Skip to Content

WoW Insider is getting ready for BlizzCon!

The Rescuers Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Did 'Enchanted' Drop an F-Bomb in the Preview?

Filed under: Comedy », Disney », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Family Films »

Because Disney is so adamant about being family-friendly, folks will always look for them to slip up. We've been down this road several times before: The Disney Urban Legends. Ah yes, the penis on The Little Mermaid poster, the topless woman in The Rescuers, the stars that spell out 'Sex' in The Lion King -- in fact, here's a YouTube video that shows you some of them up close. Well, now, some folks are claiming those peeps at the Mouse House have become a lot more blatant in their super-secret naughty ways. There's a clip from Enchanted currently online in which the Prince attacks a NYC bus, causing the bus driver to freak out and such. Well, roughly 30 seconds in, right before the bus driver says "Are you crazy,' it appears someone shouts "Get the f*ck outta here." Did Disney drop the F-bomb on us during a PG-rated movie? Say it ain't so. Say it!

Okay, it ain't so. Maybe it's because I'm from New York and I'm used to the accents, but if you listen closely it's clear this person is saying "Get that bus outta here," and not "Get the f*ck outta here." C'mon now, like Disney would ever let that one slide. But that still doesn't mean there's nothing dirty about the number one film in the country this weekend (with a nice $50 million take). In fact, JoBlo (who pointed us toward this whole f**king story) claims Enchanted star Amy Adams worked as a Hooters girl until the age of 18. Wait a second ... until the age of 18? So ... was she a Hooters girl at 16? 15? 10? That can't be kosher. Anyway, did you see Enchanted this weekend? Did you dig it? And what's your favorite Disney urban legend?

Family Films: Sacrificing Quality for Quantity?

Filed under: Animation », Family Films », Movie Marketing »

NPR talked about the onslaught of children's films at the box office lately on Day to Day last Friday and wondered about the quality control going on behind the scenes. They interviewed film historian Charles Solomon, who comments that the scarcity of animated and children's films used to make them an important part of a childhood experience, but things have changed. These days, the sheer amount of films pile on so quickly that before you blink, three different animated movies have been released at the box office. Suddenly you're buying everything from Flushed Away action figures to Over the Hedge video games, but your kids aren't getting the same messages and experience that you had when you saw The Rescuers for the first time.

It's no secret that kid's movies can rake in a ton of dough; the studios are busy falling all over themselves trying to make them. It seems like as more get churned out, fewer of them that have great stories and characters. They'll just market the hell out of them so that every box of cereal, kid's TV show, and billboard is plastered with images of the upcoming film and your children will refuse to eat anything green or brush their teeth until you take them to see it.

Now, I love animated films probably more than an adult should, but the problem is pretty rampant with the films aimed at children that are being released today, as we posted about previously on Cinematical. The trouble is that for every Spirited Away released, there comes a slew of films like Happy Feet, Barnyard, and The Ant Bully. These films took some critical hard hits, but they've made bags of cash (the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Happy Feet has almost cleared $200 million already). Studios are more concerned with cranking out a product in a timely manner, even if it's sub-par and relies on fart jokes and recycled plots. As a result, quality children's entertainment is getting harder and harder to find. Parents may appreciate the fact that they can now take their kids to see a movie aimed at children almost any weekend now, rather than having to wait ... but at what cost?

What do you think, parents? Is the onslaught of animation worth the decrease in quality kiddie fare? Or is it enough just to be able to plunk your tot down for 90 minutes with a kiddie-pack combo, even if what they're seeing isn't quite up to the standards you remember from your own childhood hours at the movies?

Little Mermaid Has Big Week

Filed under: Animation », Classics », Disney », Movie Marketing »

Disney has once again unlocked its seven-year vault and the platinum reissue of The Little Mermaid has sold over four million units in one week, despite the recent downturn in animated feature films at the box office. That's also ahead of the lucrative holiday shopping that will start picking up steam in the coming weeks, meaning this little fish will be jumping its way upstream to spawn and possibly sell more then ten million units by Christmas. That's a whopper on any scale.

This release marks the second visit to DVD for Ariel and friends, which isn't counting the direct-to-video sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and it won't be the last since we will definitely see a high-definition release sometime in the near future. The movie had also been released on VHS, and recently appears as an online download through Disney's exclusive arrangement with Apple's iTunes service. It has managed to gross more than $211 million worldwide in theaters alone, with home video rentals and sales continuing to milk money from that cash cow.
 
.