Sci-Fi Classic Review: HEAVY METAL (1981)

[@andrewandrew9678]

"Heavy Metal is designed for teenage boys, no matter how old they are" Prefect.

[@palmercolson7037]

I saw this during the day at a cinema at a shopping mall. It was the same theater that I went to see Blade Runner when it to was on its initial release. I remember some guy, probably a Moral Majority bluenose, complaining to the management about them showing such a movie. I made sure to go by later to complement them for showing it. The cinema was replaced a long time ago with a food court. I haven't seen the movie since then but I remember scenes from it very well. I guess I was too old to be greatly impressed by it, but I did like it.

[@tommydarbe1524]

The B-17 segment was my favorite.

[@simpsonshmforever]

I saw heavy metal at 14 on an 80s themed network and its been one of my favourites ever since, even got the original soundtrack lp from my uncle a week after I saw it. Even saw a re issue of it last year and for some reason the loc nar's voice was removed but still had a blast. I even have the poster, lobby cards and various magazines from the 80s that talk about it. Favourite movie ever next to Cool World, Rock n Rule and The Wall a bunch of other crazy, stunning and beautiful adult animated gems

[@pandemonium274]

Oh Boy. In 1981, I was a very interested, 22 year old boy who LOVED this movie. I saw it at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. I still have the DVD which I very much enjoy. So, yes, I am 65 now, but thankfully, I am still that lustful boy in spirit. No apologies. This was a foundational movie in a very exciting time in my life. Yes, the soundtrack, and especially "Cheap Trick" were a very important part of the movie. Double Live Budokan, anybody?

[@coyoteboy5601]

Heavy Metal and HM 2000 are streaming free on Plex currently, just FYI.

[@johngerson7335]

On the story-board and artists info you forgot to mention Mike Ploog, who worked for Marvel Comics on such volumes as "Werewolf By Night" and "The Monster of Frankenstien" which had a wonderful comic-panel adaptation of Mary Shelly's tale faithfully depicted in it's first two issues. His main work in the Heavy Metal film was in the sequences of "little girl pre-Tarnaa" being terrorized by the Loc Nar narrator and on "Haunted B-17".

[@jgw1846]

I saw this in 1994 well into my early 20’s. It was captivating with Great story’s and animation.

[@ConsciousMigration]

Your review of this is SPOT ON! I first saw this when I was maybe 11 or 12 and it was the dirty movie we snuck off to watch late at night. Your assessment is perfect, as always.

[@paulwalsh2344]

I was WAY too young to see an R-rated film in the theatres when this came out, so it must've been in rotation on First Choice / Superchannel in Canada cause I remember seeing it as a young teen as well as owning a few of the magazines at the time too.

[@thrashpondopons8348]

As anyone who has watched any of my Posts from The Bridge (my Garage!) YES, 'Heavy Metal' is one of my favorite Cult-Flics! (& NO... I've never grown up!) Outstanding Retrospect TUG! A sad note which I feel the need to read into the record... 'B-17' was based on the trauma suffered by a WWII Pilot! The premise was based on recurring nightmares he suffered from for DECADES after the War! (I guess Miss Newton-John was right!)✌

[@ericvulgate]

Loved this movie and the magazine growing up.

[@marSLaZZ66]

I love Cheap Trick's "You must be Dreaming" in the soundtrack. And the Tarnaa's "reverse strip" is still amazing !

[@thekaijumaster200x3]

One of my favorite cult films. Loved this film growing up.

[@Zackasaurusify]

HEAVY METAL accomplished exactly what it set out to do... and that was to be an animated version of the magazine itself!!!

[@herbertkeithmiller]

I just realized something watching this that scratches an intellectual itch I've had regarding Deadmau5. They took one of the dead mouse heads straight from heavy metal I did not realize that. It's the one prominently displayed near the end of your video smiling orb was a direct inspiration or a copy of one of the Deadmau5 heads.

[@kevinalexpeek4020]

My Dad bought the VHS when it came out; he saw it first run during Basic Training in '81. That day he got it, I got home from school that evening, he asked if I was going anywhere that night. I said, no, and he responded with, 'good, got a movie for us to watch.' So I was 14 or 15 in '97, and I was aware of the magazine but never heard of the movie. I loved it! And I still love it today!

