Pondering my childhood movie-going experiences, I can remember three big-budget Disney flicks that were, at the time of their releases, the most state-of-the-art, spectacular "event" pictures the studio had ever attempted. There was 1979’s sci-fi special-effects-laden extravaganza 'The Black Hole', 1982’s live-action-inside-a-computer fantasy 'Tron' and 1985’s widescreen, created-in-70mm animated adventure 'The Black Cauldron'. Each boasted cutting-edge production values and were incredible feasts for the eyes. If memory serves, each film was met with only lukewarm critical response and none of the three was a certifiable box office success. 'The Black Hole' went head-to-head with—and lost out to - 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture'. 'Tron' had the unfortunate timing of being released during—and eclipsed by—a deluge of superior sci-fi/fantasy films ('E.T., The Extra Terrestrial', 'Star Trek 2', 'The Road Warrior' and 'Blade Runner'). And the darker, more adult tone of 'The Black Cauldron' took critics and audiences by surprise—ensuring that, despite the film’s marvelous artistry and the sheer bravado behind the film’s adult-scary, harder-edged approach, it would never become the blockbuster savior for the studio (and animation division) Disney executives were praying for.
The global entity that is Disney characteristically hoists their successful films high on a world-wide pedestal, and quietly sweeps its "embarrassing" failures and misfires under the carpet. Typically, their "black sheep" rarely get much attention. Some of Disney’s misfires are indeed better off staying buried under the carpet, but some have now proven to have been years ahead of their time, and are worth unearthing. The terrific special effects of 'The Black Hole' are as convincing and unique 16 years later as some recent sci-fi films. In my opinion, never before or since has one movie been so utterly cool and yet so cheerfully campy at the same time. And John Barry’s score is very effective.
'Tron' was beyond cutting edge and extraordinarily unbelievable back in 1982; yet it now seems the rest of the computer world has caught up with the film’s (and filmmakers’) mentality. The revolutionary, marvelous visual effects of 'Tron' have never been reattempted since, let alone equaled in other computer-generated-FX films. And I still defend the bold 'Tron' as being far superior to the wimpy, by-the-numbers, ready-for-mass-consumption recycling machines that we all call 'The Lion King' and 'Pocahontas'.
So here are three "black sheep" Disney films that desperately need to be reevaluated and given a new lease on life.
Fabulous marketing move (and leap of faith) on Disney’s part, then, for finally giving 'Tron' a deserving second chance on laserdisc.
Released under the "Exclusive Archive Collection" banner, 'Tron' is an all-CAV, 3-disc boxed set. It’s a THX laserdisc but, curiously, there’s no mention of this anywhere on the box or within the liner notes. The film is letterboxed, preserving the integrity of the Super Panavision 70 image (the ratio is roughly 2.2:1). Compare this disc to the previous pan-and-scan cassette and your jaw will hit the floor in awe. The old pan-and-scan image is awash in over-exaggerated blues, is replete with dust and speckles, and is actually over-scanned (the old P&S image not only chops off the sides, but also slices off some picture information from the top and bottom, too!). This new letterboxed CAV disc reveals an infinitely-sharper image and a broader range of vibrant colors (e.g.: the faces of the "programs" within the computer are now properly pale instead of blue). And the "glow" of the circuitry is so luminous it appears three-dimensional.
If the film has a flaw, it’s that it plunges all-too-recklessly into the computer world, without ever really explaining or defining it. But where the plot severely lacks, the eye-popping visuals and breathtaking animation more than compensate. Even in the wake of the awesome computer-generated imagery witnessed in the current 'Toy Story', the visual effects of 'Tron' still dazzle today.
The 96-minute film is spread onto four sides. There is an accompanying audio commentary by writer/director Steven Lisberger and three other principal filmmakers (lots of interesting "genesis of" and "making of" stuff here, especially when Lisberger recollects the trials and tribulations of shooting the film with 65mm cameras). Sides 5 and 6 feature a plethora of "behind the scenes" materials: excerpts from 1982 promotional documentaries; storyboards; rare conceptual drawings; publicity and merchandising materials; and revealing, in-depth demonstrations of the laborious animated-frame-by-frame process undertaken to create the never-before-seen effects that allowed viewers to experience what it might actually be like for a human to live inside a video game. Several trailers are also included, as are two deleted scenes (one without audio, though); an alternate version of the light-cycle sequence featuring music that was ultimately muted; and an extended version of the opening prologue, which included a text-screen introduction to the complex world of "users" and "programs" that is the all-important backdrop of the film. The disc also features an isolated music-and-effects track, but this only accentuates the movie’s dreadfully-miscalculated musical score even more.
Of Disney’s three "black sheep" that I’ve mentioned here, 'Tron' is my least favorite, for reasons that are both too numerous and complicated to explain. But I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this marvelous laserdisc edition, even for people who only "liked" the film. The treasures Disney has uncharacteristically dug up and put on display here are remarkable. Perhaps this is a sign that Disney is finally relaxing and beginning to give some of their neglected, misunderstood and less-successful films the second chance fans have been begging for years.
Message to the laserdisc folks over at Disney: Thanks for 'Tron'—it’s a great special edition! Now get off your high horse and give us widescreen special editions of 'The Black Cauldron' and 'The Black Hole'. If you do for them what you’ve finally done for 'Tron', you’ll have two of the most eagerly-anticipated, ready-to-be-blockbuster laserdisc packages ever produced. That I’m certain of.
VITAL STATISTICS: Walt Disney Home Video; 3 discs, 6 sides; CAV; Super Panavision 70 Widescreen (2.2:1); Stereo Surround; THX; Chapter stops; $99.95.
S. Damien Segal.
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