Heavy Metal (1981)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Gerald Potterton

Writers:

Daniel Goldberg (screenplay) &
Len Blum (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 August 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Fantasy | Horror | Music | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A Step Beyond Science Fiction

Plot:

A glowing orb terrorizes a young girl with a collection of stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror.

Plot Keywords:

Heavy Metal | Anthology | Sphere | Pentagon | Alien

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Rodger Bumpass	...	Hanover Fiste (segment "Captain Sternn") / Dr. Anrak (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice) (as Roger Bumpass)
John Candy	...	Desk Sergeant (segment "Harry Canyon") / Dan (segment "Den") / Den (segment "Den") / Robot (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice)
Jackie Burroughs	...	Katherine (segment "Den") (voice)
Joe Flaherty	...	Lawyer (segment "Captain Sternn") / General (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice)
Don Francks	...	Grimaldi (segment "Grimaldi") / Co-Pilot (segment "B-17") / Barbarian (segment "Taarna") (voice)
Martin Lavut	...	Ard (segment "Den") (voice)
Marilyn Lightstone	...	Whore (segment "Harry Canyon") / Queen (segment "Den") (voice)
Eugene Levy	...	Sternn (segment "Captain Sternn") / Male Reporter (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") / Edsel (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice)
Alice Playten	...	Gloria (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice)
Harold Ramis	...	Zeke (segment "So Beautiful and So Dangerous") (voice)
Susan Roman	...	Girl (segment "Harry Canyon") / Satellite (segment "Harry Canyon") (voice)
August Schellenberg	...	Nort (segment "Den") / Taarak (segment "Taarna") (voice)
Richard Romanus	...	Harry Canyon (segment "Harry Canyon") (voice)
John Vernon	...	Prosecutor (segment "Captain Sternn") (voice)
Zal Yanovsky	...	Navigator (segment "B-17") / Barbarian (segment "Taarna") (voice)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:90 min (premiere)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:12 | Italy:VM14 | South Africa:13LS | Brazil:18 | Australia:MA (video rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Elmer Bernstein's theme for Taarna was actually written for the character of Alex in Saturn 3 (1980). The theme was never heard in the film, so Bernstein used it for this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Den segment, when Katherine is first going to be sacrificed, she goes from being tied up to untied and struggling to tied up again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: A shadow shall fall over the universe, and evil will grow in its path, and death will come from the skies.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Suchwiin bulmyeong (2001)

Soundtrack:

Heavy Metal

Growing Up

I'd imagine a lot of people commenting on this site are within a certain demographic and age group as am I. I notice quite a few comments from people who were in their teens when they saw this movie and identified with it and now who cannot fathom it. To them I say, it's not for you now. It was for you then. This is one of those movies that is aimed at people from the ages of 16 to 20 who are just starting to see what the world is about and what a difference they can make if they try. It's about having dreams and pursuing them and it's about making sure that you don't get carried away in the process. It gives you an idea of what awaits you in the wide world and yet it tells you that if you hold true to what you are and make things happen you will get what you want out of life in the end. Now, the animation isn't as good as even the old Batman/Tarzan Saturday morning cartoons of the 70's, but it has style for days. The soundtrack has become a top selling CD although released years afterwards. The voice characterizations are as good as any animated film ever made. And last but not least, it has John Candy, who, in my book, just has to show up to make a movie. Whether you stay to watch the rest of that particular movie is entirely up to you ... 9 out of 10.