance and 
outrageous humor, Disney's animation team tackled one of the greatest stories 
ever told, ultimately creating their own uniquely entertaining version of the 
classic Arabian Nights fairy tale, "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp."  Set in a 
mythical Arabian kingdom, "Aladdin" tells in a new and imaginative way the 
centuries-old story of a young boy and his magical encounter with a 
wish-fulfilling Genie and an evil, power-hungry vizier.

  The Disney Channel, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in April of 
1993, is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co.

  /CONTACT:  Wendy Odell of The Disney Channel, 818-569-7533/
17:41 EST

    Are you suffering from Aladdin-itis??
    
    Do you need a pick-me-up after reading Claude's farewell??
    
    Well, the Walt Disney Company might have a cure of sort for what ails
    you.  A sneak preview of "Aladdin" tomorrow night (11/14).  Check your
    local listings for details.
    
    On another (musical) note.  The soundtrack's terrific.  I picked up the
    CD at lunchtime.  I'll miss Howard Ashman but he left us with a few
    more pearls.  
    
    - Skip

    I went to the sneak preview Saturday night and saw "Aladdin" with a
    packed theatre of kids (75%) and some hardy adults (25%).  Given the
    cheers and applause as the end credits rolled, I think we can give this
    one a few hundred thumbs up...
    
    Yes, the Disney folks have scored again and I think they have another
    big hit on their hands.
    
    "Aladdin" was a lot of fun.  The story, of course, follows the
    adventures of our hero as he discovers a magic lamp and is granted
    three wishes by an all-powerful and, as voiced by Robin Williams,
    hilarious Genie.  Other characters Aladdin encounters on the way
    include Princess Jasmine (the love interest for our hero), his faithful
    monkey friend, Abu, a magical flying carpet, and the villain of the
    piece, the evil Jafar.
    
    Even though the romance is pretty much the impetus of the story, the
    emphasis here is on action and comedy.  Some of the animated sequences
    in the Cave of Wonders are as exciting as anything you'd find in an
    Indiana Jones film.  And it's easily the funniest of the Disney films,
    due in large part to the Genie, but he doesn't completely own the comic
    spotlight.  Comedian Gilbert Gottfried supplies the voice of Iago,
    Jafar's parrot and confidante.  Normally, I can't stand the guy but his
    performance is very funny here.  And though Abu and the carpet are both
    silent parts, they get their fair share of "gags".
    
    The songs kept up the Menken-Ashman tradition of a bouncy tempo with
    tongue-tying lyrics.  "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali" are my faves. 
    
    A small warning to parents.  Very small, actually.  There's only one
    part near the end that I think small children would find frightening. 
    If they can sit through the end of "The Little Mermaid" or "Sleeping
    Beauty", then they shouldn't have a problem with "Aladdin".  
    
    I think if "Aladdin" has a fault, it's that people are going to try and
    compare it to Disney's recent big hits, like "The Little Mermaid" and
    "Beauty and the Beast", and it won't measure up.  But I find that a
    difficult comparison to make because from the outset, it's a much
    different film than either of them.  And for that difference, I'm glad. 
    It would've been very easy for Disney to keep remaking TLM and BatB,
    but they've taken a much different route with "Aladdin".  Sure, they
    are similarities but the greater emphasis on action makes them
    different films.
    
    But back to the film, I can't wait 'til its general release so I can
    see it again.
    
    - Skip

    	It seems from reading the previous replies that Disney has kept up
    the tradition of not simply rehashing the same formula over and over. 
    When Walt's "Three Little Pigs" became a hit he was pressured by the 
    financiers to 'Make more pigs' but he resisted and always said, in
    effect, 'we're not just going to make more pigs'.  It seems that
    Aladdin follows this line of bacon avoidance.
    
    
    Tom

    I saw "The Making Of Alladin" on the Disney Channel last night and from
    what I saw I generally agree with Skip's comments.
    
    I also noticed the following:
    
         o The animators had the toughest job dealing with the flying
           carpet but still manged to give it personality.
    
         o Abu sounds like Donald Duck.
    
         o The key song will be the one with Alladin and Jasmine singing
           while on the FLying Carpet. It has "World" in the title I 
           think.
    
         o The two singers who perform for Jasmine and Alladin sure didn't
           compare with Paige and Richard from "Beauty" but they were still
           very talented.
    
         o Best sequence I saw was the one where Alladin is trying to get
           out of some cave or something....it looked like either Body Wars
           or Star Tours.
    
     Mike

    re: .21 (Mike)
    
    >>I saw "The Making Of Alladin" on the Disney Channel last night and from
    >>what I saw I generally agree with Skip's comments.
    
    This is on again during the Disney Channel's Winter Preview (first
    weekend in December) if anyone's interested.
    
    >>   o The animators had the toughest job dealing with the flying
    >>     carpet but still manged to give it personality.
    
    And they did a terrific job.  The carpet was one of my favorite
    characters mainly because of the way he/she/it expressed emotion
    through a form of pantomine.
    
    >>   o Abu sounds like Donald Duck.
    
    Actually, I thought he was more like Gurgi from "The Black Cauldron" in
    both voice and personality.
    
    >>   o The key song will be the one with Alladin and Jasmine singing
    >>     while on the FLying Carpet. It has "World" in the title I 
    >>     think.
    
    It's called "A Whole New World", music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim
    Rice.  It's sung by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in the film (who are
    not the same folks who "speak" the parts) and the top 40 version you'll
    probably soon hear on the radio is done by Peabo Bryson and Regina
    Belle. 
    
    >>	o The two singers who perform for Jasmine and Alladin sure didn't 
    >>	  compare with Paige and Richard from "Beauty" but they were still
    >>	  very talented.
    
    Well, I differ slightly.  I think Aladdin's singing voice is a little
    weak in this ballad but Jasmine's is right up there with Belle and
    Ariel.
    
    >>   o Best sequence I saw was the one where Alladin is trying to get
    >>     out of some cave or something....it looked like either Body Wars
    >>     or Star Tours.
    
    Yes, this takes place in the Cave of Wonders and I'm waiting for Disney
    to announce plans to add it as a theme park ride.  I found this flight
    even more thrilling than Cody's first flight with the golden eagle in
    "The Rescuers Down Under."
    
    - Skip  

Is it true that the Magic Carpet in Aladdin is computer generated/animated?

todd///

I just returned from WDW and noticed something strange in the Aladdin trailer
that they are showing at the end of the Disney Animation tour in MGM.

Towards the end of the trailer they show the Genie putting his arms around 
Jasmine (on his right) and Aladdin (on his left) and making a statement (can't
remember exactly what he was saying. What I saw just blew my mind and I lost the 
dialogue). In this scene, I saw the Genie (Robin Williams) wearing the same Goofy
hat that Robin Williams was wearing at the start of the tour when he met Walter
Cronkite. The hat was actually fairly inconspicuous, but you could clearly see
the teeth and floppy ears. It was a case of seeing it, but it didn't register as
what it was until after the scene had changed.

What I want to know, was this scene made just for the tour? or is this scene
also in the movie Goofy hat and all. If so, was it intentional or something that
the animators slipped by. The scene in the trailer lasted no more than 
2 seconds and while I'm 99.9% sure of what I saw, it went by very quickly and I 
never got a chance to get back and double check.

Can anyone else confirm this?

Steve

re: 305.24 

    I can't confirm that the scene is in the movie, but I noticed it in
    the Making of Aladdin.  It was very short and I almost missed it.  
    Luckily, we taped the show so I was able to reverse the tape and view
    it again.

    re: .23

    >Is it true that the Magic Carpet in Aladdin is computer
    >generated/animated?

    Well, yes and no.  The carpet itself was hand animated in the
    traditional way    modeling system was used to give the animators a
    guide as the carpet twisted and contorted.  The intricate pattern on
    the carpet was computer generated, so it would look correct as the
    carpet moved through different positions.

    It gives me new respect for the animators who kept track of all those
    spots on all those Dalmatians without the aid of computers.  They
    thought it was pretty neat to use a Xerox machine.

    Yes, in the end of Aladdin, the Genie is wearing basically the exact
    same outfit (animated, of course) that Robin Williams wears in the
    opening of the Animation Tour film at MGM, Goofy Hat, Hawaiian shirt
    and all.  
    
    I took my family to see the sneak preview in Franklin, MA this past
    Saturday, along with The Mighty Ducks (one price).  
    
    Per a previous comment, I too have never cared for Gilbert Gottfried,
    but I thought that he was great in Aladdin, perfect casting.
    
    Yes, Robin Williams steals the show, IMHO
    
    Regarding the unfortunate comparisons to The Little Mermaid and Beauty
    & The Beast: I thought that the music in Aladdin was weaker, the
    animation in Aladdin was superior, and who cares because all three
    movies are outstanding works.  My kids all said "Daddy, can we get the
    video of Aladdin?"  When I told them that it wasn't even in regular
    release in theaters yet, let alone on video, they said "Daddy, can we
    go see the sneak preview again next week?"
    
    Cheers,
    Ken
    

    Well Gang, Claude called with his review of Alladin. I've lost my notes
    but from what I recall he said something like the following:
    
        - You have to go into the theater with a clear mind. That is, don't
          expect another "B&TB". 
    
        - The songs lacked substance according to Claude. He sensed a
          "shallowness" in the lyrics. (Since when did he become a music
          critic?)
    
        - Claude says there are several dark moments in the film that will
          certainly scare some young children.
    
        - The Genie shows up almost 40 minutes into the film.
    
        - The Cave of Wonders sequences was truly impressive.
    
        - CLaude mentioned that the two primary colors in the movie are
          brown and blue (night and day).
    
        - He said the animators did a good job with the magic carpet.
    
    Mike

    I saw "Alladin" yesterday.  I can sum it up in one statement :"When Can
    I See it again!!!!?"
    
    I took the whole family.  Myself (35 yrs), Wife (xx yrs :^), Dan (13),
    TJ (11), Lizzie (6) and Bob (3).  ***ALL*** the kids (even the over 30
    ones) loved it.  The family concensus is that the Genie is the best
    character in the film.  Second best is still being debated.  I thought
    that this was as good a film as B&TB (no flames please).  I do think it
    is a different style of film from B&TB and the previous notes
    suggestion of going in with a clear mind is strongly supported.
    
    Liz was afraid during some scenes, but Bob was not.  He just sat up
    straight and said "BAD GUY!"  
    
    The ending is great, but you will have to see it yourself!
    
    
    John
    

    Yes I agree "Alladin" was excelent - I took the whole family and they
    asked if we could by the video after we saw the movie.
    
    The Disney magic is there throught the movie, the whole audience loved
    it from what I could see and hear. I also agree to the Genie being the
    best character in the film. I may be partial to Disney movies but I
    realy enjoy seeing all of them, oh I cant wait for the video to come
    out myself so we can buy it and add it to the rest of the collection.
    
    Frank
    

    Alladin has grossed $26 million so far. That exceeds the combined
    revenue of "Mermaid" and "Beauty" for the same time period.
    
    Michael must be smiling.
    
    Mike

                           Aladdin: A Review
    
    
Well gang last Friday I took a vacation day to do some Christmas shopping.
While in a certain Mall that had a certain cinema that had a certain movie
playing I decided on the spur of the moment to take 90 minutes out of my
shopping and see "Aladdin". Here's my review.


