Captain EO was a 1986 American 3D science fiction film starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (who came up with the name "Captain EO" from Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn) that was shown at Disney theme parks from 1986 through 1996. The attraction returned to the Disney Parks in 2010 as a tribute after Jackson's death. The film was shown for the final time at Epcot on December 6, 2015.
The film's executive producer was George Lucas. The film was choreographed by Jeffrey Hornaday and Michael Jackson, photographed by Peter Anderson,[2][3] produced by Rusty Lemorande and written by Lemorande, Lucas, and Coppola, from a story idea by the artists of Walt Disney Imagineering. Lemorande also initially designed and created two of the creatures, and was an editor of the film. The score was written by James Horner and featured two songs ("We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me"), both written and performed by Michael Jackson.
The Supreme Leader was played by Anjelica Huston. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was the lighting director during much of the principal photography. Captain EO is regarded as one of the first "4D" films (4D is the name given to a 3D film that incorporates in-theater effects, such as lasers, smoke, etc., synchronized to the film).[4]
The film told the story of Captain EO (Michael Jackson) and the ragtag crew of his spaceship on a mission to deliver a gift to "The Supreme Leader" (Anjelica Huston), who lived on a world of rotting, twisted metal and steaming vents. Captain EO's alien crew consisted of his small flying sidekick Fuzzball, the double-headed navigator and pilot Idey (Debbie Lee Carrington) and Ody (Cindy Sorenson), robotic security officer Major Domo (Gary Depew), a small robot, Minor Domo (who fits like a module into Major Domo), and the clumsy elephant-like shipmate Hooter (Tony Cox) who always managed to upset the crew's missions. Dick Shawn played Captain EO's boss, Commander Bog.
Upon arriving on the planet, the crew was captured by the henchmen of the Supreme Leader and brought before her. She sentenced the crew to be turned into trash cans, and Captain EO to 100 years of torture in her deepest dungeon. Before being sent away, Captain EO told the Supreme Leader that he saw the beauty hidden within her and that he brought her the key to unlock it: his song, "We Are Here to Change the World".
The two robot members of the crew transformed into musical instruments, and the crew members began to play the various instruments. As Hooter ran toward his instrument, he tripped over EO's cape and broke it, stopping the music. The spell broken, the Supreme Leader ordered her guards to capture Captain EO and his crew.
Hooter managed to repair his instrument and sent out a blast of music, providing EO with the power to throw off the guards. He used his power to transform the dark hulking guards into agile dancers who fell into step behind him for a dance number. As EO pressed forward toward the Supreme Leader, she unleashed her Whip Warriors, two cybernetic defenders each with a whip and shield that could deflect EO's power.
The others all ran away, leaving Captain EO to fight the Whip Warriors alone. EO was trapped by a closing gate and was preparing for a last stand as both the whip warriors drew their whips back for a final blow. Fuzzball dropped his instrument and speedily flew over to tie the two whips together, causing the Whip Warriors to be thrown off balance and giving EO an opportunity to transform them as well. With no further obstacles, EO used his power to transform the remaining four henchmen (not yet unleashed) and they, the transformed whip warriors and the other dancers pressed forward in dance before EO transformed the Supreme Leader into a beautiful woman, her lair into a peaceful Greek temple, and the planet into a verdant paradise.
A celebration broke out to "Another Part of Me", as Captain EO and his crew triumphantly exited and flew off into space, ending the film.
Dancers - Kahea Bright, Donald Devoux, Cameron English, Bruno Falcon III, Eric Henderson, Hugo Huizar, Evelyn Jezek, Ben Lokey, Lezlie Mogell, Stephen Nicholas, Mary Oedy, Beverly Shofner, Timothy Solomon, Kevin Bender, Janeen Best, Derrick Brice, Bill Burns, Alex Cole, Dennis Daniels, Felix Montano, Tony Fields, Forrest Gardner, Barry Lather, Reggie O'Gwin, Smith Osborne, Michelle Rudy, Darrel Wright, Tim Scott, James Everett, Bobby Walker, Paul Scott Adamo
Uncredited[]
Fred Apolito - Slave
Doug Benson - Orange Dancer
Sheila Best, Gabriel Bologna, Renee Colette - Dancers
Percy Rodrigues - Voice of Narrator
Special effects[]
Captain EO made full use of its 3D effects. The action on the screen extended into the audience, including asteroids, lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. These effects resulted in the seventeen-minute film costing an estimated $30 million to produce.[5] At the time, it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis, averaging out at $1.76 million per minute.[6]
The 2010 version did not include the in-theater laser and starfield effects. It did utilize hydraulics previously used for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience to make the seats shake along with Captain EO's spaceship, as well as LED flood-lighting which was new to the theater. They were also used for the bass-heavy musical numbers. The seats also bounced to the beat of Jackson's song. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience's seat-back misters were employed when Hooter sneezed. The leg ticklers from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience was also reused.
Music[]
The show's orchestral score was composed by James Horner, while the area and pre-show music was written by Richard Bellis.
Two new songs appeared in the film. The first was an early mix of "Another Part of Me". The song was re-mixed and later appeared on Jackson's hugely successful Bad album. It was released as a single in 1988.
Concurrent with the opening of the attraction, a behind-the-scenes documentary special entitled Captain EO: Backstage was produced for television by MKD Productions. The piece was directed by Muffett Kaufman and was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. It featured interviews with the cast, writers and director.[8]
The story was adapted with art by Tom Yeates in the comic book Eclipse 3D Special #18 and issued in two formats: regular-sized for distribution to the national network of comic book stores and tabloid-sized sold at Disneyland as a souvenir. Toys available included plush versions of Idey and Ody, Hooter, and the "Fuzzball" character. Other merchandise included trading cards, pins, keychains, a T-shirt of the film's logo, and a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt with the same three-color pattern painted across it that Captain EO wore in the film.
Reception and legacy[]
Several years after the attraction originally opened, it made its only network television appearance on MTV, albeit in a down-converted 2-D version. It has not aired again since, nor has it officially been issued on home video, although bootleg videos exist.
After the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, Captain EO regained popularity on the Internet. For several years, a small group of fans had petitioned Disney to bring back the attraction and Jackson's death had brought this campaign to a peak.[9] Soon afterward, Disney officials were seen in Disneyland at the Magic Eye Theater and reportedly held a private screening of Captain EO to determine if it could be shown again. On September 10, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, "There aren’t plans to bring back Captain EO at this time ... We are looking at it. It’s the kind of thing that, if we did it, would get a fair amount of attention and we’d want to make sure we do it right."[10]
On December 18, 2009, Disney announced that Captain EO would return to Tomorrowland at Disneyland beginning in February 2010. Social and Print Media Manager Heather Hust Rivera from Disneyland Resort confirmed this on the DisneyParks Blog and stated that Honey, I Shrunk the Audience would be closing. That attraction hosted its final public showing in the Magic Eye Theater at midnight on January 4, 2010, to make way for the Michael Jackson film's return.
The attraction re-opened at Disneyland on February 23, 2010.[11] The attraction returned to Discoveryland at Disneyland Park (Paris) on June 12, 2010, returned to Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort on July 2,[12] and to Tokyo Disneyland on July 1. At Epcot, the film had a "soft opening" (actual opening to the public prior to the official opening) on June 30, 2010, two days prior to its official re-opening.
The attraction was billed as "Captain EO Tribute" to distinguish the presentation of the film from its original 1986–1997 run. The new presentation made use of existing in-theatre special effects held over from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, but many of the original "4-D" effects such as the enormous fiber-optic "starfield" wall along with smoke and lasers were removed from the building at the show's first closing and were not returned for the revived presentation.[13] The removed special effects from the original presentation are also missing in the Epcot, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris revivals that followed.
On December 19, 2013, Tokyo Disneyland announced it would be closing Captain EO on June 30, 2014, to make way for Stitch Encounter in spring 2015.[14]
Beginning July 4, 2014, the Magic Eye Theater at Disneyland was used to present a sneak peek of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy. Although Captain EO was expected to return to the venue at a later date, beginning September 26, 2014, the theater was used to present a sneak peek of Walt Disney Animation Studios' Big Hero 6.[15][16] Beginning mid-April 2015, the venue presented a sneak peek of Walt Disney Pictures' Tomorrowland. The venue was renamed the Tomorrowland Theater.[17] Beginning November 16, 2015, the theater has been used to present scenes from the Star Wars films as part of the park's "Season of the Force" event.[18]
On November 13, 2015, Disney announced that Captain EO would be closing on December 6, 2015, to make way for a "Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival".[1]
