Heavy Metal (film)
Encyclopedia
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian
fantasy
-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton
and produced by Ivan Reitman
and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal
magazine.
The film is an anthology
of various science fiction
and fantasy
stories adapted from Heavy Metal magazine and original stories in the same spirit. Like the magazine, it has a great deal of graphic violence, nudity, and sexuality. Its production was expedited by having several animation houses working simultaneously on different segments, including CinéGroupe
and Atkinson Film-Arts
.
A stand-alone homage titled Heavy Metal 2000
was released in 2000.
and art by Thomas Warkentin) opens with a space shuttle flying in orbit over Earth. The bay doors (on the belly of the shuttle) open, releasing a 1960 Corvette
. An astronaut seated in the Corvette then begins descending through Earth's atmosphere, landing in a desert canyon.
, written by Juan Giménez
. In a dystopian New York City
in the year 2031, cynical taxicab
driver Harry Canyon narrates his day in film noir
style, grumbling about his fares and the occasional robbery attempt (which he thwarts with a disintegrator installed behind his seat). He stumbles into an incident where a fat gangster named Rudnick and his cyborg henchmen murder an archaeologist on the front steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
. Harry grudgingly allows the murdered man's daughter into his cab, and she tells him about her father's discovery: the Loc-Nar, an artifact over which people are killing each other. Harry cannot afford to pay for a police investigation, so he takes the girl back to his apartment. That night, the girl strips, climbs into his bed, and they have sex. Harry awakens alone the next morning when the cops bust into the apartment looking for the girl, whose existence he denies because she disappeared. One of his fares that day is Rudnick, who threatens Harry if he does not cooperate. Later, the girl contacts Harry and offers to sell the Loc-Nar and split the proceeds with him. He agrees to take her to the exchange. When Rudnick gets the Loc-Nar, he takes it out of its isolation case, and he disintegrates. Meanwhile, the girl pulls a gun on Harry, who is forced to use his self-defense ray, which disintegrates her clothing before disintegrating the girl herself. He keeps the money and writes it up as a "two day ride with one hell of a tip".
. Den, a nerd
y teenager finds a round "green meteorite" and puts it in his rock collection at home. Weeks later, during a lightning experiment, the orb hurls the boy into the world of Neverwhere, where he changes into an initially naked (though he quickly dons a loincloth
), bald muscle man called Den
. Landing on a giant idol, he witnesses a strange ritual and rescues a nubile young woman who was about to be sacrificed to "Uhluhtc" (icon ; "Cthulhu
" spelled backwards). Reaching safety, she tells him that she is from the British colony of Gibraltar
, on Earth, and that her name is Katherine Wells. While she demonstrates her gratitude with sexual favors, they are interrupted by the minions of Ard, an immortal man who wants to obtain the Loc-Nar and use it to rule the world. He puts Katherine in suspended animation
and orders Den to get the Loc-Nar from the Queen (the woman who performed the ritual). Den agrees, and infiltrates the Queen's palace with some of Ard's warriors. He is promptly caught by the Queen, but she offers leniency if he has sex with her. He complies, while the raiding party steals the Loc-Nar. Den escapes and, with the Queen and her forces in pursuit, races back to the idol. Ard is attempting to recreate the sacrifice himself so Den rescues Katherine, and the Queen's arrival sparks a bloody battle between her and Ard (backed by their respective armies). Den ends the battle by recreating the incident that drew him to Neverwhere, banishing Ard and the Queen, apparently back to Earth. Refusing the opportunity to rule, Den and Katherine ride into the sunset, content to remain in Neverwhere as heroes in an ideal world.
. On a space station
, a square jawed space captain named Lincoln F. Sternn
is on trial on numerous serious charges (and one moving violation) presented by the prosecutor. Pleading "not guilty" against the advice of his rat-faced lawyer, Sternn explains to his astonished lawyer that he expects to be acquitted because he bribed a witness, Hanover Fiste, to praise his character. Fiste takes the stand, but his perjury is subverted when the Loc-Nar, now the size of a marble, causes him to blurt out the truth about Sternn's evil deeds until he angrily denounces Sternn. Fiste rants with such fury that he changes into a muscled giant, and chases Sternn throughout the station, breaking through bulkheads and wreaking havoc. Eventually, he corners Sternn, receives his promised payoff for his part in the escape plan, and promptly shrinks back to his gangly original form. Sternn then pulls a lever opening a trapdoor under Fiste, and the Loc-Nar reenters an atmosphere with Fiste's bodiless flaming hand still clinging to it.
. A World War II
B-17 bomber nicknamed the "Pacific Pearl" makes a difficult bombing run with heavy damage and casualties. As the bomber limps home, the Co-Pilot goes back to check on the crew. Finding nothing but dead bodies, he notices the Loc-Nar trailing the plane. Informing the pilot, he heads back to the cockpit, when the Loc-Nar rams itself into the plane and raises the dead crew members as zombies. The co-pilot is killed by the zombie ball turret
-gunner leaving only the pilot – who barely escapes in time, only to land on an island where he finds wreckage of airplanes, along with the wrecked airplanes' zombified airmen.
