Walt Disney Treasures

Post by **Ben** » September 1st, 2007, 7:11 pm

Aye!

Sorry for the late reply...been away most of this week.

Post by **Ben** » September 1st, 2007, 7:24 pm

Nice enough!

If we're going with gold for some in future, I'd love to see Song Of The South get that treatment.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » September 2nd, 2007, 1:40 am

Ben wrote:Nice enough!

If we're going with gold for some in future, I'd love to see Song Of The South get that treatment.

That'll depend if the new Mouse management can unclench its @$! long enough to realize they're making a bigger deal of what they THINK is in Song of the South than what there actually is.

Mind you, most people make commentaries about films like Song of the South without actually having seen the movie. It hasn't been publicly shown in the US since 1986! Those of us who have seen it since then either live abroad in Europe or Asia or own a PAL videotape or Asian laserdisc of SOTS.

Stupid, stupid, stupid decision-making on the Management's part. This mediocre film will make money just because of its general unavailability for decades and its "controversy"!

(Yes, I really don't think Song of the South is THAT good a movie. It's certainly not in my Disney Top 10.)

Release the darn thing, you Mice!

Post by **Ben** » September 2nd, 2007, 3:10 pm

GeorgeC wrote:This mediocre film...I really don't think Song of the South is THAT good a movie.

I...

...I don't know what to say...

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » September 2nd, 2007, 7:45 pm

Oh,

Don't be shocked.

I've got definite opinions about Disney... As good as their animated features generally were in certain short eras (1937-1941, 1950-1959, and 1989-1994), there is definitely quite a bit of Disney product I just don't care for. Even if I had kids, I doubt I'd be able to stay in the same room and watch the worse Disney (in my opinion) films with them without pulling my eyebrows out. Some of those films are as bad as being forced to watch a marathon of "Barney the Dinosaur" episodes or "Teletubbies." It's sheer torture for many people. It's also about the norm for the average Disney Channel movie nowadays, too!

Song of the South is more famous now for being an infamously "unreleasable" film in the US than it is for being a good film! (Which I don't really think it is... It may be a swell film, but great it ain't.) The animated sections of SOTS are fine, but the live-action is just as syrupy and tooth-decaying as your run-of-the-mill Walt-produced film ever was.

I'm not against the shlock being released home video -- everything including crap has its fans --, but it's insane to say everything Walt ever touched turned to gold. The man did produce his share of turds even if his turd pile was noticeably smaller than the other studios.

I've said before that about the only live-action feature Walt Disney-produced film that I ever felt was epic was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Most of the other films, like the original Shaggy Dog, are basically your run-of-the-mill popcorn movies but I don't think they're classically great, either.

Again, the Disney Studios SHOULD release Song of the South on home video in its home country. I've never understood the ban against releasing the film in the US because it's "culturally insensitive" but it's okay to release it in Asia and Europe?

Post by **Ben** » September 2nd, 2007, 7:54 pm

Thanks for explaining...makes me feel better!

But who said everything had to be "epic" to be great? It's not a great title to argue back with, but Shaggy Dog was never meant to be more than a run of the mill popcorn movie.

I would also add Treasure Island to Disney's great pile...not just a good Disney film, but a genuine classic with sterling performances.

Yep, SOTS is a feel good movie...not a great film, maybe, but a minor classic. As you say, Walt made a smaller pile of rubbish movies than most studios, and a fair few, if not most, are poitboilers, rehashes and throwaways. But hardly any of them are real duds, which is an amazing batting average.

Even crazy outings like the Merlin Jones vehicles have a place, and before the onslaught of 1980-2000s rubbish that is thrown at our kids, at least parents knew that they could rely on a Disney movie to be well made, promote good values and be suitable for family viewing...not like a lot of stuff that's branded "family entertainment" these days!

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » September 3rd, 2007, 2:12 pm

Ben wrote: Even crazy outings like the Merlin Jones vehicles have a place, and before the onslaught of 1980-2000s rubbish that is thrown at our kids, at least parents knew that they could rely on a Disney movie to be well made, promote good values and be suitable for family viewing...not like a lot of stuff that's branded "family entertainment" these days!

