Description

Heavy Metal: The Movie – New Expanded Edition             Paperback
Featuring an inside look at the making of the 1982 groundbreaking film.  Awesome!!
Text by: Carl Macek
Research by: Christina Miner
Editor: Susan Cohn
Cover by: Chris Achilléos

Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian adult animated science fantasy anthology film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine, which was the basis for the film. It starred the voices of Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Percy Rodriguez, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, and Zal Yanovsky. The screenplay was written by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum.

The film is an anthology of various science fiction and fantasy stories tied together by a single theme of an evil force that is “the sum of all evils”. It was adapted from Heavy Metal magazine and original stories in the same spirit. Like the magazine, the film features a great deal of graphic violence, sexuality, and nudity. Its production was expedited by having several animation houses working simultaneously on different segments. Despite receiving mixed reviews by film critics on its initial release, the film was a modest success at the box office and has since achieved cult status. A sequel titled Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) was released in 2000. The film’s influential soundtrack was packaged by music manager Irving Azoff and included several popular rock bands and artists, including Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Sammy Hagar, Don Felder, Cheap Trick, DEVO, Journey, and Nazareth, among others.

Originally published in conjunction with the theatrical release of the animated feature Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal: The Movie is an inside look at the making of this groundbreaking film, from preproduction sketches to final animation cells. This new edition features over 80 color illustrations from each of the film’s episodes, all of which were based on designs by top artists such as Michael Ploog, Richard Corben, Bernie Wrightson and Chris Achilleos. Also featured is Cornelius Cole III’s “Neverwhere Land” which was cut from the original version but restored to the new theatrical and video release of the film.

Heavy Metal: The Movie – New Expanded Edition contains:“Soft Landing”
The title sequence was based on the comic of the same name by Dan O’Bannon and Thomas Warkentin. The title sequence story opens with a Space Shuttle orbiting the Earth. The bay doors open, releasing a 1960 Corvette. An astronaut seated in the car then begins descending through Earth’s atmosphere, landing in a desert canyon.

Crew
Jimmy T. Murakami and John Bruno – directors
John Coates – producer
Dan O’Bannon – writer
Thomas Warkentin – art direction

Music
“Radar Rider” by Riggs

Studio
MGM Titles
T.V. Cartoons Ltd
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“Grimaldi”
In the framing story, the astronaut Grimaldi arrives at home, where he is greeted by his daughter. He says he has something to show her. When he opens his case, a green, crystalline sphere rises out and melts him. It introduces itself to the terrified girl as “the sum of all evils”. Looking into the orb known as the Loc-Nar, the girl sees how it has influenced societies throughout time and space. At the end of the film (the Epilogue), the anthology’s theme comes full-circle back to the girl’s home.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Don Francks as Grimaldi
Caroline Semple as Girl

Crew
Harold Whitaker – director
John Halas – producer

Studio
Halas & Batchelor Animation Ltd
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“Harry Canyon”
Original story by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum; based on The Long Tomorrow by Moebius.
In a dystopian and crime-ridden New York City in 2031, cynical taxicab driver Harry Canyon narrates his day in film noir style, grumbling about his fares and frequent robbery attempts he thwarts with a disintegrator installed in the back of his seat. He stumbles into an incident where he rescues a red-haired young woman from Rudnick, a gangster who murdered her father. She explains that her father discovered the Loc-Nar, and they have been pursued relentlessly by people attempting to obtain it. Harry takes her to his apartment, where they have sex. She decides to sell the Loc-Nar to Rudnick and split the money with Harry. Rudnick is disintegrated by the Loc-Nar at the exchange, and she attempts to double-cross Harry to keep the money for herself. When she pulls out a gun, Harry uses the disintegrator on her. He keeps the money and summarizes the incident as a “two-day ride with one hell of a tip”.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Harvey Atkin as Alien, Henchman
John Candy as Desk Sergeant
Marilyn Lightstone as Whore
Susan Roman as Girl, Satellite
Richard Romanus as Harry Canyon
Al Waxman as Rudnick

Crew
Pino van Lamsweerde director
W. H. Stevens Jr. producer
Vic Atkinson producer
Daniel Goldberg writer
Len Blum writer

Music
“Veteran of the Psychic Wars” by Blue Öyster Cult
“True Companion” by Donald Fagen
“Blue Lamp” by Stevie Nicks
“Open Arms” by Journey
“Heartbeat” by Riggs

Studio
Atkinson Film Arts
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“Den”
Based on the character of the same name created by Richard Corben.

A nerdy teenager finds a “green meteorite” near his house and adds it to his rock collection. During a lightning experiment, the orb hurls the young man into the world of Neverwhere, where he transforms into a naked, muscular man called Den, an acronym for his earth name, David Ellis Norman. There, Den witnesses a strange ritual, rescuing a beautiful young woman who is about to be sacrificed to Uhluhtc. Reaching safety, she introduces herself as Katherine Wells from the British colony of Gibraltar. The two start having sex, but are interrupted by the minions of Ard, an immortal man who wants to obtain the Loc-Nar for himself. After being taken to see Ard, Den demands to see Katherine. His request is ignored and Ard orders his men to castrate Den. Den fights off the soldiers and shoots Ard, who is immortal and heals immediately. The girl turns out to be sleeping, encased in glass under a spell where only Ard can awaken her. Ard offers Den a deal: if he gets the Loc-Nar from the Queen and brings it to him, the girl will be released. Den agrees and infiltrates the palace along with Ard’s best soldier, Norl. They are promptly caught by the Queen’s guards, but she offers leniency if Den has sex with her. He complies, thereby distracting the Queen while the raiding party steals the Loc-Nar. Den escapes and races back to rescue Katherine from Ard. Recreating the lightning incident that drew him to Neverwhere, he is able to banish Ard and the Queen. Den suspects that they were teleported to Earth. Refusing the opportunity to take the Loc-Nar for himself, Den rides with Katherine into the sunset, content to remain in Neverwhere. As for the Loc-Nar, it rises into the sky and lands on a space station where it is picked up by someone else.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
John Candy as Den
Jackie Burroughs as Katherine Wells
Martin Lavut as Ard
Marilyn Lightstone as Queen
August Schellenberg as Norl

Crew
Jack Stokes – director
Jerry Hibbert – producer
Richard Corben – writer

Studio
Votetone
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“Captain Sternn”
Based on the character of the same name created by Bernie Wrightson.

On a space station, crooked space captain Lincoln F. Sternn is on trial for numerous serious charges presented by the prosecutor consisting of 12 counts of murder in the first degree, 14 counts of armed theft of Federation property, 22 counts of piracy in high space, 18 counts of fraud, 37 counts of rape – and one moving violation. Pleading “not guilty” against the advice of his lawyer Charlie, Sternn explains that he expects to be acquitted because he bribed a witness named Hanover Fiste. Fiste takes the stand upon being called to by the prosecutor, but his perjury is subverted when the Loc-Nar, now the size of a marble, causes him to blurt out highly incriminating statements about Sternn (though whether or not any of them are true is unknown) before changing him into a hulking muscular brute that chases Sternn throughout the station, breaking through bulkheads and wreaking havoc. Eventually, he corners Sternn, who gives him his promised payoff, and he promptly shrinks back to his scrawny original form. Sternn opens a trap door under Fiste, ejecting him into space. The Loc-Nar enters Earth’s atmosphere with Fiste’s flaming severed hand still clinging to it.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Rodger Bumpass as Hanover Fiste
Joe Flaherty as Charlie, the lawyer
Douglas Kenney as Regolian
Eugene Levy as Captain Lincoln F. Sternn
John Vernon as Prosecutor

Crew
Julian Harris – director
Paul Sebella – director
Bernie Wrightson – writer

Music
“Reach Out” by Cheap Trick

Studio
Boxcar Animation Studios Inc
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“Neverwhere Land”
Because of time constraints, a segment called “Neverwhere Land”, which would have connected “Captain Sternn” to “B-17”, was cut.

The story follows the influence of the Loc-Nar upon the evolution of a planet, from the Loc-Nar landing in a body of water, influencing the rise of the industrial age, and a world war. This original story was created by Cornelius Cole III.

The original rough animatics are set to a loop of the beginning of Pink Floyd’s “Time”. The 1996 VHS release included this segment at the end of the tape. On the DVD release, this segment is included as a bonus feature. In both released versions, the sequence is set to the music of “Passacaglia” (from Magnificat), composed and conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki and with animation studio being produced by Duck Soup Produckions.

“B-17”
A World War II B-17 bomber nicknamed the Pacific Pearl makes a difficult bombing run and suffers heavy damage with all of the crew except the pilot and co-pilot killed by gunfire. As the bomber limps home, the co-pilot goes back to check on the crew. Finding nothing but dead bodies, he notices the Loc-Nar trailing the plane. Informing the pilot, he heads back to the cockpit, when the Loc-Nar rams itself into the plane and reanimates the dead crew members as zombies. The co-pilot is killed, while the pilot parachutes away in time. He lands on an island where he finds a graveyard of airplanes from various times, along with the wrecked airplanes’ zombified airmen, who surround him, sealing the horrified pilot’s fate.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Don Francks as Co-Pilot (Holden)
George Touliatos as Pilot (Skip)
Zal Yanovsky as Navigator

Crew
Barrie Nelson – director
W. H. Stevens Jr. – producer
Dan O’Bannon – writer

Music
“Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” by Don Felder

Studio
Atkinson Film-Arts
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“So Beautiful & So Dangerous”
Based on the comic of the same name by Angus McKie.

Dr. Anrak, a prominent scientist, arrives at The Pentagon for a meeting regarding mysterious mutations that are plaguing the United States. At the meeting, the doctor tries to dismiss the occurrences. When he sees the Loc-Nar in the locket of Gloria, a beautiful buxom stenographer, he begins to behave erratically and motorboats her. A colossal starship drills through the roof and abducts the doctor and, by accident, Gloria. The ship’s robot is irritated at Anrak, who is actually a malfunctioning android, but its mood changes when it sees Gloria. With the help of the ship’s alien pilot Edsel and co-pilot Zeke, the robot convinces Gloria to stay on board and have “robot sex” (albeit off-screen). Meanwhile, Edsel and Zeke snort a huge amount of a powdered drug called Plutonian Nyborg before flying home, zoning out on the cosmos. Too intoxicated to fly straight, they crash-land unharmed in a huge space station.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Rodger Bumpass as Dr. Anrak
John Candy as Robot
Joe Flaherty as General
Eugene Levy as Male Reporter / Edsel
Alice Playten as Gloria
Harold Ramis as Zeke
Patty Dworkin as Female Reporter
Warren Munson as Senator

Crew
John Halas – director
Angus McKie – writer

Music
“Queen Bee” by Grand Funk Railroad
“I Must Be Dreamin'” by Cheap Trick
“Crazy? (A Suitable Case for Treatment)” by Nazareth
“All of You” by Don Felder
“Prefabricated” by Trust
“Heavy Metal” by Sammy Hagar

Studio
Halas & Batchelor Animation Ltd
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“Taarna”
Original story by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum; based on Arzach by Moebius.

The Loc-Nar, now the size of a giant meteor, crashes into a volcano on another world and draws a large mass of curious people. As they begin to climb the volcano, it erupts, and green slime covers the crowd, mutating them into an evil barbarian army. The mutants subsequently attack a nearby city of peaceful scholars. Desperate, the city leaders mentally summon the Taarakians, a once powerful yet now declining warrior race with whom the city had a pact, but the city falls before the call can be answered.

Taarna, a beautiful yet mute warrior and the last of the Taarakians, receives the summons; and after ritually preparing herself, she and her avian mount fly to the beleaguered city, only to find the citizens dead. Determined to avenge them, she begins following the trail of their murderers and encounters a small band of the mutant barbarians. After killing them, and with more information at hand, she travels towards the mutant camp, but she and her mount are captured.

Taarna is tortured and thrown into an open pit, unconscious. Her mount escapes and rescues her. She tries going for the Loc-Nar, but the mutants pursue and shoot her mount down. The mutant leader faces Taarna in a duel to the death, wounding her, but Taarna manages to kill him. With the last of their strength, Taarna and her companion make a death flight to the volcano. As they approach, the Loc-Nar warns her off, claiming that sacrificing herself would be futile. Ignoring the Loc-Nar, Taarna unleashes the power imbued in her sword and dives into the volcano, destroying the Loc-Nar.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Thor Bishopric as Boy
Ned Conlon as Councilman #1
Len Doncheff as Barbarian #1
Don Francks as Barbarian #2
Joseph Golland as Councilman #2
Charles Joliffe as Councilman #3
Mavor Moore as Elder
August Schellenberg as Taarak
Cedric Smith as Bartender
George Touliatos as Barbarian #3
Vlasta Vrána as Barbarian Leader
Zal Yanovsky as Barbarian #4

Music
“E5150” by Black Sabbath
“The Mob Rules” by Black Sabbath
“Through Being Cool” by Devo
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“Epilogue”

As the final story ends, the Loc-Nar that was terrorizing the girl explodes, destroying the mansion in the process. Taarna’s reborn mount appears outside, and the girl happily flies away on it. It is then revealed that Taarna’s soul has been reincarnated in the girl, transforming her into a new Taarakian.

Cast
Percy Rodriguez (uncredited) as Loc-Nar
Closing credits

Music
“Working in the Coal Mine” by Devo
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Paperback is bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press
Publication Date: 1996
Format: FC, 144 pages, PB, 11″ x 8.5″
ISBN-10: 087816524X
ISBN-13: 9780878165247

Collectible Entertainment note: Paperback is New & Unread.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Heavy Metal Movie collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended.

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