FANTASIA: Walt Disney's High Art Failure

[@MattDraper]

Where would you rank Fantasia in the history of Disney animation?

[@MutantsInDisguise]

Best Disney film.

[@carsonsmith7314]

Easily one of Disney's best. Right up there with Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins.

[@ginofrancejr555]

One of the all time Disney classics

[@FOXZILLA5734]

In the masterclass ranking

[@jasonmaclean719]

The image of Mickey as the Apprentice alone shows the importance. Right up with Beauty and the Beast's best picture nomination.

[@JohnTLyon]

If this was a failure, it is one of the most beautiful failures in animation.

[@LucyLioness100]

It was a huge financial failure in 1940; the war was a huge factor in hurting its international market & also it cost so much to put on as a roadshow. The critical consensus was mixed at best but of course was reappraised to being beloved

[@MrDman21]

💯

[@davidw.2791]

@@LucyLioness100I can’t believe Gone With The Wind can be a global juggernaut but this (racist tidbits notwithstanding) fails. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ct6852]

I know they lost significant amount of money and it must've really sucked for the company at the time...but it was such a noble chance they took. And on the plus side it gave them a level of credibility they may never have had without it.

[@e-122psi3]

Bambi was a huge failure too, it left Disney relying on package films for the remainder of the forties. Now ask Disney fans and animation historians what they think of either movie.

[@ShogunZIlla]

Is it perfect? No. Is it a masterpiece? Yes.

[@TheMightyPika]

VERY good point. Masterpieces are about expression and communication, not about perfection (because perfection doesn't exist).

[@jacobsantana915]

I've always wondered, why do people even ask if a piece of media is perfect or not? If nothing is perfect, why do we always need to point out that something isn't perfect?

[@sky0kast0]

Sometimes it means it's made for me perfectly or not

[@orangejjay]

Can we name anything that's universally perfect? No. Can we name things that are universally considered masterpieces? Yes.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

@@jacobsantana915 To learn. Analysis doesn't have to be destructive, mean, or shallow. We learn by revisiting our weaknesses + failures, as well as our successes. We try to understand what contributed to both, bc we want more successes & fewer failures.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

When I was younger, like 5 or 6, I thought I was so boring. Now as an adult I think it’s a masterpiece. I really wish Disney would start a series on Disney plus of new shorts every couple months to continue its legacy.

[@Epic_C]

I think Walt Disney had wishes about anything dealing with the reproduction of this specific movie. Apparently they were going to make a video game related to it in the 16-bit era but they cancelled it due to those wishes. Disney is destroying themselves as it is now, if they touched this now, Walt Disney's legacy will be destroyed.

[@elphive42]

@@Epic_C No, that game released. It’s “Fantasia” on the Genesis.

[@philippkemptner4604]

If they did something like that today I'm afraid the animation is gonna be done in a sterile 3D engine and the orchestra comes from a sample library. It wouldn't be the same.

[@luisescamilla3344]

Fantasia was my absolute favorite movie as a kid!!

[@theianmce]

Totally, especially for its time, it would have been mind blowing to see when it came out. Just like the Wizard of Oz

[@juansanchez209]

Night on Bald Mountain is a masterpiece

[@gentelmanjunkie542]

yup was always my favorite

[@paullevine1813]

It had little kids crying in fear at the theaters. Watch it today as as a grown up & it still just as scary & evil as it was then.

[@KatherinaBathory]

Such an amazing one! It made me so afraid as a kid and it was my absolute favourite.

[@DiamondKingStudios]

I don’t think they would make it now, which makes it even more tragic.

[@Ashrudel]

When I think of Fantasia, I always remember this line from The Man Who Came to Dinner. ""Don't worry about it Walt, Beethoven hasn't had a hit in years."

