![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/h/heavymetal.jpg)
Heavy Metal: Special Edition
This animated cult-favorite starts out like a mediocre anthology about the evils of greed, but somehow the nine writers behind the scenes can't muster the creativity to sustain even that lackluster momentum. Behind its rock 'n' roll sci-fi pretense, Heavy Metal is essentially a movie about adolescent breast fantasies -- and not even real breasts, at that. Its uneasy mixture of Saturday-morning-cartoon production-values and mature subject matter incredibly manages to exclude both kid and adult audiences alike, settling for the very stereotype of the repressed comic-book geek. The film features dull music from Blue Oyster Cult, Stevie Nicks, Cheap Trick, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, and more, and uninspired vocal contributions from the likes of John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis and John Vernon. And frankly, the animation sucks. The source print for this 1.85:1 widescreen transfer shows serious wear, particularly during the opening credits. Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Surround 2.0, one deleted segment, "Neverland," as well as an alternate frame story, commentary by Carl Macek, the documentary Imagining Heavy Metal, galleries of production photos, Heavy Metal Magazine covers, related conceptual art, and portfolios of pencil animation and single and layered cels.
—Gregory P. Dorr