Animation

There is no doubt that Aladdin offers the Disney animators yet another
vehicle to display their craft. The animation is even better than we
witnessed in B&TB. Some examples (without giving too much away):

    - The "morphing effect" regarding the opening to the "Cave of Wonders".
    - The ride through "The Cave of Wonders".
    - The movements of Jasmine and Aladdin when viewed from a distance.
    - The "Whole New World" carpet ride.
    - Anything involving the desert.


Story

I'm sure Clements took what he thought was the best parts of the original
story and added whatever he thought necessary to make Aladdin a success.
I think that Aladdin picks up the pace earlier than B&TB (I know, I know
we're not supposed to compare) and we get into it real fast. The
storytelling works well as we are brought into the entire premise rather
quickly and soon we are engulfed in the story.

I do think that the movie is somewhat "lopsided" with most of the animation
highlights and storylines really heavy up front but lacking towards the
end.


Characterization

I didn't expect much here and I was pleasantly surprised. Aladdin came off
much stronger than I had expected. He "grows" into a much better person
towards the end of the movie.

I was pleased to see Disney continuing to present strong female figures,
lacking much in the "early years". Jasmine is between Ariel and Belle but
is much closer to Belle. I like Jasmine but I still plan to run off with
Belle.

There is too much of a buildup regarding Robin Williams' role as the voice
of the Genie. Yes he's entertaining but I expected a bit more. I don't
think he should be nominated for a supporting role. Sounds blasphemous but
I really think he's been oversold. The Genie is entertaining but I wouldn't
hand William the Oscar.

Jafar is quite good. I think he serves well as the newest in a long line of
Disney villains. He's evil personified.

Abu is great. He doesn't talk but you always know what he is thinking. A
very lovable character and a sidekick anyone would love to have.

The magic carpet is truly the best piece of animation in the film. I think
the animator who worked on the flying carpet deserves a lot of credit for
giving a rug a personality.

I personally feel that Iago was the most enjoyable character in the film.
What a deliciously devious bird and Gilbert Gottfried does a great job in
personifying Iago.


Music

Obviously we cannot compare this film with B&TB as far as music goes but I
thought it had it's moments. The carpet sequence with Prince Ali and
Jasmine singing "A whole New World" is the highlight of the film. A little
sidelight...while in the Disney Store the other day everyone froze and
watched this sequence as it played on the screen in the rear of the store.

Prince Ali's parade song and the first song Aladdin sings in the movie were
entertaining too.


Overall Assessment

I think that the film marks yet another milestone in Disney's animation
history. I think this film showcases how far Disney has come in the
animation field and indicates that they will forever continue to improove.
I think that anyone going to see this film should not expect to see another
B&TB because Aladdin is sort of an Indiana Jones "toon" whereas B&TB is a
romance...and romance requires a strong musical companion.

I'll see it again.

Oh yeah, when you go and see it look for the two or three Disney Characters
from previous films who show up for a brief second or two. Actually it's
only two but check out the Genie at the end of the film.


One Last Thing

When you see the film judge for yourself if you feel that the Cave of
Wonders sequence may have been dreamed up by some Disney Imagineers to
someday become an attraction in MGM.

I can see it now....you walk/ride through the cave until you come to the
point where you get on a Star-Tourslike simulator and WHOOSH!

Mike

    I found this in the December 12, 1992 edition of TV Guide.
    
        'Aladdin' Tooning Up for TV Series
    
    After unleashing "Aladdin," the moguls at Disney sat back and
    drew up their own wish list.  The first, a king's ransom in
    riches, has already been granted:  the movie has pulled in the
    highest box-office returns for any opening of an animated film.
    Their next wish, renown and honor, is better known in Hollywood
    as an Oscar.  Disney has launched a campaign to get their Genie,
    Robin Williams, a best actor nomination for his over-the-top
    voice-over.  The third and final wish, immortality, is to be
    accomplished in the form of a television series.  Hollywood
    agents have received notice that Disney animation executives are
    searching for their TV genie.  The notice adds that they don't want
    a Williams sound-alike, just someone with a Williams-size range
    of humor.  Good luck.                              -Irv Letofsky

    I saw Alladin for a second time and, like B&TB, it's better the second
    time around.
    
    I stand corrected on Robin Williams and his portrayal of the Genie. I
    can appreciate it more now that I've seen it for the second time.
    
    Once again the animation was superb and the music (thanks to my CD) is
    now embedded into my brain.
    
    Mike

    For any of you who have a tape or CD of the "Aladdin" soundtrack listen
    to Aladdin's theme "A Whole New World" and tell me if it's not the
    perfect theme song for WDW.
    
        "I can show you the world" ---> EPCOT or all of WDW
    
        "Shining, simmering, splendid" ----> quite colorful down there
    
        "...On a magic carpet ride" -----> fantasy-filled for sure
    
        "A whole new world" ----> never truer words have been spoken
    
        "A new fantastic point of view" ----> A better one at that
    
        "A dazzling place I never knew" ---> First-timer words
    
        "Unbelievable sights" ----> Thanks to the imagineers
    
        "Indescribable feeling" ---> Unless you have been there before
    
        "Don't you dare close your eyes" ---> There's so much to miss
    
        "A hundred thousand things to see" ---> Give or take a thousand
    
        "I've come fo far" -----> From a swamp to......
    
        "I can't go back to where I used to be" ---> That's for sure
    
        "With new horizons to pursue" ---> a.k.a The Disney Decade
    
        "A wondrous place....For you and me" ---> To say the least
    
    Ruth,
    
    I'm definitely hooked on the music.
    
