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This author is a frequent guest on one of my favorite podcasts, WDW Radio, where he discusses, in great depth, the history of Disney, both the man and the company. He's always fascinating, and really goes deep into his subjects.This book is sort of split in half, with the first half going into the history and production of the controversial film "Song of the South." Pretty much every aspect is examined in-depth, with information on the animators, writers, actors, the controversies surrounding it...
This was a very insightful book. Anybody who is a fan of Disney needs to read this. It does talk about Song of the South like it promises (things like the actors, the music, and the premiere), but it also goes into detail about a number of other controversies (such as Sunflower from Fantasia). It's apparent that the author did a lot of research to get the facts straight. I hope that someday Disney will finally open up and release the movie in America (which will probably never happen), but until...
Turns out, there are not that many scandalous stories from the world of Disney. I did appreciate getting more background on “Song of the South”, and I found the chapter on “Kingdom in the Sun” / “Emperor’s New Groove” really interesting. However, it’s not a keeper.
If you want to find out the truth behind some of your favorite Disney movies, or even the Dark side of Disney Jim Korkis will tell it to you straight. He delves deep into the past of Disney by conducting many interviews with current and ex Disney workers. Listen not everything in life is all happy Joy-Joy, but the things that happen to us make us what we are today, and Disney is itself a very reputable company.
Another great book from Jim Korkis, as always very well written and incredibly researched.The first half if this book is about the entire history of Song Of The South, from the novels on which it was based to its legacy today. The second half is a selection of shorter stories about equally risque disney subjects from alterations of classic Disney features and shorts, to cancelled projects such as The Rainbow Road Of Oz.This book is a must read for fans of Disney history.
A very good account on a much talked about Film.I remember this movie from my childhood.Then I didn’t know there were so much about it countervasity around it .I found this very insightful and the other scandals with movies was really interesting.
It is fascinating that THE SONG OF THE SOUTH has been a "forbidden Disney film" for so long, and I fear that "keeping it in the vault" has only reinforced the perception that it is an overtly racist film. This book, with a very perceptive Forward by former Disney artist, Floyd Norman, may help to lay this perception to rest. As an avid film collector, I was one of those who had to seek out a bootleg copy in order to see the film. (Mine was a copy of a Japanese laserdisc release...in English, but...
I’m a huge fan of all things Disney, but this book was a little too detailed even for me. It was very repetitive and the writing felt unpolished. I almost felt like I was reading a high schoolers essay at points. There were a lot of details that I didn’t care about and that seemed only vaguely related. You can find better Disney books to spend your time reading.
I was very much looking forward to Jim Korkis' detailed info on the stories Disney doesn't want us to know. However, this book is a bit of a letdown. While the "Song of the South" info is good - it's not great. Chapters are very short, and provide the same amount of information I could get from a few articles and Wikipedia. The later stories are lacking as well, many with abrupt endings and telling very little information.I did enjoy reading about "Kingdom of the Sun" and a few other tidbits, bu...
It was for sure an interesting read, and I do love me some forbidden Disney stories, but the whole thing just seemed extremely biased and kind of straight up ignores the very real reasons that people have problems that people have with this movie, which just feels insensitive at best and willfully ignorant at worst. But it was still an entertaining read.
Interesting Informative IconicWalt Disney will forever be an icon of entertainment. Being the age that I am (71) I grew up with Walt Disney and his fantastical world. I was able to connect with much of what was written in this book. Song of the South: now I know why I haven't been able to find it. I loved the Uncle Remus stories and I loved Uncle Remus. It is a very interesting read and I appreciate the opportunity to learn about the behind-the-scenes.
Disney HistoryI love pop culture history and Disney history is just great! This book touched on things I had never heard and if you like Disney history it’s a fun read!
Only about 25% of the book actually deals with Song of the South. There are some interesting stories, but this won't really give you a very in-depth look at the making of or controversy surrounding the film. The bulk of the book deals with other "embarrassing" Disney stories that the company would rather not be known - some of which aren't too scandalous, but are still interesting. One of the more fascinating stories was the the one about what The Emperor's New Groove COULD have been. I'd love t...
The writing style was not my cup of tea, it was very clinical. I was very interested in the Song of the South information because of all the controversy surrounding the film.
The portion of the book dedicated to Song Of The South was very thorough, and the section titled Other Forbidden Stories included a wide variety of subjects. That said, I found some of the 'Forbidden Stories' more interesting than others. The tone of the book was also very academic, which makes sense in context, but for me it made the book less engaging. Anyone who has sat through a boring history class will tell you that sometimes it's the presentation, and not the subject matter, that makes hi...
This books presents a lot of information regarding the creation of the Song of the South, however I was expecting to read more untold secrets or lore the would shed more light regarding what lead to its controvesy.
I saw a copy of "Song of the South" at WorldCon in 2011, and it was great. This book makes a strong case for its re-release. I only read the SotS chapters, and not the several anecdotes about other banned stuff, so it's a rating based on that film in particular. Long- winded but informative.
I did say in my review of The Revised Vault of Walt that I didn't think I would see eye to eye with Korkis about The Song of the South. Surprise, I don't. I think it would be fair to sum up his argument as follows: Disney Studios at large weren't intentionally making a racist film, most or all charges of racism are based on an understandable misunderstanding of the movie's time period, and that Disney should re-release the movie because, with some sort of contextual feature, it wouldn't be that
This is a book that cracks open the vaults and reveals the truth - or the truth as far as the author could uncover - regarding not only the history behind the mixed animation and live-action film based on the Uncle Remus stories: The Song of the South. Along with an in-depth look at the reasons behind its future in the Disney crypts. A movie - as far as children were concerned - was about a gentle man telling tales about bears, and rabbits and foxes while teaching them even as Aesop's fables tea...
Tidbits of unknown Disney historyThis book is required reading for all Disney fans. It contains so much more than "Song of the South" facts! Covering some minutiae of production, and the thought processes used in developing (and canning) projects within the Studios. The details regarding Tim Burton's employment at Disney, UFO's, and communism are well worth your time. Park and movie materials are covered in detail. A great read...