. A scientist (Dr. Anrack) arrives at the Pentagon
for a meeting about mysterious mutations that are plaguing the United States
. At the meeting, the doctor tries to dismiss the occurrences, but when he sees the green stone (Loc-Nar) in the buxom stenographer's (Gloria) locket, he starts behaving erratically, goes berserk, and attempts to sexually assault her. In the sky above, a colossal starship with a smiley face design breaks through the roof with a transport tube and sucks up the berserk doctor and by accident, Gloria. The ship's robot is irritated at Anrack, who is actually a malfunctioning android, but his mood changes when Gloria arrives. Surprisingly, instead of being shocked at being sucked up by the ship, Gloria is merely annoyed by the encounter, commenting "who is going to pay for my dry cleaning?" With the help of the ship's alien pilot and co-pilot, the robot convinces Gloria to stay on board and talks her into having "robot" sex. She even reluctantly agrees to marry him (provided they have a Jewish wedding). Meanwhile, the crew snort a massive amount of plutonian nyborg and fly home completely stoned, zoning out on the cosmos and passing space junk (which includes a model of the refurbished USS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture
). Too stoned to fly straight, they crash land in a huge space station, though they think it was a nice landing.
& Len Blum
; inspired by Moebius
' Arzach
stories. The Loc-Nar crashes into a volcano, changing a tribe of humans into mutated barbarians who ravage a peaceful city. The elders desperately try to summon the last of a warrior race, the Taarakians. Taarna, a strong, beautiful warrior maiden, arrives too late to stop the massacre and resolves to avenge the city. Her search leads to the barbarians' stronghold, where she is captured, tortured and left for dead. With the help of her avian mount, she escapes and confronts the barbarian leader. Though wounded, she defeats him. With Taarna readying her final attack on the Loc-Nar, it pleads to her not to "sacrifice" herself, she does not relent and her sacrifice of herself destroys the Loc-Nar.
The original rough animatics are set to a loop of the beginning of Pink Floyd
's "Time". The 1999 VHS release included this segment at the beginning of the tape. On the DVD release, this segment is included under the Bonus Features/Deleted Scenes. In both released versions, the sequence is set to the music of "Passacaglia" (from Magnificat), composed and conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki
.
Prior to official release on videocassette in 1996, the film was re-released to select theaters on March 8, 1996 taking in $550,000. The subsequent home video release moved over one million units. The film was released on Blu-Ray Disc
on February 1, 2011 as a Best Buy exclusive and it will be later released on everywhere on June 14, 2011.
reports that 60% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10 and the critical consensus: "It's sexist, juvenile, and dated, but Heavy Metal makes up for its flaws with eye-popping animation and a classic, smartly used soundtrack." Janet Maslin
of The New York Times
noted that the film "was scored very well, with music much less ear-splitting than the title would suggest." Film historian and critic Leonard Maltin
gave the film 3 stars out of four in his Movie Guide, calling the feature "...uneven, but great fun on a mindless, adolescent level."
The film enjoyed only limited appeal in its initial run, but became a popular cult attraction
for midnight theatrical showings, much like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Legal problems with the copyrights for some of the music used in the film prevented a commercial home video release for 15 years, although the film was in rotation on some cable channels, including Cinemax
, HBO, and TBS
, which allowed fans to record it and circulate bootleg
copies. Heavy Metal may be the canonical
example of a popular film or album that was unavailable to consumers for a long time for obscure reasons, despite popular acclaim or success.
in 1981, but for legal reasons, was not released on CD
until 1995. The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200
chart. Blue Öyster Cult
wrote and recorded a song called "Vengeance (The Pact)" for the movie, but the producers declined to use the song because the lyrics provided a capsulized summary of the "Taarna" vignette. "Veteran of the Psychic Wars
" was used instead. Both songs can be found on Blue Öyster Cult's Fire of Unknown Origin
album. Though used in the film, the songs "Through Being Cool" by Devo
& "E5150" by Black Sabbath
were not included in the released soundtrack album. These songs are on New Traditionalists
and Mob Rules, respectively.
The legal difficulties surrounding the use of some songs in the movie delayed its release to home video. The production company's use of some songs were limited solely to the theatrical release and soundtrack and did not include home video releases. It was not until 1996 that there was an official home video release on VHS
when Kevin Eastman
, who had bought the publishing rights of Heavy Metal magazine in 1992 and previously contributed to the magazine, reached a settlement with the music copyright holders.
of Elmer Bernstein
's score was released alongside the soundtrack in 1981, and it featured the composer's first use of the ondes martenot
, an instrument which became a trademark of Bernstein's later career. On 13 March 2008, Film Score Monthly
released an official, expanded CD release of Bernstein's score, which he conducted. The score was performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
with the London Voices
and Jeanne Loriod
on the ondes Martenot.
Rerelease track listing:
Bonus tracks
, was released in 2000.
A second sequel has been in various stages of development since. In March 2008, Variety
reported that Paramount Pictures
was set to make another animated film with David Fincher
"spearheading the project." Kevin Eastman, who is the current owner and publisher of Heavy Metal
, will direct a segment, as will Tim Miller, "whose Blur Studio will handle the animation for what is being conceived as an R-rated, adult-themed feature."
Entertainment website IGN
announced, on 14 July 2008, "David Fincher's edgy new project has suffered a serious setback after it was dropped by Paramount, according to Entertainment Weekly
." However, Entertainment Weekly quoted Tim Miller as saying "David really believes in the project. It's just a matter of time."
In September 2008, Eastman was quoted as saying "Fincher is directing one, Guillermo del Toro
wants to direct one, Zack Snyder
wants to direct one, Gore Verbinski
wants to direct one." It was reported that the film had been moved to Sony
division Columbia Pictures
(which had released the original) and had a budget of $50 million.
In June 2009, Eastman said "I’ve got breaking news that Fincher and James Cameron
are going to be co-executive producers on the film, Cameron will direct one. Mark Osborne
and Jack Black
from Tenacious D
are going to do a comedy segment for the film."
In July 2011, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez
announced at Comic Con that he had purchased the film rights to Heavy Metal and planned to develop a new animated film at the new Quick Draw Studios. Rodriguez posted a video on YouTube
as an open call for long-time fans and aspiring artists to contribute their ideas for the upcoming project.
However, production is stalled indefinitely
as no film distributor or production company has shown interest in distributing or producing a second sequel since Paramount Pictures decided to forgo being the film's distributor, who purportedly thought such a film was "too risque for mainstream audiences."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
fantasy
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton
Gerald Potterton
Gerald Potterton is a British/Canadian director, producer and animator. He is best known for directing the cult classic Heavy Metal and his animation work on Yellow Submarine....
and produced by Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
magazine.
The film is an anthology
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
of various science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
stories adapted from Heavy Metal magazine and original stories in the same spirit. Like the magazine, it has a great deal of graphic violence, nudity, and sexuality. Its production was expedited by having several animation houses working simultaneously on different segments, including CinéGroupe
CinéGroupe
CinéGroupe Corporation is a Canadian animation studio based in Montreal, Quebec. The company also has offices in nearby Toronto and in the U.S. city of Los Angeles...
and Atkinson Film-Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts was an animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, The company is best known for the first two Care Bears television specials, The Land Without Feelings and The Freeze Machine, and the four syndicated specials that inspired The Raccoons...
.
A stand-alone homage titled Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000 is the 2000 follow-up to the 1981 animated cult film Heavy Metal, based on the fantasy magazine of the same name. The story itself is based on the graphic novel, The Melting Pot, written by Kevin Eastman, Simon Bisley and Eric Talbot...
was released in 2000.
Soft Landing
The movie's title sequence story (based on the original story by Dan O'BannonDan O'Bannon
Daniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
and art by Thomas Warkentin) opens with a space shuttle flying in orbit over Earth. The bay doors (on the belly of the shuttle) open, releasing a 1960 Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette C1
The Chevrolet Corvette is the first generation of the sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced late in the 1953 model year and produced through 1962. It is commonly referred to as the "solid-axle" generation, as the independent rear suspension didn't appear until the 1963...
. An astronaut seated in the Corvette then begins descending through Earth's atmosphere, landing in a desert canyon.
- Director: – Jimmy T. Murakami and John Bruno
- Produced by: – John CoatesJohn CoatesJohn Henry Coates, FRS is a mathematician who holds the position of Sadleirian Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.-Early life and education:...
- Written by: – Dan O'BannonDan O'BannonDaniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
- Song:
- Radar Rider by RiggsJerry RiggsJerry Riggs is an American rock guitarist and vocalist, born on August 25, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee.-Biography:Jerry Riggs began his musical career as lead guitarist for the Knoxville, Tennessee group, Lynx, a popular staple on the local bar circuit in the mid-70s. The band, featuring Michael...
- Radar Rider by Riggs
Grimaldi
Leading directly from the title sequence, the film's framing story has the astronaut, named Grimaldi, arriving at home where he is greeted by his daughter. He shows her something he brought back: a crystalline green sphere about the size of a basketball. When he opens the case, the orb rises out of it and melts the astronaut. It introduces itself to the terrified girl as "The sum of all evils." Looking into it, the girl sees how it has influenced societies through time and space. The orb, known as the Loc-Nar, forces her to watch the remaining stories.- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - Don FrancksDon FrancksDonald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
... Grimaldi - Caroline Semple ... Girl
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- Harold Whitaker – Director
- John HalasJohn HalasJohn Halas was a Hungarian animator. . He learned his craft under George Pal, but launched his own career in 1934, and two years later moved to England where he and his wife Joy Batchelor founded Halas and Batchelor.Over the years they made over 70 short subjects during the war, using propaganda...
– Producer
Harry Canyon
Original story by Daniel Goldberg and Len BlumLen Blum
Leonard Solomon “Len” Blum, is an award winning Canadian screenwriter, film producer and film composer. He graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and wrote many films including Meatballs, Stripes, Heavy Metal, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Meatballs...
, written by Juan Giménez
Juan Gimenez
Juan Antonio Giménez López is an Argentine comic book artist.-Biography:Giménez López was born in Mendoza, Argentina...
. In a dystopian New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the year 2031, cynical taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver Harry Canyon narrates his day in film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
style, grumbling about his fares and the occasional robbery attempt (which he thwarts with a disintegrator installed behind his seat). He stumbles into an incident where a fat gangster named Rudnick and his cyborg henchmen murder an archaeologist on the front steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
. Harry grudgingly allows the murdered man's daughter into his cab, and she tells him about her father's discovery: the Loc-Nar, an artifact over which people are killing each other. Harry cannot afford to pay for a police investigation, so he takes the girl back to his apartment. That night, the girl strips, climbs into his bed, and they have sex. Harry awakens alone the next morning when the cops bust into the apartment looking for the girl, whose existence he denies because she disappeared. One of his fares that day is Rudnick, who threatens Harry if he does not cooperate. Later, the girl contacts Harry and offers to sell the Loc-Nar and split the proceeds with him. He agrees to take her to the exchange. When Rudnick gets the Loc-Nar, he takes it out of its isolation case, and he disintegrates. Meanwhile, the girl pulls a gun on Harry, who is forced to use his self-defense ray, which disintegrates her clothing before disintegrating the girl herself. He keeps the money and writes it up as a "two day ride with one hell of a tip".
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
... Desk Sergeant - Marilyn Lightstone ... Whore
- Susan RomanSusan RomanSusan Roman is a Canadian voice actress best known for voice acting the role of Lita/Sailor Jupiter in the North American DiC dub of the anime, Sailor Moon. She is one of the few voice actors to remain throughout the entire run of the series...
... Girl / Satellite - Richard RomanusRichard RomanusRichard Romanus is an American actor of Lebanese descent. Among other roles, he has appeared in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, and provided voices for Ralph Bakshi's animated films Wizards and Hey Good Lookin'. He played Lorraine Bracco's ex-husband, later husband again, in three episodes of The...
... Harry Canyon - Al WaxmanAl WaxmanAlbert Samuel Waxman, CM, O.Ont was a Canadian actor and director of over 1000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage...
... Rudnick - Harvey AtkinHarvey AtkinHarvey Atkin is a Canadian voice actor who has worked in feature films and television. He has also done voice-overs, and has voiced animations.- Early life :...
... Alien / Henchman
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- Pino Van Lamsweerde – Director
- W.H. Stevens Jr. – Producer
- Vic Atkinson – Producer
- Daniel GoldbergDaniel GoldbergDaniel Goldberg is a French Socialist politician. A mathematics teacher, he was elected deputy in 2007 to represent La Courneuve.-External links:...
– Writer - Len BlumLen BlumLeonard Solomon “Len” Blum, is an award winning Canadian screenwriter, film producer and film composer. He graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and wrote many films including Meatballs, Stripes, Heavy Metal, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Meatballs...
– Writer
- Songs:
- "Veteran of the Psychic WarsVeteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
" by Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly... - "True Companion" by Donald FagenDonald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
- "Heartbeat" by RiggsJerry RiggsJerry Riggs is an American rock guitarist and vocalist, born on August 25, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee.-Biography:Jerry Riggs began his musical career as lead guitarist for the Knoxville, Tennessee group, Lynx, a popular staple on the local bar circuit in the mid-70s. The band, featuring Michael...
- "Blue Lamp" by Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
- "Open ArmsOpen Arms (Journey song)"Open Arms" is a popular song originally recorded by American rock band Journey, and released as a single from their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics are an empowering plea to a lover to forgive past wrongdoings...
" by JourneyJourney (band)Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
- "Veteran of the Psychic Wars
Den
Based on original art and story by Richard CorbenRichard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
. Den, a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
y teenager finds a round "green meteorite" and puts it in his rock collection at home. Weeks later, during a lightning experiment, the orb hurls the boy into the world of Neverwhere, where he changes into an initially naked (though he quickly dons a loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
), bald muscle man called Den
Den (comics)
Den is the name of two identical planetary romance fictional characters created by Richard Corben. The first appeared in the 1968 animated short film Neverwhere. The second has been appearing in the medium of comics since 1973, and in short stories that have been collected for the most part in...
. Landing on a giant idol, he witnesses a strange ritual and rescues a nubile young woman who was about to be sacrificed to "Uhluhtc" (icon ; "Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
" spelled backwards). Reaching safety, she tells him that she is from the British colony of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, on Earth, and that her name is Katherine Wells. While she demonstrates her gratitude with sexual favors, they are interrupted by the minions of Ard, an immortal man who wants to obtain the Loc-Nar and use it to rule the world. He puts Katherine in suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
and orders Den to get the Loc-Nar from the Queen (the woman who performed the ritual). Den agrees, and infiltrates the Queen's palace with some of Ard's warriors. He is promptly caught by the Queen, but she offers leniency if he has sex with her. He complies, while the raiding party steals the Loc-Nar. Den escapes and, with the Queen and her forces in pursuit, races back to the idol. Ard is attempting to recreate the sacrifice himself so Den rescues Katherine, and the Queen's arrival sparks a bloody battle between her and Ard (backed by their respective armies). Den ends the battle by recreating the incident that drew him to Neverwhere, banishing Ard and the Queen, apparently back to Earth. Refusing the opportunity to rule, Den and Katherine ride into the sunset, content to remain in Neverwhere as heroes in an ideal world.
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
... Den - Jackie BurroughsJackie BurroughsJacqueline "Jackie" Burroughs was an English-born Canadian actress.-Life and career:Born in Lancashire, England, Burroughs acted in live theatre at Ontario's Stratford Festival...
... Katherine - Martin LavutMartin LavutMartin Lavut is a Canadian voice actor who is best known for his contributions to early Nelvana productions, such as The Devil and Daniel Mouse and its spin-off, Rock & Rule. He studied acting at California’s Pasadena Playhouse, and New York’s American Theatre Wing...
... Ard - Marilyn Lightstone ... Queen
- August SchellenbergAugust SchellenbergAugust Schellenberg is a Canadian actor. His ethnicity is Mohawk and Swiss-German. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada.His first film was Rip-Off in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal...
... Norl
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- Jack StokesJack StokesJohn Edward Stokes was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985, and was Speaker of the legislature from 1977 to 1981. Stokes was a member of the New Democratic Party.Stokes was born in Schreiber, Ontario, and was educated in the area...
