Disney has what is arguably the most robust (and most beloved) library of any of the streaming services, but the release of these titles on Disney+ – everything from theme park-related specials to TV movies to television series to big theatrical releases – has been somewhat lacking despite the availability of the big-name classics. There could be dozens of new-to-the-service titles every week but there are hardly any, and while we acknowledge there are certainly issues with licenses, there are still a number of Disney films eligible for streaming that simply aren’t available. This is a problem, especially for a service that desperately needs to attract new subscribers and then maintain those subscribers, avoiding the dreaded “churn.”
It’s with this in mind that we look at 11 titles we think desperately deserve to be on Disney+ and why they are so essential. Of course, this is merely scratching the surface; there are hundreds more where these came from. But here’s a start.
“Make Mine Music” (1946)
“Make Mine Music” has always been an oddly elusive title, especially since it is, canonically, part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film library. One of the studio’s war-time “package films,” made up of smaller stories cobbled together to loosely form a feature, “Make Mine Music” actually has some charming, well-animated segments that are still referenced in other parts of the company (particularly “Casey at the Bat” and “Blue Bayou”). As is typical of the package films, the individual shorts were often broken up and broadcast on television or in other programs, and after the initial theatrical release was released in an incomplete, edited form. This version removed the “Martins and Coys” segment, seen as being excessively violent, and portions of “All the Cats Join In” deemed too sexual in nature. When the movie finally made its Blu-ray debut last year (after 21 years in the mythical Disney Vault) as part of the Disney Movie Club, it was advertised as being the “complete” film. Sadly, it was the truncated version.
Putting the longer, uncut version on Disney+, with the content warning that precedes other touchy Disney titles, would be a huge coup for the service and would undoubtedly instigate animation aficionados to sign up.
“Now You See Him, Now You Don’t” (1972)
Disney+ currently has the two bookends of the Dexter Riley trilogy – 1969’s “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” and 1975’s “The Strongest Man in the World.” But the middle chapter, 1972’s “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,” remains invisible on the service. Riley (played by then-Disney regular Kurt Russell), a science student at Medfield College, finds himself invisible after an experiment is struck by lightning. (You know, that old chestnut.) Is “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t” the most sophisticated live-action effort in the Disney canon? Definitely not. The years following Walt’s death and before the installation of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells at the company were a dark time indeed. But it would nice if Disney+ made the entire Dexter Riley saga available in one goofy place.
“Midnight Madness” (1980)
Speaking of goofy! “Midnight Madness” is, ostensibly, Disney’s answer to the raunchy sex comedies of the late 70s and early 80s (things like “Animal House” or “Porky’s”), only, since this is Disney, it is rated PG and the humor is only mildly risqué. (It was only the second Disney film ever to be rated PG, and as such didn’t carry the Disney name until it was released on DVD in 2004.) The premise is simple: a graduate student weirdo sets several teams of college kids on an all-night scavenger hunt. The teams are full of familiar faces, including Stephen Furst (from “Animal House” and its TV spin-off “Delta House”), David Naughton (who would star in “An American Werewolf in London” the following year), and Eddie Deezen (from “Grease” and “1941”). Most notably, “Midnight Madness” showcases the debut performance of a young Michael J. Fox, who plays Naughton’s little brother and seems so shy that he hardly speaks in his first few scenes. Sure, there is some rude comedy (a constant barrage of fat jokes haven’t aged particularly well), but this is innocuous stuff and would fit on Disney+ perfectly alongside things like “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
“Never Cry Wolf” (1983)
The reason why “Never Cry Wolf” hasn’t made its way to Disney+ might be a very simple one: there’s full-frontal male nudity. Yes, the nudity is brief and the film is still rated PG, but considering the lengths that Disney+ went to in order to obscure Daryl Hannah’s butt in “Splash” or re-dub “Adventures in Babysitting” to omit an iconic curse word, this very well could put it over the edge and into the forbidden zone. This is a real shame because “Never Cry Wolf” is an absolutely beautiful film, a haunting and spiritual adaptation of Farley Mowat’s best-selling memoir about living amongst the wolves. (The screenplay was worked on by a who’s-who of Hollywood heavyweights, including Sam Hamm and Curtis Hanson.) Directed by “Black Beauty” filmmaker Carroll Ballad, working with cinematographer Hiro Nirata, “Never Cry Wolf” is absolutely riveting, a naturalistic character study of one man’s (Charles Martin Smith, one of the 80s’ premiere nerds) communion with nature. Disney has a history of these types of movies, Jack London-y man vs. nature tales that has continued up to 2018’s made-for-Disney+ gem “Togo.” “Never Cry Wolf” belongs alongside the others. It might be the very best of the bunch.
“Mother Goose’s Rock ‘n’ Rhyme” (1990)
Weirdly hard to get ahold of since its release, perhaps because of the amount of musicians in the movie, this 1990 fairy tale fever dream, full of postmodern angles and garish colors, is an absolute delight. Shelley Duvall stars at Little Bo Peep, who while looking for her sheep uncovers a much bigger mystery, which basically is an excuse for Duvall and Gordon Goose (Dan Gilroy) to go around and talk to a bunch of famous musical artists who are appearing as storybook characters. Seriously, the cast is insane and includes – but is not limited to – Art Garfunkel, Terri Garr, Woody Harrelson, Little Richard, Paul Simon, ZZ Top, Ben Vereen, and Cheech Marin. (The score was composed by great Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks, who also appears in the film.) While “Mother Goose’s Rock ‘n’ Rhyme” is a pure joy, a shock of early-90s maximalist aesthetic flourishes and sublime narrative detours, it should also be a stand in for a whole host of Disney Channel original films that have been lost to the sands of time. The 80s and 90s were a rich period for original films on the newly launched channel and almost none of them are on Disney+. Time for that to change.
“Dick Tracy” (1990)
The disappearance of “Dick Tracy” undoubtedly has something to do with the, er, complex rights issues of the character and the even more complex relationship between rights-holder/director/star Warren Beatty and the Walt Disney Company. “Dick Tracy” was meant to be the studio’s “Batman”-style hit, released the summer after “Batman” and accompanied by a similar onslaught of merchandise and promotional tie-ins. Of course, “Dick Tracy,” with its palette of seven primary colors (all the same shade) and aggressively comic strip-ish framing, wasn’t quite the four-quadrant crowd pleaser that “Batman” was and the box office reflected this. Still, it’s hard not to argue that “Dick Tracy” was very much ahead of its time, and while it never got the franchise it so rightfully deserved (partially due to an internal memo Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg wrote that was promptly leaked to the press and blamed all of the studio’s woes on the failure of “Dick Tracy”), it’s a key part of a very specific period of Disney history. If Disney+ really wanted to celebrate the movie, too, it could be festooned with supplemental materials – footage from the world premiere at the recently opened Disney-MGM Studios, a recording of the live show that played at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, or footage from the “Dick Tracy” number Madonna graciously squeezed into her Blond Ambition tour from the time. There is an embarrassment of riches here; it’d be great if Disney actually exploited that.
“The Muppets at Walt Disney World” (1990)
This is one of those things that makes you scream, “Why isn’t this on Disney+?” This special, which aired as part of Sunday night staple “The Magical World of Disney” (don’t get us started on how many of these specials/movies/documentaries should be on Disney+), is overflowing with charm and at this point is an important historical document too. The special, which saw Kermit and the gang leave his family in the swamps of Florida for a vacation at Walt Disney World, was written by longtime Muppet scribe Jerry Juhl, and is filled with witty, absurdist moments (like Miss Piggy and Beauregard riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) and a great turn by the late, great Charles Grodin as an overeager security guard. You’ll see lots of wonderful shots of the Disney-MGM Studios in its heyday, too. (Wonder if the “MGM” part is a hang-up.) Additionally, the episode aired ten days before Jim Henson’s shocking death, making it one of the last things he ever worked and adding a level of poignancy to the project.
But maybe the most incredible thing about “The Muppets at Walt Disney World,” is an interlude towards the end where an animated Mickey Mouse welcomes Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to the Walt Disney Company family. This was meant to signal the beginning of the Henson/Disney alliance, engineered by Michael Eisner (who appears with Fozzie’s mother at the start of the episode), which would have included, amongst other things, an entire Muppet land at Disney-MGM Studios. At the time the special aired, no formal paperwork had been signed, making it even more baffling/incredible. Of course, Jim’s death complicated up the deal and the Muppets wouldn’t become a part of Disney until 2004. Watching this special is like peeking into an alternate universe. Wouldn’t you love to have that peek readily available on Disney+?
“A Far Off Place” (1993)
Perhaps best remembered as an acting showcase for a young Reese Witherspoon, “A Far Off Place” is a low key Disney gem. Based on a pair of stories by South African journalist Laurens van der Post, it’s a story of love and loss, sort of Disney’s version of “Walkabout.” Some kids lose their parents to ivory merchants and are forced to deal with the cruel realities of the African wilderness, along with a helpful guide (Sarel Bok) and a trusty dog. It’s definitely the stuff of boys’ adventure stories, but the presentation is suitably sophisticated, featuring lush direction from Danish cinematographer-turned-director Mikael Salomon and a rousing score from Disney favorite James Horner (“Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “The Rocketeer”).
When the movie was initially released, it had a new “Roger Rabbit” cartoon stuck to the front; this was meant to appease producer Steven Spielberg, who had blown a gasket over Disney’s decision to attach an earlier short to “Dick Tracy” and not his own “Arachnophobia.” The short/feature combination was tonally dissonant and didn’t do much to create buzz or box office heat. “A Far Off Place” still flopped. But that doesn’t mean that it should be kept off of Disney+.
“Tower of Terror” (1997)
Before “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Country Bears,” “Mission to Mars” or “The Haunted Mansion,” there was “Tower of Terror.” The very first narrative feature derived from a Disney theme park attraction, “Tower of Terror” was presented as part of “The Wonderful World of Disney.” And it’s still pretty good! Steve Guttenberg plays a reporter for a tabloid, who starts investigating a mysterious disappearance at a glamorous Hollywood hotel. (His daughter, played by a young Kirsten Dunst, tags along.) While the movie doesn’t feature any connection to “The Twilight Zone,” it still manages to capture the original attraction’s combination of Hollywood glitz and ominous foreboding. (Parts of the movie were actually shot at the attraction in Florida.) “Tower of Terror” was written and directed by D.J. MacHale, a veteran of Nickelodeon’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”, and the movie has that kind of vibe – a perfect fun Saturday night, scary-but-not-too-scary jaunt. With a new Tower of Terror feature in the works, written by “Toy Story 4” filmmaker Josh Cooley, it’s unclear whether that helps the chances that the original will wind up on Disney+ or hurts them.
“The Lone Ranger” (2013)
It’s easy to understand why this one isn’t on Disney+, even without the potentially complicated rights issues involved with the character. This is, after all, a big budget film that stars two deeply canceled personalities – Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. (Conversely, all of Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies are on Disney+ and Disney’s 20th Century division is about to release the Hammer-starring “Death on the Nile” in theaters.) Also, “The Lone Ranger” is really, really good and ripe for rediscovery (something that placement on Disney+ could facilitate). Directed by Gore Verbinski, who helmed the first three “Pirates” movies, “The Lone Ranger” is a surprisingly soulful and complex examination of what the Old West meant and how the march of progress largely shattered those foundational ideals. It also features what is arguably one of the most breathless staged action set pieces of modern cinema, a runaway train chase that Verbinski reportedly wanted to be “the greatest train chase of all time.” (Spoiler alert: he succeeded.) Depp and Hammer are beyond repair, but “The Lone Ranger” can still be rehabilitated. It deserves to be on Disney+.
“Tomorrowland” (2015)
“Tomorrowland” is so inherently Disney. Not only is it based, at least tangentially, on the futuristic area of the Disney theme parks, but it is co-written and directed by Brad Bird, a filmmaker whose most beloved works are a pair of “Incredibles” films for Pixar. And it’s full of Disney lore, imagining a rich mythology wherein Walt Disney himself was part of a group of idealists who created a utopian society in a parallel dimension. (This isn’t far off from Walt’s original idea for EPCOT.) Full of heady ideas and thrilling set pieces (most notably a siege on George Clooney’s house by a bunch of grinning, murderous androids), it also marks one of the last times Disney spent a lot of money on an original idea. Even if the execution is occasionally wobbly, it’s hard not to love an ambitious film that falls flat more than a boring film that hits all its marks. “Tomorrowland” briefly made its way to Disney+ last year but only hung around for a month or so. It’s time it become a permanent addition to the streaming service and just like there are the IMAX-enhanced versions of Marvel movies on the direct-to-consumer platform, it’d be great if there was a version of “Tomorrowland” with the Pixar-animated prologue attached (the Blu-ray gives you this option). It’s a piece of the “Tomorrowland” lore that is essential and it actively raises the enjoyment level of the feature itself.
