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Since a few people have asked why the reason for this site, this story page is both a history of this site and an explanation of the movie.
For a long time The Black Cauldron was shunned by Disney as a disgrace, the film sat out of circulation for nearly 14 years in the US from it's theatrical release until a domestic video release (there was a limited re-release of an edited version of the film in parts of Canada under the title also used internationally "Taran and the Magic Cauldron"). Because the film was basically left out of circulation and declared "unclean" by Disney I built this site as a source of information about the movie since there were almost no resources on the web or otherwise about. A while after this site was put up, the film was released in Europe (in 1997) on VHS (and a limited Laserdisc release) and then eventually in Asia and then released the United States and Canada in 1998. The film is no longer a "rarity" in the Disney community but this site continues to exist both for historical reasons and for a hub of information on the movie.
Since so few people in the USA have seen the movie I have decided to write brief
summary.
Long ago in the ancient land of Prydain there was once a
king so cruel and so evil that even the gods feared him.Eventually he was
Captured in the form of a great Black Cauldron.For uncounted centuries The
Black Cauldron lay hidden while evil men searched for it knowing that whoever
possesed it could create an army of deathless warriors and with them rule the world.
The Story begins as an old man named Dallben is cooking.He tells his Apprentice
Taran that the pot is boiling over.Taran goes outside and gives a pig named Henwen
a bath during the bath henwen goes hyper and Dallben comes outside.Taran brings
henwen inside the cottage.Henwen creates a vision of The Horned King finding
her and having her find him The Black Cauldron.Dallben instructs Taran to go to
the edge of the forbidden forest and hide Henwen from The Horned King.Taran
stops to drink and in the water he see's a Vision of his future.So excited
that he will be a warrior he does not watch as Henwen runs away.In searching
and calling her name he see's movement in a bush and offers an apple.
From behind a furry creature steals the apple and heads toward the Bush.
Taran yells at him and demands the return of the apple.The creature named Gurgi
takes a bite out of the apple and whines and whimpers not to be hurt.Taran asks
if Gurgi has seen Henwen to which he eventually says yes.Taran hears Henwen
screaming and trys to rescue her from The Horned Kings dragons which fly away
with Henwen.Taran follows them in to The Horned Kings Castle.Taran climbs up a
tower and sneaks in to the castle.Watching from above he sees The Horned King
trying to get Henwen to reveal the location of The Black Cauldron.Taran falls down
and into the main area The Horned King instructs him to have Henwen show him
where The Black Cauldron can be found.Taran reluctantly puts Henwen in a trance
and as the visions becomes clearer Taran is startled by The Horned King.And splashes
water in The Horned Kings face.Taran runs down a hallway with Henwen and trys
to escape from the castle.Taran pushes Henwen into the moat but he fails to
escape himself and is thrown into the dungeon.In the dungeon A girl comes out
of the floor.She identfys herself as Princess Eilonwy and along with her magic
bauble they go through the corridors of the dungeon along the way they find
the tomb of a king.Taran when going to take a closer look notices a sword on top
of the coffen.Taran wipes the dust off it and takes it.He catches up to Eilonwy
and as soon as he does they here a noise.An old man with a harp named Fflewddur
Fflam is being put into the dungeon in shackles.As the guards leave Taran and
Eilonwy identfy themselves to him.The guards are making a commotion.They have
noticed that Taran and Eilonwy are missing from their cells.Taran finds out that his
sword is Magic and they escape from the castle.In the forest Taran and company
once again encounter Gurgi.He says that he has seen Henwen's tracks and leads
them towards them.When crossing a lake Gurgi gets caught in a whirlpool and the
other 3 go after him.The fall into the land of the Fairflolk and find Henwen
there.King Eidileg of the Fairfolk also tells them that The Black Cauldron is in
Morva.Taran decides that if he can destroy The Black Cauldron he can stop The Horned King.
King Eidileg sends a fairy named Doli to help them and they are on their way.
What hapeens next you ask I'll save that for when you see it.*this is enough of a
spoiler anyway.*
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Written by Dan Bailey
© 1997 rockingetv@hotmail.com
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