Disney Producer Encouraging About "Song of the South" DVD Release

[MissM]

Quoted from here: http://www.post-movie.net/?p=1840

Last Monday, during the Q&A portion of the Fantasia: A 70th Anniversary Celebration at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, I asked Disney creative director Dave Bossert about the animation department’s concerns with Song of the South and its much hoped for release on DVD. Here’s his response:


“I can say there’s been a lot of internal discussion about [Song of the South]. And at some point we’re going to do something about it. I don’t know when, but we will. We know we want people to see Song of the South because we realize it’s a big piece of company history, and we want to do it the right way.”


​

Thought people might find it interesting. Obviously not a yes but not a no either.

 

[JustInTime]

Yes, please!

 

[slappy magoo]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of movie bootleggers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

Its been so long since I have seen this movie I cant wait to watch it again.

 

[ABigBrassBand]

If CAPS wasn't so obnoxious, I would be typing this whole post in caps.

Notice my avatar and signature? I've been anticipating this for too long!

 

[JimboJones123]

Um...youtube has it...

Just sayin'.

 

[wishesjake]

Um...youtube has it...

Just sayin'.

Yep because that's the same.

 

[rodserling27]

This is fantastic. I really hope this gets a release within the next few years, I've always wanted to show it to my friends and family and to anyone, really, who doesn't understand where the characters of Splash Mountain come from.

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of movie bootleggers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Nice!!!

If CAPS wasn't so obnoxious, I would be typing this whole post in caps.

I WILL.

Um...youtube has it...

Just sayin'.

Umm...YouTube looks like crap! I want a crystal clear picture on a digital video disc! Bring it to DVD/Blu-Ray!!!

 

[WDWmazprty]

I have the viedo at home that a friend gave me who worked in the movie industry. Its a video with Japanese subtitles for all the songs. We watched the video before we went back to the world in September. My daughter said she was getting ready for Splash Mountain!

I really hope its released; would love to have it on DVD with extras and everything.

 

[sshindel]

I really, really hope that they do this eventually. I've always been under the impression that at this point, they would never get the release out.

My wife and I discuss this all the time while we're watching some of our "Classic Mickey" archive DVDs, when anything at all that could be construed inappropriate comes around (stereotypical voicing for the time, protrayals of drunkenness, etc), they just trot out a quick intro clip by Leonard Maltin saying that we know it's not right or appropriate but what was acceptable at the time, the films stand as a piece of history, etc...

My wife thought they would be able to throw out a nice one of those Mea Culpa Leondard Maltin clips and release the Song of the South, trying to diffuse any potential for harm that the original may or may not have. I've always been of the opinion that they would never release it. I thought that the potential money they could make by it's release would be offset by even the chance that someone would become offended or upset and cause a boycott, bad publicity, etc. The potential for loss was most likley greater than the potential money made by releasing a fairly niche film (probably only Disneyphiles would buy it), so it would never be released. I just always thought that given the 24 hour media machine that exists, even if they had a very well worded Mea Culpa video tacked on the beginning, all it takes is someone to show an offensive clip over and over, and taken out of context, this could cause harm that was unintended and cause more loss than Disney would have a potential gain from the release.

Now, all that being said let me say that my memories of the film are very hazy, being that I probably had not seen the film in 25+ years. I do not have the proper context to know if the film could/should be kept on the shelves due to content that may cause harm. I am not an African American, and could never pretend to know if the film is harmless/harmful, so therefore I cannot correctly judge the content/context of this film and if it would even elicit a reaction. If the film truly has offensive content, I cannot remember it, and have little to no place saying if it "should" or "shouldn't" be released. I know I loved it as a child, but seen through a child's eyes, any harmful / offensive content is typically missed.

 

[WDWmazprty]

I really, really hope that they do this eventually. I've always been under the impression that at this point, they would never get the release out.

My wife and I discuss this all the time while we're watching some of our "Classic Mickey" archive DVDs, when anything at all that could be construed inappropriate comes around (stereotypical voicing for the time, protrayals of drunkenness, etc), they just trot out a quick intro clip by Leonard Maltin saying that we know it's not right or appropriate but what was acceptable at the time, the films stand as a piece of history, etc...

My wife thought they would be able to throw out a nice one of those Mea Culpa Leondard Maltin clips and release the Song of the South, trying to diffuse any potential for harm that the original may or may not have. I've always been of the opinion that they would never release it. I thought that the potential money they could make by it's release would be offset by even the chance that someone would become offended or upset and cause a boycott, bad publicity, etc. The potential for loss was most likley greater than the potential money made by releasing a fairly niche film (probably only Disneyphiles would buy it), so it would never be released. I just always thought that given the 24 hour media machine that exists, even if they had a very well worded Mea Culpa video tacked on the beginning, all it takes is someone to show an offensive clip over and over, and taken out of context, this could cause harm that was unintended and cause more loss than Disney would have a potential gain from the release.

Now, all that being said let me say that my memories of the film are very hazy, being that I probably had not seen the film in 25+ years. I do not have the proper context to know if the film could/should be kept on the shelves due to content that may cause harm. I am not an African American, and could never pretend to know if the film is harmless/harmful, so therefore I cannot correctly judge the content/context of this film and if it would even elicit a reaction. If the film truly has offensive content, I cannot remember it, and have little to no place saying if it "should" or "shouldn't" be released. I know I loved it as a child, but seen through a child's eyes, any harmful / offensive content is typically missed.

Trust me, the film is fine. Any other movie that has to do with slavery, African American life back in that time, etc. is easily more offensive than Song of the South.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Quoted from here: http://www.post-movie.net/?p=1840

Last Monday, during the Q&A portion of the Fantasia: A 70th Anniversary Celebration at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, I asked Disney creative director Dave Bossert about the animation department’s concerns with Song of the South and its much hoped for release on DVD. Here’s his response:


“I can say there’s been a lot of internal discussion about [Song of the South]. And at some point we’re going to do something about it. I don’t know when, but we will. We know we want people to see Song of the South because we realize it’s a big piece of company history, and we want to do it the right way.”


​

Thought people might find it interesting. Obviously not a yes but not a no either.

Well, Iger's been shooting down the idea of a DVD release, and since he's the boss-man I don't know if we'll ever see that wonderful film for sale to the general public. I guess I understand the reasoning behind the movie's quarantine, but really, Gone With The Wind is much more offensive in its depictions of blacks, and nobody ever talks about censoring it. I saw Song of the South long ago, and my favorite part of the movie besides Brer Rabbit was Uncle Remus. I see him as a positive figure, not an offensive stereotype. But I know that opinions differ about that...

 

[wm49rs]

Well, Iger's been shooting down the idea of a DVD release, and since he's the boss-man I don't know if we'll ever see that wonderful film for sale to the general public. I guess I understand the reasoning behind the movie's quarantine, but really, Gone With The Wind is much more offensive in its depictions of blacks, and nobody ever talks about censoring it. I saw Song of the South long ago, and my favorite part of the movie besides Brer Rabbit was Uncle Remus. I see him as a positive figure, not an offensive stereotype. But I know that opinions differ about that...

They do, for better or worse, and with Gone With the Wind as well. I'm in Atlanta, and I know many who worship the movie, and many others who decry it. Neither side is necessarily wrong in their opinions though....

I do wonder if Disney will release this through a DVD, or perhaps through some sort of on-demand service like Netflix. They could avoid the sturm und drang over a general DVD release while still allowing those who wish to see Song of the South the opportunity.....

 

[MissM]

Well, Iger's been shooting down the idea of a DVD release, and since he's the boss-man I don't know if we'll ever see that wonderful film for sale to the general public

The article I linked actually addresses this as well:

And it’s even more encouraging because this quote doesn’t come from Disney CEO Robert Iger. It’s from Dave Bossert, the artistic supervisor for Disney’s restoration team, and an integral person in deciding which animated film next goes through the restoration and release process. He’s one of the guys who makes the case to Robert Iger. In addition to the forthcoming release of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, Bossert supervised restorations for Bambi, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty.​

 

[bsiev1977]

I think it'll be a long time, if ever, that we get this out on DVD.

Disney would have to weigh the pros and cons of releasing it.

Pro: Making money.

Con: Having to apologize to Jesse Jackson.

Seriously though, I believe it's the mere hint of any possible racial controversy that will prevent this movie from being released.

 

[JimboJones123]

Yep because that's the same.

Sorry for trying to be helpful--yeesh!

 

[DugFan1]

I own an import copy of Song of the South (that looks like someone transferred from VHS) and though it's quality is marginal at best, I find myself watching it often because it is truly one of Disney's masterpieces. I understand the racial elements of the film that could upset some, but as has been pointed out here, there are generations of people who do not realize where the characters in Splash Mountain came from, or where "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" came from...a song that has become the company's anthem.
Song of the South needs to be released, and if Jesse Jackson or Bill Cosby or any other African American celebrity wants to complain...remind them of "Roots". Just saying, thank you for listening.

 

[WDWmazprty]

I own an import copy of Song of the South (that looks like someone transferred from VHS) and though it's quality is marginal at best, I find myself watching it often because it is truly one of Disney's masterpieces. I understand the racial elements of the film that could upset some, but as has been pointed out here, there are generations of people who do not realize where the characters in Splash Mountain came from, or where "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" came from...a song that has become the company's anthem.
Song of the South needs to be released, and if Jesse Jackson or Bill Cosby or any other African American celebrity wants to complain...remind them of "Roots". Just saying, thank you for listening.

Ditto. Like I said before there are so many other films out there, many that are not old films, that could easily be considered worse as far as racial themes go. Why Song of the South is considered one of them I really have no idea.

 

[wm49rs]

Song of the South needs to be released, and if Jesse Jackson or Bill Cosby or any other African American celebrity wants to complain...remind them of "Roots". Just saying, thank you for listening.

Not sure there's a quality comparison to be made there....:shrug:

 

[imagineer boy]

Ditto. Like I said before there are so many other films out there, many that are not old films, that could easily be considered worse as far as racial themes go. Why Song of the South is considered one of them I really have no idea.

The main reason is a lot of people assume all the blacks in the movie are slaves and the movie shows them working happily and singing. Therefor, they think the movie says blacks were happy as slaves. In reality, the movie is POST civil war and all the blacks are free so no wonder why they'd be happy and singing. :lol:

Its a shame that such misconceptions rise about a good movie like this. I really do hope it gets released on DVD soon!