Song of the South

[bazooka]

I ran across this and it will make some of you happy.
www.thedigitalbits.com

How's this for a surprise? The always interesting Jim Hill Media website claims that Disney is preparing to finally release its controversial Song of the South on DVD in 2006. Consider that Rumor Mill worthy until the studio officially confirms it, but we think it's about damn time. We've never understood the desire some have for this film to simply disappear. Native Americans were played by white guys with red-painted faces in many classic Hollywood films, and black slaves were often depicted as stupid or content with their lot in life. It's absolutely a sad, ugly part of Hollywood's legacy. But rather than wishing films like Song of the South out of existence, why not turn them into an opportunity to tackle those important issues head on? Reach out to all sides, bring people into the process and donate a portion (or all) of the profits to appropriate charities and civic groups. History, film history included, is what it is... good and bad, warts and all. Seems to us that you've gotta appreciate the good and confront the bad head on to really learn any truly valuable lessons from the past. Anyway, that's just our opinion. With any luck it'll be an interesting special edition.

[gshelley61]

They must have done the math on all the tens of thousands of bootleg LD to DVD transfers that have been sold... plus, the big stumbling block to this was Eisner. He's on his way out now, so maybe the rumor is true.

[HatchetMan]

I still doubt that, it sounds like a rumor if there ever was one. Don't hold your breath.

[Bodyslide]

I hope it's true.

[gshelley61]

Disney did purchase a UPC code for the DVD title in 2002 - that got some rumors going at the time...

Here's the UPC code and description:

http://www.upcdatabase.com/item.pl?upc=717951531032

[AlecWest]

The rumor I heard was a 2006 release date ... shortly after the retirement of Michael Eisner (who said it would never be released while he was at the helm).

[BJ_M]

wonder if it will be un-edited ..

not that i care as i already have it from laser disk

[Sabro]

I read a recent interview with one of the execs (sorry can not remember the source of the interview), but the Disney execs stated they are in fact releasing Song of the South on DVD...and it is supposted to be the original / unedited version.

If I recall right, they was saying it would be released around the June/July time frame and said nothing as to the previous problems they had with its release or if they anticipated any problems with this release.

I am by no means racist, but I do recall seeing a few movies lately using the *N* word, spic/spack, whitey...blah blah blah so I'm hoping in it's original form, this won't offend as many as SotS was a great film (and I'm more of a shoot em up, Arnie putting rockets in to the side of the Titanic and watching the it sink kinda movies).

Sabro

[BJ_M]

geez -- if you watch "blazing saddles" - talk about putting EVERYONE down ...

[jaxxboss]

BJ, ur deleting my junk. why?

[lordsmurf]

They're going to preface it like they did the WWII tin collection "propaganda" shorts.

[BJ_M]

BJ, ur deleting my junk. why?

huh ? what ? (you lost me there)

[AlecWest]

wonder if it will be un-edited ..

not that i care as i already have it from laser disk

Me, too (grin). But, I would like to get an original Disney DVD of it, especially if they add in a lot of memorobilia extras. With such a short movie, they've certainly got the space for it. But, when it does come out, I'll probably buy it quickly. Political correctness is so unpredictable. And, what can be released can be yanked off the market just as quickly if the pressure groups make it an issue.

[dphirschler]

There's no reason it can't be released. And it was groundbreaking in terms of their mixing animation with live action. LOONG before "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Next year will be the 60th anniversary, so it makes sense. Plus, I just bought the bootleg DVD. That alone should all but guarantee that it will officially be released.


Darryl

[AlecWest]

There's no reason it can't be released. And it was groundbreaking in terms of their mixing animation with live action. LOONG before "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Next year will be the 60th anniversary, so it makes sense. Plus, I just bought the bootleg DVD. That alone should all but guarantee that it will officially be released.

Darryl

Ain't it always the case. :P But, I know that Disney has a lot of footage taken (which, hopefully, they saved) during the making of the film ... including footage showing Walt Disney himself supervising the filming. Having the film is nice. But those kind of "extras" are the pure history I hope they include in any DVD release.

Hmmm ... now there's a biopic I'd like to see ... "The Walt Disney Story." I wonder who'd play a good "Walt" ... Johnny Depp, maybe?

[dphirschler]

Hmmm ... now there's a biopic I'd like to see ... "The Walt Disney Story." I wonder who'd play a good "Walt" ... Johnny Depp, maybe?

