Song of the South (1 Viewer)

[marcco00]

the only reason i got a copy of this film is that a friend loaned me her (bootleg, sorry) vhs tape and i burned a couple of dvdr's from it. the movie is really not that bad.....they need to release with a disclaimer.

 

[Dick]

Awww I have a Blu from a 35mm IB Tech print.

I have it, too -- it's a wonderful print. Nice to see you back here, Chuck!

 

[Lord Dalek]

"Iconic ride closes for good" is overwrought. They are changing the theme of the ride. The basic ride - a log flume with a big drop - will remain the same. Disney has updated rides all the time over the years. There's nothing wrong with this.

Yeah the fact is not only is the original theming painfully racist and cringe, the vast majority of Disney Parks' target demo have never even heard of Song of the South. Might as well go for something more relevant to today's audiences just like they turned Maelstrom at World Showcase's Norway Pavilion into a Frozen ride.

 

[JoshZ]

I'm glad I have my DVD copy from either the Japanese or Korean LD. Who knows, it might be from a VHS tape.

Laserdiscs were released in Japan and Kong Kong (not Korea). The Japanese disc (supposedly the better quality transfer of the two) has burned-in Japanese subtitles during all the songs. I'm not sure about the HK disc, but I believe it had a similar issue.

If your bootleg DVD has no subtitles, it was probably taken from one of the European PAL VHS releases, in which case it should have evidence of PAL speed-up and pitch shift.

Edit: Thinking back on it, I believe the HK Laserdisc actually did not have forced subtitles, but was reportedly a very poor PAL-to-NTSC conversion and poor picture quality in general, which is why most collectors favored the Japanese LD.

 

[RobertMG]

Laserdiscs were released in Japan and Kong Kong (not Korea). The Japanese disc (supposedly the better quality transfer of the two) has burned-in Japanese subtitles during all the songs. I'm not sure about the HK disc, but I believe it had a similar issue.

If your bootleg DVD has no subtitles, it was probably taken from one of the European PAL VHS releases, in which case it should have evidence of PAL speed-up and pitch shift.

They can easily release it under the club no wide release to see how it does and get Whoopi to to a intro she already offered to do it

 

[John Sparks]

Yeah the fact is not only is the original theming painfully racist and cringe, the vast majority of Disney Parks' target demo have never even heard of Song of the South. Might as well go

for something more relevant to today's audiences just like they turned Maelstrom at World Showcase's Norway Pavilion into a Frozen ride.

Give me bre

Yeah the fact is not only is the original theming painfully racist and cringe, the vast majority of Disney Parks' target demo have never even heard of Song of the South. Might as well go for something more relevant to today's audiences just like they turned Maelstrom at World Showcase's Norway Pavilion into a Frozen ride.

give me a break!

 

[cinemel1]

Yeah the fact is not only is the original theming painfully racist and cringe, the vast majority of Disney Parks' target demo have never even heard of Song of the South. Might as well go for something more relevant to today's audiences just like they turned Maelstrom at World Showcase's Norway Pavilion into a Frozen ride.

 

[cinemel1]

Before I retired from teaching in 1998, I bought the Japanese laserdisc of Song of the South for about $60. It was always a favorite movie of mine, especially as a child. My mother bought me the Golden Book of many Uncle Remus stories. Considering the popularity of the original film, Disney could have made individual shorts of the stories in this book. The stories are illustrated beautifully. I wanted to show the 3 animated sequences to my classes in a predominantly African American school in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. I let my principal who was African American watch those animated sequences and explained how I wanted to use them to teach the kids that these tales had morals just like the Aesops fables we had already read. She thought it was a great idea. She recommended that I not show The Tar Baby sequence as it was the most racist thing in the film. She also viewed the whole film and loved it. Of course, the kids loved it and learned how to compare and contrast the morals of these stories. Putting the film out with a proper introduction should satisfy the naysayers. Disney, however, will play it safe and leave Song of the South to languish in its vaults. A friend transferred my laserdisc to a DVD and it looks pretty good. The Technicolor in the cartoon sequences are gorgeous! The songs, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, (Oscar winner) and Everybody Has a Laughing Place are as tuneful and charming as they were all those years ago. Hattie MacDaniels and James Basket shine in their roles in the live action sequences.

 

[RobertMG]

Still shocked people really en

Before I retired from teaching in 1998, I bought the Japanese laserdisc of Song of the South for about $60. It was always a favorite movie of mine, especially as a child. My mother bought me the Golden Book of many Uncle Remus stories. Considering the popularity of the original film, Disney could have made individual shorts of the stories in this book. The stories are illustrated beautifully. I wanted to show the 3 animated sequences to my classes in a predominantly African American school in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. I let my principal who was African American watch those animated sequences and explained how I wanted to use them to teach the kids that these tales had morals just like the Aesops fables we had already read. She thought it was a great idea. She recommended that I not show The Tar Baby sequence as it was the most racist thing in the film. She also viewed the whole film and loved it. Of course, the kids loved it and learned how to compare and contrast the morals of these stories. Putting the film out with a proper introduction should satisfy the naysayers. Disney, however, will play it safe and leave Song of the South to languish in its vaults. A friend transferred my laserdisc to a DVD and it looks pretty good. The Technicolor in the cartoon sequences are gorgeous! The songs, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, (Oscar winner) and Everybody Has a Laughing Place are as tuneful and charming as they were all those years ago. Hattie MacDaniels and James Basket shine in their roles in the live action sequences.

But Iger cringed when he saw it === so it stays locked away = just heard some great trivia Stymie Beard of our Gang said he Mom was a stand in for Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers!

 

[JoshZ]

FWIW, I bought the Japanese Laserdisc years ago just to have it as a collectible, for one of the rare titles still exclusive to that format. I didn't care much for the movie.

The racial stereotypes and (especially) the blackface are cringeworthy, but probably not enough so that I think the film needs to be banned or anything. I mostly just found the movie to be a very corny, weak Disney effort, more akin to their many crappy live-action movies of the era than to their animated classics. And the main child actor annoyed the hell out of me. I watched it once and filed it away, never to bother with again.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Yeah the fact is not only is the original theming painfully racist and cringe,

Most of the criticism of the film centers around the live action context of the animated stories, none of which was in the ride to my recollection. My understanding is that the animated stories were based upon folk tales told by slaves that expressed their experiences and feelings arising out of their experiences. Perhaps people should check their own racist and cringe prejudices before making accusations.

 

[RobertMG]

FWIW, I bought the Japanese Laserdisc years ago just to have it as a collectible, for one of the rare titles still exclusive to that format. I didn't care much for the movie.

The racial stereotypes and (especially) the blackface are cringeworthy, but probably not enough so that I think the film needs to be banned or anything. I mostly just found the movie to be a very corny, weak Disney effort, more akin to their many crappy live-action movies of the era than to their animated classics. And the main child actor annoyed the hell out of me. I watched it once and filed it away, never to bother with again.

Most of the criticism of the film centers around the live action context of the animated stories, none of which was in the ride to my recollection. My understanding is that the animated stories were based upon folk tales told by slaves that expressed their experiences and feelings arising out of their experiences. Perhaps people should check their own racist and cringe prejudices before making accusations.

Bravo === the film features 2 white kids befriending a black boy and all three are teased by two white bullies - Uncle Remus treats all three the same and tries to keep them out 2 bullies way - but all people see are racial aspects? Walt Disney was proud of his film the film was a minor success SADLY today people must read everything harshly thank heavens all here have heart and soul and understand it is a product of its time - Disney is feeding the negatively just release the film and say there are fans that want it and if its not for you then do not buy it

 

[compson]

FWIW, I bought the Japanese Laserdisc years ago just to have it as a collectible, for one of the rare titles still exclusive to that format. I didn't care much for the movie.

The racial stereotypes and (especially) the blackface are cringeworthy, but probably not enough so that I think the film needs to be banned or anything. I mostly just found the movie to be a very corny, weak Disney effort, more akin to their many crappy live-action movies of the era than to their animated classics. And the main child actor annoyed the hell out of me. I watched it once and filed it away, never to bother with again.

You’re not alone. The movie has some good animation and a memorable song, but either might make your teeth hurt. Otherwise, I find it of interest only as a historical document. It’s a paean to the Old South, and by “Old,” I mean antebellum. It begins with a boy, his parents, and his Black caretaker traveling by horse-drawn carriage to what is referred to as his grandmother’s “plantation.” As soon as they arrive, his father leaves for “business” in Atlanta, leaving the womenfolk, children, and Black employees alone on the plantation (as if he’s off at war). Uncle Remus introduces a tale by saying, “’Twas a long time ago. And in them days, everything was mighty satisfaction. The critters, they was closer to the folks, and the folks, they was closer to the critters. And if you’ll scuse me for saying so, ‘twas better all around.” Ah, old times, they are not forgotten, before outsiders stirred up the critters. Poor whites don’t fare well, either, depicted as barefoot, dirty, and mean.

