Fantasia (1982) movie review - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

[@dja-train2265]

I think Siskel and Ebert were wrong about "Fantasia" on at least one count. I saw the 1990 re-release on opening night (with the original 1940 version of the music). I was 13 and in 8th grade. The whole experience not only stuck with me from a visual standpoint, but it broadened my horizons when it came to classical music in ways I couldn't have possibly imagined it would. So, yes. I do think this film has the potential to change people's minds about music, because it certainly changed my mind.

[@Dr170]

Well, mostly, that's just what happens when you're closer in age to 31 than 13. You get stuck in your ways, and such truly transformative experiences are fewer and further between. I'm glad you had something like my experience... unsurpassable animation craftsmanship besides, it ignited within me a love of classical music that school had, notably, failed to do.

[@jessecoffey4737]

This film originally was released as a theatrical roadshow in thirteen U.S. cities on November 13, 1940. It was well-received on its original release, but was unprofitable due to World War II cutting off European distribution of films made outside of the continent, as well as its high budget, and the expense of leasing multiple theatres at once for any presentation the film may have in Fantasound, an early stereophonic sound reproduction process that was used for the picture. It has since been reissued many times, with the visuals and audio being edited, removed and restored in various forms. It began making a profit when it was reissued between 1969 and 1970 and promoted, perhaps for good reason, as a "psychedelic experience"; it grew so popular among college students that animator Ollie Johnston remarked that they "thought we were on a trip when we made it ... every time we'd go to talk to a school or something, they'd ask us what we were on." This review is of a version that had a digitally re-recorded Dolby Stereo soundtrack and was released on April 2, 1982.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I saw this in college at the time to review for my college paper. At the time I was not aware of the Kostal re-recording of the score, so did not mention it in the review.

[@hipsterelephant2660]

I could have read that on Wikipedia

[@TobeyStarburst]

@@hipsterelephant2660 I know wtf

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@OuterGalaxyLounge What we’ve learned

[@Jbaxter85]

Spectacular well-made animation with great musical numbers, lot of fun. ⭐⭐⭐⭐👍👍👍👍

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

The sorcerer's name is "yensid", which is "disney" spelled backwards.

[@anniefinch6843]

I remembered that this movie is on Disney plus and it's also in the program Once Upon a Studio. But it's also my first favorite Mickey Mouse movie along with Fun and Fancy Free.

[@austindevine248]

Fantasia is a masterpiece

[@Dcuniverse60]

It sucks!!

[@Dr170]

​@@Dcuniverse60Eh, go back to watching your Video Brinquedo classics, ya goof

[@notveryniceatall]

​@@Dcuniverse60You're not very good at trolling haha

[@mikesilva3868]

classic Disney movie 📼

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I remember taking a bus to a multiplex theater way out into the suburbs while in college to see this for my college paper review. I didn't realize at the time that Leopold Stokowski's originally conducted score had been re-recorded for digital stereo by Irwin Kostal, so it was not something I noticed then. I remember seeing several Disney reissues on the big screen during this period: Snow White, Peter Pan, Pinocchio. Dumbo was on TV at the time; maybe it was considered too short a feature for theatrical reissue.

[@patrickshields5251]

kevin r. What is your favorite of the films?

[@katethemikufan9109]

That is interesting. Dumbo was made on a smaller budget at the time, since Fantasia and Pinocchio were expensive to make and both of them didn't do very well from the financial standpoint. So, Dumbo came along and the original distributor RKO told Disney to either cut it down to be a short or make a proper feature length film past the 60-minute runtime. Disney then turned around and told RKO that he'll make an a-movie, a film with a smaller budget and a 69-minute running time, making it one of Disney shortest films in the Animated canon. Dumbo in some ways was successful and has been on TV for a large chunk of the decade. It was, I believe, one of the first Disney films to be released on video. So, there's some Disney trivia for you. ;)

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@katethemikufan9109 True dat

[@he8082]

They didn't do a good job selling it. No clips of the dinosaurs, or the demons and ghosts, or the mythological characters. Did they even mention it was basically vignettes?

[@williamshaw9047]

I think they're given clips to show by the studio. Disney always sells it as "the Mickey Mouse movie" though Mickey's only in it for like 10 minutes.

[@AndrewsMagicandMore]

@@williamshaw9047 That could explain why the clips use the original Leopold Stokowski audio, as Siskel and Ebert point out that the review was for the version of the film with a completely new [at the time] digitized Dolby Stereo re-recording of the film by Irwin Kostal.

[@dja-train2265]

@@AndrewsMagicandMore Clips of the Kostal version are rare. The soundtrack itself is the most common thing about the '82 re-release, since it's currently included in the Disney Legacy Collection soundtrack reissue. A KZbinr just posted a rare 35mm scan of the Kostal trailer a few days ago. I'd love to see that version, but I don't think the CDs would sync to picture on the existing Blu-ray or older VHS.

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@AndrewsMagicandMore Right

[@benjaminparkinson5255]

They made a sequel

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

As Disney oversaw the production of the Pastoral Symphony sequence, he said: "This is going to MAKE Beethoven!"

[@disneyfan8178]

Speaking of Beethoven, Gene was wrong about "Afternoon of a Faun" being in "Fantasia". It was "The Pastoral Symphony".

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@disneyfan8178 Wow

[@mrnocal]

I'll admit that I was never really fond of Fantasia. I love a lot of the Disney animated films, but this one just bored me. My favorite has always been Dumbo. It had great animation, a great story and emotion.

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@AsylumSaint Yay

[@ansumanahargett6227]

This is amazing

[@oobrocks]

A couple of scenes were boring but overall a very good experience

[@hamburgareable]

Nope, thats Debussy´s AFTERNOON OF THE FAUN, not Beethoven.

[@lauracross5776]

"Afternoon of the Faun" is not a piece by Stravinsky either. It is a piece by Debussy, which was not featured in Fantasia. At any rate, Siskel is referring to the Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven.

[@benjaminparkinson5255]

Why change it was perfect the way it was

[@ansumanahargett6227]

I’m not putting any criticism

[@hurleybot]

“Hello, welcome to Based or Cringe Cinema with me; Roger Ebert.”

[@gracemartin3855]

