Splash

[herman_the_german]

I received my PAL Splash DVD yesterday, and it differs from the R1 edition in that is has like 15 different languages, the "Making Of" documentary, feature commentary, plus screen tests. These are the reasons why I didn't get the R1 version, which was simply a barebones English/French edition.

Yes, it is Touchstone, but the documentary makes it fairly clear that it is a Disney production. In a very interesting interview Ron Howard and the producers talk about going to the Disney studios when they were pretty much abandoned with no work coming in (or going out). Their decrepit condition is described, no maintenance, everything seemingly from the 1940's etc.
This film is truly the one that started the Disney Renaissance.

Another aspect is the fact that some scenes with a sea witch were shot but ultimately abandoned, and we do get to see a couple of glimpses of them. The sea witch scenes establish a stronger link to Andersen's story, and in fact pave the way for the animated The Little Mermaid.
They also explain why Madison must return after only six days (which further links it to the other Disney fairy tale stories), and why the Tom Hanks character is able to go back to the sea with the mermaid.

I bought this edition on Ebay from Australia, so those with access to PAL or multi-region players get a "must get" recommendation of this DVD.

[Luke]

That DVD sounds good, but there's an even better reason to NOT get the barebones R1 DVD; it's out of print and a 20th Anniversary Edition DVD is due sometime next year. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer recorded audio commentary a while ago; not sure what else will be on it, hopefully the Making Of documentary that is on the Australian DVD you got.

(Good thing I copied-and-pasted. Ten minute downtime. Ugh.)

[MickeyMouseboy]

That DVD sounds good, but there's an even better reason to NOT get the barebones R1 DVD; it's out of print and a 20th Anniversary Edition DVD is due sometime next year. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer recorded audio commentary a while ago; not sure what else will be on it, hopefully the Making Of documentary that is on the Australian DVD you got.

(Good thing I copied-and-pasted. Ten minute downtime. Ugh.)

i hope they make a Vista Series 2 disc DVD! i knew it was coming! this tittle is a must to get the treatment, i hope Alive does too!

[Captain Hook]

Maybe they could just release ALL of the Disney movies under other banners, I'd like that.

[2099net]

Hi Herman

You post brings up several interesting points.

Was Splash! really the beginning of a whole new Disney? - Splash! was the first film released by Touchstone was it not? Touchstone (and later Hollywood Pictures) was set-up to enable Disney to release edgier, more adult films without harming the Disney branding. Do does that mean Splash! really was the rebirth of Disney or does it mean traditional Disney films were hard to market in the 80's? The rebirth could be seen as the beginning of Disney abandoning it's original "mission statement".

Personally I think the real rebirth of Disney was Honey I Shrunk the Kids - the first properly successful live-action film under the Walt Disney banner for a considerable number of years (I'd love it if I could credit this to The Black Hole, but sadly most people didn't like it and stayed away).

I think it's clear that the revamping of the Disney live action studio lot around the time of Splash! was mainly with shooting more adult films such as Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People etc in mind.

I would advise most people, unless they adore the film, to ignore the R2 DVD. There is a 20th anniversary edition coming to R1 soon (although it keeps disappearing and then reappearing on Buena Vista's lists made available to retail and as far as I know has never had an actual date pencilled in). But experience has shown that the R1 release is more than likely to feature additional supplements over the European release.

As for the scenes with the Sea Witch, do they specifically mention The Little Mermaid in the documentary? I see the fact that the scenes were dropped was due to Disney deciding the film would be more 'adult' and therefore saw them as being a little too childish? But it would be cool to think Splash! affected or even inspired the production of The Little Mermaid - it's something I've never thought about before.

PS.

Talking of Touchstone, did I read somewhere recently that Disney are shutting this down as a Hollywood studio and the branding will be kept only for television productions? If so, can anybody see the logic of this? What will replace the Touchstone branding? I cannot see Walt Disney productions being pressed into use for some of the films Disney releases.

[Captain Hook]

The rebirth could be seen as the beginning of Disney abandoning it's original "mission statement".

Personally I think the real rebirth of Disney was Honey I Shrunk the Kids - the first properly successful live-action film under the Walt Disney banner for a considerable number of years (I'd love it if I could credit this to The Black Hole, but sadly most people didn't like it and stayed away).

