Sunday, October 6, 2024

Disney Releases List of Films for Streaming Service But Omits Most Live Action Hits, as Well As Famously Racist “Song of South”

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Disney has released a list of films from its catalog headed to their streaming service. The list includes all of the “Star Wars” films — to give a push for the upcoming final installment — plus some of their classic animated titles like “Fantasia,” “Lady and the Tramp,” and “101 Dalmatians.” There’s also “Wall-E,” which I will watch first.

But there are many, many titles missing from Disney’s release. To begin with, “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” and “Dumbo”– all recently rebooted in live action versions — are MIA. Disney is still selling them as front line movies. So the animation versions remain off line.

But also not included are Disney’s great Bette Midler movies from the 80s including “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” “Ruthless People,” “Outrageous Fortune,” and “Hocus Pocus.” Also, “The Insider,” the much awarded Michael Mann movie about “60 Minutes” taking on the tobacco industry. For a time, Disney through its Touchstone label made some great films for adults. I hope they’re coming soon.

And very definitely not on the list: “Song of the South,” Disney’s infamously racist 1946 animated feature based on the Uncle Remus stories. It’s been dead and buried for years, and it’s not coming back.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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