Escapay versus Walt Disney in the Great Beyond

[Escapay]

An imaginary interview with Walt Disney, as we discuss his new projects, pie, and bowling...

Hi, and welcome back to "Escapay versus..."! With me today is Walt Disney, in the flesh...so to speak.

Hi there, everyone.

Walt, let me first just say how grateful I am that you were able to squeeze in a little interview with me.

Don't worry about it, it's no trouble at all.

You ever give From-The-Grave interviews before?

A few times, but they weren't too interesting. The interviewers would ask silly questions like "What did you think about Eisner's Reign of Terror?" or "Would you embrace CGI?"

Well, now I know to cross those two questions off my list and think of two new ones!

Haha!

But just for the record, would you embrace CGI?

I've always been about trying new things, so a question like that never needed an answer. Keep moving forward, you know?

Meet the Robinsons

I heard they used my quote for that picture.

They did. It's my favorite of the CGI Disney Classics.

Be careful with that word "classic" now.

Sorry. I just label any Disney movie a classic. Probably can thank Marketing for that.

(both laugh)

So back to CGI: yay or nay?

It surprises me whenever I read people say that I wouldn't accept CGI, or that I'd be spinning in my grave (or freezer) because my company decided to make Chicken Little. I mean, I died years ago, I couldn't exactly have a say in whether or not they made the thing. Or anything in the past 44 years.

So what did you think of Chicken Little?

To be honest, I haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

Too busy chumming with old friends?

No, I just don't have the patience to sit down and watch movies much. It's funny, cause I have all the time in the world now, but I never seem to have the time. I'd much rather be doing things, keep busy, you know? I've even started a whole new animation studio here. We take all the time we need because no money's being gained or lost, and everyone contributes because they want to. True artistic freedom.

That sounds cool. So what kind of projects are you working on?

We're doing a new version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, actually.

New version? But didn't you used to say "You can't top pigs with pigs"?

Yeah. But here, we've got advantages we didn't have on Earth. There's no budget, there's no bankers, there's no stigma about animation being for kids. It's allowing us to make Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in a whole new way. It won't replace the original, that version can't ever be replaced. But this new one that we're doing, well, we just wanted to see how it'd turn out under different conditions. We try not to compare the two movies, but sometimes old habits die hard. It's different, darker than the old one, adding some action sequences for the Prince - and we actually named him Melvin - you know. Stuff that we couldn't really get away with in 1937.

So is Adriana Caselotti still the voice?

No comment.

No comment?

Well, I know you didn't like her voice in the original movie. So I'll let you keep on wondering if she is or isn't the voice in this new version. You'll have to wait until you're dead to find out.

Ha, thanks...

Bet you never thought Uncle Walt could be so morbid, huh?

I guess not. But back to your new version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. How do you think Disney purists would handle it?

I'm sure some would complain. They seem to have this mentality that if I did something - a film or a tv show or a song, even a state of mind - it must not be touched ever again. I don't like that. It makes me seem like a god and that they're my worshipers. It gets worse when people change things around, when they take something I've said and applied it to something else entirely, changing the context to fit what they believe in. It's unsettling to know that people are using me, my ideas, my works, in such a way.

I'm sorry. I wish that could change too.

I mean, I have no control on how much or how little a person enjoys the work that our company did. But at the end of the day, it's still work. I never brought it home with me, I knew Lillian hated that. And to see fans battle about what we did so intensely, sometimes it breaks my heart. Movies are meant to be enjoyed. If you don't enjoy it, you don't. It doesn't give you a right to thrust that on someone else and tell them they were wrong to enjoy it. And it certainly doesn't give anyone the right to say that I would agree with them on their stance. I'm dead, I can't agree on anything.

While I'm glad we can have this kind of discussion, I'm getting the notice from the moderator to change topics.

Oh, haha, sorry.

That's okay. Let's try to find something fun to chat about. Sticking with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs one more time, were you upset when you saw their initial plans for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs II?

Of course I was! Don't tell anyone, but I went all Poltergeist on DisneyToon Studios, which is why they cancelled the project. Negative fan reaction was miniscule compared to the havoc I wreaked!

(both laugh)

Seriously?

Of course, not. DisneyToon Studios is their studio, their projects. In the end, they just realized it wouldn't work out the way they wanted, so they shelved it.

But surely you would have disapproved?

It's one thing to make a sequel. If the story was good, if the characters are worth revisiting. And in Hollywood, if it's guaranteed to bring in money. I made several sequels in my time, but for the animated movies, I wanted to tell a story, and that story got told. I'm sure what happens after "happily ever after" is interesting, but that's not the story I want to tell.

Would you, though? If you were still around?

I can't control what they did after me. That's not my work, and all it shares is the company name. I don't like speculating on what I would have done, because things will keep changing. I was chatting with Henry Ford the other day about just that. He hates the Ford Fusion. I think it's a nice looking car. But Henry was adamant about it, and so I asked him, "What would you change?"

And what did he change?

Nothing. He realized that it's a product of its own time. What right does he have to tell them what to do?

Surely being the founder of the company stands for something...

Yes, it stands for being the founder of the company. But I'm dead. I didn't sit in on story meetings for The Princess and the Frog. I don't go on location shooting for National Treasure. What they make now, yes, they make in my name. But it's not mine. I have no right to tell them how to do their job, just as they have no right to tell me how I did mine.

Well, let's move on to some fun questions I had planned to ask.

Go right ahead.

What's your favorite type of pie?

Homemade.

Have you ever seen a squirrel dance?

The Dancing Squirrels Revue is a popular nighttime show here. I try not to miss it.

Would you ever float around on a cloud and drop water balloons on people?

That's reckless and irresponsible.

Definitely.

Boxers or Briefs?

None of your business.

Who's your favorite Mouseketeer?

Roy. He's like a great big ole teddy bear.

Do you believe in Ghosts?

I believe some people have trouble accepting their new...situations. But I don't call them ghosts.

Favorite song to sing in the shower?

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

Slipcovers: Yay or Nay?

There are no slipcovers here.

Who invented post-its?

Romy and Michele, duh.

(both laugh again)

Finally, one more question. In ten words or less...what do you think of your company today?

It is what it is.

And that's the way it is.

Cronkite will haunt you tonight for using his catchphrase.

Let him haunt me. So what are your plans for the rest of the day?

Well, after this interview I'll probably go to the bowling alley with Lillian.

There's a bowling alley in Heaven?

You'd be surprised how popular bowling is here, kid.

Well, I'd just like to say thanks so much for doing this interview. We learned a lot today, and I hope to see you soon.

Soon?

You know what I mean.

Haha. Thanks. I enjoyed this interview too. I'll tell Adriana you said hi.

And that's all the time we have today, folks. Tune in next time when I interview Mickey Mouse!

The "Escapay versus..." Series:
Escapay versus Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Escapay versus Walt Disney in the Great Beyond
Escapay versus Mickey Mouse - coming soon
Escapay versus The Lace Collar - coming soon

albert

[PeterPanfan]

YAY ESCAPAY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!


Good job, can't wait for the full version!

[UmbrellaFish]

He's back!!!

Nice skit. If only we could contact Walt from beyond the grave, or, beyond the ice.

[Flanger-Hanger]

SCAPSTA'S BACK!! With a great new interview!

(but at the same time I can't help but wonder what happened to my lace collar)

and UmbrellaFish don't you mean defrosted instead of "beyond the ice", which sounds like a terrible Micheal Bay film.

[Simba3]

Welcome back, Escapay!

[reyquila]

Is this billable? Does it result in making money of some kind?

[Escapay]

Does it result in making money of some kind?

I just type very well.

The rest is coming, for those of you who can enjoy a good (and free) laugh.

Albert

[Escapay]

Bump.

