Magical TV Days of Walt’s Budding Empire

Sometimes, collecting movies is not quite enough. There are also those special TV shows from the past that are worth treasuring for repeated viewings.

Such is the case with “The Disneyland Anthology,” a box set of six episodes from the classic television series, released on laserdisc by Image.

Perhaps the most memorable moments on those shows were the introductions by none other than Walt Disney. Watching him talk about each episode, it is hard not to notice his fascination for every single aspect of the empire he built.

Included here is the Emmy-winning premiere episode from 1954, which was actually a sort of tease for the season to follow. Four of the episodes are in black and white, including a documentary about the hardships of a couple of documentary makers who travel to Alaska to shoot a nature film. This brief segment has an old-fashioned, almost poetic feel to it.

The remaining two shows are in color, including a Futureland special titled “Mars and Beyond,” which is sure to amuse audiences much more today than it did in 1957.

*

Although most companies are already using most of the wonderful capabilities of DVD, there is still one feature that hasn’t been taken full advantage of: multiple camera angles.

The intriguing concept of observing the same scene from different angles has, for obvious reasons, been a staple of X-rated releases on DVD. Now a music video uses that capability with more artistic purposes in mind.

Titled “deja Vroom” and released by Discipline Global Mobile, the DVD presents a live performance by the cult British group King Crimson. But the disc goes far beyond presenting a handful of tunes in a concert setting.

During the song “Vroom Vroom,” for instance, you can select from seven angles, including the main shot of the band and individual shots of its six musicians. Four other songs include an alternate angle, each from a different player’s point of view.

You can also toy with the sound mix of the show. A feature titled Vector Patrol allows you to select a specific mix that favors your favorite player or instrument.

Taking advantage of the fact that King Crimson has gone through many different lineups in its 30-year history, the section “21st Century Schizoid Band” offers four versions of the same song for you to combine as you please. In other words, you can pick a lead vocal track from 1969, a rhythm section from 1974 and a solo from 1996, and then hear what the mix you chose sounds like.

The menu, which is quite difficult to navigate and includes a few surprises and DVD-ROM extras, might exasperate the impatient user. Otherwise, this richly satisfying DVD is a glimpse of the many wonders the new format offers.

Laserdisc Releases

“Planet of the Apes” (1968, Image). The witty, imaginative spirit of co-screenwriter Rod Serling is ever present in this, the first and very best installment in the “Planet of the Apes” movie series. Wide-screen edition, includes the theatrical trailer.

“To Be or Not to Be” (1942, Image). “Psycho” wasn’t the only film to be remade scene by scene. This Ernst Lubitsch masterpiece combined the heavy and the light with such an assured touch that it inspired Mel Brooks to remake it without changing a beat.

DVD Releases

“Nanook of the North” (1922, Criterion). The DVD edition of Robert Flaherty’s enchanting documentary about the life of Eskimos in Canada’s Hudson Bay includes a new orchestral score, excerpts from a TV show on the director and a photo gallery.

*

Ernesto Lechner can be reached at LechnerE@aol.com.