Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations

In today’s column, Roger Colton goes all over the proverbial map and returns with … CRANKY PANTS!

Published

22 years ago

April 24, 2003

When I was young, we used to go for trips by car with my maternal grandfather. Whenever we would ask where we were going, he would reply that the car knows where it is going.

So it is with today’s column…

All over the map will describe it best. And this column is the return of cranky pants… So here we go!

Well, no big shock, but it seems that every Disney fanboy Internet site had a spy at the recent Disneyland “Cast Blast” event. And they all had the same thing to say, “No one was telling us anything we didn’t already know!”

Boy! Now, there is one heck of a surprise. When you’re joked about in the opening remarks, what did you expect?

Might as well bring back the dead carp floating in the Rivers of America after all the garbage folks have been spouting about Disneyland due to be closed for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie premier event. Never mind the fact that Disney has now added special event tickets for the average *** to attend. I sure there will be a special section with a distorted view for Internet columnists, somewhere in the Timon parking lot, no doubt, somewhere under the manure pile for the X Games .

And could that carp be Nemo floating upside down? Time will tell, but I still know more folks from E’ville who aren’t having the fish. Think happy thoughts…

Things aren’t all beer and skittles over at the Dreamland. One recent project in the works pitched it’s first act to El Jeffe who actually liked most of what he saw, and had a few points to address afterwards. Don’t know the why’s and where for’s, but most of the crew bailed on the project after that event and the few who were left have since “gone on to explore other opportunities” elsewhere, now that the project has been shelved or just shoved off into development oblivion.

I’m still trying to decide if I should break down and buy the “Roger Rabbit” DVD. As the CAV laser disc of the film and the disc of the shorts already take up shelf space, is there really a need to buy this product just for the extras?

Rumors also have the War Years Disney DVD coming soon. There’s an allegation it may have “Victory Through Airpower” as the main feature, but I’m hoping for a whole lot more including a look at some of the shorts Disney did for the various service branches, and maybe even some of the squadron art the Studio folks produced. Let’s be proud of that work for a change.

Maybe we’ll even see “Song of the South” do a DVD thing sometime this millennium…

For those Captain Nemo fans, there’s another film on the horizon called “The League of Distinguished Gentlemen”. Some one who worked on the project for more than a few months enjoyed getting his check, but said that production was well above and beyond the usual movie making foolishness. Ah, the foolishness… Don’t set your hopes too high for this one.

Lately, when it comes to the movies, I follow a simple rule. Don’t expect anything. That way you won’t be disappointed when you don’t get anything.

Case in point: Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers. Give me the scissors. I can cut a whole bunch of extra gunk from that film and it still is too long and does not convey the real sense of threat as told in the book. Save the romance for the Star Wars franchise or the next “Titanic” rip-off. Badly written and produced teen angst we get enough of already.

DizBiz recent piece on the cemetery on Gower reminded me that they used to have a studio tour next door at Paramount. Not all the fluff you find at Universal’s tour and if you’re lucky you may actually see a production at work.

A few years back we did this and got to go onto a set for the film “Ghost”. It was a full set of an office building complete with ceiling and four walls (break away for letting the camera in). If you remember the movie, there is a scene where the camera goes in through a door into the busy office. We got to see the set just after it had been completely dressed, and it looked just like any office building downtown after everyone had gone home for the day. Very weird when we actually saw the movie to recall having been there…

Let’s see, other things seen… The bar from “Cheers” back when the show was still in production. Much smaller than it looks on television. We were there when they were filming the episode in which Carla’s ex-hockey star husband died after getting run over by the zamboni during an ice show. Got to watch the cast do some run through’s. Funny stuff…

For the Trekkers, we were there during the production of Next Gen. and Voyager. Saw only one set from the outside, and that was the Enterprise D cargo deck through an open door. Did see various cast members, Patrick Stewart comes to mind, going from the set to their trailers outside.

Here’s the link for more info on what was offered:

http://www.studioaudiences.com/moviestudios/paramount.asp

Sadly, the tour was another victim of the post 9/11 hysteria. It was suspended and has not been offered since.

Warner Brothers also offers a studio tour, but I can’t tell you about it, cause I’ve never been. Looks like a good time though… Here’s the link for that tour:

http://www.studioaudiences.com/moviestudios/warnerbrothers.asp

Speaking of 9/11 and studios, I got a real kick out of this story. Somewhere along the way, the FBI identified a “credible threat” against one Hollywood studio. So the word got out and all of the studios decided to take steps.

At Disney’s Burbank lot, these steps included getting out the props and costumes. The studio’s replica police car, motorcycle and fire truck (all not real, okay?) were placed strategically and staffed by the biggest guys maintenance could provide in appropriate costumes (former President Ronald Reagan once referred to military uniforms as costumes) for their roles at the two main gates. The motorcycle was driven around the lot “on patrol” by another costumed player. All in the name of creating an atmosphere of security.

Talk about art imitating life…

Last time I flew down from the Bay Area, it was Michele’s turn to get the “high security” screening. On the whole, I’m still convinced that all the TSA really does is keep folks employed while not really increasing security. Maybe some travelers feel more secure, but frankly I’m not convinced things are better or worse than they ever were before. We watched a woman board our flight carrying a pair of aluminum knitting needles right out in the open. Now I’m no expert, but in the right hands, one has to believe that those could pose a “credible threat”. So I’m still wondering why you can bring them on board.

The TSA has a web page listing all the things you can and can not bring on a flight. Swords are right out…

I’m still chuckling about the airline industry as a whole. Thanks to some bonehead decisions well before 9/11, they had problems. For example, United picked up a bunch of Pam Am’s overseas routes; ones that had been costly and had a habit or three of being notoriously empty. So… Surprise! Flights that don’t fill become product liabilities that don’t add to revenues. Duhhhh…

So when folks like us don’t fly after 9/11, things go from bad to worse and who do they cry to for help? Why folks like you and me in the form of the Federal government, who of course says, “Sure!” Yet, when it comes to Amtrak, a Federal program created to get the railroads out of the passenger business (talk about subsidy!) by the Nixon administration, that will never be profitable but yet serves a good number of folks, Congress tries to play hardball and hold passengers hostage. Somehow the logic of not fully funding a Federal operation that meets passenger needs, but bailing out the airlines that fly with empty seats does? Not in this corner…

A cranky Roger (with a mouthful of breakfast) as the chef on a private car trip.

Back to movie sets for a quick tale. Up in the Mother Lode Gold Country, there is a railroad that you’ve all seen in the movies and on television. The Sierra Railroad was and is a Hollywood favorite with equipment dating back to the turn of the 20th Century. Throw in a countryside that can look like almost anywhere in the West and it was used for everything from silent films up to “Back to the Future III”.

You’ve seen this place and don’t remember it. “Petticoat Junction” had the classic opening with the train and the girls in the water tank. That’s the Sierra’s steam locomotive #3 and their Jamestown water tank. Jamestown is where the railroad had it’s shop facilities complete with a turntable, shop and roundhouse. Today’s it’s part of the California State Park System as the Railtown State Historic Park (also part of the California Railway Museum in Sacramento). The roundhouse and shops also appeared in films and television including “Wild, Wild West”, “Lassie” and “Little House On the Prairie”. Some of my favorite movies shot on the Sierra include “My Little Chickadee” with W.C. Fields and Mae West, the Marx Brothers “Go West”, “Bound For Glory” with David Carradine and “Back to the Future III”.

The Sierra #3 was most prominently seen in the last film as par of the time traveling science experiment. As the railroad’s oldest locomotive, it’s finally getting some well-deserved and needed repairs to keep it operating for another century. If you would like to help out, the CSRM is accepting donations to complete this project.

The town of Hill Valley as seen in BTTF III was constructed on a ranch adjacent to the railroad. What you saw on screen was pretty much what was built out in the wilds of Tuolumne County. Many of the buildings had interiors such as the saloon, the barn and the school teachers house. When the movie finished shooting, the town was left pretty much intact. So, during a visit to friends in the area (before the film came out), I found myself off to explore the town. It was off the beaten path, but if you knew where to turn in off Highway 120, it was an easy drive. Recall that first view of the town in the film at the train station, and you have an idea of what I saw when arriving that afternoon. The owners of the ranch had hired a caretaker to keep an eye on things. He didn’t mind folks touring the set, and even escorted us about the place. AT the time, he said that the owners had hopes of developing it into a movie ranch to be used for other productions. The only building to be torn down was the Courthouse as it was only a false front of a structure being built, and wasn’t all that sturdy to begin with. If a big wind came up, they thought it might just blow over all on it’s own.

One other set nearby was the old Delgado mine. This was where Marty and the Doc spent the night with the Delorean by the campfire. This was just a stroke of luck for the BTTF company as this was an old set left over from a “Little House” episode years before. It was easily seen from the highway for a long time.

