Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

All topics relating to Disney-branded content.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jules
Diamond Edition
Posts: 4573
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:20 am
Gender: Male
Location: Malta, Europe

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Jules »

I couldn't find a dedicated thread for this film. Every existing one specifically references the home video releases as well as other things, but not the movie in general.

Anyway, since I have just discovered Nik Ranieri's Facebook page (took me long enough! :P ), I found two pencil tests by Ranieri. The first version was rejected rather spectacularly be Richard Williams, but first see the thing for yourselves:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=51434 ... JGrFg9jS61
Nik Ranieri wrote:Shot 121/18 was infamous for two reasons:

One, in its original state, Roger cursed. It was the only time in the film that he did that. Ironically, I was the one chosen to animate it (after a test screening a month or two later, test audiences balked at the amount of cursing in the film and said that they didn’t like cartoon characters cursing, so the majority of the language was removed).

Two, it was the time I learned the “Brief” lesson…the hard way. The original “brief” called for Roger to run down the stairs and out the door. The shot was too short for him to do that so I asked for advice. Dick was away in L.A. so I couldn’t ask him. Andreas suggested to make him hop out because, “he’s a rabbit but we never see him hop”. So that’s what I did. I liked the cartooniness of the hop and I thought Dick would too…I was wrong. When he returned from L.A., I showed him the shot and he just blew up. Again, heads looked over the cubicles – except for Andreas, who I’m sure was hiding behind his desk – as Dick screamed at me for not following the “brief”. When Zemeckis arrived later that week, we discussed the shot and determined that Roger should trip down the steps.

Here are the 2 pencil test versions of that shot.
The bolded part had me in stitches. :lol: Based on the tone of Ranieri's writing, I'm not sure he's forgiven Deja for this!
User avatar
blackcauldron85
Ultimate Collector's Edition
Posts: 16456
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 7:54 am
Gender: Female
Contact:

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

Poor Andreas- he was just trying to help! <3 Thanks for sharing that. Have any of you read
"Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat: The Making of Roger Rabbit" by Ross Anderson? It's a really neat book about the making of the film. I don't have any particular stories to discuss about it, but I read it a little while ago, and it was interesting. And then I re-watched the film with even more admiration. It's a film that I've always had, watched it since I was little, but obviously a lot of things went over my head back then. :p Just all of the tricks of the trade used to bring the film to life is truly awesome.
Image
User avatar
Farerb
Diamond Edition
Posts: 4675
Joined: Sat May 19, 2018 2:09 pm

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Farerb »

Who Framed Roger Rabbit will be released in 4K on December 7th:
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” to Arrive on 4K Ultra HD Disc for First Time on December 7th, 2021

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Disc for the first time on Dec. 7 in stunning HDR picture quality and Dolby Atmos audio. The Ultimate Collector’s Edition includes a limited-edition SteelBook®, available only at Best Buy stores.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Synopsis

“This ain’t no cartoon, ya know!” It’s the hilarious cult classic combining rousing live-action and spectacular animation. 1947 Hollywood: Detective Eddie Valiant is hired to prove that mogul Marvin Acme is fooling around with femme fatale Jessica Rabbit, wife of cartoon superstar, Roger Rabbit. But when Acme is murdered … Roger is the prime suspect.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Bonus Features*

Filmmakers’ Audio Commentary – View the film with Audio Commentary by filmmakers Bob Zemeckis, Frank Marshall, Steve Starkey, Jeff Price, Peter Seaman and Ken Ralston.
The Roger Rabbit Shorts
Tummy Trouble – The accident-prone Roger Rabbit faces new perils when he is left to baby-sit for the mischievous Baby Herman.
Roller Coaster Rabbit – Mother takes Baby Herman to the State Fair, and leaves him with Roger Rabbit so she can visit the psychic (fortune-teller).
Trail Mix-Up – Roger Rabbit returns in an all-new outdoor adventure that finds the irrepressible Toon star on a hilarious, disaster-filled camping trip.
Deleted Scene
The Pig Head Sequence – Judge Doom and the weasels teach Eddie Valiant a lesson in a way that only Toontown can. With intro by director Robert Zemeckis.
Who Made Roger Rabbit – A behind-the-scenes making of, hosted by Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit.
Before and After – Split screen comparison reveals the unbelievable talent of the live-action actors, animators and the special effects.
Toon Stand-Ins – Watch as the cast rehearse with life size stand-ins for the toons.
Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit – An in-depth, behind-the-scenes documentary.
On Set! Benny the Cab – The making of a scene from the movie.
*bonus features vary by product and retailer

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Product Specifications

Street Date: Dec. 7, 2021

Feature Run Time: 104 minutes

Rating: U.S. Rated PG

Bonus material not rated

Aspect Ratio: Physical: 1.85:1

U.S. Audio: 4K Ultra HD: English 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 1.0 Mono, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround

U.S. Subtitles: 4K Ultra HD: English SDH, Spanish, French
Image

Best Buy Steelbook:
Image
User avatar
Sotiris
Ultimate Collector's Edition
Posts: 19913
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:06 am
Gender: Male
Location: Fantasyland

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

It's about time! And that's a surprisingly good cover (of the regular edition, not the steelbook).
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
Mickeyfan1990
Collector's Edition
Posts: 2559
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 12:24 pm

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Mickeyfan1990 »

If the Blu-ray copy has the 4K remaster, I'm buying.
User avatar
Vlad
Collector's Edition
Posts: 2241
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 1:58 am

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Vlad »

I was meaning to buy the Blu-ray, but now I'm glad I waited. The cover the 4K release is gorgeous.
Image
User avatar
thedisneyspirit
Anniversary Edition
Posts: 1503
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by thedisneyspirit »

Disney slutshaming Jessica is the latest machination of #WokeDisney. Good to know we women should be policed on what we wear now to appeal to the Bible thumpers.
User avatar
Sotiris
Ultimate Collector's Edition
Posts: 19913
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:06 am
Gender: Male
Location: Fantasyland

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

I think it would have been more preferable to re-theme the entire ride than pull this stunt. I guess this way's cheaper.

Disney gives Jessica Rabbit a politically correct makeover, angering some fans
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jes ... 13778.html

Detective Jessica Rabbit Makes Her Debut in “Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin” at Disneyland
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/20 ... isneyland/
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
User avatar
Sotiris
Ultimate Collector's Edition
Posts: 19913
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:06 am
Gender: Male
Location: Fantasyland

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

thedisneyspirit wrote:Good to know we women should be policed on what we wear now to appeal to the Bible thumpers.
The days Disney pandered to conservatives are over. They now pander exclusively to liberals. Well, at least domestically.
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
User avatar
blackcauldron85
Ultimate Collector's Edition
Posts: 16456
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 7:54 am
Gender: Female
Contact:

Re: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

During an appearance on The Tonight Show in 2019, [Eddie] Murphy said that the only movie he ever turned down that became a big hit was Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He went on to say that at the time he didn't understand the mixture of animation and live-action, and that he now feels like an "idiot" every time he sees it.
15 Very Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles, And Some Of Them Truly Regret It Now https://buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/actor ... ovie-roles
Image
Post Reply