Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations

With summer on its way, Roger knows its not just a good novel that makes for fun reading in the sun.

Published

21 years ago

March 18, 2004

Roger Colton

Before starting today’s column, Roger has something to share from his inbox:

This showed up in my e-mail on last Friday night.

I was asked to share it with you all by someone who has worked in the animation industry for the better part of his life. You’ve seen his work and loved it. He wouldn’t steer us wrong on this.

Grammar aside, it is a legitimate plea that I hope you will take to heart. I’ve met the author (once on a quick tour), and hope you’ll give this your consideration. Frankly, there was a lot of great work done by a lot of good people that we will likely never be seen on the big screen in a theater — unless we take up the call and drop a note in response to this request.

Subject: Mickey Mouse at the movies

Dear friends –

Would you like to see a great Mickey Mouse movie at your local theater? Well so would I.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Donovan Cook and I recently finished directing, The Three Musketeers a Disney animated feature film staring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. (You can see a short preview of my movie on the Lion King 1 1/2 DVD.) Sadly because of misguided management this movie is scheduled to skip a theatrical release on the big screen and go straight to DVD.

Mr. Eisner and his executives did not make this decision based on the content or execution of the movie. In fact, the three top executives at the Disney Studio have never seen the movie. Mr. Eisner has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t think there is a large enough audience for Mickey to be in the theaters. Bob Iger, the number two exec at Disney, has publicly added that releasing The Three Musketeers in the theaters is too big of a financial risk because it is not computer animation. High quality classic animation is a financial risk? Not a big enough audience for Mickey Mouse? If you are as confused as me, please read on.

A few weeks ago, I was discussing this very situation with a friend of mine who is in no way connected with Disney or the entertainment industry. “Who could I send and email to at Disney about this?” He asked. I thought about it for a moment and said, “Well *** Cook would probably be good.” Mr. Cook, (no relation to myself) is the Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, which means he is the big cheese in charge of all movies, DVDs and TV shows that Disney makes.

My friend did send an email to *** Cook expressing his disappointment about Musketeers going straight to DVD. Now here is the really crazy part, two weeks later, Mr. Cook called my friend to discuss his concerns. Yes you read correctly, the Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios picked up the phone and called a regular Joe just to discuss the email he sent.

Now it is unlikely that Mr. Cook calls every consumer who sends him an email, which means that this particular issue is of great concern to him. I believe that if enough people express their desire to see Mickey Mouse on the big screen, *** Cook and the Disney execs will reconsider.

So if you want to take your kids to see a high quality, classic and funny Disney movie staring Mickey Mouse and friends, send *** Cook and email at…

***.cook@disney.com

For your convenience, a sample letter is provided below. You may simply fill in the blacks then copy and paste it into a new email. Better yet, add your own personal concerns/complaints or best of all, write a letter in your own words.

A couple notes about your letter; be brief, (unlike me) or Mr. Cook probably will not have time to read it. If you are a Disney stockholder be sure to include that info as it means a lot, especially now.

Feel free to forward this email to any friends who you think would be interested.

Thanks for your help.

All the best to you,
Donovan Cook

——————————————–

(Subject: Letter from a parent and/or stockholder)

Dear Mr. Cook,

My name is (your name here) and I am a stockholder (if you do not own Disney stock, omit this) and an undying Disney consumer/fan. I am a parent of (enter number of children) children and our family happily supports Disney products. We see every movie, purchase the DVDs, go to (Disneyland/Disneyworld — pick one), watch the Disney Channel as well as purchasing a great deal of Disney products.

I was recently thrilled to hear that Disney is making a movie of The Three Musketeers staring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. I was however very disappointed to see that this movie will be going straight to DVD.

I am very excited to introduce Mickey, Donald and Goofy to my (child/children) through this movie, but I do not understand why this movie is not being released in the theaters. These are the characters created by Walt Disney himself. They are what your company was founded on. My family and I would like to see The Three Musketeers the way Walt would have shown it, on the big screen.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your reply.

(Your Name)

(Your email address)

(Your phone number)

Now on with the regular column…

“Print is dead.”
— Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler, “Ghostbusters” (1984)

Well, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of it’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

While you can’t dismiss the growth of online content and folks making use of it, print is here to stay. Let’s face it. Folks like me who read tend to read a lot, and there is still a lot of content on the printed page that hasn’t made it’s way online just yet. And there is something about having that book or magazine to refer to after you’ve done reading it the first dozen times or so…

It’s why, when I get the chance, I pick up a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle to read from the paper pages, rather than the online edition. And it’s why I will buy a novel to read at my own pace instead of listening to someone perform an audio book.

So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite magazines with you. They shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

To bring home the point that print is anything but dead, the San Francisco Chronicle had a great piece about a new magazine being published out of the City.

What is interesting to note is that the subject isn’t one you would usually think of when it comes to San Francisco. That’s NASCAR. Typically, one thinks of a magazine like this being published somewhere below the Mason-Dixon line.

NASCAR has something that other sports or competitors for our disposable income would kill for — nationwide growing fan base. And the demographics of who is going to these races makes advertisers drool. Wide across the spectrum, it’s got something for everyone in the family. But this new magazine won’t be alone as there are already a flock of NASCAR themed publications on the stand. But “American Thunder” has some interesting folks on the masthead. Notably, President and Publisher Val Landi (who was with IDG, the Boston based publisher of Macworld and other technical magazines) and chief editor Lucas Mast (the one we can all blame for making online payments so easy — he was the man behind Paypal). According to the piece in the Chron, the magazine is to be more of a lifestyle piece than just more news about races. Gotta say, it is an interesting concept and will be worth keeping an eye on.