I remembered this after all the brouhaha in the "Favorite teaser trailer" thread, and decided to finish writing it once and for all. It turned out less humorous and more serious than I intended, but still mildly entertaining anyway.

Plus, I was bored. Writing nonsense makes me less bored.

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. I don't know if Walt Disney wore boxers or briefs or if he likes dancing squirrels. And I certainly will not hold a seance in order to find out. Everything that "Walt" says is a fictional depiction of him. I never met him, so I can't say what he thinks.

albert

[ajmrowland]

just read it before realising how old it is.


Great Job Scaps!

[REINIER]

Escapay rules, period!

[UmbrellaFish]

It was fun to read that again! I'm enjoying these Escapay Retro Reboots!

[BelleGirl]

Really funny!

[Margos]

That was awesome, Scaps!

[Disney Duster]

Albert, in all honesty would you really, really not ask Walt to ask his company to keep the main things that made his films what they were? To keep his name meaning something for the studio and films and all their products?

And I know he wouldn't have said those things, Escapay. I just know he wouldn't. It doesn't sound like him.

Remember, Walt said many quotes talking about his company saying "Here at Disney, we do this" and "We do that." To not keep that certainly is pissing on the guy's dream.

I have never spoken for Walt Disney. I have only said what I think he would do, what it feels like he might do, not that I know what he definately would do. And all of you know which is more likely that he would do.

When Disney does CGI or some other things, you get a feeling like "this might not be right", and that feeling you all get, because you know it's unlikely Disney would have done it.

Though on the topic of CGI, Walt actually preferred certain styles in his animation. Remember, he didn't like the new Xeroxed animation and tyle of 101 Dalmatians. It is these kinds of things that let people feel Walt wouldn't have done CGI (unless he could make it work in hand-drawn, such as the CGI used in Beauty and the Beast, or Glene Keane's original vision for Rapunzel).

Or, he would find the right films to use CGI on. And still, he would probably stylize them, make them look a certain way, a lot different than Disney has done today, though Rapunzel is closest to what he may have done, and Glen Keane's original vision I feel is what he would have done.

[Escapay]

Albert, in all honesty would you really, really not ask Walt to ask his company to keep the main things that made his films what they were? To keep his name meaning something for the studio and films and all their products?

In all honesty, I would expect anyone dead to remain dead, and what happens to their company afterwards is what happens.

Do I want it to be more Walt-like? Sure.

But I also want them to actually continue on making products and films and theme parks people enjoy.

And sometimes that means doing things not-so-Walt-like.

If it's just about keeping one man's dream alive, then what's the point? Creativity is a collaborative effort, and one with compromise. Everything in the company is done in the Disney name, but not everything has to be done the Disney way. That's not progress, that's not keeping moving forward. That's being stuck in the past. Nostalgia can be very powerful and very dangerous. I don't want to see modified clones of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Lady and the Tramp or The Jungle Book or Beauty and the Beast or The Emperor's New Groove year after year after year. That gets boring and stale very quickly. Is that what you want? For Disney to just make the same old same old simply to keep it 100% true to the legacy of one man?

And I know he wouldn't have said those things, Escapay. I just know he wouldn't. It doesn't sound like him.

*sigh*

• This is a work of fiction. I don't know if Walt Disney wore boxers or briefs or if he likes dancing squirrels. And I certainly will not hold a seance in order to find out. Everything that "Walt" says is a fictional depiction of him. I never met him, so I can't say what he thinks.

I have never spoken for Walt Disney. I have only said what I think he would do, what it feels like he might do, not that I know what he definately would do. And all of you know which is more likely that he would do.

In this entire statement, you've contradicted yourself by saying you don't speak for Walt Disney, but you use the idea of him as a mouthpiece for your own opinion. "I think Walt would do this..." is simply another way of saying "This is what I think, but if I say Walt thinks this way too, it will have more merit." And by saying that we should know the difference is not only an insult to our own opinions, but a way of saying "If you don't agree with my opinion, you don't agree with my-perception-of-Walt's. You're not a real Disney fan." Nobody knows if Walt would have loved or hated Lilo & Stitch. Don't you dare say that you think he would love or hate it (or any other post-1966 project).