– Director - Jerry Hibbert – Producer
- Richard CorbenRichard CorbenRichard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
– Writer
- Jack Stokes
Captain Sternn
Based on original art and story by Bernie WrightsonBernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
. On a space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
, a square jawed space captain named Lincoln F. Sternn
Captain Sternn
Captain Lincoln F. Sternn is an American comic book character first published in Heavy Metal during the 1980s.-Personality:Captain Sternn is considered "part Han Solo, part James Garner from The Great Escape". The character, as written by Wrightson, is an amoral space captain whose adventures are...
is on trial on numerous serious charges (and one moving violation) presented by the prosecutor. Pleading "not guilty" against the advice of his rat-faced lawyer, Sternn explains to his astonished lawyer that he expects to be acquitted because he bribed a witness, Hanover Fiste, to praise his character. Fiste takes the stand, but his perjury is subverted when the Loc-Nar, now the size of a marble, causes him to blurt out the truth about Sternn's evil deeds until he angrily denounces Sternn. Fiste rants with such fury that he changes into a muscled giant, and chases Sternn throughout the station, breaking through bulkheads and wreaking havoc. Eventually, he corners Sternn, receives his promised payoff for his part in the escape plan, and promptly shrinks back to his gangly original form. Sternn then pulls a lever opening a trapdoor under Fiste, and the Loc-Nar reenters an atmosphere with Fiste's bodiless flaming hand still clinging to it.
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - Rodger BumpassRodger BumpassRodger Albert Bumpass is an American character actor and voice actor, who is noted for his long-running-roles as Squidward Tentacles on the hit series SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Chief from Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?. He also voiced Professor Membrane on Invader Zim...
... Hanover Fiste - Joe FlahertyJoe FlahertyJoe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
... Lawyer - Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
... Sternn - John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
... Prosecutor - Douglas KenneyDouglas KenneyDouglas C. Kenney was an American writer and actor who co-founded National Lampoon magazine in 1970. Kenney edited the magazine and wrote much of its early material.-Childhood:...
... Regolian
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- Julian Harris – Director
- Paul Sebella – Director
- Bernie WrightsonBernie WrightsonBernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
– Writer
- Song:
- "Reach Out" by Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
- "Reach Out" by Cheap Trick
B-17
Based on original story by Dan O'BannonDan O'Bannon
Daniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
. A World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
B-17 bomber nicknamed the "Pacific Pearl" makes a difficult bombing run with heavy damage and casualties. As the bomber limps home, the Co-Pilot goes back to check on the crew. Finding nothing but dead bodies, he notices the Loc-Nar trailing the plane. Informing the pilot, he heads back to the cockpit, when the Loc-Nar rams itself into the plane and raises the dead crew members as zombies. The co-pilot is killed by the zombie ball turret
Ball turret
A ball turret was a particular form of spherical-form, altazimuth mount movement manned aircraft gun turret, accommodating the gunner with nearly all the needed equipment for defensive firepower mounted either within or onto the spherical shell of the turret structure, mounted on aircraft during...
-gunner leaving only the pilot – who barely escapes in time, only to land on an island where he finds wreckage of airplanes, along with the wrecked airplanes' zombified airmen.
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - Don FrancksDon FrancksDonald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
... Co-Pilot (Holden) - Zal YanovskyZal YanovskyZalman "Zal" Yanovsky was a Canadian rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964...
... Navigator - George Touliatos ... Pilot (Skip)
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- Barrie Nelson – Director
- W.H. Stevens Jr. – Producer
- Dan O'BannonDan O'BannonDaniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
– Writer
- Song:
- "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" by Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
- "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" by Don Felder
So Beautiful and So Dangerous
Based on original art and story by Angus McKieAngus McKie
Angus McKie is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry.He is best known as an English science fiction illustrator whose work appeared on the covers of numerous science fiction paperback novels in the mid 1970s and 1980s, as well as in Stewart Cowley's Terran Trade Authority...
. A scientist (Dr. Anrack) arrives at the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
for a meeting about mysterious mutations that are plaguing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the meeting, the doctor tries to dismiss the occurrences, but when he sees the green stone (Loc-Nar) in the buxom stenographer's (Gloria) locket, he starts behaving erratically, goes berserk, and attempts to sexually assault her. In the sky above, a colossal starship with a smiley face design breaks through the roof with a transport tube and sucks up the berserk doctor and by accident, Gloria. The ship's robot is irritated at Anrack, who is actually a malfunctioning android, but his mood changes when Gloria arrives. Surprisingly, instead of being shocked at being sucked up by the ship, Gloria is merely annoyed by the encounter, commenting "who is going to pay for my dry cleaning?" With the help of the ship's alien pilot and co-pilot, the robot convinces Gloria to stay on board and talks her into having "robot" sex. She even reluctantly agrees to marry him (provided they have a Jewish wedding). Meanwhile, the crew snort a massive amount of plutonian nyborg and fly home completely stoned, zoning out on the cosmos and passing space junk (which includes a model of the refurbished USS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
). Too stoned to fly straight, they crash land in a huge space station, though they think it was a nice landing.
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - Rodger BumpassRodger BumpassRodger Albert Bumpass is an American character actor and voice actor, who is noted for his long-running-roles as Squidward Tentacles on the hit series SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Chief from Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?. He also voiced Professor Membrane on Invader Zim...
... Dr. Anrak - John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
... Robot - Joe FlahertyJoe FlahertyJoe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
... General - Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
... Male Reporter / Edsel - Alice PlaytenAlice PlaytenAlice Playten was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy...
... Gloria - Harold RamisHarold RamisHarold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
... Zeke - Patty Dworkin ... Woman Reporter
- Warren MunsonWarren MunsonWarren Munson is a film and television actor. He may be best known for his portrayal of Admiral Owen Paris in Star Trek: Voyager.-Filmography:* Las Vegas** episode The Lie Is Cast ... as Mr. Socal* Scrubs** episode My Screwup ... as Mr. Taylor...