[@indyspotes3310]

I was just discussing the awesomeness of this soundtrack with a buddy last night. What are the odds? I had read some of the issues before the film came out. Being that I was a teenage boy and that it had nudity, there was a mathematically improbable 110% chance that I would discover it. I was still too young to see this when it came out but caught it on cable a year or so later when I too was 14. I hadn't really developed my critical eye just yet, but I knew that I liked cartoon knockers. Luckily, having lived through its era of release, this film's nostalgic visuals and sensibilities outweigh its inherent (and numerous) flaws with subsequent rewatching. I could easily see it being a completely different take by younger audiences. Two things always bothered me about this film though: First, Tarnaa's bird actually does most of the heavy lifting. Second was the fact that I just listened to a green ball tell me what a badass it is for an hour and a half only to see it get mudstomped by a little girl. I guess they just don't make ultimate evil like they used to...

[@Zackasaurusify]

I must admit, your creative use of the "Like" button thing gave me quite a laugh!!!

[@scotthewitt258]

Having different animation houses do the different segments was sheer genius. Because it captures the artistic variance seen in the magazine, which had/has different stories illustrated by different artists, using different styles.

[@Bumblebastian]

What an underrated masterpiece!

[@jasonblalock4429]

You forgot to mention the Metal Hurlant Chronicles TV show from about a decade ago. It wasn't great, but it had a few good episodes. But yeah, always had a soft spot for this one, despite how cheesy and childish it is. And I honestly think the Taarna theme is one of the best things Elmer Bernstein ever wrote. Love that track.

[@alexgeorge501]

I saw this with my dad in an event screening back in 2018

[@KageNoTora74]

At least part of Burning Chrome WAS adapted to film as Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves in a pre-Matrix science fiction role.

[@shallendor]

It is such a fun film, and my favorite segment was the Bomber segment!

[@paulwalsh2344]

My fav is "So Beautiful, So Dangerous", but yeah that "B-17" segment was creepy AF !

[@igelkott255]

I saw it when it came out. I was in college at the time and it was a big hit with the college crowd, and the songs were all over the radio. Great movie!

[@errantknight-f2z]

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

😎

[@moritzstrohriegel8724]

interesting film. great video.

[@Maryleneblues]

Late to respond to your video, I first saw Heavy Metal 2000 when I was watching tv very very late at night ( I was probably 11) and just like you, I saw it at the right time and was obsessed over it, I saw the original one like 3 years ago and fell in love with, I missed that kind of story they don’t do them like that nowadays

[@dmitripopov8570]

Great sense of humor! ) Wonderful review!

[@johnortiz1964]

Love this movie I have it on Blu-ray it's my favorite segment is Taarna the invincible. And I do have the Elmer Bernstein score... Although I do love some of those kicking heavy metal rock tunes

[@1kylecurry]

Classic fun! Great soundtrack. Very interesting animation technique. I never saw this @ the movies, but on cable TV in 1982 & loved it. Without a doubt a definite cult classic. The B-17 segment is my favorite. Heavy Metal 2000 is OK...?

[@Merylstreep1949]

I always had a feeling Love Death and Robots was a successor to Heavy Metal by more than coincidence Although I'm saddened by knowing James Cameron was interested in trying to make another installment of HM

[@scotthewitt258]

Damn. Does he mention it? I just posted about it.

[@edcliffe2988]

Fantastic. A terrific overview. Solid 8 or 9 out of 10. Couldn't agree more. Now give up or we'll have you beaten.

[@KonElKent]

That's good nyborg, man...

[@alexdhuna9819]

Good video.

[@joseluisherreralepron9987]

Funny...I first saw this at a midnight showing at an arthouse theater in Tucson...it was a couple of years before the long-awaited home video release. I picked it up on laserdisc at that time. I love the title sequence and music...

[@Zackasaurusify]

I actually saw this as part of a double feature, one of which was a "preview showing", though I can't remember which was which... the movie I saw with it was AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON!!!

[@simpsonshmforever]

You saw both at the drive in Nice🤘Heavy Metal and American Werewolf are my favourite movies ever ther both so funny, outrageous and very creative with their subject matter there both sci fi, horror, comedy classics up there with Evil Dead 2

[@thedon-e6514]

Adding a comment to feed the algorithm! Great vid as always 😄 And always liked this movie 👍 But can’t stream in Australia 😕

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

That last bit is a bummer.