You don't know Walt. You never met him, he never met you, you can't possibly know what he thinks. You have no right to say "I think Walt would have thought this" because that is the same thing.

Have an opinion, I don't care. Don't foist it on a dead man and say he has it too. That was the whole point of my revival of this fake interview.

albert

[Disney Duster]

Nobody knows if Walt would have loved or hated Lilo & Stitch. Don't you dare say that you think he would love or hate it (or any other post-1966 project).

But you wouldn't really object to anyone speculating what Walt would think, wondering.

A lot of what you said is, simply, not true. I am not doing those things you said I was. I just said what I think Disny would do, and how I feel it, and I'm going to honestly say I know many of you feel it, too.

Also, I don't want clones of the past. But I do want them to try and keep a Disney way, because, yes, they should. I want them to really think about what they are making and why it should be at Disney and not anywhere else. Otherwise, why is it called Disney? Just cause? It doesn't mean anything? Well, isn't that great.

[Goliath]

The problem, Disney Duster -and this has been pointed out before- , is that you base your ideas about 'what Walt would have done' on quotes from tv appereances and trailers and books that were all pr-stuff. There were people at Disney's writing these quotes for him! His tv appeareances were scripted by others from A to Z. Everytime you say "I think Walt would...", you're following his ghostwriters, not the man himself.

[Escapay]

A lot of what you said is, simply, not true. I am not doing those things you said I was.

I could waste my time going through your posts and quote examples of when you hide your opinion behind "Walt would have done this" and "Walt would have thought that", as there's already enough of those in the "Favorite Teaser Trailer" thread. But it would fall on deaf ears, and frankly, I don't want to wade through your posts.

Instead, I'll just repeat what I already said and what you fail to grasp:

Have an opinion, I don't care. Don't foist it on a dead man and say he has it too.

albert

[Disney Duster]

Walt wouldn't have said those things if he didn't believe in them.

And I'm not doing what you said I was, Escapay.

[Escapay]

And I'm not doing what you said I was, Escapay.

*sigh*

This destructive, rude, cursing in alien language, fish-killing, wacky alien in a wacky violent sci-fi film that even got edited to be family friendly in other countries that, woah, suddenly "becomes good" and "Disney" with the weird rude little girl was not something Walt would have wanted or approved of.

What you think of Lilo & Stitch is your opinion. You cannot give a slanted description of the film and say that Walt would not approve of it. You don't know Walt. You never met Walt. And Walt never knew or met Chris Sanders. Walt never sat in on story meetings. He never looked at character sketches. He never went to the premiere. He never watched the DVD's bonus features. He can't have an opinion on something he didn't work on. This applies to most anything after December 15, 1966. You cannot be his spokesperson and say "Well, Walt wouldn't approve of this." Because you don't know that.

The Disney essence can really only be captured by those trying to be Disney, drawing a Disney character or making something new they want to be Disney. If you don't believe that, whatever, keep calling yourself a Disney fan with that belief that goes against Walt's.

Again, you're taking your opinion ("The Disney essence is...") and telling Neal that if he doesn't believe it, he doesn't believe what Walt believes. Walt never said "The Disney essence is this or that." And if he did, he never said it the way you think the "Disney essence" is. You're indirectly associating Walt's belief with your own. But Walt never ever came down from Heaven to say "My belief is also what Disney Duster believes." And you can never say "Walt told me his belief was this, and I believe it too."

I don't think so! And it is more likely that Walt would think so, either.

A blatant and obvious "If I don't believe it, Walt doesn't either."

Seriously, I could check even more posts if I wanted to. But that one post has been ammo enough and yet you still don't see it. Hell, even when you address the fictional lines that my fictional Walt said, you say "I know he wouldn't have said those things...I just know he wouldn't" as if you knew him personally and chatted with him before. Give me a break.



albert