... Senator
- Percy Rodriguez
- Crew:
- John HalasJohn HalasJohn Halas was a Hungarian animator. . He learned his craft under George Pal, but launched his own career in 1934, and two years later moved to England where he and his wife Joy Batchelor founded Halas and Batchelor.Over the years they made over 70 short subjects during the war, using propaganda...
– Director - Angus McKieAngus McKieAngus McKie is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry.He is best known as an English science fiction illustrator whose work appeared on the covers of numerous science fiction paperback novels in the mid 1970s and 1980s, as well as in Stewart Cowley's Terran Trade Authority...
– Writer
- John Halas
- Songs:
- "Queen Bee" by Grand Funk RailroadGrand Funk RailroadGrand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
- "I Must Be Dreamin'" by Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
- "Crazy? (A Suitable Case for Treatment)" by NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
- "All of You" by Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
- "Heavy Metal" by Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
- "Prefabricated" by TrustTrust (band)Trust is a French rock band closely associated with both AC/DC and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.-History:Trust was founded in 1977 by:* Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin * Norbert "Nono" Krief...
- "Queen Bee" by Grand Funk Railroad
Taarna
Original story by Daniel GoldbergDaniel Goldberg
Daniel Goldberg is a French Socialist politician. A mathematics teacher, he was elected deputy in 2007 to represent La Courneuve.-External links:...
& Len Blum
Len Blum
Leonard Solomon “Len” Blum, is an award winning Canadian screenwriter, film producer and film composer. He graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and wrote many films including Meatballs, Stripes, Heavy Metal, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Meatballs...
; inspired by Moebius
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
' Arzach
Arzach
Arzach is a comic book collection of four wordless short stories by artist/author Jean 'Moebius' Giraud, which were originally published in the French sci-fi/fantasy comics magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories follow Arzach, a silent warrior who rides a pterodactyl-like creature through a strange,...
stories. The Loc-Nar crashes into a volcano, changing a tribe of humans into mutated barbarians who ravage a peaceful city. The elders desperately try to summon the last of a warrior race, the Taarakians. Taarna, a strong, beautiful warrior maiden, arrives too late to stop the massacre and resolves to avenge the city. Her search leads to the barbarians' stronghold, where she is captured, tortured and left for dead. With the help of her avian mount, she escapes and confronts the barbarian leader. Though wounded, she defeats him. With Taarna readying her final attack on the Loc-Nar, it pleads to her not to "sacrifice" herself, she does not relent and her sacrifice of herself destroys the Loc-Nar.
- Cast:
- Percy RodriguezPercy RodriguezPercy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
... voice of the Loc-Nar (uncredited) - Don FrancksDon FrancksDonald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
... Barbarian - August SchellenbergAugust SchellenbergAugust Schellenberg is a Canadian actor. His ethnicity is Mohawk and Swiss-German. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada.His first film was Rip-Off in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal...
... Taarak - Zal YanovskyZal YanovskyZalman "Zal" Yanovsky was a Canadian rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964...
... Barbarian - George Touliatos ... Barbarian
- Vlasta VranaVlasta VranaVlasta Vrána is a Canadian actor of Czech descent, known for playing Jack Richards in A Year in the Death of Jack Richards. His surname means "crow" in Czech and several other Slavic languages.-Career:...
... Barbarian Leader - Mavor MooreMavor MooreJames Mavor Moore, CC, OBC was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator.-Biography:...
... Elder - Thor Bishopric ... Boy
- Len Doncheff ... Barbarian
- Cedric SmithCedric Smith (actor)Cedric Smith is a British-Canadian actor and musician. He played Alec King in the CBC television series Road to Avonlea and was the voice of Professor X in the X-Men TV series.-Music:...
... Bartender - Joseph Golland ... Councilman
- Charles Joliffe ... Councilman
- Ned Conlon ... Councilman
- Percy Rodriguez
- Songs:
- "The Mob RulesThe Mob Rules"The Mob Rules" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1981 album, Mob Rules.- Covers :*American heavy metal band Fozzy covered the song on their 2002 album Happenstance....
" by Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22... - "Through Being Cool" by DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
- "Working in the Coal MineWorking in the Coal Mine"Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the...
" by DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
- "The Mob Rules
Epilogue
As the final story ends, the Loc-Nar terrorizing the girl is similarly destroyed, blowing the mansion to pieces. Taarna's mount, reborn, appears outside and the girl happily flies away on it. It is then revealed that Taarna's soul has been transferred across the universe and through time to her. This is further signified by the change in hair color the girl now exhibits and the appearance of the Taarakian crest on her skin. Thus the girl is revealed to be the next Taarakian herself.Animation
The film uses the rotoscoping technique of animation in several shots. This process consists of shooting models and actors, then tracing the shot onto film for animation purposes. The B-17 bomber was shot using a 10-foot replica, which was then animated. Additionally Taarna the Taarakian was rotoscoped, using Toronto model Carole Desbiens as a model for the animated character. The shot of the exploding house at the end of the Grimaldi sequence was originally to be rotoscoped, but as the film's release date had been moved up from October/November to August 7, 1981, a lack of time prevented this. This remains as the only non-animated sequence in the film.Story background
- The original idea for the episode B-17 was for GremlinGremlinA gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
s to attack the plane and try to dismantle it in the air, instead of the undeadUndeadUndead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
crewmembers used. O'Bannon has mentioned this particular concept in another context, his work on a screenplay called "Star Beast". That story had eventually become the second part of the movie AlienAlien (film)Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
. - Den's name is actually—according to his creator, Richard Corben—an acronym, and stands for David Ellis Norman.