    Mike
    
            

    I agree! It does relate to Disney very much. It is truly "A Whole New
    World" for everyone, not just firstimers

    Duh. I forgot to say what I thought about the movie. Wonderful, to say
    the leaey havst, and I agree you can't compare it to B+TB and TLM, because
     they have completely diffrerent story-lines. The music was great, I
    got th CD. So far I have the CD for
    			Oliver and Company
    			 The Little Mermaid
    			  Beauty and the Beast
    			   Aladin
    			    And 5 other Disney related ones.
    Anyway, I liked the movie VERY much, and I can't wait to see it again.
    Oh, wait. I thought the save_the_princess_and_everyone_else_ senn was
    just a smidge to intence. I wasn't bothered by THAT much, but some
    other children in the audience were.
    
    When can we see it again?
    
    
    ' 		
    

    According to the Associated Press, "Aladdin" was one of the top ten
    films of 1992 based on estimated top ticket sales.  It came in at
    $114.8 million, putting it in the #7 spot.  Not bad for a film that had
    only been released at Thanksgiving.
    
    The nominations for the Golden Globe awards were announced and
    "Aladdin" came away with five.  Best Film (Musical or Comedy), Best
    Score (Alan Menken), and three Best Songs (Friend Like Me, Prince Ali,
    and A Whole New World).
    
    And Aladdin is coming to the small screen.  He'll be part of the Disney
    Afternoon in '94.
    
    - Skip

    
    Actaully, I find it hard to believe that maybe "A Whole New World," 
    but definitely "Be Our Guest," weren't part of an explicit plan to make 
    songs they could use in future commercial spots.  I'm not saying that 
    in a cynical way, but the first day I ever heard "Be Our Guest" I knew 
    that I'd hear it in commercials.
    
    - Sean

    I think you're right Sean....same thing goes for my remarks on The Cave
    of Wonders....part of a master plan to lift attractions off the screen.
    
    Mike

    Mike & Sean:
    
    	I had the same thoughts too, but just never thought of entering
    them in here.  I quess everthing has a master plan!!
    
    Tony

    I just heard that Aladdin brought in $7 million last week.
    
    Mike (I wish my last name was Eisner)

    Hey, does anyone know if "Aladdin" won any of the Golden Globe awards
    it was nominated for??  I believe "A Whole New World" won for
    soemthing.  Just wondering if they got anything else...
    
    - Skip

    	I think Menken won for best score and he and Rice won for Whole New
    World.  And Robin Williams won a really wierd looking special
    achievement award for his work as the Genie.  I think that was all it
    won.
    
    
    Tom

    Thanks, Tom.  I caught the report on the Golden Globes on ET last night
    and they said pretty much the same thing...
    
    By the way, Aladdin just topped BatB's box-office take which now makes
    Aladdin the top animated moneymaker.  I guess the Genie granted him a
    fourth wish, eh??
    
    - Skip

    The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning and "Aladdin"
    received five.  It was nominated in the following categories:
    
    	Best Original Score (Alan Menken)
    	Best Original Song
    		Friend Like Me (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken)
    		Whole New World (Tim Rice, Alan Menken)
    	Best Sound
    	Best Sound Editing
    
    No big surprises, though I wish "Prince Ali" were nominated too.
    
    - Skip

    Skip,
    
    Nothing for Robin Williams???
    
    Mike

    Nope.  Nada.  Zip.  Zero.  The big fat goose-egg... :-)
    
    It's not too suprising though.  I got the impression that the acting
    community wasn't too psyched that BatB got nominated for Best Picture
    last year.  And to nominate a voice, that's even a bigger step.  No, I
    don't think the Academy is ready to respect animation on that scale
    yet.
    
    Also, I suspect that things weren't all comfy and cozy between Williams
    and Disney when the film was released.  He didn't do any publicity for
    them even though critics were saying he was the best thing in the
    movie.  And though I haven't finished reading it yet, Williams isn't
    mentioned in the book, "Disney's Aladdin: The Making of an Animated
    Film".  Seems a little odd, when most of the others are in there
    (inlcuding pictures), don't you think??
    
    Oh well, if there was a riff between Williams and Disney, that could've
    contributed too.  Even so, there was some stiff competition anyways
    with all the actors that actually appeared on-screen too... :-)
    
    - Skip

    Skip,
    
    I can't recall. Was "Toys!" a Disney production? Williams surely did a
    lot of promos for that film.
    
    Mike

    No, "Toys" was not a Disney production and from what I hear, no amount
    of publicity could have helped that film.
    
    And actually, this may be part of reason for that riff I was talking
    about.  Williams was contractually-obligated to do publicity for "Toys"
    and obviously, this would conflict with doing the same for "Aladdin"
    because both films were released around the same time and targeted
    similar audiences.  Also, I believe Williams was paid scale for
    "Aladdin" whereas he had a lot more riding on "Toys".
    
    I seem to recall some of this being discussed in either Entertainmet
    Weekly or Premiere magazine.  I'll have to poke around to see if I stil
    have those issues and I'll post the real story here.
    
    - Skip

    Yeah Skip,
    
    We want to know "The Story BEHIND The Story" so you can say to us...
    
    ...now you know.....
    
                        .....the REST of the story!"

    Actually, Mike, this seems more appropriate for Geraldo Rivera...
    
    	... as in ...
    
    			NOW IT CAN BE TOLD!!!
    
    Okay, here's the scoop from ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (12/4/92)...
    
    "Keen as Disney was on his participation, the company played hardball
    with Williams' contract.  He reportedly worked for scale.  Katzenberg
    says there were some disagreements over "teeny, teeny, little things,
    inconsequential in anybody's measure," but no big money battles.  Why,
    then, is Williams doing no interviews expressly for ALADDIN?
    
    "Both Disney's and Williams'publicists say that his absence from the
    standard promotional duties was mutually planned "from day one," in
    Katzenberg's words, because of the star's expected commitments to
    publicize his Fox Christmas release, TOYS (an expensive film that Fox
    is expecting Williams to help sell), as well as location shoots this
    fall in Scotaland and Morocco for BEING HUMAN.  His publicist confirms
    that Williams stipulated that Disney could not use his name in ALADDIN
    publicity, including press kits that tout every other voice actor. 
    Even a Disney gift book about the making of ALADDIN contains not one
    mention of the comedian, referring to him only as"the voice of the
    Genie" or "the actor signed to play the Genie."
    
    "This agreed-upon silence about its movie's biggest star has not
    stopped the studio from mounting a Best Actor Oscar nomination campaign
    for Williams, a reward for which Katzenberg admits he's "rubbing a
    magic lamp."  "We asked the Academy what we would have to do to change
    the rules," he says, and to his surprise, it turned out the rules don't
    exclude voice-only performances."
    
    Well, that's the scoop on why Williams didn't publicize ALADDIN.  Both
    sides appear to be say that it's normal, no problem.  But it doesn't
    quite make sense to me.  I mean, he has in it in his contract that they
    won't mention his name??  Sounds to me like he was getting back at them
    for something.  Don't know what, though.
    
    As to the Oscar, if they were only campaigning for Best Actor, I can
    see why they didn't get the nomination.  A lot of competition out
    there, plus a resentment factor from other actors (actors vote for
    actor, after all).  Now, if it was for Best Supporting Actor (which
    makes more sense anyways), then they would have had a better shot.
    
    Anyways, to me, it wouldn't be fair to nominate Williams for the role
    and not include Eric Goldberg, the lead animator for the Genie.  But
    how do you nominate two guys for the same role??
    
    - Skip

    So Williams pushes "Toys!" which bombs and blows his chance for an
    Oscar nomination for Aladdin by snubbing publicity. I thought he
    seemed a bit evasive whenever I saw him on a talk show last Fall. He
    would come out in that noise coat and always wanted to talk about 
    "Toys!" and not "Aladdin".
    
    Methinks that his decision to not do Aladdin publicity shots led to his
    scale wages.
    
    Imagine being a voice in a Disney classic and NOT WANT TO LIVE IT UP
    FOR ALL YOU'VE GOT!?!?!?!? 
    
    Somebody better give this comic aid ;^)
    
    Mike

    I saw an interview with him on some channel and they discussed Aladdin
    a little.   I got the feeling that he was a little put out that everyone
    was saying how great he was and it was perfect for him, BUT HE WASN"T
    THERE!  He was "just a" voice.  I think he's wanted an oscar for some
    of his other roles and getting one for a movie he wasn't in would be
    rubbing salt in the wound.
    
    That's just my opionion from listening to him talk about the movie.
    
    George
    

    
    re: -.2
    
>>    Well, that's the scoop on why Williams didn't publicize ALADDIN.  Both
>>    sides appear to be say that it's normal, no problem.  But it doesn't
>>    quite make sense to me.  I mean, he has in it in his contract that they
>>    won't mention his name??  Sounds to me like he was getting back at them
>>    for something.  Don't know what, though.
    
    
    It's not that unusual.  Notice how much Kathleen Turner did in the
    Roger Rabbit cartoons, and also shunned the publicity.  In fact, she
    didn't take screen credit for the role until they started producing the
    shorts. 

    For tonight's Oscar telecast, there some good news and some bad news
    regarding the performances of the nominated songs from "Aladdin"...
    
    The good news is that Brad Kane and Lea Salonga, the singing voices of
    Aladdin and Jasmine, will perform "A Whole New World".
    
    The bad news is that Robin Williams will not perform "A Friend Like
    Me", instead it looks like we get Nell Carter??!!  
    
    Hmmmm, why is the image of Geoffrey Holder destroying "Under the Sea"
    flashing before my eyes....
    
    - Skip

    SKip,
    
    Bummer but if I had to make a choice I'd pick Brad and Lea over Robin.
    
    
    Mike (In Stow today)

    Just heard during the midday news.... "During rehersal for the Aladdin
    number, A python escaped and has yet to be found in the auditorium".
    This was supposed to have happened this morning. I'll bet someone in
    the first few front rows will be surprised when they look down to see
    what's touching their legs.
    
    Mike

    Well, they did it again...  "Aladdin" won both the Best Original Score
    and Best Original Song (for "A Whole New World") awards at the Oscars
    last night.  That makes six for Alan Menken!!  
    
    The performances of the songs were so-so.  I was disappointed that it
    appeared Brad Kane and Lea Salonga were lip-synching "A Whole New
    World" and that production number I thought was unnecessary.  "Friend
    Like Me" with Nell Carter brought those memories of Geoffrey Holder
    rushing back... :-)
    
    BTW, Robin Williams was originally slated to  perform "Friend..." but
    he was off filming a new movie ("Mrs. Doubtfire") and couldn't make it
    to the ceremony.
    
    Oh yeah, and what Disney marketing genius thought up the idea of Snow
    White presenting the animated short subject??  That was a pretty lame
    publicity stunt in support of Snow's return to theatres this summer.
    
    But I was psyched that Disney is now 6 for 6 over the last four years
    for music Oscars...
    
    - Skip

    Are there any Alladin attractions at WDW?  Might as well ask if there
    are any Beauty and the Beast, or Little Mermaid attractions as well.
    
    					Steve

      The Aladin parade is twice a day at MGM. 
    
    	There were plenty of photo ops with the prince and princess (I
    forgot there names) throughout TMK.
    
    Tony

    The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast attractions are
    at MGM, not MK.
    
    

    Steve,
    
    The Soundstage Restaurant may get you a taste of Aladdin....and maybe a
    chance to get some autographs.
    
    Mike

    The folks in the Disney Stores are telling customers that "Aladdin"
    will be released to video this Fall.  And they'll be starting a
    pre-purchase order campaign soon (probably before the Summer).
    
    I've heard October 5th as the street date. 
    
    - Skip

    
    just a tip,  avoid the pre-purchase unless you want the lithograph
    (or similar offer) that goes with it.  My wife ordered pinnochio (sp?)
    for $19 and got a very nice, framable lithograph movie scene to go with
    the video......just the video coulda been had for $11 on the
    street and is definitely not in short supply.
    
    The pre-purchase video came just about a day before all the
    major discount chains had them for sale...so there's no real
    time advantage to getting a pre-purchase copy.
    
    --bert

    One of the other "bennies" from pre-purchasing the video at the Disney
    Store is a free watch or a $5 gift certificate.  So if you use your MKC
    card and take the gift certificate, you're really not that far off
    from what you'd pay at BJ's or the equivalent.
    
    I didn't buy "Pinocchio" because I already have it from its previous
    incarnation on video but I was very tempted if only for the lithograph.
    
    Don't know if they'll offer a lithograph with "Aladdin" though...
    
    - Skip

    Well, "Aladdin" broke the $200 million mark and broke into the top 15
    moneymakers.  Here's the current ranking (I believe these are based on the box office take in the
    US):
    
1. "E.T. -- The Extraterrestrial"  1982  $399.8 million
2. "Star Wars"  1977  $322 million
3. "Home Alone"  1990  $281.6 million
4. "Return of the Jedi"  1983  $263 million
5. "Jaws"  1975  $260 million
6. "Batman"  1989  $251.2 million
7. "Raiders of the Lost Ark"  1981  $242.4 million
8. "Beverly Hills Cop"  1984  $234.8 million
9. "The Empire Strikes Back"  1980  $223 million
10. "Ghostbusters"  1984  $220.9 million
11. "Ghost"  1990  $217 million
12. "Back to the Future"  1985  $208.2 million
13. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"  1991  $204 million
14. *** "Aladdin"  1992  $200 million ***
15. "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"  1989  $197.2 million
    
    As you can see, "Aladdin" is in some pretty good company.  Quite an
    accomplishment for a "cartoon"... :-)
    
    - Skip

    Skip,
    
    Do these totals include home video sales? If so then Aladdin will hit
    the top 10, or even 5 for sure.
    
    Mike

    Mike,
    
    I don't believe so.  It's likely just the money from ticket sales.
    
    - Skip

    It would be interesting to see what the Top 10 list would look like if
    dollar amounts were adjusted for inflation...IMHO, only "tickets sold"
    should be the valid metric.


    FWIW,
    David.

    According to a blurb in business section in the April 27 issue of The
    Boston Globe...
    
    "...the company said it will release "Aladdin" - Disney's biggest box
    office hit ever - for sale on videocassette beginning Oct. 1."

    Here's some more info on the "Aladdin" video release from a Disney
    Store castmember...
    
    The suggested retail price for the video is $24.99 and the general
    release date is Oct. 1.  However, if you order it in advance from the
    Disney Store, it'll cost $19.99 and you can pick it up on Sept. 28th. 
    Also, you'll get a free lithograph when you order and either a $5 gift
    certificate or a watch when you pick it up.
    
    The Disney Store will start taking orders for "Aladdin" on May 23.
    
    - Skip

    Skip,
    
    Any indication if we credit card holders can/cannot use our $5 coupon
    sent in the mail last month?
    
    That would make the price of the video $14.99.
    
    Mike_who_is_itching_to_order_it

    Don't know.  Worth a try though...
    
    - Skip (who didn't get a coupon :-( )

    Last Friday on my way home from work I stopped in at the Disney Store
    at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, N.H.
    
    I asked about the Aladdin video and I found out the following
    interesting information:
    
          o Pre-order the video at $19.99.
          o If you have a $5 gift certificate for being a Disney Credit
            Card Customer you can then order the video at $14.99.
          o If you happen to have your MKC card (esp Gold) they'll take
            another 10% off making the final cost $13.50.
    
    Good deal.
    
    Mike
                

    Hey Mike, don't forget that nifty lithograph of Aladdin and Jasmine
    that you get free with your order as well!!
    
    - Skip, who needs to make a trip to the Disney Store soon to get his...

  re: .75;

  MIke,

	you can even get it for less, and the lithograph is a bonus...

	Ask to preorder Aladdin; then give your MKC card; which
	gives you 10% off; bringing the purchase down to $17.99.
	Now give your $5 ceritficate (from charge card or from
	previous video pre-order), makes the cost only $12.99!

	Which is what I did last week; now I just  need to pick up
	a frame for my lithograph and hang it with the others...

	Hold off on they certificate till they say "that's $17.99".
	then say oops, here's my certificate" , then they say, please
	sign the back, that will now be $12.99". I suspect that if
	you present them first, they will gladly do it the other way.


		- Annie

    
    
      Just ordered our video Sunday.  Had the picture frame and gave it to
    her as one of her Birthday gifts yesterday.  Looks great.
    
    
      -Dean

    Thanks for the note Annie...I was thinking the same thing....do it in
    the right order.
    
    Mike

    We purchased the Aladdin movie sound track and have been listening
    to it quite a bit.  There is the song Prince Ali were Robin Williams,
    playing the genie, is running through the crowd pretending to be
    a parade commentator. At one point he says "don't they look lovely, 
    June?" and answers himself, "fabulous Harry, I love the feathers."
    
    How are June and Harry? I speculated that June is June Lockhart 
    but we can't figure out who Harry might be. Any ideas?
    
    Jodi-who_will_be_ordering_Aladdin_from_the_Disney_Store_soon.

    So was I right about June Lockhart?
    
    Jodi-

    I want everyone to compare the "Whole New World" song on the tape/CD
    with the one on the movie. I swear they are two separate recordings
    with the movie version just a bit faster than the CD version.
    
    Mike

    Mike, there are two different Whole new worlds on the tape I got.
    I haven't seen the movie, but the one on side one sounds more like the
    movie clips I've seen.  The one on hte other side is more like the 
    music video.  They are song by different people.
    
    While on the subject of the Aladin tape, I have to say I love the music
    that is one it.  And it was so clever to put so many musicial cliches 
    from other movies on that one piece.
    ed
    

    Everytime I hear the movie version of Whole New World (and I've
    easily listened to it 25 times in the last week), I swear they
    could have found someone with a wider range to sing Aladdin's part.
    He has to sing so low that it loses both volume and tune. But it 
    probably had to be that way so Jasmine could ultimately reach
    her high notes. 
    
    Still, someone else should have been chosen to sing for Aladdin.
    
    Jodi-

    Ed,
    
    I am talking about the version sung by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga. I
    think they recorded the song twice, once for the movie and a second
    time for the CD/tape.
    
    Actually if you buy the new Sing-A-Long video you can make this
    comparison.
    
    Mike

    I never got a $5 gift certificate and I have a Disney cc.  when did
    people get these?

    Warning, I was in Sam's Club [wharehouse food store] in Hudson,nh.
    They had a copy of 'Aladdin' on sale for $9.95.  It was mixed inbetwen
    copyis of B&B, other Disney movies.  Same packaging, basic same looks.
    EXCEPT it was NOT the Disney Aladdin.  I suspect people could become
    disappointed if they purchased the copies.  it was not in surround
    sound, did not have a Disney label.  Other than that, you would not
    know the difference, except as my son pointed out the geni is not blue.
    my copy is on order at the disney store.  I was dissapointed in the
    'literigrath'[sp]
    
    I did call the store.  they are aware of the copycats.  They say there
    is nothing they can do.
    
    ed
    

    We're having an at-home birthday party with an Aladdin theme for my
    daughter's 5th birthday in September.  Here's what we've come up with
    so far for games/activities:
    	o Musical carpets (rugs instead of chairs)
    	o Pin the tail on Abu
    	o Prince Ali parade
    	o Treasure hunt 
    
    Any other ideas for activities loosely based on the story/movie?  
    Seems like we ought to have something involving the lamp/genie.
    
    Thanks,
    Gail

    You can always ask Robin to attend!!!!!

    re: .89
    
    What a neat idea!!
    
    Another game you might want to try is a variation of "twenty Questions"
    or other guessing games where you describe something the Genie has
    changed into and the kids try to guess what it is.
    
    Also, while at the mall this weekend, one of the stores had an Aladdin
    pinata in the shape of the Genie.  Each kid could get three tries
    (their three "wishes") to get the Genie's treasure.  I saw this at a
    store called Mr. Bulky (it's one of those bulk food candy story, not a
    big men's shop... :-)) in the Mall at Rockingham in Salem, NH.
    
    But let us know how the party went...
    
    - Skip

    12 days to go!

    Well, the Disney folks are it again...  Auctioning production cels for
    a film where there were no genuine cels created, just backgrounds...
    
    Anyways, what I'm getting at is that Sotheby's will be hosting an "Art
    of Aladdin" auction in early October.  On the block will be
    reproduction cel setups from the movie on genuine production
    backgrounds.  This is similar to what was done for "Who Framed Roger
    Rabbit", "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast".
    
    And in that same vein, the Disney Stores are now selling the auction
    catalogs for $25 each.  I have the catalogs for TLM and BatB (pretty
    much the only thing I could afford from those auctions) and they're
    very nice additions to my animation library; likewise, so will be the
    Aladdin one.
    
    - Skip

    Today is the day!  isn't it?  to pick up your copy of Aladdin.
    ed
    

    Yep! THe Disney Store at the Emerald Square Mall was supposed to
    open at 8 am just for this reason.
    
     Marcie

    I picked mine up. There's a line starting outside the Disney Store at
    the Pheasant Lane Mall. You go from that line to a table and you get
    your video, $5 coupon, and your colgate rebate slip.
    
    On the way to pick up the video I stopped to watch the beginning of the 
    video at another store in the Mall. I stopped to hear the new opening 
    song....I think they overdid it. The words seemed to be louder on the
    new phrase to replace "where they cut off your ear..."
    
    I don't think they'll be as many people buying "Nightmare..." next year
    at this time.
    
    I'd like to have a nickel for every video sold today. I'm sure we'll
    hear how this one outsold "Beauty..."
    
    Mike

    Hmmm that railer for TLK was pretty impressive.
    
    I'm still impressed with the morphing effect for the Cave of Wonders
    (I still say that good play the part in an Aladdin attraction someday
    in MGM) and the magic carpet.
    
    ...but Aladdin is still secend to Beauty and the Beast in my book.
    
    Mike

    Well, I picked my copy up last night as well.

    Seeing it again answered a question I posed to Mike S. yesterday about
    exactly what made "Aladdin" so popular (its box office take was pretty
    much twice of BatB and three times of TLM).  Sure, it didn't have much
    competition in the way of other family films last Christmas and it's
    got a hero that appeals to little boys in the same way that Ariel and
    Belle appealed to little girls.

    But bottom line, it's FUN!!  Plain and simple.  Even before the Genie
    shows up halfway through, the movie is fun.  It's kind of like an
    animated "Raiders of the Lost Ark".  You've got a villain to hiss, a
    hero to cheer, sidekicks for comic relief, and some truly great action
    scenes, all before the big blue guy shows up and takes over from there.

    True, BatB is a better *film*, but "Aladdin" is still a very
    entertaining ride.

    - Skip

    Hi All,
    
    If anyone is coming to the UK in the next few weeks I would be grateful
    for a copy of the Aladdin video. My machine plays back NTSC. 
    
    I am based at Basingstoke, DTN 781-1849 
    
    I believe that the video is about $20.00. I can pay in pounds or
    dollars.
    
    Thanks, Paul (whose kids can't wait another 12 months!)
            

I got home last night to find that my two copies of Aladdin (one for me; one
for my nephews) had arrived.  Yea!  I had pre-ordered them from the Disney 
catalog and was hoping that they wouldn't take too long to come.

I brought in my lithograph of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine and hung it on
my cube wall.  Everytime I walk into my office or look up from my terminal,
I see the two of them smiling at each other.  I love it!

                                            Tracy

    Now everyone who has the video can compare the CD version of "A Whole
    New World" with the film version. There is a slight difference in the
    pace of the song and in the way Brad Kane sings.
    
    Mike

    I was told by a castmember at my local Disney Store that the likenesses
    of four disney caricatures appear during the movie. My family and I can
    only find three. I know what caricatures we're looking for, but I
    thought I'd keep it a secret for now to let you guys guess. The Goofy
    hat is NOT one.
    
    Hint: For one you must freeze frame while the sultan is playing.

    
    I guess I'll have to take a minority position.  I was disappointed in
    the film.  Sure it was 'fun', but the audio was horrid!
    
    The box advertised surround sound.  The film credits listed only
    sterio.  My best guess is that the surround channels were an
    afterthought, a poor one at that.  They only 'enhanced' volumn.  Every
    time the channels kicked in, there was a marked increase in volumne.
    Home theater surround speakers are not [usually] large to handle large
    volumn.
    This was very annoying since you had to watch the movie with volumn 
    control in hand.  each time it kicked in, you had to recude volumne.
    then when it was over, you had to turn up volumn.  This was a frequent
    event.  Surround sound [as implemented in BTB] is supposed to make you
    part of the action, feel like you are there, but this misadventure
    made only your fingers work.
    Also on the audio, during WNW, the words were out of sync with the
    noise.
    
    
    Now as to Disney characters, I found:
    
    	Roger Rabbit
    	Pluto
    	Dumbo  [statue]
    	Pinocheo
    	crab from TLM
    
    
    both version of WNW were played.  one during the credits.
    there was a lot of animation that required slow play on the vcr if to
    be seen.  and only good if you have a digitized VCR that can really
    do freeze frame and slow motion.
    
    film far inferior to BTB.
    
    ed
    

    Ed,
    
    Where did you find Pluto and Dumbo. They were not on my list.
    
    John

    If you look very closely at the figures the Sultan is playing with
    you'll see a very familiar character halfway down on the left. I won't
    divulge the identity. That way every one curious enought will rush home
    tonight and pop in the video. To save you some time I'll tell you that
    it's in the second half of the movie.
    
    Mike

    What about pluto and RR? I couldn't find them! I looked real closely
    through the whole movie. 
    
    Oh, and in the opening song, I agree that they overdidit. It is dragged
    out and does not 'roll' with the song.
    
    
    Great movie! Number 2 on my list! (1st? BatB)

    I forget exactly where pluto was, but RR is the rabbit coming out of
    the hat when the geni is do can you friends do this routine.. you do
    need good slow/stop action to see it as RR is the bunnie and it really
    looks like RR is the few frames.
    

    Pluto was the dog when the Genie was callin "C'mon Laddie?" early on.
    
    Maj

    Nope, that dog wasn't Pluto.  Just a cartoony dog with cap and kilt.
    
    kim

    We were in the Salem Disney store Friday night and ordered the Snow
    White video and got the lithograph.  In talking to the CM there, she
    mentioned that the "market value" of the Aladdin lithograph is now
    around $45!  I guess I shouldn't doubt her but has anyone else heard
    similar reports of this or other lithographs?
    
    Bob

    I was over my sister's house and her boys (~22 yrs old) were scanning
    a scene in Aladdin back and forth in the VCR. 
    The scene is when Aladdin and Jasmine are on her balcony (about 1:00 -
    1:05 into tape ... this is from start of tape .. includes promos etc,
    anyway ...).
    Aladdin has just arrived on balcony and the genie 'asks' the magic
    carpet how things are going. Pan back to Aladdin talking to Jasmine's
    cat(?) . Here's the part they were playing over and over ...
    While the camera is on Jasmine , Aladdin is still talking to the cat.
    However he says something under his breath - what does he say -to whom?
    
    My nephews insist they hear a phrase, but I don't hear all the same
    that they do.  
    Is this new trivia or is this old news for you Disney video fans ?
    
    In a few days I'll post what we BELIEVE is said - until then how about
    your interpretations ?
    

    Well, I wasn't able to figure it out.  It's something like,
    "C'mon king, [mumble, maybe yes], take off [mumble, maybe claws
    or c'mon.]"
    
    I haven't heard any rumors about this scene but the phrase does
    sound a lot like, "C'mon princess, take off your clothes."  I
    assume that's what the boys thought they were hearing.
    
    Ruth

    re : -1
    
    Exactly. 
    
    
    I couldn't guess what else he would/should be saying. 
    There is no reason for any dialog other than with the cat and he is
    talking to the cat already. This seems to be overdubbed.