Pulp Fiction was the highest grossing live-action movie Disney released in 1994. Yes, you read that right. It hauled in an adjusted $400+ million worldwide for the company, and the only other mouse house film to convince more people to sit in a dark box that year was The Lion King. This movie's release was a cultural sonic boom, yet its integral place in Disney's transformation into a behemoth has effectively been forgotten.
So much digital ink has been spilled…
A shimmering maelstrom of the dueling art and commerce that has indelibly defined the company, Fantasia remains a citadel of the conceit of "Disney" drilled down to its essence.
Arguably the creative scaffolding of so much that has sparked from the foundational layers Walt built, I view Fantasia as the central nexus of Disney's business model. Captivated or confounded by it, there's really no denying that it's one of the earliest triumphs in manufacturing what Disney calls "magic", a construct…
There's a great moment in this where the world's largest hip hop convention is held at the Buena Vista Palace. I can't help but be a little slackjawed finding a woefully overlooked Miramax release, about rap no less, partially filmed at Disney World.
The Palace isn't owned or operated by Disney, but is instead one of those resorts that function within WDW's boundaries. This film refers to it as a Disney-owned hotel, but it's actually not. An easy, essentially meaningless…
Going to use the Jonas Brothers to talk about Taylor Swift's increasingly tight relationship with Disney, because why not.
It's a trip watching this 15 years later and realizing Taylor's buried within it in a borderline-forgotten appearance. And yet, I'd argue the small moment where she's doing her thing stands out. Both as the film's highlight, and as a bit of foreshadowing. The movie itself was a surprise flop, climbing just a hair over $20 million globally. Clearly the idea…
Very likely the end of an era. After a remarkable, frequently underestimated 25 year run, Disney Channel Original Movies are probably not much longer for this world.
The network's days are numbered with the rise of Disney+ and, while the opening titles don't brand this as a DCOM, it's ultimately labeled as one by the end credits. There's a solid chance this will be the last live-action musical Disney Channel film ever made, arguably the genre…
Can you imagine having a failing grape farm in Fresno in the mid-'50s and decide the music industry can't possibly be any harder, so you risk everything and move your family to L.A. and spend your last $200 on a fancy recording device that slows and speeds voices? And suddenly you've (literally) squeaked out two of the bestselling songs of all-time, rescued the record company that signed you from bankruptcy, and completely transformed your future?
And then, half a century…
