Disney Gothic: Dark Shadows in the House of Mouse

Lexington Books Horror Studies

by Lorna Piatti-Farnell (Contributor), Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (contributor), Murray Leeder (contributor)

Despite Disney’s carefully crafted image of family friendliness, Gothic elements are pervasive in all of Disney’s productions, ranging from its theme parks to its films and television programs. The contributors to Disney Gothic reveal that the Gothic, in fact, serves as the unacknowledged motor of the Disney machine. Exploring representations of villains, ghosts, and monsters, this book sheds important new light on the role these Gothic elements play throughout the Disney universe in constructing and reinforcing conceptions of normalcy and deviance in relation to shifting understandings of morality, social roles, and identity categories. In doing so, this book raises fascinating questions about the appeal, marketing, and consumption of Gothic horror by adults and particularly by children, who historically have been Disney’s primary audience.

Genres: Gothic

266 pages, Hardcover

Published May 10, 2024

Reviews

[Boyce McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

When most people think of Walt Disney films, TV shows and amusement parks they think of cute characters, family-friendly atmospheres and traditional homespun humor and stories.
Not so! Disney is far more than that. In fact, Disney has produced some truly scary characters, movies, TV shows and the like.

In Disney Gothic Dark Shadows In The House Of The Mouse, editors Lorna Piatti-Farnell and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, along with publisher Lexington Books, examine the dark shadows in the House of Mouse.

Gothic images and darkness have always been a part of Disney’s films and shows. Films such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo and dozens of other traditional and computer-generated animated films features some truly scary villains and situations.

Rides like Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and other dark rides embrace the macabre, the strange and the spooky.

Even though Gothic is embraced in Disney projects it is done in a very unusual manner. When The Haunted Mansion was first introduced Walt Disney wanted the ride to be scary, but not too, scary,

Blood, killings, ghosts, the supernatural and the like were toned down and homogenized and filtered. That’s true with all of Disney’s products except those created under different labels and studios.

Various contributors examine the Gothic elements incorporated in Disney properties and offer their own analyses. It’s an intriguing read that delves into a part of Disney few people examine or are aware of.

Psalms 4:8 - I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of academic essays offer an intriguing and thought-provoking analysis of the Gothic elements of Disney films from 1928 to 2021. The primary texts chosen for analysis are wide-ranging, featuring all of the famous animated feature films you'd expect but also bringing in the early shorts, Disney's made-for-TV productions of the 1990s, the inception of the Disney theme park and its Haunted Mansion attraction, and the more recent slew of live-action remakes, prequels, and sequels. The collection is split into three sections which occasionally overlap: 'Dark Beginnings and Gothic Technologies' marries an examination of Disney's earliest Gothic gags with later technological developments in their productions, while 'Monsters and Magic' delves into the presentation and development of the monstrous in many a Disney film. The final section, 'Something Wicked', drills down into character analysis of key famous villains from Disney films, examining their origin and presentation. This collection draws on various theoretical lenses to present a series of concisely-argumented discussions which entertain, enliven and elucidate throughout.

[Aisha Manus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most were great. Some were ok. A little repetitive at times but overall a great anthology. Full review to come in the pop culture journal.