Finally it's time...Song of the South

[disney13]

About time.

 

[dkellumw]

Ahhh! We just bought a DVD of it overseas on E-Bay... Oh well, there's never too much of a good thing.

We got ours in last week from Taiwan. My wife also ordered it from E-bay.

 

[wychwood]

I fully agree with James Earl Jones as the MC with Sidney Poitier,Harry Belafonte or Will Smith running a close second.

 

[raidermatt]

I don't know.... if this does happen, I'm hoping for a Chris Rock intro and commentary. Maybe even pair him up with Larry The Cable Guy.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

Among the ideas currently being knocked around is producing a special documentary that -- through use of clips from that TV movie version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" that Disney produced back in 1997 as well as sequences from "The Proud Family" & "That's So Raven" -- would demonstrate that a person's color really doesn't matter at the modern Walt Disney Company. There's also talk of including Walt Disney Feature Animation's seldom-seen short, "John Henry," as one of the disc's special features.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment is also supoosedly toying with approaching a prominent African-American performer to serve as the MC on the DVD version of "Song of the South." You know, someone who could then introduce the film, explain its historical significance as well as re-enforcing the idea that "SOTS" was a product of a much less enlightened time in Hollywood's history.

Great, just what we need...a politically-corrected "enlightened" revision of a Disney movie. Why can't we just view it without being force-fed some modern views on that era. If it creates questions, that's what parents are for, not a movie studio. Are we going to have sign a waiver to watch it without the commentary turned on?

Sorry about the rant, my wife and I love SotS, and am so looking forward to seeing it on DVD (we have a PAL version), but hate it to become another rallying cry by the NAACP to sue descendents of slaveowners for recrimination. But I don't think we want this thread to head in that direction.

So, yes, really excited about Song of the South coming out on DVD (if it actually does happen), but don't want it to be hijacked by a commentary that feels compelled to explain every historical injustice (real or perceived) through a modern lens when there was obviously no intent to create one when it was produced. Are people and the Disney corporation so insecure about their history these days that they can't let an Oscar-winning movie stand on its own? The setting was used as a vehicle to tell simple childhood morality plays, and is about as historically-accurate as Gone with the Wind. Might as well have Jesse Jackson, Jr, and Louis Farrakhan be the commentators for as "enlightened" as the script is going to be.

Aside - I would truly question whether we as a society are truly more enlightened than we were 50 years ago (I know...different thread, different thread...but am hoping we can dissuade Disney from an even greater injustice); more technologically advanced possibly, but more enlightened; umm...

-R

 

[Uncleromulus]

Song of the South "as it was" should be just fine. NO need for narration or introduction of ANY sort.
The movie stands or falls on it's own merit AS A MOVIE.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Great, we have waited a long time for this movie. Let's hope they leave as it was originally filmed.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

Lord Fantasius,
What injustice are you questioning to be "real or perceived"?

 

[Lord Fantasius]

What injustice are you questioning to be "real or perceived"?

I'm assuming you're up on the controversary surrounding the movie that has been circulating the past 30 years or so? If Disney thinks it needs a commentator to explain how unenlightened Disney was a few decades ago then there's obviously a need to soothe over or mollify a perceived injustice.

If you're asking a much bigger question, then this is not the thread for it nor is there space available to adequately discuss the issue over the internet. Sorry, I only answer those types of questions in person.

-R

 

[mybgirl]

is coming to dvd. It's official....read on...

"Song of the South" to go on sale in '06
Jim Hill shares what he just heard from his sources deep inside Buena Vista Home Entertainment. That a DVD of this long supressed Disney classic will finally hit store shelves in the Fall of 2006.
by Jim Hill

I know that it's been a really rough winter so far. But who would have thought that Hell was gonna to freeze over?

"What do I mean by that?," you ask. Well, I just got word that Buena Vista Home Entertainment will be releasing "Song of the South" on DVD in the Fall of 2006.

That's right. "Song of the South." The Academy Award winning film that former Disney Feature Animation head Thomas Schumacher once told Roger Ebert was on "permanent moratorium" has reportedly been greenlit for release late next year. A special 60th anniversary edition that -- thanks to a plethora of extra features -- will try & put this somewhat controversial motion picture in historial context.

"Why -- after all these years -- did Disney finally give in?," you query. It's simple, really. "Song of the South" 's 60th anniversary was simply too good a promotional hook for the Mouse's marketing staff to pass up. More to the point, Buena Vista Home Entertainment could really use a hit right about now.

