Towards the beginning of the year, animator Robert Balser, who worked on the “Den” segment of Heavy Metal, passed away from respiratory failure. Also known for his work as an animation director on The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, his loss was keenly felt by many who were influenced by and appreciative of his work.
Recently, I got a rather awesome small poster for Heavy Metal and hung it up next to my TV, so it’s pretty much constantly looking down at me when I’m watching a movie, playing a game, or just putzing about on my Playstation. Since I derive such joy from the poster as well as the movie, I thought I’d revisit it and let you know some of my thoughts.
Produced by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Kindergarten Cop) and overseen by director Gerald Potterton, Heavy Metal is an animated anthology sci-fi/horror comedy that tells the story of the Loc-Nar, a green sphere that is “the sum of all evils“, through several tales with a wraparound. The film came during a time when adult animated features were becoming more of a thing, including movies such as Ralph Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat (which was rated NC-17) and American Pop as well as Watership Down, which although rated for children was often seen as containing dark and disturbing subject matter.
Heavy Metal already had a well-established fan base thanks to the magazine of the same name that began a few years earlier in 1977. Upon first starting, the magazine took stories and illustrations from the French magazine Métal Hurlant but quickly carved out their own stories and built a name for themselves with their highly detailed illustrations and artwork. The magazine still runs to this day and I hope that it continues for a long, long time. But let’s get back to the movie, shall we?
I remember seeing this movie as a young boy. For some reason, my father never really thought much of MPAA ratings. Both my parents are/were doctors and, as such, were rather pragmatic about discussing various issues, such as sex, violence, drugs, etc… They rarely sugarcoated anything, preferring instead the open and honest route so that I would be aware of all information. Plus, I’m my dad’s third kid and his second son, so I’m guessing he looked at me and thought, “I’ve got two solid kids. I can fuck around with this one…”
What took me aback was that this movie was unlike any animated film I’d seen up to that point. My parents had no problem renting Disney films for me and my sister. I grew up watching Looney Tunes and whatever else was on the TV during Saturday Morning Cartoons. But that was all stuff aimed at children while Heavy Metal most certainly was not. In fact, it was a giant middle finger to the concept that cartoons were only for kids. Comics were already dealing with real and important topics and political one-panel cartoons were often lauded for their wit and insight, so why couldn’t films do the same?
As a child, I admit that I watched it over and over simply because it was “cool”. It’s only as I grew older that I realized how wickedly smart and funny the film can be, all while also offering some truly unsettling segments. Going from the eerie and frightening “B-17” to the jokes in “So Beautiful and So Dangerous” might feel disjointed and even jarring but there is a consistency throughout the movie that allows for such radical changes in tone. Even within one segment it can go from violence to comedy, such as in “Harry Canyon”.
What set this movie apart for me was not only the violence and nudity, it was also wildly imaginative world that was wonderfully animated. I really felt like I was transported to worlds different from mine. It didn’t matter that some of these stories took place on Earth, or at least started there, as in the case of “Den”. What mattered was that the universe felt lived in. It felt rich and expansive. It sparked my imagination in ways that other animated features failed to do so. Just look at the scene where Taarna rides her Taarakian mount across the landscape, including through the skeleton of some gigantic beast. What a beautiful and epic scene!
The voice acting was simply spot on. When you’ve got the talents of people like John Candy, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy, John Vernon, Susan Roman, Alice Playten, and more, it’s hard to imagine how the lines could’ve been delivered poorly. Each character feels alive and exciting and their delivery is spot on. The jokes are snappy, the terror real, and the presence tangible.
Obviously, it’d be impossible to talk about Heavy Metal without discussing the soundtrack. When you’ve compiled the likes of Blue Öyster Cult, Nazareth, Cheap Trick, Sammy Hagar, Black Sabbath, Journey, Don Felder, and more, then you’ve got yourselves a soundtrack that is going to be a hit. It amplifies the film and adds to the hardcore atmosphere that is pervasive throughout. After all, if metal is seen as being listened to by the outsiders of society, doesn’t that make it the perfect fit for a movie that is bucking societal expectations and making an adult animated feature? Plus, it just kicks ass.
On top of that, composer Elmer Bernstein’s original compositions are magnificent. It shifts from sweeping epic fantasy waves into stormy and terrifying interludes through bombastic explosions, all with a class and elegance that seeks to buck the stigma of the movie. Many consider it to be a shining example of Bernstein’s work and they wouldn’t be wrong.
The legacy of the film isn’t as strong as I would’ve hoped. A sequel came out in 2000 that presented a feature-length story rather than an anthology and it was…okay. It wasn’t as smart or as witty, by any stretch of the imagination, and it didn’t have the same wit about it. A remake was announced in 2008, although it seems that all work has completely stalled on that front.
If you haven’t seen Heavy Metal, I encourage you to seek it out and give it a fair shot. It celebrated its 35th anniversary earlier this year and I believe it has held up tremendously well during that time. Is it flawless? Absolutely not. But goddamn is it a good ride!
