Computer Animation Arts

There's a line of argument that says the Disney Studio lost its way in the 1980s, that it was struggling to modernise and seeking to chime with new audiences by embracing more mature themes. Arguably, it wasn't until 1989's The Little Mermaid that Disney rediscovered its story-telling mojo, ushering in a new 'golden age' of animated movies. But o f course, 80s Disney gave us Tron (1982), which has since been reclaimed from its tepid reception and rehabilitated as a ground-breaking experiment in CGI and potential uber-cool sci-fi franchise-in-the-offing. In this era of the squeaky clean High School Musica l franchise, Hannah Montana et al, I look back with increasing admiration at Disney's dark trio of live action films, beginning with The Watcher in the Woods in 1980, followed by Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), based on the story by Ray Bradbury, and Return to Oz in 1985. The Watcher in the Woods , directed by John Hough and an uncredited Vinc...