“Prop Culture” on Disney+ is a Movie-Lover’s Treasure

by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 7, 2020

Combine movies – even better, some classic motion pictures – with history, and you’ve got me. Toss in a treasure hunt for movie props, meeting some people involved in making those movies, and a likeable and knowledgeable host, and well, how could I resist? And it turns out, Prop Culture on Disney+ is irresistible to the Disney movie lover. 

All eight episodes of Prop Culture dropped on Disney+ on May 1^st. The series host and creator Dan Lanigan is a collector of movie props, and clearly brings his passion to this show. 

In each episode, Lanigan zeroes in on movie props from a particular Disney movie. He travels far and wide in tracking down, saving and/or inspecting assorted props. Lanigan has access to the Disney Archives, and gets in contact with individuals involved with the films, such as directors, actors, Imagineers, and designers. Indeed, as Lanigan has pointed out, the show ultimately is about those people.

It’s clear that Lanigan enjoys what he does, and the viewer is having fun going along for the ride.

The eight episodes cover props from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, Tron, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppet Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.

Each episode is a delight, but I particularly enjoyed the ones focused on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, The Muppet Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, as I have a soft spot for each film for various reasons.

The emphasis on swords in Pirates was fascinating, and the episode on Who Framed Roger Rabbit reminded me of how much I like that movie and that I’m long overdue for another viewing. As for The Chronicles of Narnia, well, since C.S. Lewis ranks among my favorite authors, it was nice to delve into swords, costumes and see some of the actors today who were children in the movie. I’m of the opinion that The Chronicles of Narnia movie remains underrated.

If you love movies – especially some classic Disney flicks – then binge watch Prop Culture, and hope for a second season.

By the way, tune in to Lou Mongello’s WDW Radio Podcast interview with Dan Lanigan.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution (now available at a deep discount) and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.