Hmm... That's a good point. Perhaps the rebird was abandoning its original mission statement. The movies of the 60s and 70s were slapstick comedies for the whole family (and I think that there was only one or two PGs in the whole batch).

P.S.

Talking of Touchstone, did I read somewhere recently that Disney are shutting this down as a Hollywood studio and the branding will be kept only for television productions? If so, can anybody see the logic of this? What will replace the Touchstone branding? I cannot see Walt Disney productions being pressed into use for some of the films Disney releases.

Haven't heard anything about it, but since Eisner owns Disney.... anything's possible.

[herman_the_german]

Was Splash really the beginning of a whole new Disney?... ...Personally I think the real rebirth of Disney was Honey I Shrunk the Kids...

Of course this is all subject to the POV you wish to take. If Disney was abandoned before Splash and got a shot from it and revived after Splash, then it doesn't matter (to me) what label Splash was released under.
I don't know if you remember, but Splash was a BIG deal. It made the cover of several magazines including Time & Newsweek. It was big hit and a big moneymaker for Disney. By the time "Honey" (1989) was released Disney was already well on the way to being back on its feet.

I'm not sure what you mean by "revamping of the Disney live action studio". They say (in the documentary) that the studio buildings looked literally abandoned, dusty and falling apart.
Everything looked as if it hadn't been touched since the 1940's, and they joked about maybe Splash being shot as a silent film, based on the conditions the studio and lot were. But Splash (for the most part) was not filmed at the studio anyway (Bahamas, New York), so there was no reason for any work to be done there in California.

But, really, the one way you could determine when the Disney renaissance began would be by looking at Disneys financial statements. Which is something I am not willing to do.

"...As for the scenes with the Sea Witch, do they specifically mention The Little Mermaid in the documentary? I see the fact that the scenes were dropped was due to Disney deciding the film would be more 'adult' and therefore saw them as being a little too childish? But it would be cool to think Splash! affected or even inspired the production of The Little Mermaid - it's something I've never thought about before."

Now, did Splash (1984) influence Mermaid (1989)? I do not see how it could not. Two mermaid films shot in the same studio four years appart have to have some connection, specially when the first one was such a big hit.
The documentary does not mention TLM. But there truly is no reason for it to do so. It should really be the other way around. The TLM "Making Of" documentary should list Splash as one of its sources and inspiration. They do mention that the witch scenes were cut because they did not work (in a technical way), not because of them being childish.
The Hans Christian Andersen conection cannot be made any clearer though, that is the one undebatable link.

[Captain Hook]

Splash, in some ways, ruined the original direction of Disney, but made it good, in other ways.

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

The person who said Disney is shutting down Touchstone is wrong.It's Hollywood Pictures they shut down,but kept it as a video/DVD company.

G'Day!

[Luke]

The long-anticipated 20th Anniversary DVD has been announced today. Release date is March 23, 2004. The press release proclaims "Over 166 Minutes of Bonus Material" including:

• ORIGINAL TOM HANKS AUDITION TAPES
With introduction by director Ron Howard.
• ORIGINAL DARYL HANNAH AUDITION TAPES
With introduction by director Ron Howard.
• FEATURE AUDIO COMMENTARY
With director Ron Howard, producer/writer Brian Grazer, writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel.
• MAKING A SPLASH
Members of the cast and crew reminisce on making the film.
• INTRODUCTIONS AND CLOSINGS
Director Ron Howard, producer/writer Brian Grazer and writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel introduce the audio commentary. Ron Howard offers final thoughts on the commentary.

1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1; SRP is $29.99.

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... Amazon.com Pre-order</a>, which isn't heavily discounted yet.

Same day also brings a Special Edition for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... >Ransom</a>, the 1996 Mel Gibson/Ron Howard film.

[Prince Phillip]

The long-anticipated 20th Anniversary DVD has been announced today. Release date is March 23, 2004. The press release proclaims "Over 166 Minutes of Bonus Material" including:

• ORIGINAL TOM HANKS AUDITION TAPES
With introduction by director Ron Howard.
• ORIGINAL DARYL HANNAH AUDITION TAPES
With introduction by director Ron Howard.
• FEATURE AUDIO COMMENTARY
With director Ron Howard, producer/writer Brian Grazer, writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel.
• MAKING A SPLASH
Members of the cast and crew reminisce on making the film.
• INTRODUCTIONS AND CLOSINGS
Director Ron Howard, producer/writer Brian Grazer and writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel introduce the audio commentary. Ron Howard offers final thoughts on the commentary.

1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1; SRP is $29.99.

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... Amazon.com Pre-order</a>, which isn't heavily discounted yet.

Same day also brings a Special Edition for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... >Ransom</a>, the 1996 Mel Gibson/Ron Howard film.

Wow!!! That's Awesome!!! I am so happy it is finally being re-released on DVD, since I did not get it the first tiem around, it is funny cause I was just thinking about this a couple days ago, I think it was MMB a couple months ago said it was going to be rereleased this year...


But there is one problem... WHERE ARE THE DELETED SCENES MMB told us about in another thread, the ones with the sea witch and such.... For God Sake! Where are they!?!?!?

[MickeyMouseboy]

the DVD is coming March 23rd and it comes with anamorphic video , audio commentary, making of, audition tapes for hanks and hannah, trailers and more! I cant wait!

[Swiss]

Thanks, I can't wait for it. I remember reading rumors about it a year or so ago. Glad to see it happening.

[MickeyMousePal]

I never seen this movie and I don't think I will get it.

I'll just rent it or something.

[Prince Phillip]

It's a really great movie, i was so upset last year when i found out the dvd was OOP and it was going for so much on the internet, but then a couple months ago I heard rumours of it's anniversary release next (this) year and got excited.... I am so happy it is finally coming back out on dvd!!!!

MMPal I think u'll prolly really like it, it is a very cool movie, if u like the romantic comedy type movies, i guess ... but it is definately a cool mermaid flick, and it has the Late John Candy in it, and he is always great, as is his on screen bro Tom Hanks! So def check it out...


I really hope it has the deleted scenes that i heard were on some foreign release....

[MickeyMousePal]

Thanks for the information Prince Phillip.

I hope I'll like Splash.

[ArtOfDisney]

It's a great film. A trademark of Touchstone Pictures since it was the first film released under that name of Disney.

I'll definately be getting this one.

[wizzer]

cool news i almost shelled out 50 bucks for it on ebay

[MickeyMouseboy]

Studio: TOUCHSTONE
Year: 1984
Film Length: 111 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 encoded 1.85:1
Audio: 5.1 DD English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Special Features: Audio Commentary with Director Ron Howard, Producer Brian Grazer and Writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, "Making a Splash" featurette, audition video recordings for Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah
Release Date: March 23, 2004

By David Boulet

The Movie...

Viewing Splash on DVD for me was like taking a trip back in time. Like so many other films from the era (The Toy, Beastmaster, Legend of Billy Jean, Ghostbusters), “Splash” represents an icon of 80’s culture that defines my experience of being an adolescent. I mean, would it really have been “the 80’s” without Pac-Man, Devo glasses, the Rubic’s Cube, and movies like Splash?

Watching Splash now as an adult for the first time in...gasp...20 years, it has aged remarkably well and strikes me as a much better film watching through adult eyes than what I remember having viewed it in my early teens. Writing is deft and witty. Comedic timing is precise. Acting is spot-on and the chemistry between the three leads, John Candy, Tom Hanks, and Daryl Hannah, is natural and convincing. While true to the character of any good romantic comedy, the film avoids some of the more predicable pit-falls of more "typical" romantic comedies and sustains an entertaining glow without the interruption of any egregious groaners (the tropical coral reef just off the shore of Manhattan Island was an exception to this ). This Ron Howard directed-film has a sort of innocence about it that is welcoming without feeling naive.

Read the rest of the review:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum ... did=189508

[buffalobill]

Great review. This is a sure purchase for me. I'd be picking up Ransom too if it were anamorphic widescreen. It's amazing that Disney did a great job on this & on the same day are releasing a subpar SE of Ransom.