A year ago, I watched the Beauty and the Beast X-Mas Special, and there were some wicked Ravenloft elements in that film- My favorite being Forte, the Living Pipe Organ as the villain. Can you not see him/it as the Darklord of a domain, and a werebeast receiving counsel when he's supposed to be the actual lord of the land? Not to mention a keep full of animated objects...I just wouldn't make them all happy and cheerful and singing merry songs in the voices of Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach, but the overall concept is there- it was the result of a curse.
Snow White was good Ravenloft material, but I'd probably use "A Tale of Terror" with Sigourney Weaver playing the wicked stepmother as the template rather than the Disney version. The witch offering the poisoned apple from the cartoon is doable. Tale of Terror actually portrayed the seven dwarves as a group of rapists, murderers and thieves as opposed to the "Hi-Ho" bunch.
Alice in Wonderland had some good stuff there too, but I'd definitely go with American McGee's version.
Hunchback of Notre Dame was also good for ideas, just like the Hugo novel.
Can anyone else think of other Disney films that offer good Ravenloft elements?
The Horned King makes for a decent necromancer/lich.
The Black Cauldron itself has almost Ravenloft written all over it given the fact that to destroy it, an innocent had to sacrifice himself in it.
Sleeping Beauty qualifies, albeit it would need to be much much darker. But the "witch cursing the princess" part does carry some potential.
Cinderella for the wicked step-mother.
As Moscone said, Alice in Wonderland, specifically: The Chesire Cat, Mad Hatter, March Hare. (Maybe adapt the old Dungeonland, and Through the Looking-Glass modules from 1e, maybe even use the whole thing as a DL realm).
The only problem with Disney is that it gets all of its best ideas from other sources. So it might almost be best to look where Disney gets its sources and grab directly from the source.
Can anyone else think of other Disney films that offer good Ravenloft elements?
NO!! But I can certainly recommend any of the classic works of literature, folklore or even fairy/fables that they ruined and turned into animated tripe. As others have said you should go directly to the source material and avoid the water downed, sanitized, and sometimes missing the point entirely, Disney versions.
As for suggestions-
The Black Cauldron (but please read the books) is an excellent source and not just for Ravenloft. The books would make a great setting period.
The Little Mermaid the original H.C. Anderson version is really messed up, great Ravenloft material!
Disney is not fit for anything.
Not even starting the career of Tim Burton?
Not even starting the career of Tim Burton?
No!
I'm thinking about creating a nordic cluster (norse pantheon, Vaasi language, deep woods and fjords) and converting the village into a domain
