Ralph Bakshi endorses Obama!!! WoOOOOO HOOOOO

http://www.ralphbakshi.com/blog/

Okay, I know he's not exactly the most popular director in history, but he's my idol.

And his version of LotR KICKS JACKSONS' ASS!!!!!!!

GOBAMA!!!

David

Huge Bakshi fan. Wizards is one of my all time favorites.

I remember him from Fritz the Cat!!

Not a serious battleground, but it beats a vote in a dark blue state.

David

Ralph is a nut. I have loads of friends who have worked for him (I'm ex-Disney FA). Seriously; rotoscoped live action little people wearing giant rubber feet as hobbits? It could have been soooo much better-better enough to warrant a "Two Towers"!

Ah well, the more the merrier, I guess!

but, while I normally like arguing Bakshi's merits above all, I'll pass this one on the excitement of the endorsement!

David

I liked "Fritz the Cat", as well.

Just curious. He always seems to leave a strong impression with people. You're the first "Bakshi fan" I've run into, so I had to ask. Not saying that Ralph is a bad person at all-just an eccentric and a nut from all accounts. I've never met him myself, which is a bit odd. I've worked with people who have worked on every Bakshi film ever made (and all have stories to tell)! Plus Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell are friends of mine-kind of the same genre, though a different industry. It's a small world!

Naw, I've never met him, just a fan. I saw Superman instead of Lord of the Rings in the theater back when I was a kid and didn't get to go to theaters much. Stupid move (not that Superman wasn't great).

I agree, though, from what I've seen he's a complete nut and I don't like all his work, but I do appreciate it. Plus I do think his Lord of the Rings has been unfairly maligned for 30 years, and I can't tell you how pissed I was when Jackson put out his silly movies and got nothing but praise for what I thought was a mediocre offering at best. I'da given 100 Jackson movies for a Bakshi version Pt 2. But I know I'm in the 1:world minority of that opinion.

It's fun to be in the minority sometimes.

David

it was all that was out there, and I loved Tolkien's books-so being a not too critical child I thought the animated version was great at the time. But once I entered the business I found it cringe worthy. I can say that about a lot of things though! I like the parts of Jackson's films that were true to the books and loathed the parts that are pure Jackson. The two really contrasted with one another, didn't they?

I actually loved some of Jackson's visuals, and dispised others (particularly Sauron's Wil-E-Coyote propane eye jumps to mind :puke: ), but I thought his screenplays were a travesty and jettisoned Tolkien's language which is, IMO, the best part.

Peter S. Beagle's screenplay for Bakshi's movie was much more true to the novels and used most of the dialogue as directly out of the book as possible, which is one of the main draws for me.

What was it about being inthe business that made it cringe worthy? Had I seen Jackson's movies as a kid instead of Bakshi's, it's possible my opinion would be reversed, but I hope not.

I acutally love the visuals in most of the Bakshi film with only a few cringe worthy spots where the animation breaks down where it shouldn't, while other sections that are more rotoscope than animation (like the end with the battle at Helm's Deep) I actually like.

His Nazgul were 1 zillion times better than Jackson's, and the Flight to the Ford sequence is one of my all time favorite pieces of film.

:)

David

then he must be doing something right, nut or not. People won't keep working for someone who is impossible to deal with. Just ask James Cameron.

Yeah, he had a very loyal crew from what I understand.

It's also true, though, that he was, as far as I know, one of the only animation studios working outside of Disney until Don Bluth came along, so if you didn't want to be involved in the Disney money machine he was the alternative.

OTOH, I don't really know what I'm talking about other than what I've heard over the years. I only wish I was talented enough (at all!) to actually be in the business!

David

he burned through a lot of talent (not necessarily because they felt mistreated) and many of those people ended up at Disney or with other animation companies that I've worked for. Don Bluth is far nuttier AND has dicked over nearly every person who has worked for him, but he still gets people to fund his projects! I've never been able to figure that out.

Yeah, I know about Cameron. My cousin works with his ex-wife Gale Ann Hurd.

The animation is really nice, and it's not a bad adaptation, but I think Martin Rosen could have done a much better/darker version, and I wish someone would do one now, still pure animation or very photorealistic computer animation and stay absolutely true to the story. It's a very, very compelling novel even without magical amulets.

David

Somewhere out there there's a tape of Brad Bird de-constructing a NIMH scene of Bluth's that's absolutely brutal, but spot on. He talks about Bluth's poor understanding of how visual symbolism works in film, and shows a sequence where Mrs. Brisby goes to Nicodemus for help, but gets blown away by his "mystical cosmic farts" once she opens the door. :rofl:

I must remember only the good parts. That sounds awful. I read my kids the book and then recently 1/2 watched the movie. I'll have to try again.

And find that Brad Bird clip!

David

I work in the music industry so I kinda know how it is with talented ego's.

This is a real walk down memory lane. Another cartoon great, Bill Melendez, died about six weeks ago, at the age of 91.

Remember Grim Natwick?

I don't think I knew that.

I'm glad he got out a new release of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" with a commentary before us before he went. Another underrated classic.

David

In fact, there is no Bakshi LotR. I don't even know what I was talking about.

I'm sorry, did I say something?

I used to work for him, back in 1978. I was a cartoon painter and we worked on "Lord of the Rings." We worked 'round the clock to get the film to camera.

We'd run downstairs, smoke a joint in my co-workers VW, and run upstairs to work again. It sure was hard to paint inside the lines!

Ralph is a wild and crazy guy, to be sure...a real character.

You're now my idol too! I probably have one of your paintings hanging in my house right now! I'm the only person on the planet who utterly worships his LotR movie, but my adoration makes up for the rest of the world's failing.

Thanks!!!

I was putting together a fan special edition DVD of Lord of the Rings a few years ago. I would have tried to get an interview out of you for a commentary track if I could have.

Anyway, thanks for the great work!!!

David

Glad you are keeping Ralph's name out there!

Bev

they were former coworkers of mine and they've mentioned the reefer breaks.

I knew a Phyllis Barnhart at Hanna-Barbera...must be related.

despite Bakshi's portrayal of female characters. Haven't seen Wizards since I was a kid though. I'd love to get a t-shirt for my four year old son with Peace on it and the dvd. Peace was the Coolest character ever.

Good job Bakshi!

I really need to read up on him....I've seen his films, but don't know much about him personally...him or Vallejo/Bell!

You can read up on Boris and Julie here: http://www.imaginistix.com/

I'm seeing them and a bunch of other friends on Friday. We're fully expecting to make the weekend a big ol' celebration of an Obama win!

:bounce:

Not so much of a fan of his Tolkien stuff, but Wizards kicked ass!

"Oh yeah... one more thing: I'm glad you changed your last name, you son of a bitch!" :rofl: