Disney’s The Black Hole

[Dr. T is an alien]

A movie that I had a great affinity as a child has been on my mind lately as the planned reboot is now I’m development hell as apparently the script, which has drawn praise from some corners, has been deemed “too dark for Disney”, forgetting that fits with the original’s history. It was also far outside the Disney comfort zone, being the first Disney film to get a PG rating and featuring some elements that could have gotten a harsher rating if they leaned into it.

Now, I am not about to say that the original did not have any flaws. It really, really does. It did, however, have plenty of good elements that could have translated really well to a reboot.

The good

- That soundtrack holds up. Hell, people still make videos for YouTube utilizing those songs, particularly the opening theme.
- The special effects were pretty damned good as well.
- The USS Cygnus is a great set piece.
- The cast was fantastic.
- While most people liked Maximilian, I thought all of the robots were pretty good (though BOB did get to be a bit much).
- The parts that were dark were done rather well (the deaths, the fate of the crew, Reinhard’s twisted fanaticism).

The bad

- It could not keep to the same tone throughout.
- The cutesy, kid-friendly stuff really dragged the film down as it had the potential to be something special had they simply let it by toning the cute stuff down.
- The science was bad. I am not critical of them not knowing all of the physics of black holes as that is still an expanding field, but there were others. Breathing and talking in space isn’t possible. Meteors only get hot as they transfer through atmosphere. There are more, but those are the worst.

The bat-crap crazy

- That ending is metaphorical. At least, I think so. That’s the only thing that allows that ending to make sense..


Anyways, am I the only one interested in this property? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[The 1Watcher Experience]

I was a huge fan of this movie when I was a kid. It was often in heavy rotation on my cable channels. I recently grabbed it on Blu Ray. It was a lot of fun to watch again after so many years. I believe it has the unique distinction of being the movie with the most matte paintings. I remember reading an article about how Empire Strikes Back had a ton of them and still doesn’t come anywhere near the number used in The Black Hole. It’s so beautifully shot and the soundtrack is haunting. There are some solid actors rounding out the cast too. Other kids use to ask me what my favorite Disney movie was. I’d always say The Black Hole.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Nov 10, 2019 2:50:34 GMT -5 The 1Watcher Experience said:

I was a huge fan of this movie when I was a kid. It was often in heavy rotation on my cable channels. I recently grabbed it on Blu Ray. It was a lot of fun to watch again after so many years. I believe it has the unique distinction of being the movie with the most matte paintings. I remember reading an article about how Empire Strikes Back had a ton of them and still doesn’t come anywhere near the number used in The Black Hole. It’s so beautifully shot and the soundtrack is haunting. There are some solid actors rounding out the cast too. Other kids use to ask me what my favorite Disney movie was. I’d always say The Black Hole.

It was one of my favorite Disney films as a kid as well. Tron ranked above it, but that is about it. Now that Marvel and Star Wars are Disney properties too it has moved down the list, but I still have a tender spot for it. That's why I was so disappointed to see the remake is on hold.

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

brilliant movie and one of my favs, the most undisney disney movie they ever made

exciting, stoic, what a cast list ..... the effects are great, and with one of THE most fundamental endings ever in cinema, this made for an exceptional piece of movie theatre

it's almost like a space horror movie

and MAXIMILIAN is the real villain
that's why i like him

"SAY WHAT AGAIN!"

[The 1Watcher Experience]

Nov 11, 2019 10:33:37 GMT -5 Dr. T is an alien said:

Nov 10, 2019 2:50:34 GMT -5 The 1Watcher Experience said:

I was a huge fan of this movie when I was a kid. It was often in heavy rotation on my cable channels. I recently grabbed it on Blu Ray. It was a lot of fun to watch again after so many years. I believe it has the unique distinction of being the movie with the most matte paintings. I remember reading an article about how Empire Strikes Back had a ton of them and still doesn’t come anywhere near the number used in The Black Hole. It’s so beautifully shot and the soundtrack is haunting. There are some solid actors rounding out the cast too. Other kids use to ask me what my favorite Disney movie was. I’d always say The Black Hole.

It was one of my favorite Disney films as a kid as well. Tron ranked above it, but that is about it. Now that Marvel and Star Wars are Disney properties too it has moved down the list, but I still have a tender spot for it. That's why I was so disappointed to see the remake is on hold.

Remakes are seldom great and even less often better than the original. It would’ve been interesting to see what they tried to do with The Black Hole. It feels like ever since Disney acquired Star Wars they’ve had less interest in other science fiction projects. I thought Tron: Legacy was a fun sequel after so many years removed from the original. A third movie has been rumored for years but apparently that’s not happening either. 

[burdette25159]

The Disney Movie Club blu ray was pulled but has since been re-released because of a bug that prevented the Overture from being played

[Deleted]

The only thing that's changed about this movie for me is the soundtrack........still beautiful, but lordy loo is it repetitive. That never stuck out before like it does now.

But I love this movie. Have loved it since I was a kid in the early '80s.

[Push R Truth]

This is the sort of movie I think is ripe for the remake trend. Really good ideas with poor execution.

[Deleted]

Nov 12, 2019 11:48:25 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

This is the sort of movie I think is ripe for the remake trend. Really good ideas with poor execution.

Earlier this decade, Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) and Jon Spaihts (writer, Prometheus) were signed on for a remake, but ultimately Spaihts' script was deemed "too dark for Disney." Guessing that exec never saw the original. Currently Emily Carmichael (writer, Pacific Rim Uprising, Jurassic World 3) is signed on as writer...

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

I've never seen it, but I read the novelisation by Alan Dean Foster at least three times when I was a kid.

[Deleted]

Nov 13, 2019 7:25:38 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

I've never seen it, but I read the novelisation by Alan Dean Foster at least three times when I was a kid.

Heh. Disney really did want TBH to be their Star Wars...

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Nov 13, 2019 7:56:33 GMT -5 @knapp said:

Nov 13, 2019 7:25:38 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

I've never seen it, but I read the novelisation by Alan Dean Foster at least three times when I was a kid.

Heh. Disney really did want TBH to be their Star Wars...

It only just dawned on me just how much work ADF got in the '70s and '80s novelising TV and movies. Alien, Aliens, Star Wars, Star Trek: TAS, The Thing, Starman, Last Starfighter, Dark Star... it's a wonder he had time to have such a prolific career with his original works.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Nov 13, 2019 8:08:28 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

Nov 13, 2019 7:56:33 GMT -5 @knapp said:

Heh. Disney really did want TBH to be their Star Wars...

It only just dawned on me just how much work ADF got in the '70s and '80s novelising TV and movies. Alien, Aliens, Star Wars, Star Trek: TAS, The Thing, Starman, Last Starfighter, Dark Star... it's a wonder he had time to have such a prolific career with his original works.

Honestly, it probably doesn't take long to fart out a novelization, especially if you are working off of the script or some sort of detailed notes. You don't have to make up your own story, make the narrative come together, put thoughts into every characters' personal motivations, nor come up with an ending. Most of that work is done for you.

[Push R Truth]

Nov 13, 2019 9:27:23 GMT -5 Dr. T is an alien said:

Nov 13, 2019 8:08:28 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

It only just dawned on me just how much work ADF got in the '70s and '80s novelising TV and movies. Alien, Aliens, Star Wars, Star Trek: TAS, The Thing, Starman, Last Starfighter, Dark Star... it's a wonder he had time to have such a prolific career with his original works.

Honestly, it probably doesn't take long to fart out a novelization, especially if you are working off of the script or some sort of detailed notes. You don't have to make up your own story, make the narrative come together, put thoughts into every characters' personal motivations, nor come up with an ending. Most of that work is done for you.

I saw this post and asked a friend of mine that had done a couple movie novelizations in the 90's/early 2000's. She says 2-3 days of rather laid back writing and most of the time it was really easy work. But occasionally it was very hard not tweaking something you absolutely hated. So she more or less learned to do it "with the brain turned off".


Said it paid a lot of bills and was incredibly useful for breaking a horrible case of writer's block.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Nov 13, 2019 11:19:14 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

But occasionally it was very hard not tweaking something you absolutely hated. So she more or less learned to do it "with the brain turned off".

Foster had that issue with the Alien 3 novelisation:

Originally, Alan Dean Foster wanted his adaptation to differ from the film's script, which he disliked. Chiefly, he wanted to keep Newt alive. According to Foster, "My thought ... was to explain that her capsule was damaged and that she would therefore have to remain in deep sleep until it could be repaired. That way, she remains alive but inactive for the duration of the story, Ripley's motivation to fight to remain alive in order to sustain her is maintained, and Newt's status being iffy (she can live or die at any time) adds another element of suspense to the film." Foster also drew up back stories for many of the inmate characters, to add additional motivation for them. However, the producers responded that he was not permitted to alter the storyline and rejected all of the material he had planned to include. As a result of the experience, Foster later turned down the novelization of Alien Resurrection, which was ultimately written by A. C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley.