Black Cauldron Explored - Disney's Darkest And Most Intense Animated Movie That World Has Forgotten

[@dreamguardian8320]

When I was a little kid, I use to wonder why I could not find this movie anywhere in the movie theaters or the video rentals. Then one day, many years later while watching the video movie of Flubber, I saw the trailer for the Black Cauldron and was thrilled. When it came out and I watched it, I could see why Disney kept it hidden for so long. It may have been scary and dark at some spots, and the Horned King may have been terrifying, but it was trying to prove that cartoons and 2D animation is not just for kids, but for teens and adults as well. Don Bluth tried to be part of making this movie for a time, and if he succeeded and had it his way, we could probably still have his 2D animated movies around today.

[@gerardorodriguez7500]

There are some Disney movies that some people forget like Treasure Planet and Atlantis the lost empire

[@alphaclean3364]

Those 2 are probably my favorite Disney animated movies. They are almost up on the level of Titan A.E (my all-time favorite)

[@TyronBezzina]

Forgot princess and front along with the hunchback of notre dame. anastasia is an honorable mention

[@steveyoung5811]

Loved it, one of my favourites. If they created a full live action series of the Chronicles of Prydain. It would rival Lord of the Rings.

[@xavieravila3037]

I heard that Disney is going to remake it from msmojo.

[@vorpal120]

Yeah, I grew up with Lloyd Alexander's books, C.S. Lewis, and the Choose Your Own Adventures Books. If Willow is any indication on how they will make a new fantasy adventure series it might not work very well. If Guillermo del Toro had the reigns then it would turn out amazing indeed.

[@dagoelius]

If it was made today it would be a disaster. Hollywoke of today is a corpse of its former creative glory.

[@darrenbent7601]

I haven't forgotten about it, it is one of my favourites. I'd love a live action remake done of this one, IF IT IS DONE RIGHT!

[@carlozabbia1157]

Directed by Tim Burton....

[@darrenbent7601]

@@carlozabbia1157 I totally agree with that one, or the Duffer Brothers.

[@pinseekergaming4760]

​@darrenbent7601 Richard Rich must be producer he helped with the original

[@shainewhite2781]

A lot of animated scenes were filmed but cut from the movie, which involved an army of the living dead attacking our heroes and all that is left of the scene is animation cels.

[@maxleon61702]

Holy cow.

[@brandonluna2292]

This film can certainly be suggested as one of, if not, the most controversial Disney and/or animated film of all time. Almost like what The Exorcist was to people in 1973 is kind of what The Black Cauldron was to people in 1985. But it is a ridiculously underrated classic.

[@kaylaturnis9486]

I love Disney movies 🐭🏰✨! The Black Cauldron is not a bad Disney movie to watch although it, sadly, lost to The Care Bears Movie! The style of classic Disney movies are unique and Disney movies always leave us with a good feeling inside us all, and gives us hope for a better tomorrow!!! ❤ John Hurt, who played John Mark in The Elephant Man played The Horned King!!!

[@nightflame69]

Still have to say that this is one of my favorite Disney movies. Though I have to say that the horn king and his undead army terrified me when I was little. But I was also only like 5 when it came out.

[@Symbioteman65]

I love this movie, It's very underrated and has one of the coolest and scariest villains in a Disney Movie ever.

[@SolCresta3405]

To be honest, most of Disney is dark, no matter what people say. Their movies were never all sunshine and rainbows despite what they say.

[@jeffreylocke8808]

The Black Cauldron is a good story.

[@midnightgreen8319]

It's a wonderful 80s cartoon film! My favorite Disney animated movie

[@ΕυάγγελοςΦώσκολος]

Huh, the irony. This movie was considered the downfall for Disney until the Disney Renaissance, while now, a movie like that with a villain like him is just what Disney needs to get back on its feet.

[@KaijuSlayer54]

My mom was one of the lucky ones who had a copy for years and it was my favorite Disney movie as a child and to this day is STILL my favorite of the older animated movies. Love The Black Cauldron and The Horned King is my favorite Disney Antagonist as well, but that probably has to do partially with how I've always liked the big scary guys. Skulls are a bonus though which is noticeable when I'm asked who my favorite villain of the classic 80's-90's Cartoons is and I say Lord Skeletor with no hesitation XD

[@SeeOHZee]

The 80's era of Disney films were crazy enough as is but The Black Cauldron takes the cake here.

[@dreamguardian8320]

At least the 80s had good 2D animation back then, unlike now, with nothing but 3D and live action remakes.

[@mikeburkhart8336]

The Black Cauldron's biggest problem was it didn't know what kind of movie it wanted to be...a dark gothic battle between good and evil,or a happy go lucky travel film,the mismatch and frightening images sunk it big time.

[@chefchronos4288]

I would love to see Dave Filoni get a hold of this and start from scratch and creating a series something similar to the bad batch with animated cell shaded cgi. Getting to do the novels justice from start to finish.

[@r.cjones1515]

Love your content as always; Love to see you do a video spotlighting your underated cartoons; hope to see you cover: - Captain Bucky O'Hare & The Toad Menace - Star Fleet GOOD JOB GUYS 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@zacharyh.5544]

The dog doesn't abandon...it lives to fight, and save .. another day

[@BlackArroToons]

Saw this as a small kid in theaters back then, and still enjoy the film on DVD. This is what I imagine the Dragon's Lair Movie in animated form could have very well been like.

[@TheDayd111returns]

Yeah, I get a lot of Dragon's Lair vibes from the Black Cauldron.

[@BlackArroToons]

@@TheDayd111returns Cool, thanks. Some similar themes for sure. I think it'll be the closest we get to an animated feature length Dragon's Lair movie, which was switched to live-action under Netflix, but no word on it for years now.

[@aidanhever3369]

Many people say that this movie is the black sheep of Walt Disney Company. But that title now belongs to Home on the Range, Chicken Little, or even Raya and the Last Dragon.

[@kayvaanmcsharrowkyn6901]

This was one of my favorite movies ever and still is. It was the foundation of my 80s Youth and I cherish it to this day. I also own all of the books The Chronicles of prydain and I really wish they had come out with the rest of the movies

[@nickperkins8477]

I was only seven years old at the time and it came close to being too much for me. But, I also loved it, then, and I love it now. If Walt Disney himself had been as worried/creatively conservative as Jeffrey Katzenberg was, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty might not even exist.

[@TinaTaemHeavyMetalFan]

The Black Cauldron Is My Favorite Disney Movie. I Loved The Horned King He's My Favorite Disney Villain.

[@davidfletcher6703]

I always thought this was one of the best Disney films, I loved it as a kid

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

I can't help but think that had Disney stuck to it's original premise for this movie, it could have been something really special rather than just a footnote.

[@enminghee2926]

These days its influence seems to be all over Amphibia, The Owl House and Centaurworld. Not many other Disney films can be said to have such a long stretch of influence.

[@nicklopez3133]

Oh yeah, Disney wanted this movie buried & forgotten for a very long time.

[@stephenblack5425]

Maleficent: Greatest Disney Villain Queen Grimhilde: Scariest Disney Villain Ursula: Most Attractive Disney Villain Hades: Most beloved and Sassy Disney Villain Chernabog: Most Evil and Powerful Disney Villain Gaston: Most Clever Disney Villain Mother Gothel: Most Manipulative Disney Villain. Claude Frollo: Most Crazy Disney Villain. Scar: Most Popular Disney Villain The Horned King: Most Badass and Underrated Disney Villain.

[@nickperkins8477]

The Black Cauldron is terrific. Its problem is that it arguably doesn’t commit enough to the dark tone. It’s a dark story, and to fret some dark story out of it only shoots it in the foot. They would have been better off not to make the movie than to “edit” it.

[@GabyGibson]

I keep hearing that they're planning to do a live action adaptation of this but actually making sure they do it right with the books

[@susandevine2314]

I loved this movie. I watched it over and over when we rented it. (My parents didn't take us out to movies because one or more of us would misbehave. hee hee) Once we got a VCR we were set :)

[@jerichogarry]

I can't even find it on DVD and I was a huge fan of it growing up.

[@jfess1911]

It is on Disney+ currently, at least in the U.S.

[@srstriker6420]

This movie deserves a remake and I pick Willem Dafoe, Andy Serkis or Christian Bale as the Horned king

[@medalgear654]

I just wrote a screenplay that acts as a remake but with added details and new scenes to give the characters more depth and more of the horned king to show how powerful he is. I even changed the origins of the cauldron which contains the spirit of chernabog

[@alluke24]

I grew up watching this movie quite often in fact I watched it so many times that our VHS version of it got so worn out that it eventually broke and even to this day I still love the movie especially the animation and I have read the books I like them both honestly and I don’t really care what anyone else thinks because that’s how much I love both stories😊

[@raymondhemphill146]

I saw this in the theater and loved it. I also love the books. But the two are not compatible. Hopefully Disney gives this another go that may be a little more faithful.