Sadly, Mother Nature did in the town and the mine sets. A quick moving wildfire crossed the ridge behind the town one afternoon and destroyed the whole thing. Today it’s only a memory.

Anyway, that’s enough for this time.

Stay tuned kids. It’s going to be an interesting summer in more ways than we can yet imagine…

Next week: We’ll set the “Wayback” machine to the summer of 1976 and a look at my brief radio career at what once was a major player in the San Francisco market.

And if you’re enjoying these columns as much as I enjoy sharing them with you, why not show that support by clicking on the Amazon Honor System Paybox link here? As a friend once said about another electronic device, “Go ahead! It doesn’t hurt a bit!”

Television & Shows

The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

Published

1 week ago

April 24, 2025

Jim Hill

Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios

A long time ago in a galaxy that … Well, to be honest, wasn’t all that far away. This was down in Florida after all. But if you traveled to the WDW Resort, you could then experience “Star Wars Weekends.” Which ran seasonally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney World from 1997 to 2015.

Mind you, what most folks don’t remember is the annual event that effectively plowed the road for “Star Wars Weekends.” Which was “Super Soap Weekend.” That seasonal offering — which allowed ABC soap fans to get up-close with their favorite performers from “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live” and “Port Charles” — debuted at that same theme park the year previous (1996).

So how did this weekend-long celebration of daytime drama (which drew tens of thousands of people to Orlando every Fall for 15 years straight) come to be?

Michael Eisner’s Daytime TV Origins and a Theme Park Vision

Super Soap Weekend was the brainchild of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. His career in media began with short stints at NBC and CBS, but it truly took off in 1964 when he joined ABC as the assistant to Leonard Goldberg, who was the network’s national programming director at the time.

Eisner quickly advanced through the ranks. By 1971, he had become Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC. That meant he was on the scene when One Life to Live joined the lineup in July 1968 and when All My Children made its debut in January 1970. Even after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Prime Time Programming in 1976, Eisner stayed close to the daytime division and often recruited standout soap talent for ABC’s primetime shows.

Fast forward nearly two decades to July 31, 1995. The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire ABC/Cap Cities in a $19 billion deal. Although the acquisition wasn’t finalized until February 1996, Eisner was already thinking ahead. He wanted to use the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital to draw people to Disney’s theme parks.

He had seen how individual soap stars were drawing huge mall crowds across America since the late 1970s. Now he wanted to bring dozens of them together for something much bigger.

Super Soap Weekend Takes Over Disney-MGM Studios

The very first Super Soap Weekend was announced in June 1996, just a few months after the ABC deal closed. The event was scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Disney-MGM Studios and was a massive success.

The weekend featured panel discussions, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities with the stars of ABC’s daytime dramas. Thousands of fans packed the park for the chance to meet their favorite actors. Due to the overwhelming response, the event became an annual tradition and was eventually moved to Veterans Day weekend each November to better accommodate attendees.

Longtime fans like Nancy Stadler, her mom Mary, and their close friend Angela Ragno returned year after year, making the event a personal tradition and building lifelong memories.

West Coast Events and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro

Disney even tried to recreate the event out west. Two Super Soap Weekends were held at Disneyland Resort, one in April 2002 and another in June 2003.

At Disney’s California Adventure, Eisner also introduced the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, a themed dining experience that opened in February 2001. Guests could dine inside recreated sets from shows like General Hospital and All My Children, including Kelly’s Diner and the Chandler Mansion. The Bistro closed in November 2002, but for fans, it offered a rare opportunity to step into the world of their favorite soaps.

SOAPnet, Port Charles, and the Expansion of Daytime TV at Disney

Eisner’s enthusiasm for soaps extended beyond the parks. In January 2000, he launched SOAPnet, a cable channel dedicated to prime time replays of ABC’s daytime dramas.

During his time at Disney, General Hospital also received a spin-off series titled Port Charles, which aired from June 1997 to October 2003. The show leaned into supernatural plotlines and was another example of Eisner’s commitment to evolving and expanding the soap genre.

The Final Curtain for Super Soap Weekend

In September 2005, Eisner stepped down after 21 years as head of The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger, who had previously served as President of ABC and Chief Operating Officer of ABC/Cap Cities, took over as CEO. While Iger had deep ABC credentials, he didn’t share Eisner’s passion for daytime television.

In the fall of 2008, Disney hosted the final Super Soap Weekend at what was then still called Disney-MGM Studios. That same year, the park was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney began shifting away from television-focused experiences.