[@glen1ster]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5ndo5iuqMlopM0

[@FOXZILLA5734]

Fantasia is a masterpiece with its stellar animation, amazing music, and such memorable imagry. This was Walt Disney's passion project which he put everything he had into this film and you feel it, this to me is what Disney truly represents a culmination of creativity and imagination and not the corporate giant we know them as today but in a place of passion.

[@connor_who]

I’ll never forget seeing Chernabog in Kingdom Hearts when I was younger and wondering where the hell HE was from. I then discovered both Fantasia and 2000 which had come out a few years prior and it was like slipping into a secret Disney world nobody ever talked about.

[@XxMusicxKelseyxX]

I'm actually at the end of Kingdom Hearts I right now and expect to beat him later tonight. I'm glad he also comes back in Dream Drop Distance in a much more Fantasia way.

[@rigelb9025]

And upon discovering Fantasia, you finally found out where the hell he was from : He was, indeed, *FROM HELL* .

[@TheMormonSorceress]

Chernabog scared my sister and I for years and when we were playing Kingdome Hearts and heard that familiar music we both panicked. I was the first to beat him and I remember screaming to high heaven at my success and getting in trouble with our parents. I since then was ok with that segment and appreciate the team of good and evil that went into it.

[@LetsSingTheDoomSong]

The freaking volcano eruption segment always terrified me as a kid.

[@theduckcompany]

For the amount i mainlined this movie on vhs i would never have known it was a failure.

[@maxxpower3d6]

Some movies get redeemed after their release. Austin Powers, Willy Wonka, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were all flops in their initial theater runs.

[@Adam-kn3tv]

​@@maxxpower3d6Fantasia was supposedly a popular midnight movie to attend while tripping on LSD in the late 60 to mid 70s.

[@midnightsparkinc.2563]

​@@Adam-kn3tvI watched it on acid at home about a month ago. One of the best decisions I ever made.

[@yotsubafanfan]

My elementary school art teacher put on Fantasia 2000 for us in class one day. I loved it so much that after school I picked it out at blockbuster to show it to my twin sister. We were both mesmerized and in love. To this day it fills me up with joy and warmth of nostalgia.

[@SuperThebillybob]

Chernabog still gives me goosebumps to this day. Watching Fantasia as a child, seeing Chernabog float by at night at Disneg World, and fighting him near the end of Kingdom Hearts 1, his sparingly used image is one of Disney's most powerful. Burn all the money and let someone go nuts making Fantasia 3.

[@katherinelynch4193]

Disney has released a few of the segments for a never-released third Fantasia as standalone shorts; The Little Match Girl is absolutely devastating,

[@HAL-vc3of]

The Salvadore Dali segment is incredible.

[@DiamondKingStudios]

That’s what it was from? My family had a DVD collection of short films that had that one. I wish they had made the segments they originally planned in the 1940s but never got around to. Wagner in a _Fantasia_ segment has so much potential.

[@Solitaire001]

Hopefully Disney will return to Walt's plan for "Fantasia": To re-release it every so often with some new segments added, and others removed. It would be like a classical music concert, where the program regularly changes. Since it wouldn't require new animation for the entire movie, it should be able to make a modest profit with each re-release.

[@spiraldown2710]

I love the unicorns, centaurettes, fairies, dinosaurs, and the ballet, and the mount demon playing with the little fire people.

[@SnapperChannel]

The Rite of Spring and Ave Maria pieces remains some of my favorite pieces of animation. Honestly, 2000 is pretty underrated; obviously more compromised in the Eisner era of commercialism, but Rhapsody in Blue, Pines of Rome and Firebird Suite manage to keep the spirit of the original Fantasia alive. Also, if people want some more interesting Mickey they should check out Epic Mickey and the early comics such as Zombie Coffee. Great video as always

[@MattDraper]

Love Zombie Coffee!

[@chelmrtz]

Firebird is really cool because A) Stravinski is so iconic that he gets a slot on both movies and 2) I get strong Miyazaki vibes from the animation.