[@elizabethlyons1066]

Great take on a Welsh tale.

[@whyarewealwaysyelling]

You can see a lot of reused assets from The Sword In The Stone

[@seasonembrace3624]

I’ve noticed the art-style seems like Don Bluth was evolved seeing how it resembles secret of nimhs art style especially the flashing lights both are spooky family cartoon films

[@mad_quack]

I’ve had the VHS of this movie since I was a kid. I do remember being heavily freaked out by the horned king and the whole ending sequence of the undead army rising. I had a short fear of skeletons after that. I appreciate when Disney tries to deviate from “kid friendly” honestly, so I actually like this movie now. It’s a shame it had scenes cut from it.

[@DchanZockt]

Is the movie on Disney+ by now? Or is it still in the "we don't talk about it" poison cabinet, next to Song of the South and John Carter?

[@alexkoronec4326]

Yes, because it was more of horror movie than comedy

[@connordixon3435]

Favourite film growing up 👌

[@DxxdEyes]

i hope this movie will get a second chance and get a remake with the proper care it needs.

[@nicholase82]

This is a flim Disney should remake.

[@IgorBriceño-t5t]

The movie agrees followed the trend in the eighties: He Man, Gost Busters, Thriller Michael Jackson and many other references of that style were very popular in the 80's

[@Overanalyse_This]

I watched both as a little kid and I found Rattigan far scarier than the Horned King. It could be that after Skeletor, the whole evil skull-faced villain just wasn't scary.

[@eringraves8310]

I remember watching this when I was a little kid it was terrifying but I never forgot it

[@JeffreyHietala]

Disney shunned this movie from home video for just over a decade before finally putting it out there. Its now time for them to release Song Of The South on dvd/blu ray which hasnt been seen in the US officially for 38 years!!

[@gallaxseizor9216]

That's the Beauty of this movie, the lack of the stupid cliche Disney magical elements, and the presence of a dark, grim, ruthless, hopeless vibe which gives the movie a realistic tone, America has bad taste but Japan obviously has the best taste, just compare their medias

[@thien8838]

This movie gives off anime feeling

[@rathofturkey]

I always liked this one. While not the best, it still entertained me as a kid and I still enjoy with my own kids today. Still astonishes me how unappreciated this movie is.

[@ToneeRhianRose]

Yeah generally when someone does something different from what they'd normally do it doesn't do well. Like when Jim Henson did Labyrinth & Dark Crystal. I think ppl were expecting to see Kermit, Miss Piggy, & the rest of the Muppets gang & were disappointed when they weren't there. But like Black Cauldron, they're some of my favorite movies.

[@eyeseer1]

I couldn’t see Disney exploring this series on the family safe segue of Disney + but I could see this series produced by LucasFilm,Ltd. and 20th Century Fox pictures under Ridley Scott per dark fantasy anthology.

[@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods]

I don't understand why this move gets so much hate. I watched it when it came out, when I was 7, and I loved it. Yes, it was scary but I certainly wasn't running out of the theaters, I was enthralled by it, and I wasn't debating the character development either.

[@partofthetribe3277]

It's been longer than 25 years I'm afraid. Try 37. Learn math!

[@WillScarlet16]

This is the only Disney movie where I'll say this - THE BOOK WAS BETTER.

[@aatamisisu13]

The Black Cauldron, Sagarmatha Relic (Zombie Army) and the Book of the Dead (The Mummy) have much more power than the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant.

[@aidangamalieltayao3297]

The movie is a view into Welsh legends plus the sword Taran wields despite it's regal look, is a cursed blade

[@thekrazyhatter5063]

The Fact that *THIS* is an Disney Movie ❤❤❤❤

[@marcozg77]

Seen it in cinema as a child back then.

[@OriginalHimLaden]

Loved this movie. I had the game on the Tandy 1000 as well 😂

[@tonygoodwinjr9293]

I love watching this movie, even when i was growing up. Idk what theyre talking about that it bombed. I remember it way different than the way he's describing

[@johntracy72]

I actually saw The Black Cauldron at the theater in 1985.

