Escape to the Movies: Heavy Metal

[ccesarano]

Heavy Metal

This week MovieBob fondles the animation cult classic Heavy Metal.

For more from MovieBob, check out Intermission [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/moviebob/6967-Decade-of-the-Nerd].

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I was developed 1985 myself with an influential brother born in '79, so I happen to understand a lot of what you're saying. I didn't get to see Heavy Metal until this past year, though, and my friends and I see a different sort of value in it.

Yeah, it's not really a good movie and there's a lot done wrong. But there's a certain feel to it, and since we're big into Heavy Metal, sci-fi and fantasy it was good to see something with that same feel. When you listen to older metal music it was often about darker sides of humanity, not necessarily glorifying it but putting it into the forefront. People suck and there's outright evil in the world.

That and shit like zombies, dragons and other Hell beasts are just fucking awesome.

So seeing something like Heavy Metal wasn't just to see a bunch of shorts, it was sort of saying "yeah man, THIS is what Heavy Metal is supposed to be all about...". It got lost in time, probably after Metallica released the Black Album and influenced American metal (whereas in Europe Iron Maiden and Cannibal Corpse seem to be the primary influence, depending on the country).

So everything you say is correct. None of the stories are really all that great and the animation definitely doesn't stand the test of time. But we were entertained.

And yes, it does make that South Park episode even better.

 

[solidstatemind]

God I'm old.

Saw this in the theaters at the 'Midnight Movies' countless times, and under the influence of almost every drug you could name at one time or another.

You're exaggerating about the boobs, but only a bit. There was also Hanover Fiste. B-17 (still gives me the jibblies). So Beautiful, So Dangerous... and of course, Taarna.

HM is what it is: it doesn't pretend or attempt to be more-- and that is a concept that most filmmakers have lost site of.

 

[Madshire]

What is that show with those 5 Anime girls that he was using as an example? God i remember that show >.<

 

[GreyWolf257]

I love Heavy Metal! Nice selection, man! I really enjoy your work!

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Back in my days, to pirate music you needed a radio and a tape recorder!

And as for the computer games...

 

[Panda Mania]

Oh sh-

is that all pubescent boys think about? boobs?

*shakes fists at sky* YOU NEVER TOLD HUMANITY WAS SO PATHETIC!! AGH!!

Sometimes we think about robots with guns for arms shooting at a plane made of guns that shoots guns.

sigh. that makes me feel so much better.

 

[MB202]

I'm guessing that MoveiBob isn't going to review The Princess and the Frog. Oh well.

I'm really surprised that THIS has turned out to be the most-frequently requested review. For what it's worth: I thought it was good, not great, more valuable for historical import (i.e. first black Princess, return to 2D, etc) than as a stand-alone piece. The strict adherence to Disney formula hurts it, but I understand it's a conscious decision to make sure that Tiana was full-on in the "pantheon." A MAJOR problem is the fact that Prince Naveen is much too thin and predictable of a character, even among the famously empty-vessel ranks of the Disney Princes, and the two comic-relief animal sidekicks don't really "register" until it's almost over. Keith David as the villain is AWESOME, but not well-developed enough - the fact that we don't really grasp the stakes involved in what he's up to until after the story is over lessens his impact - and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the occultism (full-on Satanism?) hovering over his backstory was reduced to make him less frightening. Also, while I was HUGELY thankful that Charlotte (Tiana's white girlfriend) didn't go in the route I was expecting, it's kind of "funny" that after all the buildup about Tiana's "first-ever" status, Charlotte is A LOT more fun/memorable of a character.

Hm. Thanks for stating your opinions on it. Personally, I loved the movie, and I want to see it again.

 

[TraumaHound]

My cousin was all set to take me to see Heavy Metal when it came out (1981). We were headed out the door when my aunt stopped us, asking where we were headed. In telling her she knew what the movie was about and that it was "Rated-R", which meant her 10-year-old nephew (me!) wasn't going anywhere near it. I think we went to the arcade, instead.

I wouldn't end up seeing the movie until I was 18 or so, when a friend had a copy of it that he'd recorded off of Cinemax (or some other movie-channel.) While not the greatest, and it certainly shows it flaws, Heavy Metal's still fun to watch for the variety of stories and visual styles incorporated; just like the magazine.

And, for what it's worth, South Park's "Major Boobage" episode was a brilliantly done homage to Heavy Metal. One of the best eps they ever did, I'd say.

 

[jestertheork]

i've seen both heavy metal movies, didn't care for any of them but i'm still glad i watched them!

 

[pfloriani]

What is that show with those 5 Anime girls that he was using as an example? God i remember that show >.<

The four images in the anime sequence were from:
Project A-ko
Sailor Moon <---this is the one I think you were referring to
Ghost in the Shell
Cutey Honey

 

[Endocrom]

1981? Hey, you're not 30-something yet.

But you have my sympathy, I'm staring down that barrel myself.

 

[Roamin11]

My dad owns a turn table right? My dad has the vinyl record for this right? I worshiped that record like some sort of god, like no joke it was freakin awsome, and even still I am sad that I can't find all of the songs on there to put on my iPod, only watched some of it and the part with the bomber crew being turned into zombies was my favorite segment.

 

[Madshire]

What is that show with those 5 Anime girls that he was using as an example? God i remember that show >.<

The four images in the anime sequence were from:
Project A-ko
Sailor Moon <---this is the one I think you were referring to
Ghost in the Shell
Cutey Honey

Thanks alot

 

[Razorback0z]

Saw it at the movies when it released noobs. Good to see its still getting the kudos it deserves.

 

[Ericb]

It made sense back then. We were all doing blow.

Which for me is also the main responsible for the horrible, horrible hairdos and clothes of that decade.

 

[dashiz94]

I FUCKING LOVE YOU BOB!

Christ, I was looking for this movie for AGES. I saw this way back in 2004, (mind you, I'm currently only 15 so five years seems like a long time to me,)and I just could not remember the title of this movie. I loved this movie, and not just for the boobs. Hell, I saw this on public televsion, meaning censorship took hold. But anyway, thank you for telling me about this, despite how not so great this movie is, I still found it incredibly entertaining.

 

[kgoodies]

that image at 4:51 (the girl holding the knife with her freaky long tounge), whats that from?

 

[AvsJoe]

Hahahaha...

I remember when I first saw this movie, back in the early 90s before the Internet really took hold. IT BLEW MY FREAKING MIND! I re-watched it a few years ago and I will agree that it is average at best and downright terrible at worst but I still have a place in my heart for it nonetheless. Nostalgia is a funny thing, n'est pas?

 

[MovieBob]

that image at 4:51 (the girl holding the knife with her freaky long tounge), whats that from?

Steven Colbert's "Alpha Squad Seven: The New Tek Jansen Adventures:"
http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?collectionId=165594

 

[Chrissyluky]

Well alot of "people" thought the transformers movies were good. is it any suprise that average taste hasnt changed over the years?