Beauty & The Beast – Diamond Edition – A Special Touch of Disney Magic

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly announces the Blu-ray high-definition debut of Disney’s animated masterpiece, Beauty and the Beast on October 5, 2010.

Disney’s most requested film, Beauty and the Beast, arrives for the first time on Blu-ray Hi-Def as the second installment to the company’s new Diamond Collection. The Blu-ray transformation reveals the magic, music and majesty of the film as never before experienced with state-of-the-art picture restoration, pristine 7.1 Digital Surround Sound and hours of additional viewing experiences that include behind the scenes features, deleted scenes, enhanced music tracks, immersive games and more.

The first of only two animated films ever to be nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture
(the second is 2009’s Up), Beauty and the Beast earned six Academy Award® nominations and won two Oscars® in 1992 for Best Original Song (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Best Original Score.

Unavailable in any form since 2003, Beauty and the Beast will be released from the Disney vault for a limited time only, arriving on a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray Discs + DVD) October 5th.

Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects. In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.

Film Accolades:
Beauty and the Beast received two Academy Awards® for music in 1992, three Golden Globes® for Best Motion Picture, Best Original Score and Best Original Song in 1992, and two Grammy Awards in 1993.

Listed as number seven on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Animated Films, Beauty and the Beast helped define Disney animation for a new generation as the second film in the “Disney Animation Renaissance” (1989-1999) which launched with The Little Mermaid and revitalized animated features by captivating mature audiences while still delighting young viewers.

I am sure that you all know by now how much I love Beauty and the Beast. I am not sure if I could gush more then I already do about the wonderful film,…but bear with me because I will be gushing just a bit more.

When Beauty & the Beast first came out I was a newly engaged young women starting her fairytale. The show has always been extra special for my husband and I.

Beauty and the Beast has been released for the first time in the Diamond Edition. The Diamond Edition contains a copy of the blu-ray and the regular DVD. It has been digitally enhanced and is simply beautiful. You may never see a crimson red as vibrant as reds in the new edition.

The DVD has a few extras such as: added scenes, new songs and a behind the scenes option. Being able to share my all time favorite Disney Princess with my daughters was an amazing memory. I love singing the songs with the twins, sharing my favorite parts and constantly pointing out “See…she loves to read!!”. Hey, can’t blame a mom for grabbing teaching moments when she can, can you?

Beauty and the Beast is the classic “love” tale. Two people meet under “not perfect” situations (c’mon how perfect can it be when he puts your father in a prison cell?) and against all odds you find he is the one that is perfect for you.

You know from the beginning that Belle is beautiful (she has a few songs dedicated to her beauty) and you know she is smart so you are not surprised by her gumption and determination. Watching the beast, on the other hand, transform from a cold heart to a loving caring individual is when the journey truly unfolds. I married my “own tough guy” beast so it always sends chills down my spine when I see Beast’s transformation….because it was magical with my guy too!

Beast and Belle were made for each other and to witness their journey, their relationship and their love is magic…pure Disney Magic…as if there any other kind?