Rating: 
Summary: An epic DVD to an epic movie
Review: Bringing with it the release of it's sequel, Heavy Metal has finally made it's way to DVD (and how). For those of you don't know, Heavy Metal is a collection of stories from the graphic magazine by the same name. Story such as Soft Landing, Den, B-17, So Beautiful So Dangerous (my favorite), and the ever popular Tarrna featured on the cover all blended together into the story of the ancient green orb called the Locknar. The DVD extras are of high quality. First off, theres a documentary on the film which runs for about 30 minutes. Then theres the artwork. You can actually few how each cel was layered out in a few pictures. One of the greastest extras is the deleted footage of Nowhere Land, a sequence just before B-17, and an alternative story angle. You can also view all the Heavy Metal issues from 1977 to 1999! Even more, there is also a rough cut version which was used as a prototype of the film along with commentary. And for the movie itself is commentary by none other than Carl Macek (The same guy who was the English director for such anime titles as Akira and Vampire Hunter D). The 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby sound are both great to hear. So if you haven't seen the epical film which changed everyones mind on animation, pick this one up. Highly reccomended.
Rating:
Summary: A landmark in adult animation
Review: Heavy Metal is a wonderful amalgamation of fantasies inspired by Heavy Metal magazine. The stories cover a spectrum including comedy, horror, heroic revenge, adolescent sexual fantasies, and eerie surrealism, all set to either hard-core heavy metal / hard rock music or wonderful orchestral pieces, depending on the mood being set. The movie is a fun ride not to be missed.One note of caution. If you are unfamiliar with this movie, and you are offended by sex, drugs, rock and roll, or graphic violence, this film is not for you. Heavy Metal makes no apologies for it's hard edge and is not for the squeamish. Certain aspects of some of the animations don't quite work. This is largely because of the experimental and innovative nature of the film. Animated works aimed at adult audiences were virtually unheard of in 1981, so numerous techniques had to be invented to fulfill the grand vision of the artists. This combined with an extremely tight schedule (the movie was produced in less than a year) made certain types of animation flaws inevitable. However, in a very real sense, these "flaws" give Heavy Metal character, and provide insight into the arduous task of animating complex scenes entirely by hand. The individual stories are knitted together with a somewhat crude linkage device (a glowing green orb that represents the sum of all evils), the ending feels rushed, and the ultimate fate of the green orb is plagued to a certain extent by a time travel paradox. However, the individual stories that comprise the bulk of the film are quite good. Each was animated in a different style by a different studio, adding to the anthology aspect of the film as well as keeping it visually interesting throughout. The quality of the overall DVD is surprisingly good. I say "surprisingly" in light of the shocking number of great films that have been released as mediocre or poor DVDs in recent years. Three key elements determine the overall quality of a DVD release: 1) Quality of the feature presentation 2) Quality and quantity of "extras" 3) Taking advantage of the power of the DVD medium. The quality of the Heavy Metal feature is quite good. While there is some "dirt" visible, it is minimal. You actually have to look for it, so it doesn't detract from enjoying the film. It looks better than any rendition of the film that I've seen before on videotape or in theaters. The audio is also remarkably good. There are some really wonderful extras included that will appeal to people who fell in love with this film in their youth like I did. The "neverwhere" deleted sequence is included, as is a story board animation of an alternate framing/linkage device that was considered before going with the green orb of evil. Also, an entire "rough cut" of the film is included, along with a running commentary. In the rough cut, you get to see, among other things, the woman used as the model for Taarna going through the motions that appear as animation in the final cut. Seeing a real (not to mention attractive) woman going through the exact same motions as Taarna performs (especially during the dressing scene) is surreal in the extreme. There is also the Heavy Metal magazine cover art that starts with the magazine's inception in 1977 and runs through 1999. Numerous bits of conceptual art, pencil drawings, etc. are also included. Yet another commentary track is included, with Carl Macek reading the book "Heavy Metal: The Movie". This commentary covers lots of technical details about the film and provides a glimpse of the work and people involved behind-the-scenes. And finally, there is a documentary about the film that stars several of the key creative minds involved in the project. As for taking advantage of the medium of DVD, I would give Heavy Metal a B-minus. The menus are well designed and artistically interesting, but they are static. There's no motion in the scene selections, and there is no motion or music in any of the menus. There is some use of animation in the pencil sketch area that is vaguely interesting, but none of the advanced features of the DVD medium are exploited.
