The Black Cauldron Celebrates 25 Years of Excellence

Hidden by darkness.  Guarded by witches.  Discovered by a boy.  Stolen by a King.  Whoever owns it controls the world. Or destroys it… That was the original tag line to Disney’s 25th animated release of one of my all-time favorite Disney movies.  This was such a different kind of Disney film that a lot of people thought that it was too dark, especially after following The Fox and the Hound, but that darkness and the fantasy aspect to it is what made me want to see the movie so badly. The movie is based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain books, and while the books were darker, Disney did capture the spirit of the series and didn’t flinch from giving the audience the scariest villain ever in a Disney release – The Horned King.  He is a creature so evil that he himself appears to be undead, his goal is to unleash an undead army to overun the land of Prydain and become immortal.  You know, your typical Disney movie!  Obviously, a lot of families were shocked that Disney made this movie and it hurt the box office earning of the most expensive movie Disney had ever made up to that point (25 million), which was a real shame as it was really good as well as original and it was the first Disney feature to use computer graphics or to receive a PG rating which was unheard of for a Disney film.  Due to the reception this movie received, Disney backed away from PG material for a long time.  I loved this movie then and I love it now.  In fact, I was so crazy about the movie that I bought my first computer game which was based on this movie and one I still fondly remember as well as the entire series of books that were also excellent and that I highly recommend.  If you’ve never seen this movie before, you should make sure you see it when it arrives on September 14. Take a look at what’s on the disc…

Disney’s The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition

DVD FACT SHEET

The Black Cauldron, Walt Disney Pictures’ 25th animated feature-length film, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Special Edition DVD release September 14 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.  Based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain books, this mystical, action-packed adventure debuts just in time for Halloween. The film tells the story of Taran, an apprentice pig keeper with dreams of becoming a great warrior, who embarks on a quest to find a magical and powerful Black Cauldron before the evil tyrant Horned King can possess it for his own diabolical purposes.  Fantastical characters like the oracular pig Hen Wen, the willful princess Eilonwy, and the droll but annoying Gurgi face witches, elves, magic swords and other obstacles.  As they journey through these thrilling escapades, Taran begins to learn the true meaning of what it is to be a hero.

Exciting new bonus features for The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition include a new game and a never-before-seen deleted scene as well as a new digital transfer.

New Bonus Features Include:

Deleted Scene—The Fairfolk: Viewers join Taran, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy as they travel into the depths of the earth and meet the Fairfolk.The Witches’ Challenge Game—In order to defeat the dark powers of the Horned King, players must gain possession the magical sword from the Witches of Morva by solving their riddles.

Plus Classic DVD Bonus Features:

Still Frame Gallery—A compilation of behind-the-scenes artwork and photos.

Quest For the Black Cauldron—A trivia game in which players compete against the evil Horned King in a race to reach the Black Cauldron first.

Trick Or Treat—Classic Donald Duck cartoon from 1952.

STREET DATE:   September 14, 2010
Rated:  PG
Run Time: Approx. 80 minutes
Video: Widescreen (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Audio: Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
DVD Subtitles:  English, Spanish, French

Pre-order your copy today!

Written by: Sean Ferguson on September 7, 2010.