I know, of course, that some people react very differently to the movie. Even if people see greater artistic merit in it, though, the criticism of movie, which began at the time of the movie’s release, is understandable.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Let’s not forget that the Kino Lorber Insider mentioned a while ago that they’re are apparently legal issues holding up Song of the South in addition to all the racism issues.

Looking at that article, I’m more concerned about the possibility of Dumbo being censored (which I hope is not true). I’ve never found the crows racist, but more importantly, they’re far too integral to the plot so censoring the crows would leave a pretty big plot hole.

I bought the BD of Dumbo, and the crow scene is still there!! Does this mean that now Gone with the Wind is going to be blocked from a 4K edition? Disney can't offer one like Dumbo or 101 Dalmatians and then say SOTS is racist...Disney has flagged with a disclaimer before, to cover their collective butts!!! Stop trying to bury all things that were, to satisfy the PC mindset. By doing so you attempt to erase so much film history!!

Yes, some of it is hard to look at, but hiding it instead of watching and understanding the period in which it was produced. And just enjoy it for what it is, or don't buy it...your choice. But don't try and shame a studio or collector because of your standards.

 

[Capt D McMars]

FWIW, I bought the Japanese Laserdisc years ago just to have it as a collectible, for one of the rare titles still exclusive to that format. I didn't care much for the movie.

The racial stereotypes and (especially) the blackface are cringeworthy, but probably not enough so that I think the film needs to be banned or anything. I mostly just found the movie to be a very corny, weak Disney effort, more akin to their many crappy live-action movies of the era than to their animated classics. And the main child actor annoyed the hell out of me. I watched it once and filed it away, never to bother with again.

Not your cup of tea, we get it!! But we're not talking Al Jolson or Eddie Canter movies here!! If all you're looking at is the color of the actors skin, you missed the boat completly!!
It's about small town, a village story teller and the children that learn from him and his life lessons in the form of tales of Brer Rabbit and his world. Knowing the back story could help too.

Brer Rabbit | African-American, Trickster, Tales

Brer Rabbit, trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters (see trickster tale); Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler

www.britannica.com

Still no reason to toss the baby out with the bathwater!!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Still no reason to toss the baby out with the bathwater!!

Unfortunately, from your POV, it's not your decision.

 

[jim_falconer]

The racial stereotypes and (especially) the blackface are cringeworthy

Blackface? I own the Japanese LD version of the film and I don’t recall any actors wearing blackface. Of course it’s been a few years since I’ve seen this enjoyable film, so perhaps I’m forgetting something

 

[richardburton84]

I bought the BD of Dumbo, and the crow scene is still there!! Does this mean that now Gone with the Wind is going to be blocked from a 4K edition? Disney can't offer one like Dumbo or 101 Dalmatians and then say SOTS is racist...Disney has flagged with a disclaimer before, to cover their collective butts!!! Stop trying to bury all things that were, to satisfy the PC mindset. By doing so you attempt to erase so much film history!!

Yes, some of it is hard to look at, but hiding it instead of watching and understanding the period in which it was produced. And just enjoy it for what it is, or don't buy it...your choice. But don't try and shame a studio or collector because of your standards.

Yes, Disney mercifully decided to leave Dumbo alone as far as censorship is concerned, but at the time of that post, it seemed like a distinct possibility. I’m not even sure how Disney would even begin to censor the crows for the reason mentioned in my earlier post.

As for Gone With the Wind, Mr. Feltenstein has said on The Extras that there is interest in doing a 4K UHD of the film, but that the holdup is less because of the racial issues and more that it would require an insane amount of work to do a new transfer (not the least because it’s a nearly 4-hour film in three-strip Technicolor).

 

[Capt D McMars]

Unfortunately, from your POV, it's not your decision.

U right!! My name isn't Disney, LOL!!!

 

[Capt D McMars]

Yes, Disney mercifully decided to leave Dumbo alone as far as censorship is concerned, but at the time of that post, it seemed like a distinct possibility. I’m not even sure how Disney would even begin to censor the crows for the reason mentioned in my earlier post.

As for Gone With the Wind, Mr. Feltenstein has said on The Extras that there is interest in doing a 4K UHD of the film, but that the holdup is less because of the racial issues and more that it would require an insane amount of work to do a new transfer (not the least because it’s a nearly 4-hour film in three-strip Technicolor).

But I hope that you can try and understand my reasoning. It's a slippery slope, where do you draw the line? how far does it need to go? It's more like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube, it just doesn't work!!!