Rating: 
Summary: A science fiction/ fantasy animated sampler
Review: If you aren't a science fiction fan, then you probably aren't going to get into this film. However, if you have at least a passing familiarity with the genre and it's evolution over the years then it will hold your interest. First of all, the framework that holds all the various animated segments together (in an old, isolated, Victorian house) seems to be a tribute to Clifford Simak's work. The first segment (Harry Canyon) is a gritty cyberpunk story set in a decaying New York of the near future, ala PKD. The second piece (Den) is a parody of heroic fantasy fiction, ala Edgar Rice Burroughs. The third (Captain Sternn) is a parody of heroic, hard science fiction, ala Roddenberry and the early Heinlein. The fourth (B-17) is pure graphic horror ala William Gaines and the horror mags of the 50's. The fifth segment (So Beautiful, so Dangerous) reminds one of the underground comics of the 60's and 70's in its look and content (drug humor.) Lastly, segment six (Taarna) is an original piece of straight heroic fantasy reminiscent of perhaps Robert E. Howard. The editors did a pretty good job of tying all of these diverse segments together with reference to the Lok-nar (a sentient, glowing, green orb from space that represents the origin of pure evil in cosmic and human history- perhaps this is a tribute to Lovecraft.) Back when this film first came out there was an organised feminist campaign to destroy it. I used to wonder if those people ever actually watched the film- I can't imagine a more heroic feminine archetype than Taarna.... This digitally remastered edition is really worth having. I don't remember the images being this crisp and bright when I first saw this in the theaters in '81. As for the sound track (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Devo, Grand Funk Railroad, Journey, Nazareth, Stevie Nicks, etc.) I don't see how it could be much better. Oh yes, as for the Stingray with the astronaut driving it dropping out of the orbiting shuttle- I don't have a clue as to what that was all about....
Rating:
Summary: Classic animation, with a hard rockin soundtrack
Review: I can't believe the number of negative reviews this movie has gotten! I bet these people don't like James Bond movies, either. To fully appreciate Heavy Metal, one has to understand the era it came out in. At the time, most animation, at least what was seen in the US, was frequently of the "family entertainment" variety seen in Saturday morning cartoons and TV commercials. Apart from Ralph Bakshi, most animators were basically shackled by the need to present something that was "rated G". Heavy Metal took the exact opposite route. It was a liberating experience for the animators working on the film to be allowed to draw things they usually weren't allowed. And they got paid to do it, too! After the opening Soft Landing sequence, we're introduced to the Loc-Nar, a glowing green orb responsible for all the evil that has plagued the universe (or at least, that which has plagued the human race). The various stories contained in the film are told by the Loc-Nar to a young girl, as examples of it's awesome power. The stories include the film noir homage Harry Canyon, the male "wish fulfillment fantasy" of Den (which demonstrates the versatility of the late John Candy, who voices both Dan, the science nerd who gets transported into an alternate dimension by the Loc-Nar, as well as Den, the Conan/He-Man-esque beefcake that he is magically transformed into), the highly amusing Captain Sternn (trivia: the voice of the prosecutor is done by John Vernon, the actor who portrayed Dean Wormer in Animal House), the EC-esque B-17 (aka Gremlins, which went through so many script revisions, it's a miracle it got finished at all), the bizarrely hilarious So Beautiful And So Dangerous (ok, maybe there's some truth to the juvenilia charges during this segment, but only a corpse could keep from laughing at this piece), and revenge scenario of Taarna (imagine a tougher, sexier version of Xena, only about a decade and a half earlier). While there IS some element of juvenilia here, it's no worse than any other movie that's been released by any major studio during the last 25 years. In fact, I bet it's a little more cerebral than most of those other movies. Harry Canyon is a rather crafted film noir homage, while some elements of Taarna are clearly patterned on Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. And while there are a couple sex scenes and a certain amount of excessive violince in Heavy Metal, again, it's nothing compared to some of the garbage that's shown on cable TV these days. I'd certainly rather watch this than Basic Instinct or No Way Out. This movie is a classic piece of animation. Yeah, some of it's rough around the edges, but that has a lot to do with Columbia's decision to move up the deadline so they could have the original movie out in time for the summer 81 season. One has to consider the scope of the undertaking, and the relatively short time that was at hand to create it. Look at the "travelling sequence" during Taarna, where she's shown riding her mount (a sort of large bird creature) over a rolling landscape, and consider that it was done WITHOUT the use of any kind of computer generated work. It's explained in the audio commentary on the rough cut of the film, as well as during the documentary how it was done, and why it didn't quite turn out as planned). No one had ever done anything like that, and it had to all be done by hand. Really, you can't take this movie too seriously. It's a movie that exists soley to entertain. There's no big message or point to the movie. Just put the DVD in the player, turn out the lights, turn up the volume LOUD, and just enjoy the trip. It should be noted, that this disc also contains some of the best bonus features I've seen on any DVD. Besides the regular movie, you get a full length "rough cut" of the film, consisting of storyboards, pencil tests, and some completed animation. The only audio for this rough cut (besides the optional audio commentary, by Carl Macek, who also does a completely different commentary for the finished movie) is the dialog. There's long stretches of silence, but it's worth watching, as there's lots of bits of dialog that were cut from the final movie (we learn, for instance, that Katharine, like Den, was also transformed when she was transported to this mysterious alternate universe). It's also interesting to note that the stories weren't always in the order that they were in the final movie. There's also a half hour documentary with interviews from many of the filmmakers involved in making the film. We finally find out why we see a model of a house blowing up at the end (because they didn't have time to finish the animation for that one bit), and also why Cornelius Cole's Neverwhere Land was cut from the movie (either for reasons of length/continuity, or because Cole didn't finish it in time, depending on exactly which version of the story you wish to believe. You also get a few minutes of deleted scenes, most notably the above mentioned Neverwhere Land, which was originally supposed to link Captain Sternn and B-17. There's also a few minutes that surround an early version of the framing story (in whence the Loc-Nar was actually the power source of a magical merry-go-round, and the various objects on the merry-go-round related in one way to the stories...ie, there's a taxicab, Taarna's mount, etc...each time the girl takes a ride in a different vehicle on the merry-go-round, she experiences a different story). And finally, you get all Heavy Metal covers up through 1999, plus various bits of production drawings, cels, etc. In short, this is a classic film that should be viewed by all fans of animation and/or heavy flicks. Prudes and conservatives who get cranky at the very thought of a movie being ruined by a little too much flesh or blood (and really, there isn't THAT much of either in this film) or a little warped humor (ok, there's PLENTY of that here) are advised to keep away. I just wish they had restored Neverwhere Land to it's original place between Captain Sternn and B-17.
Rating:
Summary: Heavy Metal special edition
Review: Heavy Metal is an excellent movie. And it's a great way to see the magazine come to life. It has great rock and Heavy Metal music along with it's motion picture score.
It's a cult classic for Friday night viewing. Not to be missed and represents the 1980's at it's best.
Rating:
Summary: A very cool universe...
Review: I remember sneaking in to the movies to see this back in '81 - and it's remained a nostalgic favorite ever since. Heavy Metal is an ambitious series of six metaphorical vignettes loosely strung together by a Darth Vadar-ish emerald orb, Loc-Nar, the self-proclaimed "sum of all evils." Introduced by way of a space truckin' archeologist piloting a Corvette throughout the Heavens (a classic opening sequence), the glowing jewel is brought home and given to his daughter. The orb melts dad into slime and confronts the daughter who, by some cosmic dint, holds the key to the green ball's destruction. And this is just the first three minutes. The film was created by an army of 1,000 artists, animation experts and technicians from seventeen countries. Given the current state of technology, the movie today would probably only take a half-dozen animators and a few lap-tops. Regardless of its dated stylishness and rough edges, Heavy Metal was a pioneering film in 1981 and remains an infuential body of art today. A visual mixed bag of matte, blue screen, live action, stop motion, and Star Wars-influenced drawing/animation styles, the dazzling sci-fi epic scored a bullseye with its comic hipness, imagination, and drug kaleidoscope presentation. The final installment, Tarna, is the most mind-bending in terms of fluid animation, spectacular color schemes, imagination, and graphics, which appears 3-D. The green ball crashes into a mountain and the lava it produces turns the civilization around it into a merciless warring faction. They prey upon neighboring villages who then summon The Defender, a naked chick with a giant bird. The sequence in which Tarna, The Defender, slowly and enticingly dons her bondage-like battle gear and hip boots remains one of the hottest scenes ever in a movie, animated or not. All clothes aside, this tale is the centerpiece of the movie's artistic accomplishments. The best part of this Collector's Series disc is the plethora of extras included. The disc includes a voiceover by Carl Macek reading his book "Heavy Metal: The Movie". It also includes a documentary titled "Imagining Heavy Metal" which runs approximately 35 minutes. The disc also includes deleted scenes, including a rough cut of a entire additional segment which was cut form the movie titled Neverwhere Land, and an alternate framing sequence which can be heard with or without commentary by Carl Macek. There is a segment called "Artwork of Heavy Metal" which includes 26 pencil drawings, 59 conceptual art stills (2 of which are animated), 29 single cell stills, and 191 layered cell stills which expose some of the layering techniques used during the animation process. There are also 18 production photos of behind the scenes work which was done on the film and a segment which contains all the Heavy Metal Magazine covers from 1977 through 1999. But the best extra on this disc is the entire full-length rough cut of the pencil drawings used to get the look and feel of the production prior to the final production stage. This rough cut can also be viewed either with or without a full commentary by Carl Macek.
Rating:
Summary: Endowed with Content
Review: Heavy Metal was released in 1981 and animation technology has left it far behind. Recent high-tech films like Toy Story 2, The Iron Giant or The Prince of Egypt make Heavy Metal look crude. On the other hand, this film still offers much to the 15 year old boy left in some of us. Namely: innocent adventure, gratuitious nudity and oodles of violence. This DVD makes fine use of the format. The disk is packed with content. Hundreds of magazine covers demonstrate the breadth of fantasy art styles; I'm particularly fond of Elvis strumming on a woman as guitar. The rough cut with commentary gives insight into making old-style handmade animation. The making of documentary brings the pleasant sight of grown filmmakers blushing like naughty boys over their baby. The print shows its age in being a bit dirty, and the sound is fair. We can't expect miracles of a 20 year old cult classic. Final recommendation, if you were once a 15 year old boy, caugh up the dough and buy this guilty pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Oh the Memories
Review: I was 18 in the summer of '81. Perhaps a bit too old for the target audience of this movie. I never liked Judas Priest, or Journey, and BOC was on the downslide, so nothing of what I heard concerning this movie appealed to me or my friends. So I never saw it....until I sat down and watched it several months ago....WITH MY TEENAGERS. It is a bit risque in places. The animation is quite dated, but considering there were no computers then, it is awesome. I enjoyed watching it. The movie, as well as the soundtrack (of which were staples of FM oriented rock back then) are very enjoyable. But please remember...this movie was made to target adolescent teen males (and I suppose females also). It is not for everyone. And if you are my age and missed it way back then, pick up a copy of the DVD....I think you will like it.
Rating:
Summary: what a trip
Review: i loved this movie. everyone will like this movie. it's awesome.
Rating:
Summary: For 70's and 80's fans only!!
Review: Growing up in the 70's and early 80's, I loved what this animated classic had to offer. Music from all of my favorite bands and good stories straight from Heavy Metal magazine. Or course, the animations are dated compared to todays standards, but the actual stories more than make up for it. The final story was the best with the great soundtrack and all. This classic is for fans of the 70's and 80's generation and truly enjoyed the music from those days. Fans of Heavy Metal magazine will defintely love this also. Today's snobbish teenies need not apply!!
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