Waking Sleeping Beauty Trailer

So, I was doing some random web-surfing over the weekend, and I stumbled upon this trailer for a forthcoming documentary called Waking Sleeping Beauty:





The period of Disney animation that ran from the mid-1980s to the end of the 1990s is a period that animation historians now refer to as "the Disney Renaissance." After some declining quality in the 1970s, Disney animation came back with a vengeance, starting with some slightly weird, experimental stuff, like The Black Cauldron, the first experiments with computer animation in The Great Mouse Detective, and then, the four films that fully encapsulate the Disney Renaissance: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.

And then, it's pretty much agreed that it was all downhill after that, and limped to an end in the early 00's.

So, it's neat to see that a documentary has been produced about this period in Disney animation. Of course, since the documentary has been made by Disney, I highly doubt that it'll be balanced, and it might come off as a little...sugar-coated.

But I love that they feature Tim Burton in that trailer. I remember around 10 years ago, when A&E Biography was still a pop culture mainstay, and I saw the Biography on Tim Burton. Burton described his time working at Disney in the early 1980s as the least satisfying time in his career.

In fact, Little Mermaid and Aladdin directors John Musker and Ron Clemmens were interviewed in that Biography, and recounted the tale how Burton was so dissatisfied with his work at Disney, that Burton would literally go hide in the closet. Musker and Clemmens recounted this tale as being "business as usual" with Burton in the office....

(Musker and Clemmens go to the closet to get their coats. They find Burton in there.)

Them>> Oh, hi, Tim, having another rough day, eh?

(Burton just stares blankly at them)

Them>> Hey, we're going to lunch. Wanna join us?

(Burton continues to stare blankly at them)

Them>> OK, well, we'll just get our coats here, and we'll see you later.

(They close the door as Burton continues to stare.)

And, as the legend goes, Burton found a more satisfying creative outlet by making wacky live-action short films with his friends on the weekend, Disney liked them and commissioned Burton to make the short film Frankenweenie, Paul Reubens saw Frankenweenie and offered Burton the director's chair on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and the rest is history!

But yeah. This looks like an interesting film.