Wizards (1977)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Ralph Bakshi

Writer:

Ralph Bakshi (writer)

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The ultimate futuristic fantastic epic

Plot:

On a post-apocalyptic Earth, A wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.

Plot Keywords:

Wizard | Mutant | Fairy | Technology | Twins

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bob Holt	...	Avatar (voice)
Jesse Welles	...	Elinore (voice)
Richard Romanus	...	Weehawk (voice)
David Proval	...	Peace (voice)
Jim Connell	...	President (voice) (as James Connell)
Steve Gravers	...	Blackwolf (voice)
Barbara Sloane	...	Fairy (voice)
Angelo Grisanti	...	Frog (voice)
Hyman Wien	...	Priest (voice)
Christopher Tayback	...	Peewhittle (voice)
Mark Hamill	...	Sean (voice) (as Mark Hamil)
Peter Hobbs	...	General (voice)
Tina Romanus	...	Prostitute (voice) (as Tina Bowman)

Also Known As:

War Wizards (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Argentina:82 min | USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | New Zealand:M | Netherlands:16 (original version) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Company:

Bakshi Productions

Trivia:

The line "They killed Fritz! They killed Fritz!" is a reference to Robert Crumb killing off Fritz the Cat in his underground comic book series. Ralph Bakshi directed the film adaptation of Fritz the Cat (1972). Bakshi is quoted as saying, "I named the character Fritz in "Wizards," just so I could scream 'They killed Fritz!' To kill such a cat would make Don Marcus commit suicide."

Quotes:

Weehawk: [to horse] Steady, Westwind. We'll eat alone, lest we sit with fools.

Movie Connections:

References Fritz the Cat (1972)

Soundtrack:

Only Time will tell

Rough animation but innovative ideas for a film.

Wizards is a tale of epic proportions. The animation is a tad rough by todays standards, but can still be greatly appreciated. I enjoy the animation myself because of the 1970's liberation quality that the artwork has, not to mention that is within the rest of the film. When Blackwolf shows the nazi propaganda to his troops, a chill goes down my spine. The narrative goes on to show that after millions of years Adolf Hitler still lives on in those who hate; however, Hitler will always die because hate always fails in the end. This is the ultimate hippie film, and the "live-action" battle scenes (all in shadow) is still ahead of its time. A must for collectors.