Toon Talk: Tron: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition
Page 5 of 5
Composer Wendy Carlos provided the Music for Tron. (This section could have been a perfect opportunity for them to include the Pointer Sisters performing “The New-Tron Dance” from a Disney television special from that time … you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Tron-clad break dancers. Anybody else remember this?):
- Light Cycle Scene with Alternate Carlos Music Tracks: Carlos composed an electronic score for this scene, but the final version only used the dialogue and sound effects. Here is a reconstruction of the sequence with the original score. (Listen for a familiar ‘waka-waka’ sound at the end, see Toon Talk Trivia below … )
- End Credits with Original Carlos Music: Only a portion of Carlos’ score for the final end credits sequence was used, replaced by a Journey song (how very eighties) titled “Only Solutions”. Now you can watch the credits again with the complete score (although Journey and their song are still listed … ).
Deleted Scenes, everybody’s favorite part of DVDs (it would have been funny if these were in a ‘Recycle Bin‘ icon … ):
- Introduction: Lisberger explains why the following scenes were dropped (he says too sentimental, I say too corny), and hints again at Tron 2.0.
- Tron and Yori’s Love Scene #1: The scene was dropped so late in the production, it has complete effects animation, score and sound effects. Set in Yori’s apartment where she and Tron escape to, mid-adventure, Yori proceeds to ‘slip into something more comfortable’, a get-up straight out of Olivia Newton-John’s Xanadu wardrobe. When she starts to finger Tron’s … circuits, the scene abruptly ends. Hey, this is a Disney film after all …
- Tron and Yori’s Love Scene #2: Dubbed the ‘morning after’ scene, Tron and Yori share a tender moment checking out the great view from her apartment. The scene is presented here without an audio track, which has apparently (thankfully) been lost.
- Alternate Opening Prologue: Included in international English-language releases and subsequent domestic prints, these brief paragraphs clarify the interaction between the two ‘worlds’ of Tron. Need I say, too little to late …?
Everything else can be found in Publicity, including:
Trailers:
- NATO: A five-minute sample real of footage shown to the National Association of Theater Owners.
- Work in Progress: Contains original, rare black and white production footage and early computer animation tests.
- #1: Big bad computer goings-on, plus the hysterically over-the-top tagline: “Where love does not compute … ”, heard in the subsequent trailers.
- #2: Adds more action footage to the first.
- #3: Notable for not including Jeff Bridges’ line “Hey, hey, hey, you must be the Master Control Program everyone’s talking about … ”
- #4: Includes an ominous … computer keyboard.
Production Photos: Gallery of behind-the-scenes shots, frustratingly lacking in identifying captions. Mostly black and white photos. With the white costume-clad actors on the stark black sets, it looks like some odd, avant-garde theater production.
Publicity and Merchandise: Gallery filled with poster concepts, final poster artwork (including the Star Wars inspired final one-sheet that appears on the DVD cover), advertising art, toys (I actually owned the ‘Computer-Aged Activity Book’ seen here), video games, even crew clothing.
Toon Talk Rating: B
Purchase Tron on DVD or VHS The
LaughingPlace Store
Toon Talk Trivia:
- Roger Allers, who would go on to co-direct The Lion King, designed the MCP.
- Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan starred together again in 1982 in the short-lived television adventure series Bring ‘Em Back Alive.
- Harrison Ellenshaw started as a matte painter (like his father Peter) as an apprentice on Bedknobs and Broomsticks. His first film as a full-fledged matte artist was Disney’s The Castaway Cowboy, a role he continued in with The Shaggy D.A.; No Deposit, No Return; Gus; Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo; Pete’s Dragon; The Cat from Outer Space and The Black Hole. He was promoted to visual effects supervisor beginning with The Watcher in the Woods, followed by Captain EO, Dick Tracy and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.
- Barnard Hughes played a monk in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.
- Dan Shor, who played the ill-fated program Ram, can also be seen in Tron as Alan’s cubicle neighbor who asks for popcorn.
- David Warner was heard as the Narrator in Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin and in the television series’ Gargoyles and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
- ‘Hidden Pac-Man’ alert: in chapter 9, in the right-hand side of the screen, you will see a familiar video game star on the computer screen Sark is looking at, just after the Light Cycles escape.
- ‘Hidden Mickey’ alert: in chapter 14, watch the computerized seascape as the Solar Sailer passes above, just after Tron pulls Flynn up to safety.
Final Word:
“Greetings, Programs!”
-- Director Steven Lisberger at the start of the audio commentary for ‘Tron‘.
• • •Coming Soon in Toon Talk:
- Take a peek into the Toon Talk Jukebox for the latest CD Round-Up, including looks at the recently re-released soundtracks for Pete’s Dragon, The Rescuers Down Under, Tron and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
- Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman and Madonna head an all-star cast in the Oscar-winning Dick Tracy, now available on DVD.
- Return to deep in the Hundred Acre Wood with the Collector’s Edition DVD of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, due May 7th.
Discuss It
Related Links
- Purchase Tron on DVD or VHS The LaughingPlace Store
- List of all Toon Talk articles
-- Kirby C. Holt
Kirby, a former Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member (and Trivia Champ), is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted April 22, 2002