[@nickperkins8477]

Michael Eisner came to the Disney company in a “Publish Or Perish “ era for it. In that way, his tenure is not dissimilar to the early times that birthed Fantasia. After 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt knew he couldn’t rest on laurels if he wanted to keep the doors of the young studio open. When Eisner arrived at Disney, it was a faded grand dame spinning its wheels. His tenure, from 1984-2005, gave the company legitimacy again. He had to focus on commercialism, because without the finances from it, the company would have been purchased by an outside entity, likely, and dissolved.

[@joestrike8537]

I didin't realiize Fantasia 2000 was a stingy 75 minutes long, thought it was 90 - which would've still been much shorter than the original's 2 hour running time. The Carnival of the Animals short is practically a throwaway compared to the similar "funny animals" Dance of the Hours segment. At least Donald's Pomp & Circumstance is long enough to tell a full story - and although "Pines of Rome" is one of my favorite classical music pieces, that segment feels long and draggy, and in my opinion could've used some tightening up.

[@melinewaller1129]

When I was a senior in high school I was taking AP art and we did a Saturday class to work on our portfolios. Our teacher put on Fantasia figuring it would be good background music and some inspiring art. We were all so mesmerized that we weren’t working on our art and she had to turn it off

[@lovelo8780]

Wow, that's amazing

[@chelmrtz]

Dance of the Hours is so underrated among all the fantasía segments. It’s silly and fun without being too much

[@BadWebDiver]

Totally agree! I love this and the Alan Sherman parody.

[@miriamrosemary9110]

Growing up, I watched Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 over and over again. I loved them, and despite struggling to get other friends interested in them, I never grew tired of watching them. Interesting to get some background on them. Good video!

[@SK-yx7hm]

I say this with all compliments but this was the best failure of all time. What I mean by that is this movie will stand the test of time by only being one of a kind. There will never be another movie like this ever, and thats what makes this my favorite movie. There is literally no words to describe this movie besides pure art and pure artistic drive to create.

[@DamonNomad82]

2:23 Minor correction: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first ever AMERICAN feature-length animated film, as well as the first one with spoken dialogue and the first one with traditional hand-drawn animation. The first "feature-length animated film", however, was a German-made silhouette animated film titled "The Adventures of Prince Achmed," with a story line based on some of the stories from the "Arabian Nights". It was released in 1926. There were also two even earlier Argentinian cardboard cutout animated films that are sometimes claimed as the first feature-length animated films, but those were shorter than what is usually considered "feature length" (though much longer than any other animated production up to that time) and were both lost in a 1926 fire. They also lacked the international appeal of either "Prince Achmed" or "Snow White", as they were made to satirize Argentinian politics rather than to entertain by adapting classic popular stories.

[@annien.1727]

Fantasia may have started out as a failure in the past, but over time it had turned into a successful triumph. Fantasia is one of my all-time favorite Disney films.

[@Lohengrin1850]

6:18 I found out, by rewatching Fantasia recently, that The Nutracker as a Christmas phenomenon didn't actually occur until well after this was made!! I always thought as a kid that "nobody performs it nowadays" from Deems Taylor was sarcasm but he was serious. How odd, seeing as how I cannot even think of Christmas time without the Nutcracker ballet!

[@matthewcole4753]

It's crazy that the Ballet was not performed in full in New York City until 1954, a full 14 years after Fantasia. And that's the first time!

[@madwhitehare3635]

This is an American thing...doesn't it get boring, tge same wtory every year? In England we have pantomime - so entertaining and each one based on a classic fairytale.

[@sonyakinsey4376]

I watched this constantly as a child. It was my introduction to classical music and animation. Still into both today. Not the best quality recordings, but I've seen all this music live now because I had this VHS tape to start.

[@ct6852]

Have you ever seen it performed in concert?

[@sonyakinsey4376]

@@ct6852 Not as a whole, but I've seen all the individual pieces live, except maybe one or two from the opening.

[@ct6852]

@@sonyakinsey4376 It's so good. The whale one and fire mountain literally made me cry.

[@carsonsmith7314]

While Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney film, I'm the first to admit that Fantasia is the highest work of art that Disney ever made. Easily one of the studio's greatest, maybe even the best-animated films of all time.

[@juansanchez209]

I'd argue that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the highest work of art that Disney ever made. While pedestrian by modern sensibilities, that film was revolutionary and downright experimental when it was first released. To say that it changed the course of animation in the United States would be an understatement

[@carsonsmith7314]

@@juansanchez209you do make an amazingly fantastic point.

[@loogoo]

I saw this as a child when Disney re-released it in theaters in the late 60s. I remember asking my mom to take me back to see it again the next day (same thing with 2001: A Space Odyssey - I was that kind of kid!). It instilled in me a love of those classical pieces and inspired me to explore more repertoire through the years since.

[@king_supreme1102]

The idea of putting visuals to classical music I think is brilliant, pure, and timeless. That’s what we do to varying extents whenever we listen to music or read books. Our imagination puts visuals to the information we’re taking in. Fleshing those ideas out and putting them on film is awesome. It’s also cool because usually film works in the opposite way. Where the music is trying to match what’s happening on screen. Here the visuals are trying to match the music. I also love that the film utilizes visual storytelling so prominently. That is film in its purest form imo. It’s typically the X Factor between whether or not I consider a film great. I think it’s a fantastically creative idea that can be engaging for anybody. And it’s an idea I’d love to see carried on forever. To me it’s like pairing music in its purest form with film in its purest form. I’d love to see it done more, warts and all. I think we need to lean into art a lot more, in a time where the casual moviegoer doesn’t even consider film “art”. They see it as entertainment.

[@host_theghost507]

Great overview of my all-time favorite classic Disney film. One thing about the Nutcracker Suite: at the time Fantasia was made, the Nutcracker was not yet a holiday tradition in this country. Deems Taylor mentions that the full ballet was almost never performed. It was the Mikhail Baryshnikov/Gelsey Kirkland television broadcast in 1977 that revived it and made the ballet a Christmas favorite. It's fortunate that the ballet was almost forgotten in 1940, since it meant the audience had no preconceptions and the animators were free to craft their own narrative.

[@brianjacobson297]

This film is the reason I am still playing the violin.

[@MBulteau]

The visual segment for the Toccata and Fugue is constantly underrated, and here is no exception.

[@TheMormonSorceress]

Somthing about The Rite of Spring spoke to me as a kid and still dose to this day.

[@morecontenttalk7077]

I really liked Fantasia. I found it mesmerizing. You just couldn't stop watching it. It's better than most films that are made currently.

[@AverageAlbertX]

This movie's last segment used to scare the hell out of me. I still love this movie to this very day. Chernabog is such an iconic disney villain, the other segments are also fun to watch. It's a masterpiece

[@NSJonesy94]

I have a very vivid memory from when I was 4-6 of a nightmare where the Chernabog was looking in my window. I STILL don’t like having uncovered windows when i need to sleep. Always loved Fantasia! Excellent video, I think I’m due for a rewatch on Disney+. Been a long time!

[@foxyfoxington2651]

The whale segment always reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[@albertwalderhaug2601]

I never thought of it that way! I totally see it now, excellent perspective!

[@rigocolas]

Milk+toast = Wednesday

[@Cinemactik]

Disney & Dali's Destino deserves it's own analysis.

[@renzokuken7777]

I wondered why they didn't make a Fantasia 3 instead of Wish for their 100 year Anniversary/farewell to Mickey. But seeing that Fantasia didn't go over that well makes a little more sense...

[@orangejjay]

Probably because they wanted to make something that was more likely to bring them a return for their shareholders. Fantasia hasn't exactly been known for that.

