If I were very rich I would start an animation company to revive the aesthetics of early 80’s “high concept”, European, Heavy Metal influenced sci-fi. This is my true, favorite period of animation. No other era captured the pensiveness, and gravity that I desire. These writers/animators/musicians were really trying to blow minds. I love especially these later René Laloux films.
Ralph Bakshi made some fine contributions to the vibe with Wizards, Fire and Ice and the Lord of the Rings. I believe he got shit for overuse of rotoscope techniques but I think time has shown the magnitude of his balls.
The crowning achievement of the era, alas would never see the light of day. I’m speaking of the unfinished Incal movie by Jodorowsky and Moebius. Also the Arzach movie which would have ripped too. Fuck!
These guys were riding a slow motion, Krautrock wave. It was the dreamy leftovers of hippy idealism and future optimism as we entered the era of personal computers and almost affordable synths. Why did funding dry up for these visionaries? Why are there so few movies that give me this feeling?
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2010.01.7
All images copyright Jesse Moynihan
how’s your animation project coming along?
I didn’t know about that Incal movie, the thought of it makes my chakras vibrate. Have you heard that story about how, when Ralph Bakshi was making Wizards, he was competing with George Lucas from funding with some studios? Apparently “Wizards” was originally going to be called “Wizard Wars” but the studios didn’t want two “Wars” movies out at the same time. I think that “Star Wars” killed these Heavy Metal movies — people wanted to see big-budget live-action science fantasy instead of animation.
The animation project got squeezed out by GWC and my workout regimen. But hopefully I will be ripped and ready to animate again in a few months.
to Mark: No I didn’t hear that story about Wizards. It’s illuminating. The thought crossed my mind that Star Wars could have been a game changer for thoughtful sci-fi cartoons. But I didn’t feel like looking into to it when I posted this.
Ralph Bakshi talks about that story in the DVD extras for Wizards. I don’t know if that’s true about Star Wars, just my two cents, it could be that there just wasn’t an audience for that type of stuff here in the US. Maybe in France there are more Heavy Metal-influenced animated movies?
pensiveness
These are some of my favorites also. I sometimes wonder how I would view Moebius if he were considered mainstream in the US. What if Jodorowsky/Moebius’ Dune had come out? That would have been the big “Star Wars/Alien/Bladerunner” and would have influenced subsequent sci-fi for better or for worse. If Jodorowski had beaten George Lucas, maybe kids would be playing with Tarot cards and wearing giant astrological symbols…
If the Jodorowsky Dune had come out, I speculate it would have been blasted by critics and lovers of the book. He was taking it so far out. I mean, the dude was planning this totally uncompromising art/splatter fuck. It would have been awesome. Maybe would have been the best, most over the top movie ever. But I can’t imagine it having mainstream crossover appeal. Who knows though. At this point we can only daydream. In a perfect scenario; stars aligned and all, I’d like to believe that Jodo/Moebius Dune would have altered the course of Sci-Fi films.
Totally amazing! Love this.. . J’s Technopriests wlda made good moving picture too. &Incal has always been my fave. Lots similar on (or used to be on, haven’t visted for a while, but in 07 was my go-to animasite) Fantastic Animaton. Anyhow, bravo &enjoying playing around in here.
Like Angel’s Egg (?):
http://fantasticanimation.blogspot.com/2008/02/angels-egg.html
I haven’t seen it. The clips look great. I’ll try to track down a copy! Thanks
Metabarons, man.
I was flipping around on HBO last year and came across some weird mostly CG movie that while pleasantly disorienting ultimately seemed to stink. I only watched like 10 minutes of it. I recently realized it is a film adaptation of Enki Bilal comics, directed by Bilal himself, who is an old fashioned French Heavy Metal artist of that era. I thought about giving the movie another look, it’s called Immortal and Charlotte Rampling is in it. Like I said though, it seemed to stink.
Does anyone else think it’s ironic that when a sci-fi circle jerk like avatar comes out now, we avoid seeing it due to concern for it obviously stinking but our parents see it, think it’s incredible, and strongly recommend we go see it? When did that happen?
For me the trailer for Avatar is like watching a pharmaceutical commerical where they can’t tell you what the drug does but they can show old people picking up their grandkids painlessly and swimming and shit.
Eggs Eggs Eggs Whale legs
When I was a Child My father
opend my eyes to all of this
world you show now!
you must join Us.
Gnosis is waiting.
I was going to paste in a great quote, but the whole thing is worth reading or re-reading….
http://www.duneinfo.com/unseen/jodorowsky.asp
Great links Jesse! What you been up to? I’ve been working on a surrealist scifi idea to pitch for another job (hopefully the song won’t suck for me as usual). But at least I’ll get to perfect some crazy scifi visuals out of it. We need to put together Blade Runner/Fantastic Planet style stop motion script to pitch to some studios!
T