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Grass Roots (film)
Encyclopedia
Grass Roots is an upcoming clay
animated film based on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
underground
comic strip
created by Gilbert Shelton
.
as part of the War on Drugs
, and Norbert the Nark accidentally gives the prototype to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. With the government on their trail, Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Fat Freddy are forced to leave town, acquiring a remote plot of land in order to fulfill their dream of retiring to grow marijuana in the country. Three women join the Freak Brothers' commune, but because gender politics have changed since the 1970s, they do not see eye to eye with the Brothers' free love
philosophy.
Before Grass Roots, there had been several attempts to film the stories. There was even an unauthorized pornographic film titled Up in Flames
, which "ripped off the Freak Brothers, Mr. Natural
and Cheech and Chong
all in one go."
In 1979, Rip Off Press
received $250,000 from Universal Pictures
for a five-year option on a live action film based on the characters. Although a script was written, the movie was never filmed. It was rumored that Universal bought the rights in order to prevent competition against the Cheech and Chong
franchise. Over the next 25 years there were several more options taken on film rights, but none of them went to production.
In 2006, Celluloid Dreams, in association with bolexbrothers
and X Filme, began production on an animated film based on the Freak Brothers comics. Grass Roots was directed by Dave Borthwick, whose previous credits include The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
and The Magic Roundabout
. Cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett previously worked as the cinematographer on Aardman Animations
productions, including the Wallace and Gromit
shorts and feature film, and Chicken Run
. Test animation was released through the official website of the Celluloid Dreams production company. As of 2009, the film was still in production.
Clay animation
Clay animation or claymation is one of many forms of stop motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually Plasticine clay....
animated film based on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers are a trio of underground comic strip characters created by the U.S. artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in The Rag, an underground newspaper published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968; and were regularly reprinted in underground papers...
underground
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
created by Gilbert Shelton
Gilbert Shelton
Gilbert Shelton is an American cartoonist and underground comix artist. He is the creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, Wonder Wart-Hog, Philbert Desanex, Not Quite Dead, and the cover art to The Grateful Dead's 1978 album Shakedown Street.He graduated from Lamar High...
.
Plot
The government develops genetically modified marijuanaCannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
as part of the War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
, and Norbert the Nark accidentally gives the prototype to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. With the government on their trail, Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Fat Freddy are forced to leave town, acquiring a remote plot of land in order to fulfill their dream of retiring to grow marijuana in the country. Three women join the Freak Brothers' commune, but because gender politics have changed since the 1970s, they do not see eye to eye with the Brothers' free love
Free love
The term free love has been used to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery...
philosophy.
History
Up in Flames (film)
Up in Flames is a 1973 pornographic film.-Adaptation:The film is an unauthorized film adaptation of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Mr. Natural underground comics. However, two of the Freak Brothers have been renamed , and none of the three "Freak Brothers" resembled their comic book...
, which "ripped off the Freak Brothers, Mr. Natural
Mr. Natural (comics)
Mr. Natural is a comic book character created and drawn by 1960s counterculture and underground comix artist Robert Crumb. The character first appeared in the premiere issue of Yarrowstalks .-Characterization:...
and Cheech and Chong
Cheech and Chong
Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
all in one go."
In 1979, Rip Off Press
Rip Off Press
Rip Off Press, Inc. is a seminal publishing company that specializes in adult-themed literature and graphic novels, mostly in a specific comic book format known as underground comix.-Overview:...
received $250,000 from Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
for a five-year option on a live action film based on the characters. Although a script was written, the movie was never filmed. It was rumored that Universal bought the rights in order to prevent competition against the Cheech and Chong
Cheech and Chong
Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
franchise. Over the next 25 years there were several more options taken on film rights, but none of them went to production.
In 2006, Celluloid Dreams, in association with bolexbrothers
Bolexbrothers
bolexbrothers is an independent British animation studio based in Bristol. The studio specialises in stop motion animation, producing numerous short films and commercials, as well as one stop motion feature film, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb...
and X Filme, began production on an animated film based on the Freak Brothers comics. Grass Roots was directed by Dave Borthwick, whose previous credits include The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is a 1993 stop-motion animated film made by bolexbrothers, and funded by the BBC, La Sept, producer Richard Hutchinson and Manga Entertainment, which also distributed the film on video...
and The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout (film)
The Magic Roundabout, , is a 2005 British computer-animated film based on the television series of the same name...
. Cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett previously worked as the cinematographer on Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
productions, including the Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
shorts and feature film, and Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
. Test animation was released through the official website of the Celluloid Dreams production company. As of 2009, the film was still in production.