Disney's Live Action Dark Age Explained

[@ModernMouse]

Catch up on the entire live action film eras going back to the 1930s here ---> tinyurl.com/4xah83vh

[@haljordan777]

I've watched all of the Disney Dark Age live action films discussed in this video except the Witch Mountain sequels. I did see the Rock's Witch Mountain movie.

[@ModernMouse]

@@haljordan777 that's a ton of movies. I'm not sure how many other people who have watched this video cab say they watched nearly everything I bring up here.

[@haljordan777]

@@ModernMouse Well, I am old and I watched a lot of old movies and shows when I was a kid. When I was young, people described me as an "old soul".

[@ModernMouse]

@@haljordan777 I've commonly been described as an "old soul" but it took me until writing this video to watch The Cat From Outer Space.

[@sebastiang7034]

Your video very well explained. Kurt russell one of the few disney Star who become successful in adulthood. That s extremly rare in this business

[@ModernMouse]

He's had such a long career that most younger people don't even realize he was a teen Disney star. Only time will tell, but there are very few people in the business that started as a child star and grew up to have such a high caliber acting career. He may be on top of that list.

[@JohnPannozzi]

31:36 Raiders of the Lost Ark came out in 1981, not 1982. Unless there was a re-release or theaters still playing older films.

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

The other 2 movies Gene Siskel walked out of were Maniac (1980) and Black Sheep (1996).

[@donaldcass9678]

If you have seen or heard of Ugly Dachshund, Pony in Grey Suit, and island at the Top of the World. These live-action Dinsey movies were realised with the original Winnie the Pooh shorts Honey Tree, Blustery Day, and Tigger Too respectively .

Touchstone Pictures (and Hollywood Pictures later on) was a great move for Disney, and a great advance for releasing content that was not only aimed at children, but also for teenagers and adults, expanding the Disney brand to all ages.

[@SabreRoseTiger]

It's funny how you mention that most people have never heard of a lot of these movies (and that's probably true), because when I was a kid growing up in the 80s and early 90s, we had a lot of these movies (along with a few from the 60s like Mary Poppins and Babes in Toyland, as well as the handful of animated films that Disney allowed on home video back in the days when they were really stingy about that), so call it childhood nostalgia, but I have a lot of affection for stuff like The Cat From Outer Space, The Shaggy DA, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. They are in no way cinematic masterpieces (and I can totally understand being underwhelmed by them if you saw them for the first time as an adult), but they're kind of like comfort food to me.

[@ModernMouse]

I definitely have a few from this era that are like comfort watches. Pete's Dragon, Bedknobs, and the Herbie movies all feel nostalgic for me. I had a ton of VHS tapes growing up in the 80s and 90s but they were mostly the animated features. Having sat down to watch a good amount of these films and looking at them through the lens of the filmmaking business was a bit eye opening. I'm happy that you have those memories (and I wish I had) because some of them are a slog to get through.

[@SabreRoseTiger]

@@ModernMouse Oh, I completely understand that (being a former film student myself). I've never seen the Kurt Russell Disney films or the Apple Dumpling Gang and I'm not sure I'd get much out of them as an adult. I'm sure I have a soft spot for the four or five I do because that's what I grew up on, but I wouldn't want twenty of them (and even with the soft spot, I do still snark on the sillier ones like The Shaggy DA or even Babes in Toyland, even though that was the previous era).

[@ModernMouse]

I watched the Apple Dumpling Gang with my grandfather countless times so it's one of those nostalgic films for me, and the humor is good if you like that classic physical comedy of Charlie Chaplin and what not, but otherwise I totally understand if you never want to see it. Haha.

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Pete's Dragon are the only movies talked about in this video that I saw as a child. Pete's Dragon is my favourite live action Disney film from this era too.

[@ModernMouse]

It's okay. Before making this video I had several films to watch for the first time. Also interesting that Pete's Dragon is your favorite recent live action Disney film. I feel like most people forget about that movie.

