Song of the South

[Darkblade]

Now that Patf is released...I wonder if they would even consider of making a DVD happen.

[American_dog_2008]

Five years with this thread, and still no DVD?

[droosan]

64 years since the film's debut, and still no official home video release on any format in the U.S., period.

[American_dog_2008]

All hope is gone!

[Ben]

Pretty sweeping statement there, Dog.

All hope is not gone...the hope is that Disney can find a way to bring this to market at the right time. As an "exclusive"? As a Treasure? Even maybe as a theme-park special that when bought over the counter could have its themes again expressed by the sales team? There are many ways SOTS could come to market...but saying all hope is gone is shortsighted and negative towards the goodwill that does hope this wonderful film can make it to home video someday.

[EricJ]

Our nagging for Destino and Oswald yielded good results--Just for the mountain-worth-the-climb, even though no one alive actually wanted to see them...

And even though Bob Iger is still toeing the "we won't change our minds from what we used to think" line without doing his homework, it's pretty much one of the only impossible-quests Disney has left (since they're already fixing up the parks), and they may look at completing it just to show they could do it...Not that it'll get a huge release, though, and probably be buried with something collector-historical, Destino-style, as "camouflage".

[Ben]

Actually...I did want to see them (Destino and Oswald). And I've really liked them.

"Completing it"? SOTS is ready to go.

"Camouflage"...as has been previously suggested, and was largely rumored at one point, which held up So Dear To My Heart's DVD release (still only now an Exclusive title). I heard a plan was to put out a "live-action" set of some 1940s material...which would not only provide a context but would be an excellent selection.

[Foxtale]

One day it will come out, I have faith still. Maybe not for public release. ...either that or the Disney corporation will find a way to erase it from the minds of everyone living using some sort of brainwashing machine. I think one day it may be released, the right time just hasn't come along yet.

[eddievalient]

All they really need to do to justify releasing the film is say, truthfully, that it won an Oscar (James Baskett won for his performance as Uncle Remus) and then have Leonard Maltin remind the audience that A) the Uncle Remus stories were in fact based on real folklore that Joel Chandler Harris heard from former slaves, B) at the time the film was made, the stories were very popular, and C) despite all protests to the contrary, the film does NOT show slavery. It takes place AFTER the Civil War and is historically accurate in showing that the former slaves stayed where they were for lack of anywhere to go.

It really is that simple folks, but Disney is apparently too cowardly to go for it.

[EricJ]

Exactly: Maltin does such a straightforwardly simple brass-tacks disclaimering of Donald Duck's "The Autograph Hound" on the Chronological Donald set, it makes you slap your forehead with "duh, of course!"

Disney seems to be embarrassed at the idea of even disclaimering SotS, since they fear it would just end up reminding people that they thought they had something to disclaimer in the first place--When their whole purpose was to appeal to those in favor of the movie, like collectors and Splash Mountain fans.
So, they want to avoid the issue entirely and either see how under-the-radar they can sneak it out, or just sweep under the rug in the first place.

[Foxtale]

All they really need to do to justify releasing the film is say, truthfully, that it won an Oscar (James Baskett won for his performance as Uncle Remus) and then have Leonard Maltin remind the audience that A) the Uncle Remus stories were in fact based on real folklore that Joel Chandler Harris heard from former slaves, B) at the time the film was made, the stories were very popular, and C) despite all protests to the contrary, the film does NOT show slavery. It takes place AFTER the Civil War and is historically accurate in showing that the former slaves stayed where they were for lack of anywhere to go.

It really is that simple folks, but Disney is apparently too cowardly to go for it.

Very true. It's a part of history, whatever bad isn't representative of current views by the Disney Corp. That would currently seem like that would be too hard to explain to the regular audience that is so ready to rip apart the Disney Corp. at any cost to try and take it down.

[MrsTashlin]

Was just checkin in with this thread. Never say never for DVD. found that out with a couple of titles.

[Ben]

Nope, never say never. Especially when SOTS did find its way to home video around the world.

There's always hope, and the fact it keeps getting looked at every couple of years as a potential release is uplifting. One day, someone will say yes; they just need to work out how to do it right.

[GeorgeC]

Blame Iger for the hold-up.

He's too much of a politically correct suit to allow Buena Vista Home Video to do a proper Song of the South release. Like Eisner, I just don't think he has any kind of imagination or backbone to take chances.

When Roy E. Disney was still alive, one of the things he pushed for was a definitive home video release of Song of the South. Being that he was ONLY board member and not CEO/Chairman like his father and uncle were, he was effectively a figurehead that people didn't have to listen to when it suited them. But he was generally more effective than many people give him credit for, too.

Frankly, given the state of affairs at Disney now, it's almost like the regime change didn't happen in many ways and the Pixar guys are still holed up in Emeryville with not as much as hoped for influence (for the better) on Disney. That and some disagreement with Lasseter's instructions and a general feeling that for all his good intentions he's not the Second Coming of Walt Disney. Honestly, nobody ever will be that!

There has to be a house-cleaning at the Mouse House and some more rats have to be caught and let loose... Honestly, it sounds like there's still the usual politics and shenanigans that get put in play during the Eisner regime. Very, very messy stuff and unsavory.

And it's still keeping some of the good stuff from getting released, too!

I'm very disappointed with the changes in programming of Disney Channel and the total elimination of classic, unedited animation and Walt-era features; the lack of any kind of classic animation channel and the hodge-podge of Disney acquisitions and Marvel product on XD; and again, the general voicing of "adherence to Walt's principles" but the usual shlock you could get from any other kid's network.

We'll see after a few years if Marvel really fits into Disney any better than Muppets have so far... The animation coming from Marvel sure isn't better than it has been since the 1990s. Weak stuff all-around. It makes the 1980s Spider-Man and Hulk shows look like classics!

Disney used to be about class and quality and things you wouldn't be afraid to let your kids and younger relations see. Now we have to monitor Diz Channel so that the latest star-to-potential bimbo eruption doesn't influence your kids in a bad way?

Of course, all this does distract from the classic movies like SOTS which people want but still aren't getting. It's no longer about satisfying the long-term customer desires but putting in play things that distract people from the true nature of the man behind the curtain!

[MrsTashlin]

LOL..."star to potential bimbo"......AMEN !


I miss the classic disney channel programming. would go nuts when they would have a free preview weekend.