- The Loc-Nar itself comes from the Den graphic novels, although it was not round but rather oblong, and did not speak.
- Contrary to Den's statement in the movie (voiced by John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
), Den did not, in fact, have a problem "running around with [his] dork hanging out" as he often did in the graphic novels. The change was likely made to keep an 'R' rating for the film. - This film would mark the second time that Richard Corben's Den character was depicted in animation. The first time was in 1968 with his self-produced animated short Neverwhere.
Neverwhere Land
Because of time constraints, a segment of the film called "Neverwhere Land" was cut out; in the movie it would have connected Captain Sternn to B-17. The story follows the influence of the Loc-Nar upon the evolution of a planet, from Fiste's hand holding the Loc-Nar landing in a body of water to the rise of the industrial age and world war. This original story was created by Cornelius Cole III.The original rough animatics are set to a loop of the beginning of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Time". The 1999 VHS release included this segment at the beginning of the tape. On the DVD release, this segment is included under the Bonus Features/Deleted Scenes. In both released versions, the sequence is set to the music of "Passacaglia" (from Magnificat), composed and conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
.
Box office and home releases
The film was released on August 7, 1981. The release grossed nearly $20,000,000.Prior to official release on videocassette in 1996, the film was re-released to select theaters on March 8, 1996 taking in $550,000. The subsequent home video release moved over one million units. The film was released on Blu-Ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on February 1, 2011 as a Best Buy exclusive and it will be later released on everywhere on June 14, 2011.
Critical reaction and cult status
Critical response to the film was generally dismissive with some reviewers making positive comments. Review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 60% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10 and the critical consensus: "It's sexist, juvenile, and dated, but Heavy Metal makes up for its flaws with eye-popping animation and a classic, smartly used soundtrack." Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
noted that the film "was scored very well, with music much less ear-splitting than the title would suggest." Film historian and critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
gave the film 3 stars out of four in his Movie Guide, calling the feature "...uneven, but great fun on a mindless, adolescent level."
The film enjoyed only limited appeal in its initial run, but became a popular cult attraction
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
for midnight theatrical showings, much like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Legal problems with the copyrights for some of the music used in the film prevented a commercial home video release for 15 years, although the film was in rotation on some cable channels, including Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
, HBO, and TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
, which allowed fans to record it and circulate bootleg
Bootleg
The term bootlegging originally came from concealing hip flasks of alcohol in the legs of boots.Bootleg or bootlegging* Bootleg , the use of illegal equipment, frequencies, or operating procedures in two-way radio...
copies. Heavy Metal may be the canonical
Canonical
Canonical is an adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the greek word κανών kanon, "rule" or "measuring stick" , and is used in various meanings....
example of a popular film or album that was unavailable to consumers for a long time for obscure reasons, despite popular acclaim or success.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on LPLP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1981, but for legal reasons, was not released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
until 1995. The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
wrote and recorded a song called "Vengeance (The Pact)" for the movie, but the producers declined to use the song because the lyrics provided a capsulized summary of the "Taarna" vignette. "Veteran of the Psychic Wars
Veteran of the Psychic Wars
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
" was used instead. Both songs can be found on Blue Öyster Cult's Fire of Unknown Origin
Fire of Unknown Origin
Fire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
album. Though used in the film, the songs "Through Being Cool" by Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
& "E5150" by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
were not included in the released soundtrack album. These songs are on New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave rock band Devo, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice, with synthesizers moved to the forefront and guitars more...
and Mob Rules, respectively.
The legal difficulties surrounding the use of some songs in the movie delayed its release to home video. The production company's use of some songs were limited solely to the theatrical release and soundtrack and did not include home video releases. It was not until 1996 that there was an official home video release on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
when Kevin Eastman
Kevin Eastman
Kevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
, who had bought the publishing rights of Heavy Metal magazine in 1992 and previously contributed to the magazine, reached a settlement with the music copyright holders.
Tracks
- "Heavy Metal" (Original Version) (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) (3:50) - "Heartbeat" (RiggsJerry RiggsJerry Riggs is an American rock guitarist and vocalist, born on August 25, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee.-Biography:Jerry Riggs began his musical career as lead guitarist for the Knoxville, Tennessee group, Lynx, a popular staple on the local bar circuit in the mid-70s. The band, featuring Michael...
) (4:20) - "Working in the Coal MineWorking in the Coal Mine"Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the...
" (DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
) (2:48) - "Veteran of the Psychic WarsVeteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
" (Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
) (4:48) - "Reach Out" (Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
) (3:35) - "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" (Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
) (5:00) - "True Companion" (Donald FagenDonald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
) (5:02) - "Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)" (NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
) (3:24) - "Radar Rider" (RiggsJerry RiggsJerry Riggs is an American rock guitarist and vocalist, born on August 25, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee.-Biography:Jerry Riggs began his musical career as lead guitarist for the Knoxville, Tennessee group, Lynx, a popular staple on the local bar circuit in the mid-70s. The band, featuring Michael...
) (2:40) - "Open ArmsOpen Arms (Journey song)"Open Arms" is a popular song originally recorded by American rock band Journey, and released as a single from their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics are an empowering plea to a lover to forgive past wrongdoings...
" (JourneyJourney (band)Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
) (3:20) - "Queen Bee" (Grand Funk RailroadGrand Funk RailroadGrand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
) (3:11) - "I Must Be Dreamin'" (Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
) (5:37) - "The Mob RulesThe Mob Rules"The Mob Rules" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1981 album, Mob Rules.- Covers :*American heavy metal band Fozzy covered the song on their 2002 album Happenstance....
