DVDizzy Forum

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:04 am**

(Apologies if there's already a thread for this, I searched and didn't find anything.)

The documentary about Disney from 1984 to 1994 that's mentioned on the coming to theaters page now has a poster!

There's a little more info here and a review here. Here's a refresher of what the coming to theaters page says:

Waking Sleeping Beauty - Directed by legendary producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast), this documentary looks at an era of Disney animation celebrated by fans but not yet immortalized by historians. The film will cover the talent behind the movies of the 1980s and '90s, charting the success of such filmmakers as John Lasseter, Brad Bird, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, and Don Bluth from their time at CalArts in the '70s through the early '90s boom that culminated with Hahn's record-setting hit, The Lion King. To tell this story, Hahn and co-producer (former Disney chairman) Peter Schneider got Disney's bigwigs during the period -- Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Roy E. Disney -- to go on record. They are just three of more than 100 subjects interviewed by veteran journalist Patrick Pacheco. Instead of putting talking heads on screen, though, the sound bites are laid over behind-the-scenes footage shot from 1984 to 1994. Originally pegged for a September 2009 theatrical release, Waking Sleeping Beauty is now planned to open sometime in 2010. It runs 86 minutes and is rated PG.

So... who's excited? I know I am bouncing in my seat just with the thought of it.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:46 am**

I wish they'll release it on DVD/Blu-ray soon. I can't wait to see it!

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:10 am**

I've been interested in this project ever since I first heard about it. Do you think they'll include it on the BATB Diamond, because Disney doesn't have a good track record with releasing DVDs of docs about the company.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:35 am**

Ideally, Disney could give us a DVD set of all the recent documentaries that they have been putting out: Walt & El Grupo, Waking Sleeping Beauty, The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story. Heck, throw on The Sweatbox too and Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (which has gone out of print and through the roof second-hand). <i>Waking</i> is the one I'm most excited about of the group since it's covering relatively new ground.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:59 am**

That set would be amazing, Luke. These documentaries are rather hard to see legally for me. But I wouldn't mind having it on the BatB diamond or even the Lion King one (though that's far off)... Having the Pixar documentary on Wall-E was great, even if it had little to do with the actual movie. I can't think of a better bonus feature (and would certainly double-dip for it, no questions asked).

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:05 am**

I very badly want to see this. I'd definitely buy that DVD set that Luke mentioned. But I'd sell the Walt DVD, since I already own it. And The Sweatbox- omg, if they would just release that, my life would be complete.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:28 am**

Barf barf barf...

Yet another self-congratulatory "oh my god aren't we great?!" 'documentary' from Disney! How is this any different than any of the behind-the-scenes on the Disney DVDs? It's one big long exercise in patting themselves on the back. Don Hahn is producing a film to celebrate movies which were produced by... Don Hahn! Please tell me this is a joke. Certainly Hahn isn't that big of an narcissistic egomaniac?

I can see it already: first a trashing of all pre-1984 films, including The Black Cauldron --if these films get mentioned at all!-- and then all the people who were involved in making the films between 1984-1994 sucking up to each other...

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:30 pm**

I'd like to see a nice documentary about current Disney...

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:50 pm**

Goliath wrote:Barf barf barf...

Yet another self-congratulatory "oh my god aren't we great?!" 'documentary' from Disney! How is this any different than any of the behind-the-scenes on the Disney DVDs? It's one big long exercise in patting themselves on the back. Don Hahn is producing a film to celebrate movies which were produced by... Don Hahn! Please tell me this is a joke. Certainly Hahn isn't that big of an narcissistic egomaniac?

I can see it already: first a trashing of all pre-1984 films, including The Black Cauldron --if these films get mentioned at all!-- and then all the people who were involved in making the films between 1984-1994 sucking up to each other...

Actually from the clips I've seen it's more in tone with Dream on Silly Dreamer, in which they all admit they became jerks after Lion King.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:55 pm**

Flanger-Hanger wrote:Actually from the clips I've seen it's more in tone with Dream on Silly Dreamer, in which they all admit they became jerks after Lion King.

I don't know Dream on Silly Dreamer. What's it about? Did they become jerks after TLK? I'd like it if Disney focused more on their post-TLK films, which have been heavily neglected in favor of the overexposed 'Fab Four'.

Anyway, I already hate the title "Waking Sleeping Beauty". As if Disney had been asleep until Eisner/Katzenberg/Hahn come to the rescue! I know it's considered 'bon ton' to trash films made during 1967-1988, but I find it very much a choir of parrots, repeating themselves. Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas stated on their website that they considered The Rescuers to be the best film they made without Walt. But somehow, that doesn't count?

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:46 pm**

Goliath wrote:
Anyway, I already hate the title "Waking Sleeping Beauty". As if Disney had been asleep until Eisner/Katzenberg/Hahn come to the rescue!

Ppf! Yeah, Eisner came to the "rescue". Until he crossed over to the dark side by the new millennium, ruining the company's name, which is why I despise him so damn much.

Posted: **Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:30 pm**

Goliath wrote:I don't know Dream on Silly Dreamer. What's it about? Did they become jerks after TLK? I'd like it if Disney focused more on their post-TLK films, which have been heavily neglected in favor of the overexposed 'Fab Four'.

Dream on Silly Dreamer is an unofficial documentary on Disney animation (can rent it off itunes for $0.99, it's only 40 min) around the "fab four" time and what went wrong afterwords. Begin unofficial, it doesn't sugarcoat anything and the people interviewed give honest opinions on both what happened along with why they became animators etc. The 1968-1988 period is discussed mainly to show the contrast in corporate structure/working environment of that time and the post 1994 studio, not really to bash the films made then.

Waking Sleeping Beauty sounds similar in subject matter, but may not be as honest because Disney is distributing it. Then again, the Sherman Brothers documentary was very honest and only "sugar coated" through clips of their song work, which was appropriate.

Posted: **Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:19 am**

Goliath wrote:Barf barf barf...

Yet another self-congratulatory "oh my god aren't we great?!" 'documentary' from Disney! How is this any different than any of the behind-the-scenes on the Disney DVDs? It's one big long exercise in patting themselves on the back. Don Hahn is producing a film to celebrate movies which were produced by... Don Hahn! Please tell me this is a joke. Certainly Hahn isn't that big of an narcissistic egomaniac?

I can see it already: first a trashing of all pre-1984 films, including The Black Cauldron --if these films get mentioned at all!-- and then all the people who were involved in making the films between 1984-1994 sucking up to each other...

Sadly I haveta agree that I fear that the documentary will turn out to be a fluff piece heralding a Disney "comeback" that has yet to be guaranteed...much like the special features we'll be getting on "The Princess and the Frog" DVD.

Posted: **Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:09 am**

This isn't about how great Disney is now, but how pieces came together to make what everyone today calls the animation renaissance. I think it's interesting that all of the video will be behind-the-scenes stuff from the time in question with new interviews merely being audio laid over. And with Eisner and Katzenberg among the interviewed, I'm sure some interesting things will be said.

Posted: **Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:17 am**

Waking Sleeping Beauty opens March 26 in LA, NY, SF and Chicago
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID10037360.asp

Posted: **Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:20 am**

If anyone wants to watch a trailer (I think its a trailer) for the documentary, it's on the homepage of disney.com. It's the second video in the playlist.

Posted: **Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:23 pm**

Thanks. Just watched the trailer and it looks amazing.

Posted: **Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:31 pm**

Yeah I agree, that looks very good. Informative even. I can always enjoy a good documentary - especially if it's about one of my favourite companies - the company people from all over the world admire on this website... Warner Bros., sorry wrong one.

Posted: **Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:47 pm**

I love how I think the only two people actually mentioned by name are John Lasseter and Tim Burton...

Posted: **Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:53 pm**

It looks fanfreakingtastic. I'll absolutely be buying the DVD when it comes out.

And I'm used to people riffing on The Black Cauldron, but also saying that The Great Mouse Detective isn't a good film? Really now...?