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Rock and Rule
(Collectors Edition)
DVD Review
This movie is simply legendary among animation circles. Although widely overlooked and mostly forgotten, Rock and Rule stands as a testament to the perseverance to make a truly great animated movie at a time when an animated movie of any type was difficult (or nearly impossible) to make. When this film was created, Japanese "anime" was herky-jerky TV-quality not much better than Speed Racer. If anything, the Japanese took this film to heart and realized that there was a potential revolution afoot and proceeded to slowly upscale their production efforts until we have the kind of uber-cool stuff we're getting now.
 Great music with performances by Debroah Harry, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Earth Wind and Fire and Cheap Trick, glorious production value (some of the best animation you'll EVER see), (at the time) stunning effects, and an oddly weird, edgy, sci-fi-horror plotline and an all-star voice cast contribute to make Rock and Rule one of the wonders of "anime-ish" type films, and one of the originators of a type of movie that can (seemingly) now only be made in Japan.
Rock and Rule has moved on to become a cult classic, and it's essentially the "Rocky Horror" of the animation world, so we especially recommend getting this amazing two-disc set because the extras alone are worth the price -- you get a second version of the movie (in a slightly lower resolution), directors commentary, a "making of" documentary, "The Devil and Daniel Mouse" (the short film which was the prototype for Rock and Rule), a sketch gallery of all the characters (and their developmental sketches), along with a bevy of other interesting tidbits (like a 15-minute work-print clip) that culminate in a wonderful release which should be snatched up by everyone while the discs are still available!
Trust us. You'll never see a film like this again -- even from Japan. And for many of us, that is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Rock and Rule is one of the highlights of being an anime fan, and this 2-disc set is like a miracle from heaven.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2007
Heavy Metal (1981)
Animation DVD Review
What needs to be said about this cult classic of the 80's, this film that has inspired so many young men to take up a pencil so that they too, can draw naked women? The most popular title in Columbia/Tristar's entire film library, Heavy Metal remains as impressive now as it was then, featuring great music, wonderful voice acting and some great artwork — all done before computer technology changed animation as we now know it.
Loaded with extras (such as deleted scenes, still artwork, a gallery of Heavy Metal Magazine covers, a making of documentary, a rough cut of the film with commentary by Carl Macek), this DVD it simply a must-have for anyone interested in the animation arts, and graphic, high-art illustration of the type Heavy Metal Magazine was famous for. If nothing else, the Captain Stern segment remains one of the greatest bits ever made. And yep, there are even sequels!
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2005
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