Product Description
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Based on the fantastical illustrated magazine Heavy Metal,
producer Ivan Reitman enlists the help of some of Hollywood's
animation masters to create the otherworldly tale of a glowing
green orb from outer space that spreads destruction throughout
the galaxy. Only when encountered by its one true enemy, to whom
it is inexplicably drawn, will goodness prevail throughout the
universe. Richly and lavishly drawn, the vignettes of the orb's
dark victories include the character voices of John Candy, Harold
Ramis and a pounding soundtrack by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster
Cult, Cheap Trick, Devo, Donald Fagen, Don Felder, Grand Funk
Railroad, Sammy Hagar, Journey, Nazareth, Stevie Nicks, Riggs,
and Trust. Highly imaginative and full of surprising special
effects, Heavy Metal set the standard for the alternative
contemporary animation. An intoxicating experience not to be
missed!
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As long as there is a need for adolescent male sexual fantasy,
there will be an audience for Heavy Metal. Released in 1981 and
based on stories from the graphic magazine of the same name
(possibly the greatest publication to simultaneously provoke
imagination and masturbation), the film has since become the most
popular single title in Columbia/TriStar's entire film library.
That's an amazing fact considering just how silly and senseless
the movie really is--an less, juvenile amalgam of disjointed
stories and clashing visual styles, employing hundreds of
animators from around the world with a near-total absence of
creative cohesion. It remains, for better and worse, a
midnight-movie favorite for the stoner crowd--a movie best
enjoyed by randy adolescents or near-adults in an altered state
of consciousness.
With a framing story about a glowing green orb cling to be
the embodiment of all evil, the film shuttles through eight
episodic tales of sci-fi adventure, each fueled by some of the
most wretched rock music to emerge from the 1980s. The most
consistent trademark is an abundance of blood-splattering
violence and wet-dream sex, the latter involving a succession of
huge-ed babes who shed their clothes at the drop of a
G-string. It's all quite fun in its rampantly brainless desire to
fuel the young male libido, and for all its incoherence Heavy
Metal remains impressive for the ambitious artistry of its
individual segments. Courtesy of producer Ivan Reitman (who'd
just scored a hit with Stripes), voice talents include several
Canadian veterans of Second City comedy, including John Candy,
Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy, and Joe Flaherty. --Jeff Shannon
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Set Contains:
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As with several of their other popular "tentpole" titles (most
notably Ghostbusters), Columbia/TriStar has given the red-carpet
to this special-edition DVD, and it stands alone as a
superb archive of Heavy Metal-mania. An impressive gallery of
production artwork ranges from preliminary pencil sketches to
finished cel composites. Deleted scenes (originally removed for
length consideration) give overdue re to the impressive
"Neverwhere" segment--a visual chronicle of the entire history of
evil--and there's a generous gallery of Heavy Metal magazine
covers that die-hard collectors will surely appreciate. A
presentation of the film's feature-length rough cut (along with
expert commentary by Carl Macek) offers deeper appreciation for
the sheer scale of this international production. Topping it off
is a 1999 documentary featuring interviews with many of the
artists and technicians who created the film. While even they
acknowledge that Heavy Metal makes hardly any sense, they
convincingly argue for the film's uniqueness, and the pleasure
that comes from having participated in the creation of a
groundbreaking and phenomenally successful animated feature.
--Jeff Shannon
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