Black Cauldron

UPC: 786936765021

Studio: Walt Disney

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Mild Violence, Suitable for Children]

Summary: Walt Disney Pictures produced this ambitious, animated tale of sorcery and swordfighting. Taran (voice of Grant Bardsley), is an assistant to Dallben (voice of Freddie Jones), a pigkeeper in the mythical land of Prydain. Taran longs to be a knight, and he's given his chance to live out his dream when he is sent out in search of a magical black cauldron which can either be a powerful instrument of good or a bottomless fount of evil, depending entirely upon who should find it. However, Taran is not the only one in search of this talisman -- the Horned King (voice of John Hurt) wants the cauldron to shore up his sinister powers and raise an army of the dead, and with the help of the all-seeing pig Hen-Wren, the wicked one may make his hideous plans a reality. The Black Cauldron had the distinction of being the first animated feature from Disney to receive a PG rating from the MPAA, due to some frightening scenes of black magic. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: New! The Witches' Challenge Game
New! Deleted Scene: The Fairfolk
"The Quest For Black Cauldron" Game
Short - "Trick Or Treat" Cartoon Starring Donald Duck and His 3 Nephews
Still Frame Gallery

Black Cauldron

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 09/14/2010

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 80 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Black Cauldron
1. Legend of the Cauldron/Main Titles [:00]
2. The Dreamer [:00]
3. Hen Wen's Vision [:00]
4. The Great Horned King [:02]
5. An Introduction To Gurgi [:00]
6. Hen Wen Is Captured [:00]
7. The Horned King's Demand [1:22]
8. Princess Eilonwy [2:59]
9. The Escape [2:57]
10. Gurgi's Return [5:10]
11. King Eidilleg and The Fair Folk [4:01]
12. A Trade With The Witches Of Morva [5:06]
13. The Power of The Black Cauldron [6:15]
14. Reversing The Spell [9:22]
15. Another Bargain [4:08]
16. End Credits [1:50]

Andrea LeVasseur

The Black Cauldron is an unusual film from Disney that was supposed to mark a new era for its animation division. Instead, it failed at the box office and Disney would not recover until The Little Mermaid in 1989. A departure from the company's usual tendency to cheer up mythical stories, The Black Cauldron is an appropriately dark adventure-fantasy that benefits from the absence of any superfluous songs. Produced with a cruder animation style during the studio's rocky times in the late '70s and early '80s (starting with The Aristocats), it still looks excellent, filmed in 70mm and employing some computer animation enhancement. The story was based on two books from Lloyd Alexander's children's novel series The Chronicles of Prydain. Providing a predictable tale, it bears similarities to the Star Wars saga as well as a Raiders of the Lost Ark-style ending. Perhaps due to the PG rating, surreal settings, and evil characters, The Black Cauldron was a huge commercial flop upon its theatrical release, but it remains notable as an uncommonly risky Disney animated feature. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Wayne Allwine  Actor 
John Huston  Actor 
Steve Hale  Actor 
Pete Renaday  Actor 
James Almanzar  Actor 
Phil Nibbelink  Actor 
Jack Laing  Actor 
Eda Reiss Merin  Actor 
Ted Berman  Director 
Ted Berman  Screenwriter 
Elmer Bernstein  Composer (Music Score) 
Roy Edward Disney  Screenwriter 
Vance Gerry  Screenwriter 
Joe Hale  Producer 
Joe Hale  Screenwriter 
Rich Hale  Screenwriter 
David Jonas  Screenwriter 
Ron Miller  Producer 
Roy Morita  Screenwriter 
Richard Rich  Director 
Richard Rich  Screenwriter 
Rosemary Anne Sisson  Screenwriter 
Art Stevens  Screenwriter 
Al Wilson  Screenwriter 
Pete Young  Screenwriter 
Grant Bardsley  Actor 
Susan Sheridan  Actor 
Freddie Jones  Actor 
Nigel Hawthorne  Actor 
Arthur Malet  Actor 
John Byner  Actor 
John Hurt  Actor 
Lindsay Rich  Actor 
Brandon Call  Actor 
Gregory Levinson  Actor 
Adele Malis-Morey  Actor 
Billie Hayes  Actor 
Phil Fondacaro  Actor 

Country: USA