For practically the past century, Disney has crafted some of the most beloved films on the big screen. Utilizing animated artistry and brilliant visual storytelling, The Walt Disney Company has enchanted and delighted entire generations.
That said, as much as we adore our favorite princesses and cartoon characters, there's something truly remarkable when the artists and filmmakers have free reign, resulting in some delightfully bizarre features. Disney+ has nearly the entire filmography of the animation studio and then some, but here are our picks for just how weird things can get at the house of mouse.
Fantasia (1940)
What better way to begin this list than with Disney's first art house film? Presented in "Fantasound" in 1940, Walt Disney's concert feature blended famous pieces of classical music with animation magic. Although this combo resulted in iconic sequences like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," it also gave the artists permission to experiment.
Look at the visuals of "Toccata in Fuge," "Rite of Spring," and especially that finale with "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria." This was Disney's first taste of artistic experimentation and expression; it certainly wouldn't be the last. And no, we're not talking Fantasia 2000 here.
Destino (2003)
Did you know Walt Disney and Salvador Dali used to hang out? In 1945, two of the biggest names in the artistic community collaborated on what was supposed to be the spark of a new Fantasia-esque feature, but the project fell through. Of course, Disney Animation made sure it wasn't forgotten.
Brought to life with both traditional and modern techniques, this surrealist myth was born of original sketches by Disney and Dali and brought to life by the legendary studio. While the plot is certainly hard to define, the best way to experience this piece of weirdness is just to watch it yourself.
Dumbo (1940)
It's hard to out weird someone like Tim Burton, but the Disney classic has the advantage of getting stranger with time that his live-action version does not. While there's nothing particularly unusual about a cute elephant who can fly, it's the setting that seems to sit strangely with modern audiences.
From the bright and saturated title sequence with the circus posters to the infamous number with the crows toward the end of the film's third act. Dumbo's vintage circus setting has a certain weirdness to it that we can't shake off. Especially with all the pink elephants and clowns running amock and getting drunk off champagne.
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Now, this is definitely our kind of Disney weirdness. A collaboration between Tim Burton and Henry Selick adapting a work by Roald Dahl fresh off of The Nightmare Before Christmas? Yes please! As James Henry Trotter escapes from his wicked aunties on the back of a giant peach, he's in for a strange and unusual adventure.
Giant bugs, steampunk sharks, and a cameo from Jack Skellington in a pirate getup are just a few of the peculiar things audiences can expect from this underappreciated Disney flick. If you love movies like Coraline or Corpse Bride, don't sleep on this peachy treat.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
How could we not talk about a film so dark, so strange, and so distinctly un-Disneyfied that it nearly killed the animation studio. Disney's attempt at a dark fantasy adventure from the studio's dark age has gone from being an infamous mark on the brand to one of it's treasured cult films, and we can see why.
Based on the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron whisks viewers away on a quest with Taran the Wanderer and his companions as they fight the evil Horned King and his army of the undead. It's about as D&D as plots come, but the fact that Disney was able to craft something this intense is somewhat shocking.
All these freaky flicks and more can be found on Disney+!