Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations

It’s another trip back to the storage locker and another classic animation book review from Roger’s keyboard! Something old and something new…

Published

21 years ago

May 6, 2004

Roger Colton

This is the second of two parts adapted from two articles that appeared in Issues Four and Five of YARF! way back in May and then July of 1990. Originally done with an absolutely ancient version of Aldus Pagemaker on a Macintosh SE, they were an interesting look into the printed page. This time out, Disney characters are the focus.

Last time, we looked at a book about the Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes. This time we’ll do the flip side with the “Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters” by John Grant (Published by Harper and Row, 1987. Suggested retail price $35.00) It would be fair to say that Disney enjoyed a wealth of characters because of both features and shorts, where as Warner was limited to shorts.

The introduction to this book sets the tone to explain why Disney characters were (and are) different from those of other studios:

“Until a character becomes a personality it cannot be believed. Without personality, the character may do funny or interesting things, but unless people are able to identify themselves with the character, it’s actions will seem unreal. And without personality, a story cannot ring true to the audience.”

Those words of Walt Disney describe why his studio became to the most successful animation company of it’s day. We think of these characters as real, and in that, the Disney animators have succeeded. This doesn’t mean that Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry aren’t good characters, but the Disney staff seemed to have the ability to bring it’s characters to life in ways that were above the other studios. We see Disney characters as real personalities with real emotions in real life situations. Looking at shorts from other studios, that wasn’t always possible or something necessary. A personal example comes in the Disney feature, “Lady & The Tramp”. The scenes early one with lady as very young puppy derive from reality. Having been through the same situations in my own life (as my mother bred cocker spaniels for the dog show world once upon a time), I laugh every time I see these scenes because I can identify with the real quality of them. That’s the Disney secret!

This book comes as close to being complete (for the publication dates) as any I have found about Disney characters. It is broken down by short subjects and animated features. It is (was) current up to 1985’s “Wuzzles” and “Gummi Bears” for shorts and up to 1986’s “The Great Mouse Detective” for features. The section on shorts id sorted by characters rather than by subject title, and they are in chronological order of appearance. That list begins with the “Newman Laugh-O-Grams” which Walt produced for a local cinema in Kansas City in 1921. The running times were less than a minute. The first character listing is for “Julius the Cat” from the “Alice” series of shorts. They featured a live action young girl (Alice) interacting with the animation. Julius is a Felix look-alike and never appeared in anything other than the “Alice” shorts. The listing also includes a filmography with all possible appearances.

Here is a typical character entry — for the character “Bootle Beetle”:

BOOTLE BEETLE:

If they were small, and especially if they were insects, they inevitably became foes of Donald Duck. Bootle Beetle, who first appeared in the short “Bootle Beetle” (1947), carried on the great tradition. Voiced by Dink Trout, the little coleopteran got his name thank to Jack Hannah, who directed the original short. Hannah’s wife knew of a racehorse in Pomona called “Beetle Bootle”, and he merely switched the two names around.

Of the three shorts he made, the first, “Bootle Beetle” is probably the best known. The elderly Bootle is telling the younger Ezra Beetle of the ills of running away and recalls the story of his own youth, which seems mainly to have occupied chases between himself and Donald. Nowadays, although Bootle is an old man, so is Donald — and elderly Duck is still chasing him. He is still reminiscing in “Sea Salts” (1949), about the time he and Donald were shipwrecked. Of their surviving provision Donald always seems to get the best ration but somehow this does no disrupt the friendship of the two.

His final outing was in the short, “The Greener Yard” (1949). Yet again he is reminiscing to Ezra. Once upon a time, he tells the little beetle as the two of them survey Donald’s yard over the fence, he took the risk of plundering that yard for food. However, all that happened was that he was chased by Donald and nearly lost his life. He tells the story so dramatically (with flashbacks to the real action) that young Ezra is content to stick with the meal he has in front of him rather than trying for the delights on the other side of the fence.

Bootle Beetle’s career never got off the ground. Somehow he was not really enough of a personality to make it to the top — although, in contradiction to that, it should be pointed out that Buzz-Buzz who has no personality except for a venomous desire to use his sting, did much better for himself.

Filmography —
“Bootle Beetle”, August 1947
“Sea Salts”, 1949
“The Greener Yard” 1949

Ezra Beetle appeared only in “Bootle Beetle” and in “The Greener Yard”.

The entry is accompanied by two color views for both Bootle Beetle and Ezra Beetle. A major character such as Goofy has an appropriately larger entry consistent with all of his appearances. Each Entry give all the information about the character, and if known, a credit for the voice(s) which contributed to it.

The section on features is a bit more involved but again well done. Once more, it is arranged in chronological order but this time by title rather than by character. Beginning with “Snow White” (released December 21, 1937), it covers the features in order. Some of the entries may seem out of place here as you don’t think of them as features. But they are listed that way because that’s how Disney released them to the theaters. A good example is the World War II feature, “Victory Through Airpower”, (1943). While it was a promotional film for escalating the war effort through increased reliance on air power, it does contain animation. And it is all detailed in the entry for the title. There are also other entries for live action films that included animation in their productions.

Usually an entry is headlined by the title. Then the characters are listed, followed by the credits (which include the voices). After the credits, the date of the release is given as well as the total running time of the film. Then a section with notes on the film and it’s production is presented. A synopsis of the story is offered, and then the listing for the characters. Views of the character accompany the list. Due to space considerations in YARF!, a full example of a feature reference would be too much. But here is a condensed version to offer you a sample of the information that is found in a typical listing.

“Melody Time”
Characters:

Little Toot section:

Little Toot, Big Toot
Voices/Musicians: The Andrews Sisters
Release Date: May 27, 1948
Running Time: 7.5 minutes

Little Toot Section:

As the Andrews Sisters tunefully tell us,

“Little Toot was just a tugboat,
A happy harbor tug.
He came from a line tugboats fine and brave.
But it seems that Little Toot,
Simply didn’t give a hoot.
Though he tried to be good he never could behave.”

In other words, like many another small Disney hero, “Little Toot”, a New York harbor tug, is the “naughty one”. Indeed, he is an extremely mischievous little boat. We see him indulging in all sorts of minor misdemeanors before one day he goes too far, peppering the portholes of a liner with blasts of dense smoke. After this excursion, he is lucky not to be caught by the prowling police boats, which are grim faced and blue.

“Little Toot” resolves in the future to be good and help his father, “Big Toot”.

His first attempt ends in disaster; a vast liner ends up spinning uncontrollably to land in the streets of New York, surrounded by bent and battered skyscrapers.

“Little Toot” is escorted out to sea — past the 12 mile limit — by the police boats and left there to the mercy for whatever fate might have in store for him.

A storm blows up. As the sky thunders and the waves crash, a chorus of huge, red, sharked-jawed buoys verbally chastise him “Shame! Shame! Too bad! Too Bad!”

“Little Toot” is such a reject that even the circling beam of a nearby lighthouse detours around him. This is bad enough, but then the storm really hits. The poor little tug is having difficulty staying afloat when a rocket flare lights up the sky; a liner is in distress out by the dreaded rocks. “Little Toot” promptly sends back an SOS to the New York tugs and they immediately send out a rescue expedition, but he is by far the nearest to the liner and so it is really up to him.

Hooked up to the liner, he strains to pull it clear but to no avail… until a bolt of lightning hits his stern. The effect is electrifying in both senses of the word and in no time “Little Toot” has saved the liner and the day. He returns to a hero’s welcome, and at last — and for the first time — his father, “Big Toot”, has cause to be proud of him.

Stills of “Little Toot” do not so him justice; he is not the flat neutral character he appears to be in them. The drawing of him is simple, yet somehow it conveys the fact that he is essentially a naughty child — infuriating much of the time but nevertheless very lovable. His father, “Big Toot”, comes across as a gritty workin’ man, gruff and reserved yet with a heart of gold. Just how the Disney animators achieved such is impossible to tell; perhaps they did not know it themselves, but did it all by instinct.

That last paragraph sums up again what makes Disney characters come to life and why we can feel that they are real and relate to them so well. That’s the magic that character animation is best at and Disney does it best of all.”

This book may take up a bit of space on the coffee table or a shelf, but it is worth the effort. Again it is a valuable reference source and a can provide inspiration as well as background. It may be hard to find in the stores, but if you look, it might even be among the bargain tables. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.

Now there have been several editions of the book, and it is about time for another edition to make the rounds, we can hope. Again it would make a great electronic version complete with a database feature. Throw in a few short movie clips for some of the better known characters and or features and they would have no trouble selling, I’m certain.

If you’re serious in looking for a copy of this title, Amazon does have both new and used of the first and third editions for sale. The 1987 1st edition or the 1998 3rd edition can be found at those links.

Next week? That’s something I’m pondering right now. A couple of good things to share with you all…

On the donation front for the Message Boards, kudos to our own Instidude for doing his part by sharing a donation with us. As nice as that is, we have about two-thirds of what we need to make the advertisements go away again. Every bit helps folks, no matter how much. So think about it, will you?

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: