The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 03, 1981, Page Page 8, Image 9
Enterts
'Am*
Halph t>
By David Baker
FHm Critic
In "American Pop,"
animator Ralph Bakshi
simply does not take advantage
of his chosen
medium. For all practical
purposes, the story told in
the picture could be told just
as easily in live-action as in
animation and the end result
would be virtually the same,
though it would be con- f
siderably less colorful.
Every character in the j
film is obviously rotoscoped, |
a process in which the I
animation gels are traced '
from frames of previouslyshot
live-action footage.
Most of them appear to be
first-generation rotoscopes,
that is drawings in which the
characters were transferred
from one medium to the next
without any significant
changes.
This process makes for
what can best be described
as academic animation.
Indeed, "American Pop"
can only be called animation
for lack of a better word.
THE STORY TOLD in the
film is that of a family of
Russian immigrants. From
turn-of-the-century New
York to Los Angeles in the
1980s, the picture follows one
family member from each of
four generations until the
final member reaches fame
as a rock singer.
Direa
By Davi<
Film <
"One thing about people win
or hate, they know they're g
perience from what they usual
a filmmaker has that kind of t
he want to go to a lesser palette
Thus spake Ralph Bakshi,
traordinaire, whose latest filrr
Columbia during USC's spring
Bakshi has been offered cont
Paramount Pictures at one
features. "But," he said, 44I t
stay with animation."
THE QUESTION IS whether
After a recent advance scre<
Atlanta, Bakshi discussed his \
fans. He explained to them t
finish the trilogy of films be b
ihe Rings."
During our interview the ne:
' ovealed that he had lied to hi:
complete it," the director said
ior mem over mere.
"I just, want to make sure i
"The logistics of trying to mat
Rings' really took the joy out
100 people to 600 people and i
W|P|'
HBifcx^-::::fe>t> J
Bakshi's animated star is /
contemporary rock idol.
ainmer
erica
1 f 9 1
aKsm s iQ
For most of its length,
"American Pop" is interesting
if not particularly
imaginative, but it falls
apart completely 15 minutes
before it ends. That's when
Pete, the drug-dealing
descendent who's headed for
stardom, opens his mouth
Ralph Bakshi's 'American
beat of American music.
tor s rr
dBaker
Critic
3 come see my films love
;oing to have a different exly
have in a theater. And when
alent to work with, why would
!?"
the 41-year-old animator exi,
"American Pop," opened in
break.
racts, and was even signed by
time, to direct live-action
hink live-action is less, so I'll
or not Bakshi can be believed,
ening of "American Pop" in
vork with several dozens of his
hat he no longer intended to
egan with 1979's "The Lord of
xt afternoon, however, Bakshi
> fans. "Of course I'm going to
I. "I was just being hardnosed
t's done right," he continued,
te a Christmas release date on
of making it. I had to go from
kvnen you re working witn 600
?,v
? <fr.
C *y
.. v^<.
it tie Pete, who becomes a
nPo
[test film
and Bob Seger's voice begins
to sing "Night Moves."
To this point, we've been
led to believe that this streetwise
punk with the nasal
voice and the cruel
disposition would take
command of the microphone
1 12 i 11.. i
Pop' is the animated stor)
lovies
gO
"American Pop" invoi
animation is derived from
artists, you're not working an
"I'm going to complete th<
I'm nnl tV>a<> * ?? ?? ???/? '? ~ * -4 *1
a in iiw, nicjr in \y iiiuvc a llttl
and give me a little more tim<
SINCE HIS FIRST two in<
"Fritz the Cat" and "He*
countered a great deal of tr<
system. His third film, "Co
release (by Paramount) less
because of protests from sp
sidered the film to be racist.
"Hey, Good Looking," th<
never seen the light of da
production, it's still locked
oros.
"Warner Brothers and I
'Looking' should be about,"
about the 50s being a very be
like 'Grease,' where you h
singing all these wonderful
about rumbles between blac
Warner Brothers and I are tr
p'w<
c
CJfJUJ tun
something along the lines of
the Sex Pistols: an angry,
cynical song with an inspiration
and a purpose.
Instead, we get pure pop
for now people and the result
is cinamatic cardiac arrest.
Thp pffwt nf frhic nnp ?ppnp ic
so debilitating that I would
*IT & ^S?
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^ > 'l^^riBf^fSLjnj v
^^ .< VtibP^jv
f of four generations whosi
uniqu
Hk.
re^K V ^pyAll^:^
Ives Rotoscoping, where
live-action footage.
ymore, you're directing traffic,
e trilogy. It's just if they think
le quicker on the production side
;to doit."
iependently-produced features,
ivy Traffic," Bakshi has en)uble
working within the studio
onskin," was withdrawn from
than a week after its premiere
ecial-interest groups, who con
; follow-up to "Coonskin," has
iy. Five years after it began
away in the vaults of Warner
don't seem to agree on what
Bakshi said. "'Looking' isn't
autiful time to grow up. It's not
ave all these happy children
songs. 4Hey, Good Looking' is
k gangs and white gangs. And
ying to figure out who's going to
'otoscopet
have been more satisfied
had the projector exploded
and I never got to see the
end.
THE SCENE PROVES
that Bakshi made a musical
without first bothering to
learn anything about music.
fj^jM. K k'\
? lives revolve around the
ediffe
see the film. Warner Brothers
fans.
"I've got about 80 percent
beginning, a wonderful middle
think the sloppy end is going to
bf^cinnino anH tho miHHlo "
BAKSHI DOESN'T think th
however, because so many
"Technically, 'Hey, Good Look
said. "I have not lived up to
Warner Brothers is a verj
discussions usually last 10 seco
After "Hey, Good Looking,'
i rather sterile, PG-rated fantas
ft Bakshi's animation studio to
followed by the enormously si
followed by "American Pop.
i contains 700,000 drawings,''giv
I The picture has received mi>
' of whom consider his extensive
in which the frames of animat
live-action footage, to be a cl
really animation.
Bakshi thinks such critici
(George) Lucas cheated on 'St
real spaceships," he said. Bak
Walt Disney was "a closet
i Bakshi, Disney's best animal
using Rotoscopes to perfect act
On j animated character
dreamer whose ideals fad
rv
tout
i failure
This failing is further
demonstrated by the scene
in which Pete deals dope to
the beat of Pat Benatar's
"Hell is For Children."
This is easily the movie's
most exciting scene and the
song only reinforces its
visual power.
Bakshi, however, admitted
in an interview that
the only reason the Benatar
song was used was because
he found out, at an advance
screening. that Dire Straits
is an English band. The
original underscoring was
"Sultans of Swing" and
when Bakshi learned that its
creators weren't American,
he merely ripped the song
out and replaced it with
Benatar's tune so as to keep
the music in the film exclusively
American. "Hell is
For Children" just happened
to be handy when Bakshi
needed to fill a void.
This revelation on the day
after I saw the movie
reduced what I originally
had considered to be an
admirable failure into utter
garbage.
ART IS SOMETIMES
accidental, but it should
never be an afterthought.
Anyone who thinks differently
should be relegated
to making television commercials
instead of feature
films.
rence
says no one and I say Bakshi
of it finished. It has a great
> anrl a clnnnv onH Rut T Hnn'f
stop anyone from enjoying the
e film will ever be released,
lawsuits have been filed.
;ing' is not a finished film," he
my obligations contractually.
r strong company and our
nds."
' Bakshi made "Wizards," a
y that made enough money for
' continue operating. It was
iccessful "Rings," which was
" "Pop," Bakshi estimates,
e or take one or two.''
ced notices from critics, many
: use of Rotoscoping, a process
ion are traced from frames of
leat and that the movie isn't
sm is ridiculous. "I guess
ar Wars' because he didn't use
shi then pointed out that even
Rotoscoper." According to
tors practiced tneir crait oy
ion and movement.
sm Bakshi, page 11
is Tony, a hitchhiking
f in the 1960s rock scene.