Christian Blauvelt of Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of 30 Best/Worst Disney Animated Movies. Among the worst is Song of the South:
“It’s a great irony of Disney’s filmmaking history that one of its most technologically progressive efforts should also be among its most socially regressive. Based on Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus stories, Song of the South is a disturbingly idyllic presentation of Reconstruction Era southern plantation life, glutted with racial stereotypes — as such, it’s never received any home video release. But it’s also one of the earliest, and most ambitions, attempts at mixing live-action photography with animation, an enduring technique also explored in 1949’s So Dear to My Heart, 1964’s Mary Poppins, 1987’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and 2007’s Enchanted. Despite the film itself being kept under lock and key in the Disney Vault, Song of the South‘s characters and setting inspired the Disney theme parks’ wildly popular Splash Mountain rides. And of course, this was the movie to give the world ”Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”
Also listed as the Worst Disney Animated Films: Robin Hood (1973), Home on the Range (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Brother Bear (2003), The Black Cauldron (1985), Hercules (1997), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Tarzan (1999), and The Great Mouse Detective (1986).
The following are what Entertainment Weekly considers to be the Best Disney Animated Films: Tangled (2010), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Mulan (1998), The Little Mermaid (1989), Cinderella (1950), Fantasia (1940), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Dumbo (1941), Pinocchio (1940), The Aristocats (1970), Aladdin (1992), 101 Dalmatians (1961), The Lion King (1994), Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937), Peter Pan (1953), The Jungle Book (1967), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Bambi (1942).
Interestingly, some of the movies in the “best of” list have been criticized for stereotypes as well, such as the crows in Dumbo, the Indians in Peter Pan, and the Siamese cat in the Aristocats. It’s also curious why Song of the South made it into the Disney Animated Films category, while other animation/live action hybrid films such as So Dear to My Heart and The Three Caballeros were listed among their Best/Worst Live Action films.
Thanks to Maggi for the news report!
Mr. Blauvelt has some messed-up tastes in animation.
Snow WHITE and the seven DWARVES???
The HUNCHBACK????
…. And they say Song of the South isn’t P.C.. Geez!!
Count me among those who consider SONG OF THE SOUTH to be one Disney’s greatest…whether you consider it to be animated or live action is moot. (Actually if I were compiling a list of the 100 greatest motion pictures of all time SONG OF THE SOUTH would make my list!) If you have never seen it a very good copy of it on standard DVD is available from the website MAYANCASTLEDVD.NET.
But on to more forward looking things: 2012 will be remembered as a truly banner year for two of what I think are ‘immeasurably great’ annimated feature film classics from Walt Disney Studios. I refer of course to the two 3-D films BRAVE and FRANKENWEENIE. BRAVE was in ‘opulent Technicolor’ and FRANKENWEENIE was in ‘glorious Black & White’.
WOW!!!!!!!
Funny, I’ve long been saying that Entertainment Weekly is one of the worst magazines, not even worth the wood pulp it’s printed on. Especially one that makes pointless lists.