[@ratrap1984]

I absolutely loved Fantasia as a kid and gave me a great appreciation for classical music! If i were to fix Fantasia 2000, I would cut Sorcerers Appreciate for Pomp and Circumstance, add Boléro by Maurice Ravel and make Gustav Holst The Planets Suite.

[@Polyphemus47]

The Planets! YES! "Bolero" was one of the pieces animated for the Italian film 'Allegro non Troppo', 1976. Bruno Bozzetto's parody of Fantasia.

[@amcmanusmusic]

We had Fantasia on VHS when I was a kid and I watched it not knowing anything about it. I don’t understand why it’s considered impenetrable for people as I was just a normal kid and I was totally enchanted by it and watched it over and over. It seemed pure and highly artistic to me and like I had discovered something special!

[@GioTheVax]

A few years ago a group of friends and I decided we wanted to watch all the Eisner-era Disney sequels. We got to Fantasia 2000 after being truly beaten down by Belle's Magical World and Pocahontas II, and there was a noticeable shift in attitude in all of us. I think we wept by the end of Pines of Rome, it was really beautiful. That marathon changed us and Fantasia 2000 has a place of honor above the fireplace.

[@paulcooper3611]

Don't get me wrong. I love 'Fantasia' but I think its greatest influence was the response by, Italian, Bruno Bozzetto: 'Allegro non troppo'. When 'Fantasia' was first released on VHS, my wife and I ordered both films. The response from the clerk at the video store was, "Okay, you guys are the third couple today to order both films. What's the deal with 'Allegro non troppo'? I've never heard of it." We pointed out that it was in stock to rent at the store. He, grudgingly, admitted that he had to give it a try. When we went to pick the films up three weeks later, the same clerk waited on us and said that he had also ordered both films. The segment with the cat in the wrecked building to 'Valse Trust' is one of the most moving pieces of animation I have ever seen.

[@springsogourne]

I adored and still adore this movie. Nothing like this is being made today or ever will be again.

[@hdervish2497]

I've loved this one since I was little. I loved 2000 when it came out too. I have always been willing to sit down and let animation and music take me on a journey

[@Polyphemus47]

I'm in that club, too.

[@monovision566]

Rhapsody In Blue is arguably the best piece in either film. It really is that good. It’s so narratively coherent and nuanced, and it deftly tells multiple stories in a resonant way.

[@spongebobcoolduke1537]

Fantasia 2000 is an underrated classic that deserves more recognition

[@sheilaholmes8455]

I saw it in the theater in the 70’s when I was in college. We got high of course and loved it!!! I still do.

[@Glorious_Lily]

fantasia was my cocomelon growing up - my ass would just sit there & stare at it completely mesmerized

[@montyabeyta8479]

I wish they would have added “Peter and the Wolf” to Fantasia 2000. It was a terrific short by Disney that really got me interested in Classical music.

[@randolphwilliams2365]

I never thought of Fantasia as a failure on any level except popular appeal. I guess we could consider the Mona Lisa a failure because everyone in the world hasn't seen it.

[@1986arivera]

Fantasia has always been my favorite Disney production. Even from very young.

[@fitnessfreak7851]

I saw Fantasia as a child and I loved it!! Both films are amazing and it’s wonderful to see artistic endeavors at work! My two favorites: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the first film and the George Gershwin “Rhapsody in Blue” piece in the second.

[@Firguy]

Rhapsody in Blue is so good.

[@billygarcia9885]

I feel like Make Mine Music, Melody Time and Fun & Fancy Free were ersatz sequels to Fantasia; granted, they didn’t label them as such, and all 3 films were anthology collections, but some of the scrapped segments for an ongoing updated Fantasia made their way into those films. My favorite is Bumble Boogie, which is a jazzy reinterpretation of the Flight of the Bumblebee.

[@maximusprime3459]

I actually prefer these anthology animated films to most of the rest of the Disney animated output. My favorite bits from those are 'All the Cats Join In', 'Since You've Gone', 'Blue Bayou', 'The Whale That Wanted to Sing at the Met', and a few others.

[@BadWebDiver]

Love Pecos Bill and Little Toot. And Johnny Appleseed.

[@michaelhurley3171]

A million times better than anything Disney has put out recently. This and Pinocchio are my favorite Disney movies of all time!

[@alixedent7127]

Along with 'Peter and the Wolf' and 'Carnival of the Animals' this was considered a bulwark of Classical music education for kids of a certain generation. It had been so for my mother and, by the time my brothers and I came along, it was also made a part of our musical education. I loved it - still do, for all its silliness but it really did get us listening closely to the music. Thanks for this. Great stuff.

[@drbassface]

Great movie. Expanded my love of music at a very young age.

[@heatherjones6647]

I loved Fantasia when I first saw it almost 40 years ago and I love it now.

[@Replicaate]

Fantasia was my favorite Disney movie as a young kid, probably because it had no dialogue or 'story' that couldn't be conveyed in images only. Just beautiful imagery and great music. To this day I can't hear "The Rite of Spring" without thinking of fighting dinosaurs. I have a soft spot for Fantasia 2000 as well, for all that it's not quite the masterwork that 1940 is. I give it points for some really unique art styles, 'Rhapsody in Blue' is probably one of my favorite things ever animated in that regard. And 'Firebird' still sometimes brings me to tears even as a jaded grownup.

[@chelmrtz]

Also I saw the Chicago Symphony Orchestra present Fantasia last fall. They did a blend of pieces from both films with live music from the orchestra with the animation pieces displayed on a big screen in the orchestra hall. It looks like it’s a new version of the road show as the production has been touring for a few years. Decades later it’s fulfilling its destiny as a masterpiece.

[@Whiteshirtloosetie]

Original Fantasia a masterpiece and my favorite Disney Cartoon of all time. Kept playing it over and over again. So pleased the comedy element was kept to a sensible minimum.

[@ssyparkk]

I watched fantasia on vhs as a child to till it wore out. The music and animation was so captivating to me. Rewatched it again as an adult on LSD made me had in awe. The fact they made this in the 40’s. All hand drawn. Perfection in my eyes. Ave Maria had me in tears.

[@BillTxn]

As a child, I was mesmerized by Fantasia and saw it several times. It remains one of my favorite Disney productions.

[@jrr2480]

It won't be long until this movie is in the public domain and being 100 years old.

[@whitelioness87]

Speaking as a former Disneyphile who was known as “The Disney Girl” in college-if Disney re-released this masterpiece in theaters today with 7.1 surround sound and a full digital restoration…I would go see it every. single. day with a large tub of movie theater popcorn! My parents bought this one on VHS when I was 5, and I was utterly transfixed by the experience…particularly Night On Bald Mountain. I’ve renounced the company-BUT this film (along with Sleeping Beauty) are absolute high art pictures that can only be appreciated in a cinematic experience. Start petitioning for this one to be re-released if you love hand-drawn animation!

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

Only if it's unedited. If I can give Disney Plus some credit is that it atleasts presents the so called "problematic" films unedited as intended. Pretty sure the last Fantasia physical release edited out the centaurs.

[@ladaveny1]

Sometimes, it is important to simply enjoy beauty and imagination for its own sake and not try to diminish it!

[@scottgilesmusic]

The conductor and arranger was Leopold Stokowsky. Looking at the correspondence between Disney and Stokowsky, it's apparent they were the brains primarily responsible for the concept.

[@ricucci-hillmusic]

Great break down of both of the Fantasia movies! Honestly, I could see Disney’s original goal of releasing new Fantasias being easier to do now-a-days. Maybe make one segment every year, every few years, release a new set of them, or even as a mini-series every year on Disney+. Fantasia was definitely a huge inspiration as to why I became a composer as a kid, because I was exposed to these awesome pieces of music and really could connect with them! I think it would help others realize that classical music is not some far-off, distant thing and would be a great way to expose younger people to the genre. :)

[@e-122psi3]

Seriously I'd rather see Disney push for more ambitious Fantasia type animation pieces via their streaming services than milk Star Wars and their live action remake cash cows until they're dry.

[@jonelledixon]

Fantasia 2000 went TRIPLE PLATINUM in my house when i was a kid. Literally every night I would fall asleep watching it. In my eyes, it is nothing close to a failure ❤ I’ll always cherish Fantasia 2000

[@Zed-fq3lj]

A unique masterpiece, nothing similar came before nor after Fantasia!🤩

[@Alaryicjude]

I watched the Heck out of Fantasia as a kid and it's still amazing. I thought it was a masterpiece then and I think the same now. Fantasia 2000 not so much, yeah. I think the segment with the Greek gods and etc was always my favorite bc of both the Pegasus and all of the centaur people. I always wanted to be *that* kind of horse-girl...

[@oklaclarinet]

In reference to The Nutcracker, hardly anyone in the US in 1940 would have associated the music with Christmas, as the first US production of the full ballet was in San Francisco in 1944, and the version that became the most iconic, Balanchine's NYC production, didn't debut until 1954.

[@MrWill9002]

It really is a sin that they stopped doing such masterpieces

[@Raulfigtree]

Rhapsody in Blue and Firebird Suite from fantasia 2000 was what put me on the path to be an artist. I was 5.

[@ct6852]

Yeah those were incredible. The Nutcracker was my other favorite.

[@Jackfromshack]

Classical music and classical animation. 2 things in life i adore. Thank you for telling me about this!

[@Jen.NewYork]

Really wish Disney would revisit Fantasia over anything they're currently doing. Not like Fantasia 2000 (which I do love) but with all these symphonies and orchestras that are focusing on video games, anime's, etc - I feel like Disney could really capture magic and add spectacle to the space by doing a version of Fantasia live with the animations playing on a screen.

[@mechajay3358]

The two Fantasia movies that Walt and his Nephew Roy spearhead might have not got the attention it deserved for their times, but they really brought forth the medium of animation in an stellar artistic fashion.

[@6thwilbury2331]

Whoa... I was very pleasantly surprised to hear someone's admiration of the "Rhapsody In Blue" portion of Fantasia 2000. I bought that movie as one of my first DVD purchases, and the entire purchase was only because that slice of Gershwin's repertoire is my mom's all-time No. 1 piece of music. Overall, I was disappointed with Fantasia 2000 but the "Rhapsody In Blue" part is perhaps my favorite segment from either of the two films.

[@Mr17051963]

Fantasia is pure Disney spirit from the old times!

[@jamesa.romano8500]

I feel like for all the talk of how Wish is supposed to be the "origin story" for Disney, I always felt like Fantasia covered that territory pretty well... Rite of Spring was evolution and the development of the species, Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria was the spiritual battle between good and evil in its most primal form, Pastoral Symphony showed the pagan Mythology, and Sorcerer's Apprentice was like the literal beginning of the "magic." I should note that's not set in stone that's just how I personally viewed it canonically and it always seemed to make sense...

[@clurkroberts2650]

Without a doubt, Fantasia was an amazing masterpiece. True, it wasn’t a wildly profitable film upon release, but it was an artistic piece which was unmatched from any studio. Technically, it was challenging; artistically it was wildly adventurous. It brought its colorful art to the masses, and an orchestration for the world to enjoy.

[@lynxoffinland]

I was a kid and this and the Little Mermaid were my favorites back at the time. I even enjoyed the Fantasia console game for Sega, I remember playing it alot!

[@andreannelea7664]

Speak for yourself! Def. A classic. Beautiful to have in the background for the music and visuals. There is a techno house club in Miami called space that plays the movie on these vintage tvs by the bar ! Super cool

[@dmark1922]

I was 14or 15 when the 1969 revival came to town.My image of Fantasia was the dancing hippos and such. As we waited eagerly for the previous audience to leave and let us in for the next showing, I was surprised at the somber expression of the people coming out of the theater... Of course, they had just experienced Night on Bald Mountain!