Within the next five years, the rest of Eisner’s soap legacy faded. One Life to Live was canceled in January 2012. SOAPnet was rebranded as Disney Junior in February 2013. Later that year, All My Children ended its 41-year run on ABC.

Only General Hospital remains on the network today, the last standing soap from the golden age of ABC Daytime.

A New Chapter for Daytime TV and Super Soap Fans

The soap genre may have faded from its former glory, but it’s not gone. On February 24, 2025, CBS premiered a brand-new daytime drama called Beyond the Gates, marking the first new soap launch in years.

Meanwhile, All My Children alum Kelly Ripa has been actively working on a revival. In September 2024, she mentioned a holiday-themed movie set in Pine Valley that would bring back many original cast members. The project was in development for Lifetime, though its current status is unclear.

And what about Super Soap? Fans like Nancy and Angela still hope Disney will bring it back. Even if it only featured the cast of General Hospital, it would be a welcome return for longtime viewers who miss that one weekend a year where the magic of Disney collided with the drama of daytime TV.

If you want to hear firsthand what it was like to be part of Super Soap Weekend, be sure to listen to our I Want That Too podcast interview with actor Colin Egglesfield. He shares behind-the-scenes memories from his days as Josh Madden on All My Children and what it meant to be part of one of the most unique fan events in Disney park history.

History

The Super Bowl & Disney: The Untold Story Behind ‘I’m Going to Disneyland!’

Published

3 months ago

February 6, 2025

Jim Hill

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl isn’t just the game itself—it’s the moment when the winning quarterback turns to the camera and exclaims, “I’m going to Disney World!” This now-iconic phrase has been a staple of post-game celebrations for decades. But where did this tradition begin? Surprisingly, it didn’t originate in a stadium but at a dinner table in 1987, in a conversation involving Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and aviation pioneers Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

The Unlikely Beginning of a Marketing Sensation

To understand the origins of this campaign, we have to go back to December 1986, when the Rutan Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles before landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Their historic achievement earned them national recognition, and just days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded them the Presidential Citizen Medal at the White House.

Meanwhile, Disney was gearing up for the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, set for January 12, 1987. Following its usual playbook of associating major theme park attractions with real-world pioneers, Disney’s PR team invited astronauts Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton to the launch event. But in a twist, they also invited Rutan and Yeager, who were still making headlines.

A Dinner Conversation That Changed Advertising Forever

After the Star Tours opening ceremony, a private dinner was held with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and Eisner’s wife, Jane. During the meal, Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “You just made history. You traveled non-stop around the planet on a plane without ever refueling. How are you ever going to top that, career-wise? What are you two gonna do next?”

Without hesitation, Jeana Yeager replied, “Well, after being cramped inside that tiny plane for nine days, I’m just glad to be anywhere else. And even though you folks were nice enough to fly us here, invite us to your party… Well, as soon as we finish eating, I’m gonna go over to the Park and ride some rides. I’m going to Disneyland.”

Jane Eisner immediately recognized the power of Yeager’s statement. On the car ride home, she turned to Michael and said, “That’s a great slogan. I think you should use that to promote the theme parks.” Like many husbands, Michael initially dismissed the idea, but Jane persisted. Eventually, Eisner relented and pitched it to his team.

The Super Bowl Connection

With Super Bowl XXI just around the corner, Disney’s PR team saw an opportunity. The game was set for January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—just miles from Disney Studios. What if they convinced the winning quarterback to say, “I’m going to Disneyland” live on-air?

Disney quickly struck a deal with both quarterbacks—Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway of the Denver Broncos—offering each $75,000 to deliver the line if their team won. Simms led the Giants to victory, making history as the first athlete to say, “I’m going to Disney World!” on national television.

A Marketing Triumph

That year’s Super Bowl had the second-highest viewership in television history, with 87 million people watching Simms say the famous line. The next day, Disney turned the clip into a national commercial, cementing the phrase as a marketing goldmine.

Since then, “I’m going to Disneyland” (or Disney World, depending on the commercial) has been a staple of championship celebrations, spanning the NFL, NBA, and even the Olympics. What started as a casual remark at dinner became one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Jane Eisner’s keen instinct and Disney’s ability to act quickly on a great idea created a tradition that continues to captivate audiences. The “I’m going to Disneyland” campaign remains a testament to the power of spontaneous inspiration and smart marketing, proving that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

To learn more about Disney’s ties to the world of sports, check out I Want That Too: A Disney History and Consumer Product Podcast.

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned: