Frazetta - Painting with Fire

Rating:
Summary: COOL FILM ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ILLUSTRATOR OF OUR TIME
Review:

FRAZETTA: PAINTING WITH FIRE (Razor Digital/Cinemachine) is a long overdue tribute to the greatest fantasy artist of our time, Frank Frazetta.

When I was a kid and first discovered Frazetta's incredible, lavish, frightening, exotic, erotic and fierce art, I have been in awe of not only his graphic skills but his singular imagination. Warriors, maidens and mythic creatures live out their extreme lives in masterful strokes pen and ink or oil paint dobs and dabs. Even reissues of old "Conan" paperbacks become instant best sellers when his striking art is on the covers.

For many in the film business, Frazetta is the single most influential artist of the last 50 years.

Lance Laspina's wonderful documentary looks at the personal and professional life of Frazetta who was born in Brooklyn in 1928.

This two disc set is an affectionate tribute to this amazing artist and family man. The most moving extra is a 20 minute photo montage of his life from childhood to the present. Go to FrazettaArtGallery.com for sample of his work.

What is especially astonishing about Frazetta is that he did some of his best paintings totally from memory. No props, reference photos and no models. And he did them in a matter of hours.






Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC DOCUMENTARY
Review: I actually saw this on TV recently...can't remember the station, I think it may have been on A&E or Bravo or something, but I found it incredibly captivating. I became a fan of Frazetta's art like many back in the early 1970's through his astonishing Conan paperback covers and magazine covers for such magazines as Creepy and Eerie.

But until this film I had never actually seen the man behind the art. He seemed mysterious, enigmatic, which lent that much more aura to his art. This film relates Frazetta's life from birth to present day. Here is a guy who is a true man's man. A sportsman in every sense of the word. Hunter, camper, golfer, baseball, basketball...Frazetta's well chisled physique as a young man conjures images of the powerful figures he would put to canvas in years to come.

We see frazetta's start as a young cartoonist and learn of his formal art training. We see him in the days of EC comics drawing fabulous sci-fi and fantasy comic books. We then move to the era of his fantastic oil paintings for which he is so well known for. The Conan covers, the movie posters.

Through it all well known artists like Mike Kaluta, Dave Stevens, Berni Wrightson, and many others comment on Frazetta's genius. He is truly the man who all other artists in the fantasy and sci-fi genres bowed down to. We see Frazetta surrounded by celebrity friends, many who are collectors of his art.

Through it we see that Frank was a family man, married to the same woman for over 30 years and raising a family. We see the effects of a stroke which forced Frazetta to have to learn how to paint and draw with his left hand. An increidible inspiration and testament to his strong will.

Whether your a Frazetta fan or not you're sure to be captivated by this man, formerly as mysterious as the mythic figures he painted. Outstanding film! Even though I've seen the film I think the DVD is a must have due to the fantastic extras including the commentary track, Frazetta Gallery, and more.

Rating:
Summary: A Film Even Those With No Artistic Bent Can Appreciate
Review: I agree wholeheartedly with the first reviewer. As an artist, I have been acquainted with Frank's work for the past 30-35 years. I won't deny his influence on some of my work. Neither would most other contemporary artists who are honest with themselves. His body of work is well reprsented here and will include many paintings people who are not already aware of him will recognize. That said, this film also embraces how the spirit of true genius can refuse to succumb to the limits that are sometimes imposed on we humans by the nature of our physical existence. Frank suffered several strokes (which would be enough to sideline most people) and one of them debilitated his primary painting hand so he switched to his left hand with little noticeable difference in his work. Frank was also a tremendous athlete and, more than likely, would have impacted the realm of professional sports to the same degree as his art, had he made that choice. This film illustrates how belief in one's self and never losing your zest for life can result in superior achievement.

Rating:
Summary: What a Fantastic Story...
Review: I knew nothing about Frazetta except that he had worked on a cartoon by one of my favorite animators, Ralph Bakshi, called Fire and Ice.

While strolling through the TV guide one night I caught the name Frazetta and immediately tuned to A&E to check out the show since the connection was there. Boy, was I glad I did.

This documentary acts more like a mini movie or reality docudrama than normal documentary. You can tell the maker has a genuine interest in the story he is telling. Frank, although plagued with a speech impediment due to various illnesses, comes across as a genuine artist with quite an interesting story to tell about his life and work.

It's a must watch to learn more about the most influential artist in the last 1/2 century.

Gil

Rating:
Summary: The Hero behind it all...
Review: Stare into the eyes of the "Barbarian"--if you dare--and behold graphically the embodiment of the power behind the man who created the image. These are "images", after all, which fans from all over the world have admired for decades. But, behind these images of the heroic lies a real hero, and it is this very real life aspect, amidst the fantasy that we have come to associate with everything "Frazetta", that truly makes this film transcendental and insight-full.

The artist as the hero behind the art is what this documentary represents to me. Director Lance Laspina and his collaborators have done the world an invaluable service by bringing to the screen Frank Frazetta's incredible contribution to the art world, and particularly those artists whose lives he's so permanently touched with creative inspiration.

Still, the film does so much more, because those few artists that may know Frazetta's work but know little about the man who created it will gain much greater appreciation for the reason behind the legend, because of this film. Even if you're not an artist yourself, or consider yourself as being "art" savvy, you will come to recognize in this artist the very human qualities that give tactile dimensionality to any legend.

Heroes stay the course, in good times and in bad. Heroes are true to their vision and know that the true value of being a hero means overcoming obstacles. Frazetta has done this very thing throughout his career-more recently corroborated by his determination to overcome the limits imposed on him through a series of strokes that left him unable to use his drawing hand. This documentary will "show" you this resolve in the flesh!

In conclusion, this film has added value because it reveals much more than the genius of an artist, it brings to light the heart that it takes in order to transcend even the limits of creative genius and physicality. Painting with Fire is a perfect metaphor for capturing the dual aspect of Frazetta's power, which is not only manifested in his artwork but also in his attitude towards life.


Rating:
Summary: This is a must see
Review: They say 1 picture is worth a thousand words...Frank's are easily worth millions. And I'm sure anything I'd say would'nt do it justice, so I'll just recommend to get it!