Agreed on that, definitely!

I'm more of a Dr. Seuss fan in my leanings towards somewhat absurd family fare that doesn't take itself so darn seriously but still has a message.

I wish there more films like the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Sweet film, but again, it didn't take itself so seriously AND it can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids. AND it had a message and likeable characters.

The last good Disney film, and frankly the only one I've seen in recent memory like that, was Lilo and Stitch.

I miss the days I could go to a Disney or Pixar film without cringing. They've really forgotten how to make these films and laid off or drove away too many of the people who made so many of their good films from the early 1990s and early 2000s.

It's too bad they kept most everybody else who made "classics" like Cars, The Emperor's New Groove, and High School Musical.

Yeah, that's the "hip" stuff that will hold up so well and keep the kiddies (and their parents!?!?!?) coming back for more!

(Excuse me while I barf.)

Lord, somedays I DO sound like mbaker....

Post by **Josh** » September 3rd, 2007, 2:38 pm

GeorgeC wrote:I miss the days I could go to a Disney or Pixar film without cringing. They've really forgotten how to make these films and laid off or drove away too many of the people who made so many of their good films from the early 1990s and early 2000s.

It's too bad they kept most everybody else who made "classics" like Cars, The Emperor's New Groove, and High School Musical.

If Cars and The Emperor's New Groove make you cringe, I'd hate to see what most other films do to you.

Seriously, though, I guess I can see your point about High School Musical, although I personally feel it is better than most tween-centered projects.

Post by **cpdavison** » September 12th, 2007, 9:32 am

Got the replacement discs this past Monday!

I am so very impressed that Buena Vista ? Disney Home Entertainment went through all the trouble they did just so we cartoon fanatics could have an upgraded product!

KUDOS TO ALL INVOLVED!

Craig D.

Post by **Daniel** » September 12th, 2007, 9:13 pm

Cool, I got mine about a week ago.

I have to say too, I'm very impressed with the way Disney handled this. Not only did they fix what was wrong, but they did excellent job of shipping; took only two bussiness days for the disc's to arrive!

And welcome, cpdavison!

Post by **Daniel** » November 14th, 2007, 5:00 am

Link. Sites been updated to include the three upcoming Treasures. I'm so exited!!

Post by **Ben** » November 14th, 2007, 7:10 am

Oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Post by **Daniel** » November 20th, 2007, 2:39 am

Real interesting interview with Dick Cook.

Here's two questions worth noting:

Box Office Mojo: Will the Treasures DVD series continue?

Dick Cook: Yes.

I presume he's referring to after the next wave, so yay!

Box Office Mojo: There will be another release of the Tru-Life DVD series?

Dick Cook: Yes.

Well, that's surprising. Never did get any from the first wave, so I doubt I'll get any from wave 2. Really depends on what they release though, I just hope its more interesting.

Post by **Ben** » November 20th, 2007, 3:56 pm

More True Life Adventures?

They pretty well covered everything in that first collection. Maybe he means those will be re-issued? Reading it that's what it seems to be.

GREAT INTERVIEW!

Post by **PatrickvD** » November 22nd, 2007, 8:09 am

GeorgeC wrote:I've got definite opinions about Disney... As good as their animated features generally were in certain short eras (1937-1941, 1950-1959, and 1989-1994

I always find it funny when people list these years. As if everything outside of those time frames was below par and everything in it was amazing.

I am particularly puzzled by the 1950-1959 era. I mean, 101 Dalmatians is a better movie than Sleeping Beauty. And the Jungle Book and Mary Poppins probaply are as well. And I refuse to believe everything that came after the Lion King was of poor quality. But then I am probaply alone in feeling The Lion King was the weak link of the 90s Disney flicks.

anyway, that interview was indeed awesome. Cook knows what things are supposed to be like at Disney.