I wonder If They were still Alive, I wonder what They Thought About Present Day Movies, Like, 102 Dalmatians - 2000. A.I Artificial Intelligence - 2001. Spider-Man - 2002. Finding Nemo - 2003. Brother Bear. The Incredible's - 2004. The Passion Of The Christ. King Kong - 2005. The Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - 2005. (and the sequels, Prince Caspian and Dawn Trader). Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Memoirs Of A Geisha - 2005. Corpse Bride. United 93 - 2006. Pan's Labyrinth. Apocalypto. The Queen. Cars. Animated Movie. Happy Feet, Monster House. Charlotte's Web - 2006 Movie. Ratatouille. Transformers - 2007 movie. The Simpsons Movie. Animated Movie. Enchanted. The Golden Compass. Meet The Robinson's. Animated Movie. The Water Horse Legend Of the Deep. Bee Movie. Wall-E. Animated Movie. Bolt. Animated Movie. Horton Hears a Who - 2008 Movie. Avatar. Coraline. Animated Movie. UP. Animated Movie. Fantastic Mr. Fox. Animated movie. The Princess and The Frog Animated Movie. Cloudy With a Chance Of Meatballs Animated Movie. G-Force - 2009 Movie. Night at the Museum Battle For The Smithsonian. Race To Witch Mountain - 2009 Movie. Monsters Vs Aliens. Animated Movie. Toy Story 3. Animated Movie. How To Train Your Dragon Animated Movie. Tangled. Animated Movie. Despicable Me. Animated Movie. Mega Mind. Animated Movie. Alice In Wonderland - 2010 movie. Tron Legacy -2010 movie. Percy Jackson and The Olympians The Lighting Thief - 2010 movie. The Last Air bender. Thor - 2011. Hugo. Green Lantern - 2011. Rango. Animated Movie. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes - 2011. Cars 2. Animated Movie. Brave. Animated Movie. Life of Pi - 2012. Wreck-It-Ralph - 2012. Frankenweenie - 2012. Animated Movie. The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. The Pirates Band Of Misfits. Animated Movie. Frozen - 2013. Despicable Me 2. Monster's University. Animated Movie. The Croods. Thor The Dark World. Oz The Great And Powerful. The Lone Ranger - 2013 Movie. The Lego Movie - 2014 movie. Maleficent. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. Big Hero 6. Animated Movie. Night At The Museum Secret Of The Tomb. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 2014 (and the CGI Animated Version of the same name). Noah. Son Of God. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - 2014 animated movie. The Nut Job. Exodus Gods and Generals. Inside Out - 2015 Animated Movie. Star Wars The Force Awakens. Ant-Man - 2015. Jurassic World. Cinderella - 2015 movie. Tomorrow Land. The Good Dinosaur -2015 Movie (It's kind of Like The Land Before Time). The Peanuts Movie - 2015 movie (Yes I'm a Peanuts Fan). Minions. Animated Movie. Pixels. The Visit. Zootopia - 2016 Animated Movie. The Jungle Book - 2016 Movie. Rouge One a Star Wars Story. Finding Dory. Animated Movie. Moana. Animated. Movie. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Kubo and the Two Strings Animated Movie. GhostBusters - 2016 Movie. The Angry Birds Movie. Animated Movie. Wonder Woman - 2017. Star Wars The Last Jedi. War For The Planet Of The Apes. Coco. Animated Movie. Kong Skull Island. The Lego Batman Movie - 2017. Despicable Me 3. The Greatest Showman. Baywatch - 2017. Black Panther - 2018. Incredible's 2. Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse. Solo A Star Wars Story. Aquaman - 2018. Ready, Player One. Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Venom. Bumblebee. The Grinch. Animated Movie. Joker - 2019. The Lion King - 2019. Toy Story 4. Spider-Man. Spider-Man 2. Spider-Man 3. The Amazing Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Spider-Man Homecoming. Spider-Man Far From Home. Rambo Last Blood. Aladdin - 2019. Dark Phoenix. How To Train Your Dragon 2. How To Train Your Dragon 3. How to Train Your Dragon the Hidden World. Godzilla King Of Monsters - 2019. Shazam. Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker. Frozen 2. Animated Movie. Dumbo - 2019. The Secret Life Of Pets. The Secret Life Of Pets 2. Cars 3. Pokemon The Power Of Us. Pokemon Detective Pikachu.

[@franksmith613]

Ebert was alive when some of those movies came out. He died in 2013.

[@zacharysiple783]

Ebert saw many of those. He gave Passion of the Christ 4/4 stars. www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-passion-of-the-christ-2004

[@ansumanahargett6227]

@@zacharysiple783 Wow, again, Wow!

[@Dr170]

They should be glad they didn't live to suffer through at least two thirds of the movies listed.

[@chicovoylez3216]

Is this one of those old Disney cartoons that is called racist?

[@michaelthecreative1529]

Kind of but not really. It originally featured a small character named sunflower who was depicted as a pickaninny character. The character was then subsequently removed around the civil rights movement, and has never been seen since. That is the only semblance of racism in the film, and even then it’s no longer in there so technically it isn’t a “racist cartoon” anymore.

[@dja-train2265]

@@michaelthecreative1529 The Chinese mushroom dance may in some ways be considered an outdated racist depiction, but it's more whimsical in nature and not as overt as "Sunflower".

[@disneyfan8178]

@@dja-train2265 Some also might argue that Bacchus' zebra centaurette attendants, that are also in "The Pastoral Symphony", could be considered racist.

[@madeleinemcgregor2855]

How would rate Fantasia? I personally give it two thumbs way down.