[@Barzyz01]

excellent video. point of order, your picture of Black Sabbath is with Ozzy, while the E5150 and Mob Rules was Ronnie James Dio Sabbath.

[@scotthewitt258]

This movie used to come on TBS in the middle of the night. I think it was about an hour and a half, with commercials.

[@JeffBilkins]

It is way too good for what it is but got everything an adolescent boy needs. It is one of those rare situationa where a pile of creative people managed to go wild at every level of production and made a classic.

[@michaelclay-ro9ue]

Do you know if the harry canyon segments of the mover were rotoscoped or hand drawn?

[@paulclarke7571]

I saw Heavy Metal on it's first release back in 1981. There was a theatre near me that played it with a double feature of Tron. A trippy night out with some goodies with friends dozens of times back then. I still play the soundtrack monthly for the last 3 decades. It was the very first DVD I ever purchased back in the day. Stern pinball made a pinball machine of it in 2018. It is shit and does nothing to do justice to the art that was at the heart of Heavy Metal. Such a shame. It could have been a legendary machine....

[@Halflife2-y2m]

Noice! I love this movie and the game was really fun. I still have it and fire it up once in a while.

[@adamx6000]

But what exactly did happen to the music rights?

[@adambusenlehner3689]

The Film Score Monthly soundtrack label released the Bernstein score on CD.

[@siarnne]

I liked your rendition of the Lochnar. Very, nice, very fun. I'm surprised the censors let you get away with it.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

I know, right?

[@MartialArtsFilmFreak]

Id be curious to know your thoughts on the French miniseries Metal Hurlant Chronicles. I got into it because the first episode featured 4 of my favorite western martial arts actors in a total dream casting. But i enjoyed the whole series. One episode was 10 Cloverfield Lane before that movie existed. A girl being dragged into a bunker being told the world had ended. But is her captor telling the truth, or is he crazy?

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

Cool! I haven’t seen it yet, but now I guess I must.

[@MartialArtsFilmFreak]

@@TheUnapologeticGeek its very similar to Heavy Metal. Action, scifi, boobs, and almost every episode ends negatively.

[@billhumiston9888]

I just recently watched this on one of the streaming platforms I utilize (I can’t remember which). I have to say that I agree with your “unobjective“ review that it was made for 14 year old boys, which is why I (at age 65) found this film a tremendous waste of time.

[@williamcrowe2576]

I'm sure there's a logical reason why the "So Beautiful, So Deadly" chapter of the film shows the robot and the human woman entering the space station *before* the sequence where the stoner aliens commence docking procedures. But for the life of me, I can't think of one.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

Plutonian nyborg does strange things.

[@rsacchi100]

I remember a review when it came out savaged the movie and mentioned it had teenage boy fantasies.

[@ThomasEvans-g7v]

I love this movie 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩.

[@dannystaton5386]

Rockin

[@scotthewitt258]

I may have three or four "spare" CDs of the awesome soundtrack still in the plastic wrap. Just in case.

[@dravendog1970]

Also, it was on HBO in 1989. I know this cause a beautiful lady taped it for me on vhs. So i had a decent quality VHS copy to watch till 2012, when another person i dated taped over it, that beotch!!

[@VengerSatanis]

*CHA'ALT*

[@moritzstrohriegel8724]

what about blade runner?

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

I'll get to it one of these days. That one requires a lot of prep work!

[@moritzstrohriegel8724]

@@TheUnapologeticGeek oh, ok thank you for answering me. you are cool youtuber.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

@@moritzstrohriegel8724 Aw, and you’re an awesome commenter!

[@andygold007]

Great feel to it. The green killer globe is nasty and sinister. Not a fan of the real car in the intro - looks cheap and out of place.

[@gmanley1]

Does anyone want Heavy Metal to be re-released in 3D?

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

I wouldn’t mind seeing it literally pop off of the screen.

[@paulwalsh2344]

"You'll poke your eye out..."

[@adamcheck4941]

This movie is very much a product of it's time, if it were released as it is today it would be rated NC 17 which is why the sequel heavy metal 2000's sexuality is really toned down. The rating system was a lot more chill back than; just look at the g rated 1982's boob and tit filled "children's" movie the last unicorn.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

the definition of style over substance, very 6/10.

[@CarsonLee-ll8ph]

As a fan of the magazine before the movie, I thought this was a piece of shit.