" (alternate version) (Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) (2:43) - "All of You" (Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
) (4:18) - "Prefabricated" (TrustTrust (band)Trust is a French rock band closely associated with both AC/DC and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.-History:Trust was founded in 1977 by:* Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin * Norbert "Nono" Krief...
) (2:59) - "Blue Lamp" (Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
) (3:48)
Score
Unusually for the time, an LP recordingGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
of Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
's score was released alongside the soundtrack in 1981, and it featured the composer's first use of the ondes martenot
Ondes Martenot
The ondes Martenot , also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales, is an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot. The original design was similar in sound to the theremin...
, an instrument which became a trademark of Bernstein's later career. On 13 March 2008, Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
released an official, expanded CD release of Bernstein's score, which he conducted. The score was performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
with the London Voices
London Voices
London Voices is a London-based choral ensemble led by Terry Edwards, who founded the ensemble in 1973...
and Jeanne Loriod
Jeanne Loriod
Jeanne Loriod was a French musician, regarded as the world's leading exponent of the ondes Martenot.Born in Houilles, Yvelines, she was the younger sister of Yvonne Loriod, the pianist and second wife of Olivier Messiaen. She performed all of Messiaen's works for ondes Martenot, most notably the...
on the ondes Martenot.
Tracks
The original LP's track listing is as follows:- "Den and the Green Ball" (03:17)
- "Den Makes It" (02:49)
- "Den and the Queen" (02:56)
- "Den's Heroics" (02:52)
- "Bomber and the Green Ball" (04:41)
- "Space Love" (01:32)
- "Harry and the Girl" (03:45)
- "Taarna Summoned" (02:50)
- "Flight" (02:20)
- "Taarna Prepares" (03:35)
- "Barbarians" (03:37)
- "Taarna Forever" (03:37)
Rerelease track listing:
- "Beginning" 1:16
- "Intro to Green Ball" 1:18
- "Discovery/Transformation (Den and the Green Ball)" 3:15
- "Den Makes Out (Den Makes It)" 2:42
- "Castrate Him/Searching for the Loc-Nar" 2:04
- "Queen for a Day (Den and the Queen)" 2:54
- "Pursuit (Den’s Heroics)" 2:51
- "Fiste" 1:27
- "Getting Bombed" 3:06
- "Green Ball" 2:15
- "Dem Bones" 2:44
- "No Alarm" 0:58
- "Robot Love (Space Love)" 1:32
- "Harry" 1:35
- "The Next Morning" 1:56
- "End of Baby" 2:43
- "Council (Taarna Summoned)" 2:49
- "The Flight to Temple (Flight)" 2:16
- "The Sword (Taarna Prepares)" 3:32
- "Flight to Holiday Town" 2:20
- "Fighting" 2:43
- "My Whips!/Taarna Escapes Pit" 4:57
- "Finish (Taarna Forever)" 3:34
Bonus tracks
- "Den Makes Out" (film version) 2:49
- "Bomber and the Green Ball" (album edit) 4:35
- "Harry and the Girl" (album edit) 3:41
- "Barbarians" (album edit) 3:34
Sequel
The first sequel, titled Heavy Metal 2000Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000 is the 2000 follow-up to the 1981 animated cult film Heavy Metal, based on the fantasy magazine of the same name. The story itself is based on the graphic novel, The Melting Pot, written by Kevin Eastman, Simon Bisley and Eric Talbot...
, was released in 2000.
A second sequel has been in various stages of development since. In March 2008, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
was set to make another animated film with David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
"spearheading the project." Kevin Eastman, who is the current owner and publisher of Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
, will direct a segment, as will Tim Miller, "whose Blur Studio will handle the animation for what is being conceived as an R-rated, adult-themed feature."
Entertainment website IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
announced, on 14 July 2008, "David Fincher's edgy new project has suffered a serious setback after it was dropped by Paramount, according to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
." However, Entertainment Weekly quoted Tim Miller as saying "David really believes in the project. It's just a matter of time."
In September 2008, Eastman was quoted as saying "Fincher is directing one, Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
wants to direct one, Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
wants to direct one, Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski
Gregor "Gore" Verbinski is an American film director, writer and musician. He is best known for directing the films The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Rango.-Early life:...
wants to direct one." It was reported that the film had been moved to Sony
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
division Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
(which had released the original) and had a budget of $50 million.
In June 2009, Eastman said "I’ve got breaking news that Fincher and James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
are going to be co-executive producers on the film, Cameron will direct one. Mark Osborne
Mark Osborne (filmmaker)
Mark Randolph Osborne is an American film director, writer, producer, animator and Guggenheim Fellow .-Biography:He got his start by studying Foundation Art at Pratt Institute in New York before receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of...
and Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
from Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
are going to do a comedy segment for the film."
In July 2011, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
announced at Comic Con that he had purchased the film rights to Heavy Metal and planned to develop a new animated film at the new Quick Draw Studios. Rodriguez posted a video on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
as an open call for long-time fans and aspiring artists to contribute their ideas for the upcoming project.
However, production is stalled indefinitely
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
as no film distributor or production company has shown interest in distributing or producing a second sequel since Paramount Pictures decided to forgo being the film's distributor, who purportedly thought such a film was "too risque for mainstream audiences."
External links
- Sony Picture official site for the movie
- Heavy Metal score soundtrack questions, answers and more @ the SoundtrackINFO project
- Fan site providing detailed history of the movie, its relationships to the original graphic novel stories, reviews, etc