[@karinaquinn-rosewilliams7035]

One of my favorite movies in Disney

[@christianaguilera1469]

Honestly they should have made this a tv series since there is so much from the source material.

[@josephrowe849]

Merchandise of old Disney films still being sold? That sounds more like the magic of commercialization of Imperialist junk.

[@ryanstewart4732]

the best Disney ever made

[@zacharyrodriguez4348]

Also nearly broke the bank

[@janicehayashibara5271]

I absolutely love this movie ❤️

[@stephenblack5425]

The Horned King is the Disney's version of Sauron.

[@alexanderwaite9403]

I loved the books by Lloyd Alexander when I was a kid, the movie was no where near as good or even based on the books. I was sorely disappointed with the movie.

[@the_real_Wieniet]

I have seen this in the bioscoop , back then. Hope this world comes in kingdom hearts 4

[@alimokdad5999]

please do dc top ten nightwing villains

[@nickperkins8477]

It would be excellent if Disney would commit to a remake of The Black Cauldron as an entire live action The Chronicles Of Prydain faithful adaptation. The remake would need to commit at least to a PG-13 rating, pushing R. I’m not holding my breath though. The controversy and honestly Jeffrey Katzenberg seems to have poisoned it at Disney for all time.

[@Charlotte66666]

I have to forgotten,it's one of my favourite films ❤

[@davidwood1215]

After 25 years more like after 37 years

[@biguy617]

I actually like the movie. I read the book. I know the book is better but I thought the movie did the best it could adapting the book.

[@AnonymousEnigma19]

This is my favorite Disney movie when I was a child, I don't get what people are so scared of? Wait... It was the horn King wasn't it? And the legion of undead crawling out of the Black cauldron? Meh 🤷‍♂️, but besides that I didn't know it was a book series.

[@thehermitthetower1126]

Black cauldron was awesome

[@warsthemarvel8608]

For the Live action Series should be directed by Peter Jackson

[@harlemraider3347]

Loved this movie as a kid

[@TheGrimmwolf]

The only thing from disney that I have ever enjoyed

[@loredanarosimodesti4799]

I liked it did not see any problems either!

[@devilfirewolf13]

I love it. I have it on VHS.

[@jamescheung4771]

Me too

[@OddHominum]

MY FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE

[@johnsmith6132]

Training wheels for Lord of the rings

[@victorcarnaval2001]

definetly one - if not the most - gorgeous handrawn animated disney movie of sorts in my opinion but man, the narrative and continuity are so all over the place, the setting is too claustrophobic and the characters are so annoying, shallow and unrelatable... i knew the movie had a bad rep over these very complaints, but i set the ideia that i should see it for myself, and i was so disappointed to realize those criticisms were right... i did am glad that i finally watched, and i see enough value to be able to call it a classic, but damn... a very annoying one, sadly

[@mikemorgan2367]

Look is it a great movie… not really but is it a good movie… yes. I like it quite much it’s entertaining and more designed for a more mature audience and has some good action and comedy. I mean there is more better Disney films but it’s also better than many other Disney films. It’s underrated for sure.

[@AlexMedillin-eq6vj]

Cuando aran si live action

[@retrodealer6495]

Disney is disgusting today destroying all the classics. Like Aladdin Lion King because go woke go broke. Because of all the live garbage they've been making.

[@DjEDGain]

As hated as it is I fucking love it

[@karlphillips6834]

I totally love the princess💖

[@jeremypope9534]

At worst, THE BLACK CAULDRON is better than any of garbage Disney has released in the last 4-5 years, (including MARVEL and STAR WARS) by default.

[@user-adrsilva123]

Yo Guys Imagine if The Horned King was in the Berserk World!

[@mrselection7814]

25 years ago in 1985? I think your math is a bit off lolz

[@joshrobinson2409]

Disney is not so timeless anymore nowa days the studio called illumination destroyed all the box office records once held by disney thanks to the Mario movie

[@GunfireFWC]

This film had such good bones... heh

[@pdgf]

Somebody upload a copy of this in youtube ASAP! 😁

[@thien8838]

Flop in the western probably did better in Japan who little kids can actually watch these kind of stuff… maybe unless they are also traumatized

[@jailcatjones3250]

A cult icon

[@Achoohorsey]

It’s pronounced “gr-O-s”, not “gr-aws”

[@belgradeartshow2874]

It's Art

[@Mikehawksworld]

Is this AI? the narrators cadence and pronunciations makes this unwatchable