One of the benefits (so far) of having a Premium Annual Pass for Disneyland is the yearly subscription to Disney Magazine. I’ll give them three out of four stars for this one, but there are times when it tries to be a bit too much of all things Disney to all of it’s subscribers. Understandable that may be. But as an AP, it’s a bit like preaching to the choir at times. Maybe I was spoiled by all those years of the fondly recalled and late lamented “Vacationland” magazine. This link shows some of the classic covers. One treasured issue in my collection from the early 70’s has a great piece on young (was he ever that young?) Rod Miller and his piano at the Coca Cola Corner. With a lot less in the way of non-Disney advertising, and a Disneyland focus, is there any surprise that folks still miss it so?

Now, readers here may recall that I have an interest in the history of trains, planes and automobiles. Setting aside trains for the moment, let’s look at the others. “Air Classics” has been a favorite for many years with it’s annual coverage of the Reno Air Races, but has also offered some good history on flight back to the earliest days. A bit of everything from airline history to air combat in all kinds of conflicts. Stepping up the ladder is “Smithsonian Air & Space“. As the official magazine of the Museum it’s a bit like the Disney magazine in that it promotes attendance at it’s parent locations. And it has advertising that targets it’s core customers as well. A recent issue had a great look at the new Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington’s Dulles International. Truly some fine examples of the aero-space industry and the people who created and flew them on display there.

When it comes to cars, my dad has always enjoyed “Road & Track“. One item I always looked forward to was the April issue and their unique road test. One year it was the Space Shuttle crawler transporter, and another was Great Britain’s “Flying Scotsman” steam locomotive. Always fun to read. A slightly less pretentious car magazine for the hot rod folks is “Drive!” “Big Daddy” Ed Roth had a regular column for several years that was a great look at car culture as it has grown and evolved. Missed he is, but the magazine is still a great place for info. And best of all, it’s free! Check the web pages for locations where you can get an issue.

One of the things worth noting about magazines is that they come and they go. A good example was Paramount’s “Star Trek” magazine. Lot’s of great detail into all of the franchises with information to satisfy even the most dedicated of fans. Yet it couldn’t sustain a level of profitability to keep it going. Yet, the fan focused “Star Trek Communicator” manages to survive. Originally it was a true fan based publication, and now it’s owned by Decipher Games (best known for their collectible card games). They have good info, some of the same detailed articles on the shows (including a classic look at the original Starship Enterprise model now in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum). Throw in a store with some decent merchandise and they manage to survive where the big guys didn’t.

Oddly enough, the other collectible card game force, Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of toy giant Hasbro), (best known for it’s Magic – the Gathering card games) produces the Star Wars Insider that caters to another other big sci-fi fan base. It too started out as a fan club magazine, and now keeps fans informed of all the latest from the Lucasfilm empire. (Oh, George! What were you thinking! Teen angst?)

Well, let’s dive into the train magazines…

There are a bunch of these that seem to find their way into my hand year round. You may recall in a previous column that I mentioned a fine British publication entitled “Heritage Railway“. We had a similar publication across the pond here for a while called “Locomotive and Railway Preservation”. It didn’t have quite the coverage as it’s UK cousin, but was a good look at the topic, nonetheless. A web site called Railway Preservation News covers the railway museum scene here in the North America today.

When you talk train magazines here, the big two are “Trains” and “Railfan and Railroad“. Both go way back. “Trains” came out just before World War II, but “Railfan” goes back even farther with roots as a pulp magazine of railroad tales. Of the two, “Trains” has taken on the appearance of a more upscale publication with a slicker appearance and style. “Railfan” continues to be more homespun and fan-based in appearance and content. Both magazines also have companion model railroad publications as well, with their own histories.

Kalmbach, the publisher of “Trains” produces a host of other magazines outside the railway realm, But another railway magazine they seem to have a winner with is the quarterly “Classic Trains“. If you can’t go back in time, this magazine does a good job of taking you there. Some great stories and photos of days gone by, and tales from the people who made the trains run. (This magazine, too had previous incarnations, even under another now defunct publisher.)

For the real nuts and bolts folks, there are the more detailed train magazines. The private car owners group, AAPRCO publishes “Private Varnish” for both its members and enthusiasts. Various railroad historical groups also publish magazines with a decidedly historical focus. A few of note are “The Streamliner” from the Union Pacific Historical Society; “The SP Trainline” from the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society; “The Western Pacific Headlight” from the Western Pacific Railroad Historical Society; and “The Warbonnet” from the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society. And there is a whole bunch more out there!

Now I don’t subscribe any of these right now. I just pick up an issue now and then from a local newsstand or three. Other than Disney or Time, no other magazines clutter my mailbox except that of my employer. One of the perks of your AAA membership is the local affiliate club magazine. In my case, it’s “VIA Magazine“.

So, what do you think? Looks like print will be with us for a while to come. And in the immortal word of KFOG’s Scoop Nisker, “If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own!”

Next week? The usual suspects return from a visit to the South, and Roger will share a thought or two on that and other topics. Who knows? Maybe even the return of “Cranky Pants”?

If you’ve enjoyed Roger’s weekly effort, why not show your support but dropping a buck or two in his Paypal Donation Box. Truth be told, it’s only folks like you who keep him going here week after week. There’s no profit sharing or other schemes, just your generosity! Thanks for your support!

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: