Fan Asks Disney for 10 Classic Films’ Restorations

A writer from Collider.com, Austin Allison, has started an unofficial campaign encouraging Disney to keep its 4K film restoration schedule going with the addition of at least 10 more animated movies to its restoration roster.

Disney fans were already pleased when they learned that Disney was providing audiences with an updated and more vibrant version of the 1950 animated movie Cinderella, and Disney proceeded to add to that good news with an announcement about plans for a 4K restoration of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

The good news about a restoration of the Snow White film fell on deaf ears due to the ongoing controversies about the upcoming live-action adaptation of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film (and the actress starring in it, Rachel Zegler), but Austin Allison has brought several other iconic animated movies to the forefront in a discussion of the “10 Animated Disney Classics That Deserve a 4K Restoration!”

Two Disney Movies Down, How Many to Go?

“While films like Snow White and Cinderella are absolute priorities for this new wave of restoration,” Allison argues, “here are some other Disney Animation titles that should be the next to get the 4K treatment.”

Allison (who is also an illustrator) has named a variety of Disney films that should be next in line for 4K restorations.

Many Disney Fanatics might not be aware that restoring these films involves “painstaking archival work and remastering of the original negatives to maintain the filmmakers’ original artistic vision.” Renowned animator Eric Goldberg is reportedly taking point on the Snow White restoration for Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Pinocchio “Surpasses” Snow White “On Every Front”

The writer and illustrator begins by declaring that Pinocchio (1940) should be a top priority for restoration. According to him, “while Snow White has the historic distinction of innovating the full-length animated feature, Pinocchio surpasses it on every front and makes for a more cohesive and visually engaging film.”

Allison then adds Fantasia to the list (citing its “fusion of animated vignettes and classical music”), insisting that the 1940 film’s 4K restoration “is not only encouraged, but necessary to preserve the film’s innovative surround soundtrack and the often psychedelic subtleties of its animation.”

A 1942 movie that Ryan Reynolds is wholeheartedly against, Bambi, is next on this Disney fan’s dream restoration list, due to its “environmental artistry.

The 1944 film The Three Caballeros makes an appearance that might surprise some Disney Fanatics, but the film reportedly “features larger than life surrealism and a groundbreaking moment of filmmaking that deserves new restoration.”

Colors Can Be a Film’s “Greatest Asset”

Another unique film on the list of desired restorations is Alice in Wonderland (1951), which requires a great deal of vivid color contrasts to make the otherworldly and somewhat chaotic impression that it seems to aim for.

As Allison puts it, “the film’s greatest artistic asset is its colors” — which explains why it should get an upgrade in that department.

Why The Black Cauldron?

Lady and the Tramp might not be as big a fan favorite as Disney Princess movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but the 1955 film does focus on memorable “painterly turn of the century suburban settings” that Allison claims “would dazzle in 4K.

Other films like The Black Cauldron were also included on the list, with the aforementioned 1985 movie being included because it “is oozing with 80s fantasy atmosphere” and involves groundbreaking “computer effects.”

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is definitely not a Disney Princess movie (as we recently confirmed), but the 1996 movie should reportedly be treated to a face-lift of sorts because it “has everything that makes Disney animation worth archiving.

Do the “Xerox” Movies Count?

Disney’s “Xerox-Era” movies (i.e. 101 Dalmatians from 1961, The Jungle Book from 1967, Robin Hood from 1973, and The Sword in the Stone from 1963) were included on the list, as well.

Even though these movies don’t have a great reputation when it comes to innovative animation, Allison declares that their new animation style allowed the Disney animators and filmmakers to “base films on character more than they had ever before, pulling focus away from the spectacular visual effects and sequences and more on story and personality.”

This apparently makes these films worthy of some upgrades, too!

A Big Budget and a Big Impression

The final film mentioned was most certainly an animated Disney Princess movie that many Disney fans could guess. The 1959 Sleeping Beauty movie is renowned for its expensive aesthetic value and the artistry that went on behind the scenes during its creation.

As Allison points out, “the film is also fiercely stylized compared to the two princess films that preceded it, implementing a more geometric layout and character design, eye-popping visual effects and expressively dramatic colors that are just as vibrant as they are dimly grim.”

Disney’s animators have pulled off plenty of amazing feats since the release of the first Snow White movie back in 1937, and choosing a few animated movies to restore or enhance is no easy task for any enthusiastic audience members!

Do you agree with this writer and illustrator’s list? Which Disney movies would you like to see undergoing 4K restoration first?