Don't believe me? Then go check out Disney's financial reports for the first quarter of 2005. Where you'll discover that the Mouse's accountants actually blame the 20% drop in revenue that the company's Studio Entertainment division recently experienced on lower DVD sales of current-year films.

Given that Disneyana fans have been clamoring for a "Song of the South" DVD for nearly a decade now, BVHE execs are hoping that all of this pent-up demand will eventually translate in really big sales for this disc. Disney is hoping to sell at least 10-12 million units of this particular motion picture.

"But aren't Disney Company execs concerned about how the African American community may response to 'Song of the South' 's release of DVD?," you continue. Yep. I won't lie to you folks. There's a lot of people in the Team Disney Burbank building who are very concerned that -- by releasing this much maligned motion picture on home video & DVD -- that the Mouse House is potentially opening itself up to a ton of bad publicity.

With the hope of avoiding that, BVHE reportedly plans to really pile on the extra features with "Song of the South." Among the ideas currently being knocked around is producing a special documentary that -- through use of clips from that TV movie version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" that Disney produced back in 1997 as well as sequences from "The Proud Family" & "That's So Raven" -- would demonstrate that a person's color really doesn't matter at the modern Walt Disney Company. There's also talk of including Walt Disney Feature Animation's seldom-seen short, "John Henry," as one of the disc's special features.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment is also supoosedly toying with approaching a prominent African-American performer to serve as the MC on the DVD version of "Song of the South." You know, someone who could then introduce the film, explain its historical significance as well as re-enforcing the idea that "SOTS" was a product of a much less enlightened time in Hollywood's history. I'm told that -- up until recently -- Bill Cosby was actually at the top of Disney's wish list. But now that Dr. Cosby has been accused of inappropriate behavior with several ladies ... Well, let's just say that Bill is no longer Mickey's top choice for this position.

Anywho ... There's one other aspect of this "Song-of-the-South"-soon-on-on-DVD saga that I guess I should mention. Which is why Buena Vista Home Entertainment is low-balling its predictions of the number of units that "SOTS" might sell (I.E. 10-12 million versus "Finding Nemo" 's 39 million+ units). Why is that, do you suppose? Mind you, it's not because "Song of the South" is decidedly old fashioned (Well, what do you expect from a 60 year-old motion picture?), but rather .... Here, why don't I let my source inside BVHE explain:

"This movie isn't nearly as good as people seem to remember it being. Sure, the animated sequences are charming. But the pace of the rest of the picture is so damned pokey.

Which is why I seriously doubt that we'll get all that many letters about "Song of the South" 's racial content. The way I figure it, most kids & adults will be nodding off 30 minutes into the thing. And people who are sleeping can't write letters of complaint."

Well, I don't know about that. But what I can tell you folks is to stop bidding NOW on those black market "SOTS" DVDs that keep popping up on eBay. For -- if you can just wait another 17-18 months -- you can actually purchase a really-for-real authorized version of Disney's "Song of the South" of your very own.

Your thoughts?

Will be great when it is out in 2006

thank you

mary

 

[Stitch Inside]

I can't believe that they haven't already released it for sale here in the States. How many copies have been bought overseas? And how much of that money did not go to Disney?

 

[daipp]

SotS has been available on video here in the UK for many years (I've had two copies for over 15 years) and whenever they go on sale on Ebay they still sell for anything up to £50.00 ($100.00). Many of those then get sent across to the States where they get converted from PAL to NTSC.

The film is O.K. but believe me, there are many that are better !

David

 

[beachblanket]

Yes, Disney would like the eBay money no doubt, but their fear of the PC bullies has prevented them from moving on that. Which is surprising, given this movie sells like crazy on eBay.

I should know, I'm familiar with people who have made sales of it there. If eBay didn't yank the auctions after one day (which is a silly game, the sellers just repost them again and again until the item sells, which they always do) a person could literally make a decent living churning these things out. People find the Japanese laserdisc (which has gone up in price over time, but can still be found for $300 or so) and convert it to DVD. Within two weeks, they've made their laserdisc cost back, and months later, have a return on investment % that any major company would kill to have.

Again, the "underground" market demand for this film is unbelieveable, and Disney is not just losing money by refusing to give this film the audience that it deserves.

It's also losing credibility.

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Everyones got to knock Jim Hill as being unreliable, does anyone know what a rumor is? Anyway, for some reason I see Danny Glover as doing the intro for this movie, other possiblities could be Whoopie Goldberg, or my top pick would be Densel Washington.

