Customer Reviews

Simply Mad About the Mouse [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw the video in 1991 and again 2000 but I almost cried when I saw it was out of print.

I have searched high and low and cannot find a new one. I wish Colombia would consider putting it out on DvD. or more videos. Its one of my best favorits for sure.

LOVE IT! This is a video that any age can enjoy - Every member of our family has their favorite (mine LL Cool J)! My whole family has copies of this tape!

This tape is great for adults as well as kids. I have searched everywhere for the tapes, and I am 25 yrs. old. Even though I could not get the vhs here, I did get the soundtrack. The search for this was just as hard. I'm just grateful to have at least have found something.

This is a creative sampling of some of the family's favorite Disney tunes magically remastered with popular present day musical talents. I like the "remade" versions better than the originals!

I used to listen to this while I worked at the Disneyland Hotel. Anyone with a Disney fetish will love this video.

Everyone I know who has seen this over the last 'almost' 20 years continues to enjoy the visual enrichment and experimental animation each video provides to accompany the classic and timeless new arrangements. Disney has not done another one of these picture music albums as the execs have changed and the studio's direction. We would all like to see it re-released as DVD so it can continue to bring this hour of rich visual music entertainment to all generations. We'd also like to see more of these types of projects that marry the wealth of animation and visual effects to new and fresh interpretations of Disney music classics for the next generation to enjoy.

In 1991, Disney released an album titled "Simply Mad About the Mouse," a collection of Disney songs performed by popular artists of the day. On this VHS of the same name, we are treated to music videos of 8 of the 10 performances on that album. All the videos are very dated, mainly due to the special effects used in them. However, thanks to the pleasing performances from the mostly memorable stars who actually appear in their videos, this can be overlooked by true lovers of Disney music.

To start with, we have the legendary Billy Joel performing Disney's best loved classic, "When You Wish Upon a Star," from "Pinocchio." The video treats us to footage of a live-action AND an animated Billy Joel, along with footage of a Geppetto-looking animator at work whose drawings seem to be coming to life. This is followed by a Ric Ocasek (of "The Cars") performance of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from "Song of the South." Both performances are enjoyable, though the dated feeling of the program is immediate. L.L. Cool J is up next, bringing us his very unique rendition of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf." This one takes the viewer by surprise, as one wouldn't expect to hear a song like that redone. It is interesting to see at the very least, though probably not to everyone's tastes. Props go out to L.L. Cool J for daring to tackle a song from a Silly Symphony cartoon ("The Three Little Pigs"). Next comes one of the best performances, though also one of the most abstract videos. It's Gypsy Kings doing their Flamenco style rendition of "I've Got No Strings" from "Pinocchio." Highly enjoyable! The fifth performance is another favorite of mine, combining my favorite solo artist with one of my favorite Disney songs from one of my favorite animated films, "The Jungle Book." It's Harry Connick, Jr. performing "The Bare Necessities," and it's simply delightful to watch, though I could have done without the bubble effects (which were the only truly dated part of this video, besides the youthfulness of Harry himself). Bobby McFerrin is up next. Remember his much loved "Don't Worry, Be Happy?" Well, here he performs a very spiritual version of "The Siamese Cat Song" from "Lady and the Tramp." It's good stuff though. The next to last performance is from Soul II Soul. This would be the one performance on the program by artists I don't remember at all and didn't even know at the time of their popularity. Sadly, this makes their very basic performance of "Kiss the Girl" just as unmemorable, despite it being from another favorite Disney film of mine, "The Little Mermaid." The final video of the program is one of the best, in my opinion, and is Michael Bolton performing "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" from the Disney Masterpiece, "Cinderella." It's one of those simplistically charming and classy videos that mainly shows the artist performing in a specially lit space, though a pair of ballet dancers are added to the mix in this one. I honestly have no idea why Michael Bolton has received so much ridicule over the years. He's an amazing singer.

Coming to us from the height of Disney's Eisner-period popularity (AKA the Disney Renaissance), "Simply Mad About the Mouse" is an excellent program overall, with wonderful performances of some of the finest Disney music. Though I'm deducting a star due to how dated the videos are (since I wouldn't call them dated in a "good" way), every Disney fanatic should have this video in their collection. It's a shame we will likely never see it rereleased onto the DVD format, but I highly recommend seeking it out and the accompanying album as well (which I still need to get myself).