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

@@ModernMouse I meant the original Pete's Dragon is my favourite from the live action Disney dark age like you said it was for you in this video. By "this era" I was referring to the era talked about in this video, not the modern era. I wasn't saying the new one is my favourite of the modern era, the new one is a movie that just came and went for me too. I much prefer the original Pete's Dragon over the remake.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

"The Cat from Outer Space" really seemed to try to cash in on "Star Wars" and even more so, "Close Encounters" oddly enough the plot for "Cat" is a little too similar to "E.T", despite being 4 yrs earlier.

[@ModernMouse]

I didn't even think of that but The Cat From Outer Space definitely has those E.T. qualities, but it doesn't really have the heart that Spielberg brought to his film. It's weird. It's not a bad film to watch by any means, but The Cat From Outer Space clearly didn't make a dent because so many films, like the ones you named, were doing sci-fi much better at the time. Unless you seek it out you wouldn't even know that film really exists.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

@@ModernMouse ) a large part is also that the effects aren't as great as in SW or Close Encounters. funny enough, my dad remember seeing ads for the film when it was first released but he didn't see it. We watched it together on Disney+ this summer ( along with the Herbie films, The Rocketeer, Zootropolis, and several other films, not just Disney ) And I'm cat person.......

[@steamboatwill3.367]

there is also the controversy of whenever "E.T" was "inspired" by a script by Satyajit Ray.

[@ModernMouse]

I haven't heard of this. I'll look into it. I love hearing about things like that.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

tho i'm not sure if any writers at Disney had also seen the script or knew about the premise...... of course Disney later made another film about a stranded alien, but this time it was animated, set in Hawaii and with Elvis Presley and it was way more successful.

[@applecoreeater]

I love these history centric videos :)

[@ModernMouse]

Thank you! I know this one was a long time coming. I've already got plans for the next part of the live action era series and it won't be nearly as long of a wait.

[@skylersandoval5504]

Great video Josh! OMG so excited for the next video! ❤💚❤💚

[@ModernMouse]

Thanks Skyler! Joe and I are finishing up writing the Christmas video today. I think it's going to be fun, especially if I can avoid getting Lohaned!

[@katherinegilks3880]

I have a nostalgic soft spot for Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I especially like the ending battle and the music. I also appreciate the character of Miss Pryce and I think, as a kid, part of me wanted to be like her when I grew up. Weird, yes, I know. I think I remember watching some of these on TV and being either confused or creeped out. I don’t think I ever finished The Watcher in the Woods. It seems so strange now to just turn the TV on and start watching something partway through.

[@ModernMouse]

I watched Bedknobs quite a bit at home. I had the VHS tape. I think it my grandfather liked it so we watched that and the Apple Dumpling Gang from this era. It is definitely a weird idea to jump into a halfway done film on TV. Times have definitely changed. I'm sure if you told some younger kids that you used to watch half of a movie they would think you were really weird.

[@chiwhiner]

A lot of my favorite live action Disney movies are from this era - Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Escape to Witch Mountain, Candleshoe, Pete's Dragon, Watcher in the Woods! Maybe a lot of that is nostalgia. Growing up in the 90s our local Fox affiliate would have Saturday afternoon movies after cartoons and they were often Disney movies from this era and occasionally something from earlier like Pollyanna or Blackbeard's Ghost.

[@ModernMouse]

I've found that there are a lot of folks who enjoy these films, but I'd also argue that many of us probably grew up seeing them on VHS at home because they were either our parents films, or there are some folks here who saw these movies in theaters. I know I really loved Pete's Dragon as a kid. I'll be discussing the next era by the end of December/early January. I'm way overdue for it so look forward to that I guess!

[@chiwhiner]

@@ModernMouse Unashamed to admit I still sing along to the Pete's Dragon soundtrack on my way home from work every once in a while. I was really bummed when the songs didn't carry over to the remake. Looking forward to the next video!

[@justint8851]

wow they had both Mermaidman and Barnicle Boy in their live action movies of this era

[@jerichotaetz]

I gotta say. This happens to be my favorite era of Disney live action. Don’t know why - grew up all the dvds. I’ve seen just about all the Disney films from the 70s -81

[@ModernMouse]

There are some really good underrated gems during this time honestly.

10:53 Believe it or not, I have seen every single one of the movies you've talked about in this video 🤣🤣🤣

[@victoriaallen9393]

Nice job on the lengthy Dark Age live action films Josh! I remember as a kid, how in previews of Disney movies I saw, they were advertising for all the those movies back then. I guess this further proves why 😅.

[@ModernMouse]

Plenty of these movies were released on home media with Disney hoping to make back what they put into them. Appreciate the compliments Victoria!

32:08 The guy on the right is none other than John Ritter!!

[@kendramalm8811]

And I remember seeing Barefoot Executive at the drive-in in my jammies!

[@ModernMouse]

Where I lived there was only one drive-in and I only went once. Since moving out to the Los Angeles, I've seen a rise of drive-ins with the Pandemic and I've been dying to go see something. I'd wear my pajamas too!

[@dps4132]

I remember all these movies and watched most of them as well

[@AlmaAlleman]

Hot lead cold feet is surprisingly good

[@ModernMouse]

It's not bad! As far as the comedies of this era goes, it's a fun time. I barely mention it because it's definitely not one of the films most people remember from this era nor does it move the needle forward in any way, but it's an enjoyable movie. Bringing Don Knotts and Tim Conway into the studio as consistent players was a good move.

[@donaldcass9678]

In Mickey Mouse 2013 series they do a take that on Black Hole when its DVD was put under the bed

[@donaldcass9678]

In the original Freaky Friday does it explain why they switch in the remake it was a fortune cookie

[@ModernMouse]

In the original version the mother/daughter only wish for the other to see things from their perspective. It leans on the idea that Friday the 13th is a magical day and that's why it happens. I personally think the fortune cookie idea is better, but that's just me.

[@laotasurfs1110]

Okay, so we're not gonna mention that the "cabin" was Christine McConnell's house? I'm just a big nerd? Cool, cool.

[@laotasurfs1110]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHiaXoR8ZdGWg7c

[@ModernMouse]

You are the first person to recognize it honestly. I didn't wanna make a big deal of it

[@donaldcass9678]

OffTopic have you seen ColinLookback Disney Villain Retrospective?

[@marianlarsen]

I personally love Bedknobs And Broomsticks! I do agree the songs is not as good as Mary Poppins though. Again personally, I did not like the 1976 Freaky Friday movie, but then again, I was a teen when the remake with Lindsay Lohan came out and I love that one. The 1976 movie is better than the 2019 remake though.

[@ModernMouse]

I think Bedknobs is fun, but as far as trying to duplicate Mary Poppins, it fails. I also agree with your Freaky Friday ranking. I'd put the Lohan/Curtis version on top and the 2019 remake at the bottom.

[@PendelSteven]

24:16 But to be fair, Carol Danvers herself is half alien. We all have known this for years like me, right? Or is this a spoiler for an upcoming film? Read the comics, people. Anyhow, so the human / alien hybrid has a cat which is an alien. There's some sort of symmetry in that, see?

[@ModernMouse]

I mainly just wanted to poke fun at how there have been at least two films where a cat was an alien.

[@donaldcass9678]

Isn't Popeye Parmount?

[@ModernMouse]

Yes, Popeye is a joint venture between Paramount and Disney with Disney being their distributor world wide.

[@kendramalm8811]

Finally! Though I don't expect you to kill yourself for us! Anyway, some of my favorite movies from my childhood; Bedknobs, Apple Dumpling, Island at the Top of the World ...

[@ModernMouse]

Haha. I didn't kill myself, but I maybe drank too much with my one cocktail. I don't know. I can't remember how I got back to my house. Joe says it wasn't Lindsay Lohan, but I'm still not sure.

[@kendramalm8811]

@@ModernMouse , watch out for Lyndsay Lohan- she's tricky! 😉

[@DC73843]

There are those that love this era of Disney live action, including myself. My advice is to check out some of these films on your own and form your own opinions.

[@TheNotverysocial]

Are you Li Lo obsessed?