In 1981 one of the greatest animated features was unleashed
upon the world which redefined the way in which animation was seen. That film was Heavy Metal (1981) and it was produced by legendary film maker Ivan
Reitman based on the Heavy Metal graphic magazine and incorporated animators
and styles from all over the world to help contributed to the anthology style
film. In the book Heavy Metal: The Movie writer Carl Macek breaks down each of the
segments and their respective animators.
This is an amazing book not only on the making of a cult
classic film but a look at some of the most influential animators of the ‘80s. Some of the stories are based on actual
stories from the magazine as well as many original stories (or inspired by
stories). Some of the artists whose
influences can be seen in the film include Michael Ploog, Richard Corben,
Bernie Wrightson and Chris Achilleos, to name a few.
Animation is one of the most complicated forms of art out there but each
segment, as you’ll read in the book, utilizes a multitude of classic and new
styles of animation (or at least new for the time).
This book gives an excellent insight into the process of
creating a feature length animated film.
There are hundreds of sketches, drawings, stills and story boards to
help illustrate the complexities of creating the film. What the film does extremely well and what
will be a big draw for readers is the fact that Macek delves into the many
changes that took place during the production of the film especially in regards
to what was changed (or dropped altogether).
If you are a fan of the film Heavy Metal (or even the magazine) and animation then this is a
great look at these types of films and is a great addition to anyone’s library.
No comments:
Post a Comment