It be kind of funny if Warner Bros or Universal (or any studio other than Disney) made the film.


Darryl

[SatStorm]

On the Gac forums they say months now, that SOTS gonna be on a future "Disney Treasures" set.
Usually, they are right

[dphirschler]

Just a word of warning for those of you who might buy the bootleg version. I don't think I should post the URL here. But just to let you know it is NOT from the LD. I ripped the thing and viewed it frame by frame and it is definately a PAL conversion. To my knowledge, a PAL LD was never released. And the time is still compressed to 91 minutes which means it was not a proper PAL to NTSC conversion which would have involved recording it "slow PAL" (progressive) first, and 3:2 telecined second.


Darryl

[gshelley61]

The very hard to find Hong Kong laserdisc is 91 minutes. I owned one of those briefly, and a Japan laserdisc (which runs 94 minutes). The Hong Kong LD runs slightly faster, like it was a PAL conversion to NTSC. It is also very inferior to the Japan LD in terms of color, sharpness, etc. The Hong Kong LD has no subtitles, though.

[Scooter_NJ]

I bought the LD some 20 years ago from an outfit in Boston....WAAAAAAAAAAAY pre-'net and it still looks great! No laser rot...lucky me.

[dphirschler]

Do you guys know how the British PAL VHS compares to the Japanese or Hong Kong LD?


Darryl

[verchad]

All I have to say is it's about time. I remember seeing this as a kid. We have been to DisneyWorld with our 5 yr old daughter and she loved splash mountain. When we got home I went to the video store to rent the vhs copy, they don't have it anymore, sold it when they were getting rid of there vhs. I had thought about trying to buy a vhs and doing the conversion myself, but if this is true, I can wait.

[AlecWest]

Bad news, in case you haven't heard. About 2 weeks ago, the 2006 Annual Shareholders Meeting for Disney was held in Anaheim, California. President and CEO, Robert Iger, made a speech to the shareholders and opened the meeting up to a Q&A period. One shareholder asked Iger point-blank when the film would be released on DVD. This was Iger's reply:

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.

So, Iger continues the policies of his predecessor ... to sit on an Oscar-winning film out of corporate timidity.

Sheesh. The answer to this dilemma is so simple. Make SOTS a 2-DVD set. On DVD #1, prior to the film, have a well-known African American actor read a disclaimer statement to the effect that lifestyle depictions of post-Civil War African Americans are inaccurate ... and urging people to watch a "special" on DVD #2. On DVD #2, have an historical overview of how things "really were" for African Americans following both the Civil War and in 1946, pulling no punches.

The time for keeping this film "in the closet" has passed. It's time to release it so movie watchers of all races can revel in its good qualities while being mindful (and educated) as to its shortcomings.

[BJ_M]

very well put

[FulciLives]

I barely remember the film although I am sure that I did see it in a theatrical run that must have been some sort of re-release ... probably in the late 70's I am guessing.

My main memory of the film is not the film itself but one of those ... what do you call them? ... one of those 45RPM records that comes with a full color book which is a "condensed" version of the film. You listen to the recond that has voice over and stuff while following along with the book. I had a lot like that and I had one for this movie.

Shame I still don't have that along with half of my other childhood toys ... I could make a bundle on eBay.

Mother's just don't understand ... mine was always making me give things away LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[AlecWest]

I barely remember the film although I am sure that I did see it in a theatrical run that must have been some sort of re-release ... probably in the late 70's I am guessing.

The film was theatrically released five times:

http://www.songofthesouth.net/movie/campaigns/

My main memory of the film is not the film itself but one of those ... what do you call them? ... one of those 45RPM records that comes with a full color book which is a "condensed" version of the film.

Hmm ... sure it wasn't an LP like this one???:

[MOVIEGEEK]

geez -- if you watch "blazing saddles" - talk about putting EVERYONE down ...

Good point.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Mother's just don't understand ... mine was always making me give things away LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

...or throwing things away.

BTW...I'm still in therapy. :P

[thevoelk]

If you don't like what you see, don't look at it. What the f**k is so hard about that concept for people to grasp?

There are far worse, in terms of sensitivity, movies available to buy. Pulp Fiction comes to mind with some of the dialogue. I still think it's a great movie. Maybe Disney should release it, but not splash their name all over it. Maybe through some sort of subsidiary.

[gshelley61]

Well, I'm glad I still have my Japanese laserdisc of the film.