Throw up your horns and prepare to travel to distant worlds where interstellar wars are underway, lifelines of societies hang by a frayed and delicate thread, and fantasies of the flesh are made real. In this episode of Animation Movies Revisited, we’re looking back at 1981’s Canadian animated science-fiction anthology Heavy Metal.
Back when band logos for Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Slayer were scrawled on the Marble notebooks of teens across America, a boundary-pushing animated anthology of epic proportions took adult entertainment to another level. Heavy Metal gives family-friendly animation the finger and offers something bold and untamed for the late-night stoner crowd. Join us as we explore Gerald Potterton, Ivan Reitman, and Leonard Mogel’s odyssey into the unknown and uncover the sorcery used to create an animated film you’ll want to hide from your kids. We’ll dive into the making of the film, go behind the scenes, travel around the world recruiting top-notch creators, and design an animated experience tailored for people your parents warned you about befriending.
Animation Movies Revisited is written and narrated by Steve Seigh and was edited by Jasmyn Evans-Samuels. Adam Walton and Chris Bumbray produce, and Berge Garabedian is the executive producer. Check out more episodes from our Revisited series below! Do you think Heavy Metal holds up? Let us know in the comments!