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Sign up on amazon.com to be notified when it becomes available on DVD (if ever) they say: "The studio is currently not producing this title, but to be notified when it is available, enter your e-mail address at right. You'll also be voting for this release; we'll let the studio know how many customers are waiting for this title."

http://www.amazon.com/Song-South-Ha...G/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt/002-7193085-6979244?ie=UTF8

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Wow. Another thread from Mach 2005 — over 17 months ago — is back.

Rereading post #1 just shows that you can't believe everything that Jim Hill writes.

 

[beachblanket]

Well, the fat lady was all warmed up, but when she tried to take the stage at Disney's 2006 Annual Shareholders meeting (back in March in Anaheim), the following happened (this is straight from official Disney meeting transcript):

Disney stockholder Howard Cromer:

"My name is Howard Cromer. I live in Cypress, I'm a Disney shareholder. I'm actually delivering a message from my son, 10. He wants to know in recent years, in the midst of all your re-releases of your videos, why you haven't released Song of the South on your Disney Classics?"

(Applause)

"And, he wonders why. Frank Wells told me many years ago that it would be coming out. Well obviously Frank Wells isn't around anymore, so we still wonder why. And by the way, Mr. Iger, he thinks it was a very good choice when they made you CEO of Disney."

(Applause)

Disney CEO Robert Iger:

"Thank you very much. You may change your mind when I answer your question, though. Um... we've discussed this a lot. We believe it's actually an opportunity from a financial perspective to put Song of the South out. I screened it fairly recently because I hadn't seen it since I was a child, and I have to tell you after I watched it, even considering the context that it was made, I had some concerns about it because of what it depicted. And thought it's quite possible that people wouldn't consider it in the context that it was made, and there were some...

(long pause)

....depictions that I mentioned earlier in the film that I think would be bothersome to a lot of people.

And so, owing to the sensitivity that exists in our culture, balancing it with the desire to, uh, maybe increase our earnings a bit, but never putting that in front of what we thought were our ethics and our integrity, we made the decision not to re-release it. Not a decision that is made forever, I imagine this is gonna continue to come up, but for now we simply don't have plans to bring it back because of the sensitivities that I mentioned. Sorry."

 

[Uncleromulus]

Oh well--
I rather agree with Leonard Maltin in his book "The Disney Films". Discussing SOTS and Disney's first decision not to release it on Home Video (and it's subsequent availability via other sources) he says:
"As for the original, Song of the South can speak for itself. Accusations of Uncle Tomisims and quibbles over its syrupy storyline are ultimately defeated by the films sheer entertainment value. It has some of the most delightful moments Disney ever captured on film---and that's what really counts".

 

[raidermatt]

It is a bit strange, given some of the things that are in already released titles, even by Disney. But since this is specific to the slavery issue, as opposed to just stereotypical depictions in general, I guess they just aren't willing to take the risk. Or perhaps they are going to wait for a time when they really need an earnings boost.

Anyway, for some reason I see Danny Glover as doing the intro for this movie, other possiblities could be Whoopie Goldberg, or my top pick would be Densel Washington.

James Earl Jones has also been an oft-mentioned suggestion.

I think Spike Lee would be an interesting choice. Of course he'd have to be willing to do it, and do it the Disney way...

 

[beachblanket]

It is a bit strange, given some of the things that are in already released titles, even by Disney. But since this is specific to the slavery issue, as opposed to just stereotypical depictions in general, I guess they just aren't willing to take the risk. Or perhaps they are going to wait for a time when they really need an earnings boost.

Per the costumes worn by the Sally (the mother) and Johhny (the child) in the film (plus the fact that Uncle Remus is clearly free to come and go from the plantation whenever he wants, something a slave would not have been allowed to do) the film is clearly set in the post war reconstruction era (experts classify it as early 1880s, based on the costumes). So the depictions of African Americans in the movie are of sharecroppers, not slaves.

Unfortunately, far too many Americans are too poorly read to appreciate the historical difference in eras. Show them a plantation and African Americans speaking in "old time rural southern vernacular" and their immediate reaction is to scream "racially insensitive!" Which Disney realizes and is why it won't re-release the film. They'd rather risk having a small universe complaining about censorship than dealing with a loud attack from a smaller universe....one that is based on lack of knowledge.

Yes, Mr. Iger, heaven forbid children get to see this horrific imagery:

Yes, it might be far too "bothersome" to some people. Better to let them watch your current "family-friendly" imagery: