Mr. Boogedy is on there, as are the Deadpool films. What’s the justification for why this catalogue film is nowhere to be found on the streamer?
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Where is Something Wicked This Way Comes on D+?
- Thread starter Tha Realest
- Start date
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Many, many Disney films remain unavailable on Disney+ for one reason or another.
I don't know why, but the initial push to get as much of the back catalog restored and uploaded as possible has dried up. Probably a lack of funding, interest and resources.
Glad I bought titles like Something Wicked on blu-ray when Disney Movie Club was still a thing.
Yeah. I think that’s part of it, but I also know a lot of things produced in the 70’s and 80’s have a bunch of rights licensing issues involved. That was a big hangup for the 60’s Batman TV show (produced by 20th Century Fox, aired on ABC, property owned by DC/WB). WKRP and, I believe, The Wonder Years had a bunch of needle drops that hung up the licensing issues as well.
Looking at SWTWC, it appears it was co-produced with Kirk Douglas’s production company. Maybe that’s part of the hang up?
Disney Irish
Premium Member
There is likely several reasons why old movies aren't on the service -
1. They don't currently have the rights and are waiting to regain the rights.
2. They don't own or aren't wanting to license the music rights associated with said content.
3. There is still residuals tied to the content that they don't want to payout, same reason why they've removed content.
4. They don't believe there is any viewership to be gained by placing it up there, ie there isn't enough people interested in said content to make it worth it.
But no one here knows the specific reasons why Something Wicked isn't still on the service. So your guess is as good as any.
I also think its possible once the old Disney Movie Club/Disney Movie Insiders and other programs completely end at the end of the year we may see another push to put old content on the service. But that is just a guess of mine, so we'll see what happens next year.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
I read the book this past summer, this is one I am curious to see. I sort of miss the "horror for kids" genre that Disney once dipped their toes into.
It’s an absolutely tremendous book. And the movie, while flawed, has a certain charm about it as Disney was really trying to figure out how to get into the more adult projects. You can’t go wrong with Robards and Pryce.
Now here's something interesting - this movie will actually have a late night airing on Freeform next month as part of the 31 Days of Halloween lineup. I'd like to think this presages it being added to Disney+, but I'm not holding my breath - they really treat their pre-1989 catalog like dirt if it isn't animated and/or something they've remade/sequelized.
I think the particular issue is that they simply don't think the Disney Adult crowd of millennials onward has any interest in the turn of the '80s films like that, The Watcher in the Woods, Condorman, Trenchcoat, etc. that don't have the "classic" Disney vibe.
I think the particular issue is that they simply don't think the Disney Adult crowd of millennials onward has any interest in the turn of the '80s films like that, The Watcher in the Woods, Condorman, Trenchcoat, etc. that don't have the "classic" Disney vibe.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
Something Wicked and Watcher in the Woods were the two movies I most wanted to see when Disney+ premiered.
Still waiting...
Still waiting...
Disney Irish
Premium Member
What's funny is at least once a year, usually right around this time, since D+ launched someone is asking where X or Y movie from the Vault is, and Something Wicked always comes up. And every year its always the same answer.
I just thought of this - one of the new Disney+ channels is supposed to just feature "seasonal content". If they don't want a 24/7 Halloween feed next month to be only cheesy preschool and tween shows and movies, they'll have to do some digging for feature-length spooky stuff in the catalog. (The Freeform marathon already has a bunch of movies that are stretching the theme as is - The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Encanto, the remakes of Aladdin and Dumbo, etc.)
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
I have both of these movies. Something Wicked is pretty good and would appeal to older audiences considering it's time frame. Watcher in the Woods has a messed up ending. It has good suspense along the way but they need to show the alternate ending with the trash bag monster to make the movie make sense.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
TBH, none of the endings to Watcher in the Woods are good, but the one with the bad effects alien/monster is at least somewhat coherent. Watcher in the Woods has great atmosphere and mood, but isn't a great movie. Bette Davis is underused, and the lead actress is awful. However, something Wicked This Way Comes is somewhat of a hidden gem.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
They at least included The Black Hole. that was one of the first films I watched when we got Disney+, mostly because I had wanted to see if since I was a kid. Not a great film, but holy crap, that ending was much darker than anything I would have expected from Disney!
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Disney used to be know for scaring the crap out of kids. Just look at the Witch in Snow White or Night on Bald Mountain. Those movies where their experiment to get into the teenager market.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
True. The ride used to be known as "Snow White's Scary Adventure", after all.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Judging by the trailer and production history of the live action Snow White, it looks like a horror movie too.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Anyone curious about a detailed account on the making of the movie should read Cinefantastique's special double issue that includes extensive interviews with the director and crew (the magazine did a similar expose on The Black Hole).
Director Jack Clayton was not happy with the final cut of the movie, which had approx 25% of it redone, the whole score replaced, new scenes, additional shots and special effects, plus new narration by Bradbury. But it played better with audiences and Bradbury liked it more too. I know the original score was leaked online, but I'd be curious to see the alternate cut, even if by all accounts it was not as good a movie.
Director Jack Clayton was not happy with the final cut of the movie, which had approx 25% of it redone, the whole score replaced, new scenes, additional shots and special effects, plus new narration by Bradbury. But it played better with audiences and Bradbury liked it more too. I know the original score was leaked online, but I'd be curious to see the alternate cut, even if by all accounts it was not as good a movie.