Halloween Edition
This month continues a new series of blogs for fans of popular culture. Whereas in the past explorations of Walt Disney films we highlighted individual works, we will now be talking about the larger groupings of movies, and the various artistic and commercial visions sought for and achieved from said movies.
A quick run though of the eras:
The Golden Age: 1937-1941
Wartime: 1942-1949
The Silver Age: 1950-1967
The Bronze Age: 1968-1988
The Renaissance: 1989-1999
Post-Renaissance: 2000-2009
Revival: 2010-2019
Streaming: 2020-Present
As you can see, the various eras are inspired by historical art movements over the year, as well as comic books. You can draw the parallel, for instance, between the Italian Renaissance, or between the iterated variations of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.
We will also be covering Disney live action films. The list of films owned by the Walt Disney Corporation is quite expansive because it includes multiple studios and production companies, such as Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, and more. And for good measure, we will also cover animated films that released without the official Walt Disney Pictures branding, as well as films that only released via television or Disney +.
So buckle up everyone as we retread the Disney films of years passed:
Bet you forgot about these films, huh? Gotcha! Nope, saved them for the appropriate time of year!
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
In the past, we briefly mentioned Tim Burton's early days working for Walt Disney Animation in the 1980s, where he briefly shared studio space with fellow animator (and Disney's future 90's rival) Don Bluth, including work on The Fox and the Hound, Tron, and The Black Cauldron. Burton was fired by the company within a few years (allegedly for working on the prototype of our next highlight!), but during his time there began working on a poem, that would become the famous film. Disney retained rights to the poem, but after watching Burton find success in Hollywood with Beetlejuice and Batman, the company agreed to work with him to produce the film as a full-length feature.
Disney's head, Katzenberg, was willing to negotiate with Burton, eager to produce and distribute what Katzenberg was convinced would be a masterful work of art. Burton turned the reins over to his associates, Henry Selick and Michael McDowell to bring the film to life.
The Nightmare Before Christmas was filmed in stop-motion using puppets and figurines. The story of course was an original wonder, showing the fantastical conceptions of both Halloween and Christmas as two of several holidays that lived in their own worlds and interacted with our own. In spite of Katzenberg's faith in the concept, the company was worried about public perception against their family-friendly brand. Instead of being an official Disney production or release, the company decided to distribute the film via Touchstone Pictures, one of their secondary studios.
In hindsight, The Nightmare Before Christmas has been a massive longterm win for the company. Produced on a smaller budget than any of its 1990s animated releases, the film easily made back its money and was a huge critical hit, even earning an Academy Award nomination for visual effects, and winning several Saturn Awards. The film became a cult classic, very notable for its spooky vibe, and effortlessly straddling both Halloween and Christmas. On top of that, it became an easy merchandise avenue for the company, and fans can regularly find items themed around the characters year-round now.
As a final note, though there is no film sequel, Disney did authorize a novel aimed at teen audiences, Long Live The Pumpkin Queen, opens a new window.
So, you know that film I mentioned Burton got fired over? At the time, Burton's featurette, opens a new window was not well received by the the Disney executives, who in the mid-1980s was convinced would damage the company's image. Burton's career, as we discussed, brought success and critical attention, especially after the release of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton was master of a niche genre in film, and was proving he could be financially successful as well.
Disney did not approach Burton again until 2005, when they agreed to revive his original project, as a fully realized feature film. Revive, right?! That's clever! Considering the film is an homage to classic monster films, most notably Frankenstein, and would even be shot entirely in black and white. Much like with his earlier work, the film was envisioned as a stop-motion project, and this time Burton was actually on hand to direct. The result: a well-made homage to his earlier homage, now fully realized and supported.
At release, the film earned over $81 million at the world box office, and proved quite popular among various award shows, earning several nominations and wins. Frankenweenie has not quite earned the universal praise and longstanding pop culture envelopment, but it remains a respected and appreciated film in Disney's catalog.
Unfortunately, as with many of their other films, neither of these are considered official canon releases by Disney. Under strict criteria, only 2D and 3D animated films by Walt Disney Animation Studios qualify for that distinction. They're in good company though, with several of the other films we've discussed so far.
That's it for this month! Have a happy Halloween, and stay tuned next month when we cover more Live Action Remakes.
Add a comment to: Disney Movie Eras: Halloween Edition