News Round Up

[pilferk]

The difference is that Song was buried and most of the world hasn't seen it (including me). Therefore most people don't know that it even exists. Who knows if it is a great movie or not. Disney refuses to let people see it because it's really racist.

Doesn't matter WHY people haven't seen it. They haven't.

And yet...Splash Mountain continues to pack them in...in pretty much every incarnation it exists in.

Regardless of the low box office total (even inflation adjusted) for Song of the South. Regardless of it's general public perception (or lack thereof).

As for Tron's/Song of the South's quality, as a piece of cinema...that wasn't your point, initially. You were using earnings to gauge use of a property. We've pivoted slightly to "how well known it is". If you're now going to change to "only movies I think are good should get rides"...you're going to have as many opinions as you do people.

Avatar made a crap ton of money. I don't think, beyond it's amazing visual effects, that it was a particularly good movie. And yes...I went to see it in theaters, so contributed to it's box office numbers. Having said that, I think it's strengths lend themselves well, given Disney's track record, to creating interesting attractions.

But that's neither here nor there: I've provided you an example where both factors (box office gross and public perception), really, don't have anything to do with how popular, or entertaining, an attraction is.

You, seemingly, don't like (or don't know about) Tron. And that's fine. But, looking at actual numbers (it wasn't a flop) AND at another popular attraction based on a property that did not make a ton of money, or is widely known...your point doesn't really seem to hold much water, either way.

 

[rteetz]

Gotta point out that the DIS team and their ABD Backstage Magic group has been front and center for the 60th anniversary celebration - including entering the park before the masses and seats at the re-dedication ceremony. My guess is you'll hear all about it on an upcoming podcast.

I would've loved to have been on this trip.

 

[j2thomason]

Gotta point out that the DIS team and their ABD Backstage Magic group has been front and center for the 60th anniversary celebration - including entering the park before the masses and seats at the re-dedication ceremony. My guess is you'll hear all about it on an upcoming podcast.

I wish they had some live video. I've been on the couch watching periscopes through my Apple TV all morning. The dedication ceremony was great!

 

[rteetz]

I wish they had some live video. I've been on the couch watching periscopes through my Apple TV all morning. The dedication ceremony was great!

I'm sure they'll have some good recaps of their trip tho. Maybe we can get Dustin to make a video.

 

[rteetz]

Former Disney CEO and husband of the late Diane Disney Miller, Ron Miller and Walts grandkids are at Disneyland

P

 

[Josh Hendy]

The difference is that Song was buried and most of the world hasn't seen it (including me). Therefore most people don't know that it even exists. Who knows if it is a great movie or not. Disney refuses to let people see it because it's really racist.

Very mildly racist IMO. But racist enough that Disney is wise to keep it in the vault.

 

[rteetz]

I wish they had some live video. I've been on the couch watching periscopes through my Apple TV all morning. The dedication ceremony was great!

Ask you shall receive
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/disneyland-60th-birthday-celebration/

Videos are coming soon it says

 

[jlundeen]

Very mildly racist IMO. But racist enough that Disney is wise to keep it in the vault.

I saw it as a child - my kids saw it when they were young before it was locked away...loved it then, still love it now. Love the story and love the animation. Is it an actual portrayal of life in that era? Hardly - but calling it "vey racist" I believe is too harsh.

 

[Dfan79]

Wow, I feel like a crack addict when it comes to Disney. I live, breath and sleep it. For some reason I get excited about even the littlest things like themed bathrooms. I need help Mickey, send me a free trip now noooowww.

 

[Dfan79]

I saw it as a child - my kids saw it when they were young before it was locked away...loved it then, still love it now. Love the story and love the animation. Is it an actual portrayal of life in that era? Hardly - but calling it "vey racist" I believe is too harsh.

I've never seen it, so I'm only saying what I've heard from others. Perhaps those people are overly pc, but I can't say because I haven't seen a minute of it. Wasn't it spoofed in a Chevy Chase movie?

 

[soniam]

I saw it as a child - my kids saw it when they were young before it was locked away...loved it then, still love it now. Love the story and love the animation. Is it an actual portrayal of life in that era? Hardly - but calling it "vey racist" I believe is too harsh.

I saw it as a kid too and still have a book from WDW telling the story with pictures from the movie. The funny thing is that I didn't even realize it was racist (until much later), because I had never heard some of the terminology used before. Some of the names are just accurate descriptions of the characters. But unfortunately, they have very negative connotations to many. It's still a very funny, sweet, and generous story.

 

[skier_pete]

Yeah "Song of the South" isn't what I would call racist, at least in the typically offensive way. Though those that find it offensive is more about what it doesn't show, as it's more of a "stereotyping" in that it portrays Uncle Remus as a happy to be living on in a cabin on the farm working for his "master" in the post-Civil War south. Probably as true a portrayal of the black experience in the late 1800s as Dick Van Dyke's portrayal of a Victorian era chimney sweep was. That said, they're are a lot more WAY more racially offensive cartoons and other shows that are available from that era - I would argue that portrayal of the crows in Dumbo are just as bad and check out "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" sometime if you want to see a cartoon that should be offensive to anyone with a soul - its readily available.

Anyways, what it comes down to is I wish Disney wouldn't be so squeamish about releasing Song of the South. Place a disclaimer on the disc about it's historical context, and allow people to decide for themselves.

 

[twebber55]

I don't understand why they are building Tron attractions. Both movies are horrible and the latter one tanked it at the box office with only 33 million in North America.

What's next a John Carter attraction?

look beyond the IP and look at aesthetics
awesome concept

 

[Dfan79]

look beyond the IP and look at aesthetics
awesome concept

Yeah, it is pretty cool looking. I just don't think that Tron is something you can build upon like Marvel and Star Wars. Will kids in 2035 even know what Tron is?

 

[leholcomb]

Yeah, it is pretty cool looking. I just don't think that Tron is something you can build upon like Marvel and Star Wars. Will kids in 2035 even know what Tron is?

I wonder if that is what they said in the 80's about kids in the new millennium.

 

[twebber55]

Yeah, it is pretty cool looking. I just don't think that Tron is something you can build upon like Marvel and Star Wars. Will kids in 2035 even know what Tron is?

well if the standard is always star wars nothing will ever get built

 

[Dfan79]

well if the standard is always star wars nothing will ever get built

Those are examples of brands they own that will stand the test time. I'm alright with them building other themed attractions. As long as mainstream fans want to see them and ride them. An attraction based on a film with a cult following doesn't get the masses excited.

 

[Gastonecrosse]

Yeah "Song of the South" isn't what I would call racist, at least in the typically offensive way. Though those that find it offensive is more about what it doesn't show, as it's more of a "stereotyping" in that it portrays Uncle Remus as a happy to be living on in a cabin on the farm working for his "master" in the post-Civil War south. Probably as true a portrayal of the black experience in the late 1800s as **** Van Dyke's portrayal of a Victorian era chimney sweep was. That said, they're are a lot more WAY more racially offensive cartoons and other shows that are available from that era - I would argue that portrayal of the crows in Dumbo are just as bad and check out "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" sometime if you want to see a cartoon that should be offensive to anyone with a soul - its readily available.

Anyways, what it comes down to is I wish Disney wouldn't be so squeamish about releasing Song of the South. Place a disclaimer on the disc about it's historical context, and allow people to decide for themselves.

I have to agree with you. I watched it a few years ago and I was honestly very surprised by how not racist it is. In fact, my wife and I both came away from it thinking that it was more offensive towards the white plantation owners (to put it in context, Uncle Remus and the other black plantation workers are really the only people in the entire movie that are intelligent and have wisdom/common sense where as the plantation owner/family were pretty pathetic). The only part of the film that I could side with as being racist enough to censor would be the animated segment where Brer Fox makes a baby out of tar trick Brer Rabbit. In the film the scene makes sense (Brer Rabbit gets stuck to the tar, etc), however due to offensive racial slurs, they would probably have to re-work the segment if they ever wanted to re-release the film. It probably isn't worth the time or effort. I find Dumbo crows to be worse than anything in Song of the South.

 

[twebber55]

Those are examples of brands they own that will stand the test time. I'm alright with them building other themed attractions. As long as mainstream fans want to see them and ride them. An attraction based on a film with a cult following doesn't get the masses excited.

but whats already been proven is you don't need that to have a popular attraction ie splash mtn and TOT....Execution is far more important than IP thats why Star Tours is the 4th most popular ride at DHS

 

[Dfan79]

but whats already been proven is you don't need that to have a popular attraction ie splash mtn and TOT....Execution is far more important than IP thats why Star Tours is the 4th most popular ride at DHS

It's the 4th most popular because it isn't that good.

If it's a leveled playing field and we are talking about the same coaster. A Star Wars version or Tron version, I'll take the Star Wars one everytime.