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About that rumored "Song of the South" video re-release...
Glen here...
BRER SKIPPY sent in the following inforamtion about Disney's rumored video release of its
(now) controversial movie Song of the South. I've done some looking around, and hadn't
seen much info about this, so I hope you find it of interest.
Here's what BRER SKIPPY had to say about SotS:
I've got some bad news about the rumored "Song of the South"
video release. It ain't gonna happen in the near future.
I volunteer at the Library of Congress Nitrate Film Vaults.
This is basically where the LOC houses their collection of
films made before the 1950's. Including Disney's! Man, oh
man. What a cool place. Anyhoo, I spoke with the man in
charge of the Disney collection, and he said that he hadn't
heard anything from Disney, and that the negatives were still
safe and sound in the vaults.
This means that if Disney WAS
planning to do a release, then they certainly weren't going to
use the original negative for the print. Now, knowing Disney,
if they were planning to go ahead and put the film out there,
then they would most certainly want to release a restored,
digitally mastered, etc. print. After adding 2 and 2, and
getting 5, we can *reasonably assume* that the rumored SOTS video
is not to be. (At least for now). - Brer Skippy
Glen again...
Please note that he said "reasonably assume". Hence, the project's delay shouldn't be seen as
a 100% certainty. Although, I tend to agee with Brer Skippy on this one...
Glen
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
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+ Expand All
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Then there is that Japanese laserdisk release that was floating around about 4 years ago. Pricey at 90 bucks too...
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If the list of upcoming Disney video releases at the Unofficial Disney Animation Archive is true, by the end of this year Disney will have released nearly every animated feature it's made. The list gives projected dates for SALUDOS AMIGOS, MAKE MINE MUSIC, ICHABOD & MR. TOAD (presumably on VHS since the complete feature has been released on laser), & SONG OF THE SOUTH. The only one still missing would be VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER, a propaganda feature made during WWII (not holding my breath for that one but it would be interesting to see).
Mention is also made of sequels (most are scheduled beyond 1999): ANOTHER GOOFY MOVIE (theatrical); SCAMP'S ADVENTURE (dtv sequel to LADY & THE TRAMP); LITTLE MERMAID II: BACK TO THE SEA (DTV); & even more DTV sequels to HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, HERCULES & even SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS! Also, DOUG'S FIRST MOVIE has been bumped up to a theatrical release (had been a DTV) & is scheduled for a late March release. BTW, the URL for the Unofficial Disney Animation Archive is http://come.to/disneyarchive. -
As much as I would like to see Song of the South released on video, as I have never seen it except for the clips of Zip A Dee Doo Dah, I honestly don't think that there will ever be a video release of SOTS. Disney is too afraid to release anything that causes controversy anymore. They go and recall The Rescuers b/c of two frames that I doubt anyone would have noticed. So don't hold your breath people
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I don't like the sound of this rumor at all. I love the Disney ride Splash Mountain, which of course is based on this movie. Therefore, I would one day like to see it. I'm 26, and I haven't seen it since I was about 5 or 6. And I don't remember anything about it except something about zipededoda. Tragic I say. Tragic.
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This is just a question, since I have no knowledge of what Disney keeps in their own archives. But isn't it possible that Disney has it's own master copy of the film? Disney has huge archives and surely they must have a near original copy of the film. I also realize that the early nitrate film stock is subject to deterioration, so maybe Disney entrusted the LOC with it's early films. Again, I have no idea. Please enlighten me.
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Jan 29, 1999 8:45:36 PM CST
If GONE WITH THE WIND can still play theaters, why not SONG OF T
by maniacalmichael
If GWTW can still play theaters & not set back race relations, there's no reason SOTS can't. Both are products of their time & neither give an enlightened view of slavery. SOTS has a slight edge in that it doesn't have any men folk starting up a "secret society" to keep blacks down. The cartoon segments in SOTS are terrific; the only thing remotely racist about them is the name "tar baby" which shouldn't be because that's what it literally is. Too bad for everybody that there's an uptight minority to hold this release back.
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In answer to your question about the LOC's holdings. It is true that Disney holds *prints* and *duplicate* negatives for all of those films, but a duplicate is inherently of less quality than the original negative. Since the re-release of "Snow White", Disney has taken their video released from a restored original negative. I would seriously doubt that they would release SOTS from inferior source material. I'll be sure to keep Glen posted about any news I acquire. I'm glad everyone is as interested as I am.
Keep da faith!
Brer Skippy -
Jan 31, 1999 3:24:14 PM CST
I actually saw SOS at a young age and didn't turn out to be a ra
by trillium
I saw Song of the South when I was a wee lassie and actually saw in a drive-in theater, remember those! I loved it and had no idea at my innocent age that Uncle Remus was a slave, If not for that movie where would I have learned the all so important phrase, 'satisfactual'?
If I had kids I would have no problem with them seeing this film, because my children would know that at one time when this country was in darkness mentally there was a big mistake called slavery. Has anyone read 1984? Now its just films being edited what is next, history books? Stop the madness. -
I'd urge anyone and everyone not to hold their breath for this. After all, we live in a society where a man--a teacher, I think--is fired because he properly uses the word "niggardly". This word has absolutely no racial connotation in either its meaning or origin but of course it sounds like one that does, so . . . . As such, don't expect to see Disney courting protest when I believe they even edited some black centaurs out of Fantasia awhile back.
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I'm perplexed as to why Disney is being so P.C. sensitive re SOTS when they've released plenty of other videos with racist caricatures. "DUMBO" has been out for years, yet has there been any hue and cry from ANYONE over the Amos N' Andy type crows in the latter scenes? What about the big-nosed Italians in "LADY & THE TRAMP"? Or the Indians in "PETER PAN"? Okay, yes, Uncle Remus is a more central character than these, but the stereotypes still exist. If anyone from Disney's reading this, what if, to appease the potentially-offended, why not release "SONG OF THE SOUTH" on video with some sort of intro from Mr. Eisner at the beginning explaining about the cultural context behind SOTS? Or better yet, a prominent African-American whose not flipped out by the film? Until then, we can only dream of seeing this again. I saw it as a kid and have distant but fond memories of it. It's a shame they don't at least test the waters with it.
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I believe Peter Pan was (or will be) edited for the song "What Makes The Red Man Red" Its a shame that classics of yesteryear are being attacked for not conforming to todays standards. Whats next?
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As a person who saw this movie as a young lad, but alas, can't remember anything beyond the collective remebrance of "Zipadeedodah," I wonder if it is any good? I mean, it is all well and good to get up in a (justified) lather over censorship, politically correct behavior, and so on...but is the movie worth it? I am not saying either way, but I can't remember for the life of me what the movie was about! Someone tell me what is the story? And any other songs from it.
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Maurice Rapf, one of the writers for Song of the South, recently spoke at the University of Oklahoma, where I go to school, and he said Disney had contacted him about a rerelease. He said it would be in the next year or two, and that it would be accompanied by disclaimers about it's "racial insensitivity". He was even asked to help write these, but declined.
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I have seen a Korean laser disk version recently. It has some of the best animation out of Disney- they pushed so hard on the drawings it's sick. Plus, it actually has songs that sound great-- you're never gonna hear harmonizing like that nowadays.
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They must have a "good, master" copy of Song of the South somewhere since Disney released it in Great Britain on PAL format. These are selling quite nicely on EBAY! I think they are cowards for not releasing it here, but the almight buck may cause them to finally do it. I just hope they don't edit any of it. Even if some find it offensive, it stands as a part of this country's history, good or bad! You can read a little more about this film and other Disney "urban legends" at this site: http://snopes.simplenet.com/disney/films/filmindx.htm
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