[@nombre624]

That failure is the best picture made by disney ever

[@joestrike8537]

I must've seen Fantasia over 1,000 times since its 1969 re-release (quite of few of those viewings under the influence of psychedelics, I confess) so for me it will always be my favorite Disney film. (Wish I could be one of the centaurs in the Pastorale sequence, or visit the Dance of the Hours' universe; I still have a huge crush on Ben Ali Gator...don't judge me!) Seriously, almost any filmmaker working in sci-fi, fantasy or non-realistic films in general is called a "visionary" these days - but Walt is the only one who truly deserves the accolade. He almost single-handedly turned primitive animation into a technically sophisticated medium, he essentially created stereophonic sound...oh,and he invented the theme park while he was at it, which simply didn't exist before Disneyland.

[@DestinyPifer]

When I first saw it as a child I thought it was super boring and couldn't stand it. As an adult and an artist myself I am blown away by how creative it is!

[@ratgirl34]

I loved Fantasia as a kid. Pretty sure it impacted how I enjoy music.

[@DanielPerez-sg1on]

I always loved when my national tv channel streamed Fantasia, it's a great part of my childhood and my motivation to create art

[@sammylane21]

Night At Bal Mountain, I know this intro to well, well enough that even as an adult I excuse myself before it even starts. 😂

[@sammylane21]

I know it was only a clip but you have to use the terrifying clip in Night At Balder Mountain, Matt Draper, now that theme is in my head again.

[@Emulous79]

10/10. I saw it as a kid and was blown away. Pure magic.

[@davidgarside2620]

Fantasia was a revelation to me at the age of eight. It brought an appreciation of classical music to me and the visually stunning animation both delighted and terrified me. Fantasia 2000 was such a disappointment for me.

[@goranisacson2502]

Have not seen Fantasia 2000, but I did watch Fantasia as an adult and I honestly think I would've liked to see it as a child... at least the ones that have characters in it. The more mood-setting animations like the intro and the waveform-stuff, not so much. Though I imagine, considering how badly I reacted to Land Before TIme, The Rite of Spring would have me even more emotional... also, I must say it- Fantasia made for the best Kingdom Hearts level so far.

[@ct6852]

I didn't really appreciate it as a kid because there was no story. But definitely did later. 2000 is arguably better imo.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

14:45 there's an early German silent film, a retelling of Faust, where the specific devil imagery might be drawn from/inspired by

[@andriygriffin4782]

My second favourite film. Watched it first at 13 years old and for two hours was transported. Came out in a daze and a rejuvenated love for animation

[@IsuiGtz]

What's your favorite film? and third for that matter.

[@TaylorRussell_TheAnimator]

In today's day, I could very easily see Fantasia 3 as not a movie, but a collection of shorts, sorta like Love Death and Robots but more than 5% of the shorts will actually be good.

[@c.w.r.794]

I always thought what the Disney animation would have looked like or how it would have been different had the public embraced this film as much as they did Snow White, which up until Cinderella was the highest grossing film the company had made.

[@PantaroParatroopa]

I feel like a Disney+ series could be a good platform for a new Fantasia installment. New episodes released on a weekly basis could recapture the roadshow revisions idea. Also, worth noting, Eric Goldberg animated the Carnival of the Animals segment of Fantasia 2000 all by himself.

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the amazing video Matt. ❤ your videos

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

Masterpiece!👏👏👏👏👏❤💯

[@arthursworld7302]

Fantasia was my favorite movie growing up. My mom thought it was so weird that I liked it so much

[@maitaniyama]

My VHS tape of Fantasia was running almost nonstop in my house when I was very young. Apparently I used to walk around the house “conducting” music😂 I was also terrified of the end of Rite of Spring, but Night on Bald Mountain I was entranced by