Rock & Rule

[slave2moonlight]

Thanks! I'll keep watch on that and hopefully one will be available when I get more Amazon.com credit. As I understand it, they only take credit cards now, which I don't use, but I sometimes get store credit with them for participating in this Disney consumer forum I'm in. They don't give them out too often though, ha.

[slave2moonlight]

Argh! I just got another Amazon gift certificate, but that Rock N Rule copy is already gone. I doubt I can hang on to it until another affordable one turns up, ha. Too many DVDs I want on there...

[slave2moonlight]

Wow, thanks again for the tip on getting out of print titles through Amazon, Enigmawing! I just landed the 2-disc Rock and Rule new for 10 bucks (plus 3 shipping) by checking the page constantly since you told me about it, ha. I wonder how hard it would be to land Slipper and the Rose or Midnight Hour that way now, ha.

Now I just hope there are no problems or mistakes (like getting the single-disc version instead or something), but the seller was Hastings, so I'm somewhat confident.

[littlefuzzy]

It's great that you got one for 10 bucks...


If anyone else cares, you CAN get this directly from their website AFAIK: http://www.unearthedfilms.com/ - the 2-disc is 19.95.

[Elladorine]

Cool, glad you not only found it, but got a good deal.

[slave2moonlight]

Yeah, I got it earlier this week and watched it that night! It was awesome to see the film again and in much better quality than my old recording from TNT!

[Elladorine]

Cool. I still love the fact that Susan Roman (Sailor Jupiter) does a voice in it. I thought The Devil and Daniel Mouse was pretty cool too.

Wow, old recording from TNT . . . that takes me back . . .

One of my college classmates asked me if I'd ever heard of the film and if I could possibly help him track down a copy of it. He'd lost his original copy when lending it to a friend; the guy's VCR was stolen while the tape was still inside it!

At the time I'd only read a book that had mentioned it in passing so I knew next to nothing, and not even The Whole Toon Catalog could help us find something when it wasn't in print. And of course, that was long before we had any real access to the internet for such things.

But what crazy timing, within a few weeks I saw in TV Guide that TNT was was airing it in the middle of the night (this was back in 94-95), along with Heavy Metal and American Pop. Although I managed to tape it, I didn't have a way to dub a copy so I just ended up watching it a couple of times before giving it to him to keep.

I remember being fascinated with the thing, especially with the obvious edits that were made. My friend pointed out that the edits sucked, but was happy to have it again regardless since it was much better than not having it all. I vowed I'd pick up an unedited copy if one ever became available. What, it only took like ten years?

I guess good things come to those who wait.

[slave2moonlight]

Wow! Ha. Yeah, I hadn't even heard of it before TNT was running it, or American Pop either before around that time. TNT and TBS in a close space of time were doing animation nights and running Heavy Metal, American Pop, Rock and Rule, Vampire Hunter D, and Robot Carnival. I ended up recording them all and became rather attached to them. I still need to get the others on DVD besides Heavy Metal, which is the easiest to find and I had bought right away.

In regards to D and Robot Carnival, that was some of the earliest exposure I had to Anime besides Sailor Moon and fairytales and stuff on Nick that I didn't know were "Anime" at the time I saw them. I also got samples of a bit of other stuff during college by wandering into the Anime club that held screenings during the lunch hour break. I left there with an interest in Ranma, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, and Catgirl Nuku Nuku that I still need to feed, along with my curiosity about Neon Genesis Evangelion that was sparked by falling in love with images of Asuka over the net through the years (I have a couple of really nice vinyl figures of her but still haven't seen the show). But thanks to the current sale at Best Buy on Anime, I did finally pick up the complete DVD set of all things Nuku Nuku. Can't wait to dive into it. And, of course, thanks to Disney airing Kiki, I am a huge Kiki fan now and have dabbled in other Miyazaki since. Plus an online friend sent me Akira and I've gotten some free Anime through Amazon Vine. Oh, and I have Gunbuster and Project A-Ko on VHS (and La Blue Girl, ha), and need to upgrade that stuff. Another I have on DVD and just remembered is "Magical Twilight". I do have a weakness for adult Anime because Anime girls are way more "my type" compared to what one would find in the live-action American alternative...

But how'd I get onto the Anime topic? Sorry, ha. I get sidetracked easily. I guess the thing is, Disney will always be tops for me, but when you want an occasional break from family films and still want animation, North America has provided such a small selection. That stuff on TBS and TNT was a real discovery for me at the time. And, in comparison, Anime has so many cultural differences and you have to read subtitles most of the time, and I think the reason I haven't explored it more is that the TV shows seem like the sort you have to see from episode one and not miss a beat of, which is hard to keep up with in terms of TV airings and expensive through buying or renting. I'm doing it a little at a time though. Luckily, in the American side, largely due to the Anime influence I'm sure, we have the great stuff from Bruce Timm and WB with the DC comics now, and Marvel is trying and coming out with some okay stuff too. The Wonder Woman DVD that just came out, I thought, was really great! Probably their best work yet! Incidentally, I wonder why The Maxx never got a DVD release. Or did I just miss it?

Oh, and I haven't watched it yet, but I'm looking forward to checking out "The Devil and Daniel Mouse"!

[Elladorine]

I first caught parts of Heavy Metal on HBO or Cinemax probably when I was way too young to watch it, lol. I've always wanted to pick up the DVD so I can finally see it in high quality (our premium cable channels didn't come in well) and uncut (you know that TNT made a lot of edits) but for some odd reason I haven't gotten around to it yet. I've also been curious about Heavy Metal 2000 but have held off since I haven't heard many good things about it.

I also remember watching Vampire Hunter D back when they were having the animation nights, although I don't remember much of it except that it was exciting to watch animation with a more mature feel, especially since it felt so less common back then. I must have missed out on Robot Carnival though as I don't remember that one airing; heh . . . looks like I need to look that one up now.

Back then I borrowed some anime tapes from that same friend I gave the Rock and Rule tape to, which included Project A-ko (interesting that it was initially written to be part of the Cream Lemon series before getting completely rehashed!), Riding Bean, and of course the infamous Akira, so that was my early exposure before the likes of Sailor Moon. And wow, now that I think about it, those tapes were $30-$40 back then . . . scary, lol. And even though this stuff is more mainstream and accessible now it still can be expensive and difficult to get into. As you've pointed out, a series can be hard to follow unless you watch them from the beginning and don't skip eps, and that's hard to do without making a substantial investment/commitment.

I've yet to watch Evangelion past the first four eps. myself but I *love* the theme song, lol. I've got the box set of Nuku Nuku but haven't plowed through the entire thing yet, fun series though. My eventual calling was the whole magical-girl shoujo-type anime, starting with the likes of Sailor Moon of course, but eventually to other series like Wedding Peach, Magic Knight Rayearth, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Magic User's Club, and my personal favorite, Fushigi Yuugi. I also love various other stuff like Chobits, Grave of the Fireflies, Nadia, Marmalade Boy, Gunsmith Cats, Devil Hunter Yohko, Lupin the Third, the Miyazaki films, etc. Oddly enough, I'm not into anime much anymore. I mean, I still watch it and I still enjoy what I own, but I don't get excited over discovering new shows like I used to. But to be fair it's pretty rare for me to get pulled into anything new these days, I must be going through a weird phase or something.

Heh heh, I actually used to have the VHS for Magical Twilight myself, as well as a few others like Rei Rei and F3 . . . I never owned La Blue Girl but I have rented it, lol. Outside some of Ralph Bakshi's work and a handful of others, I think it's too bad that adult animation has primary been from the Japanese market. I think it would be awesome to see similar material done in, say, the Disney style. Heh, and IMO the "live-action alternative" we have here in the states is laughable at best and leaves me completely disinterested. I guess that's why I really enjoyed JAB's artwork, even if it wasn't actually animated . . . I mean, a former Disney animator drawing sexy adult toons? Although animation will always be my main interest, comics and pin-up toons are a fun alternative to check out and have the freedom to get away with more than mainstream cartoons will allow.

Hmm . . . we've gone so far OT here I'm wondering if we should start a new thread. Anyway, the new Wonder Woman has caught my eye and I'm wondering if I should pick it up. Should be interesting.

*clears throat*

And now back to your regularly scheduled Rock and Rule thread. I really should pull out my set to watch again, it's been a while and I'm suddenly in the mood.

[slave2moonlight]

Yeah, this sort of turned into the "animation is for grown ups too, and sometimes ONLY" thread, ha. But if I could stretch it out just a bit longer, because I rarely get to talk to anyone I have these interests in common with.

I think the first time I saw Heavy Metal was on a TBS airing some time before. Then again, maybe it was on A&E once many years before... I totally forgot about that channel. Does it still exist? I used to see a lot of things on there for the first time, like Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2, and stand up comedians before their acts were so sex-focused that I got bored with them (though I am dabbling in them again lately). Anyway, so that's how I was aware of it and ready with a tape when TBS and TNT aired that stuff that year. As for Heavy Metal 2000, when I heard about that one I was pretty psyched, but I was very disappointed in it. I own it but haven't watched it in forever and can't really recall details. Just that it was about a buff warrior woman, all one story, and obviously not too memorable. I think it was all based on some female wrestler or body-builder or American Gladiator or something, possibly that one from Surreal Life or one of those shows. Anyway, I here from the guy that sent me Akira that they are going to come out with a new Heavy Metal film now, and it will be an anthology again, this time showcasing different types of animation. I'm hopeful, but I would prefer it be all 2D like the original. That's if it ever gets made of course. I really don't know what point they're at with it. Oh, and as for the edits to the films on TNT, yeah, I don't recall the extent of them, but of course some edits were obvious, ha. Gotta love the uncut versions...

Robot Carnival is sort of like an Anime Fantasia. Well, not that arty, ha. I mean it was little animated stories set to music. The one that sticks in my mind as most enjoyable is a girl at a Disneyland-esque amusement park who has broken up with her boyfriend or caught him cheating or something (I forget) but finds a new boy there. One of those cute Anime girl stories. Yes, the magical girl stuff holds a lot of appeal to me to and is more along the lines of what I'd explore more of if I really had the cash to do so, but also the much talked about, popular titles. This is because, frankly, it's the cute, upbeat girls with the big eyes that have sparked and held my interest in anime, ha. At this point it is hard for me to pick a preference in the females department between Disney and Anime girls... Though it's also hard not to lean towards the Americans' side, ha. Though, I always declare my three tied favorites as Tink, Ariel, and Sailor Moon (but with Kim Possible, Belle, Sailor Venus, and some others VERY close behind). But if Alice was older, I don't know, it would probably be a 4 way tie at least. Bringing me to Jab, whose art of an older Alice is just... it's like he's drawn up my ultimate dreamgirl, ha. I had no idea he was a former Disney artist, but I've definitely wondered about it! I discovered his work back when I was in college and when his website was free, ha, and I'm so sad that I didn't get to collect it on disc back then, as I sure can't subscribe to any sites right now, ha. Definitely an all-time favorite artist for me, though I consider your work up there with his in quality and personally appealing style too.

I'm not familiar with Cream Lemon, I'll have to look that up. Never heard of Riding Bean either, but I guess there's a lot I've never heard of, ha. Yeah, I haven't even gotten to fully explore Sailor Moon because of the difficulty with getting the DVDs and the high costs of them even when they were in print. It's definitely the main Anime for me though, and I know what you're saying about animation, comics, and pin-up stuff. My main thing is animation too though, and I find when I am browsing in comic shops, I am more drawn to the art that has an animated look, even though this is sometimes considered the "for kids" style. I totally prefer it to the popular comic book art style right now. I really need to explore the Anime titles you mentioned for sure, by the way. I've heard of most of them and some I've really wanted to look into, like Gunsmith Cats, Rayearth, and Wedding Peach, despite knowing next to nothing about them, ha. Grave of the Fireflies I did see one night on TCM. It was totally heartbreaking and disturbing! Great film though. Apparently, there is also a live-action version, but it is more focused on the cousin and how she became so mean because of the war.

It's funny, but I know what you mean about not being easily pulled into new things nowadays, ha. Perhaps I have always been like that though, I don't know (especially with sitcoms). Anyway, I suppose to most "Anime people" I never would have appeared very into Anime (always will be a Disney guy more than anything). I still feel like I know very little about any of it beyond Sailor Moon, and in comparison with many fans, very little about that one because I have wanted to get all the DVDs before I explore beyond the first couple of seasons (which I really only know through the DIC dub) and the 3 films. As for the "other stuff" in the La Blue Girl and Magical Twilight vein, I haven't seen a heck of a lot and La Blue Girl is too into monsters and force for my tastes, but it was one of my firsts and I love some of the girls and the friendlier scenes. Magical Twilight and a few others I've seen and heard of are more pleasant and to my tastes though. And I totally agree with your take on the live-action alternative situation, though the internet has provided a new source with much better ladies at least, ha. I even mixed in headshots of a few faves in the dreamgirl gallery on my MySpace page with the usual favorite actresses. I think I adore Dawson Miller as much as Hilary Duff, Emma Watson, Elisabeth Harnois, and Kay Panabaker, ha (yes, those are my top favorite ladies).

[littlefuzzy]

Ya know, we DO have an anime thread!

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=8381

I presume it would be ok to talk hentai in there, as long as it didn't get too graphic...

I still have my laserdiscs of Vampire Hunter D and Robot Carnival. I *think* VHD is on DVD, I know the sequel is, called VHD: Bloodlust.

Ahh, it looks like the original VHD is on DVD, although Robot Carnival is only available in Japan and Korea.

[Elladorine]

LOL! I hear ya there about the evolution of the thread . . . I don't mind straying off-topic a bit, I just didn't want anyone to reprimand us for it.

Yeah, I totally prefer the cartoon-styled comics as opposed to the whole "comic book style" that seems to rule. For me, the characters are so much more appealing with simpler lines, larger eyes, etc. That's part of the reason I find films like Rock and Rule so appealing, as well as the more mature themes found in it.

Ok. I'm gonna continue over in that anime thread now and possibly start another thread as well.

[HarryCanyon]

I've been an anime fan since 95 when i was 13! i had some earlier experiences with anime in the 80's as a kid with the original US New World Pictures 1985 dub of 1984's Hayao Miyazaki made Sci-fi masterpiece "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" that i rented when i was 5 years old back in 1987, i saw Transformers The Movie at age 4 in the summer of 86, i watched Voltron with Transfomers plus G-Force (Gatchaman), i also watched Noozles and Fairy tale stuff on nickoledeon. There was Inspector Gadget and Real Ghostbusters which were animes as well, i even watched movies like Unico 1 & 2 on video, The Last Unicorn on VHS, watched Thundercats (Japanese/American Rankin-Bass production), The Hobbit (US/Japanese Rankin-Bass) including Jack and The Beanstalk (1974) on video as well at ages 5 and 4. I also watched Speed Racer all the time and saw Adventures of American Rabbit on video.

But it wasn't until 1993 that i rediscovered anime when i was 10/11 years old watching Little Nemo Adventures in Slumberland on video, Vampire Hunter D and Robot Carnival (With Heavy Metal, Rock and Rule American Pop) on TBS, and rented My Neighbor Totoro on video after hearing great reviews on it even on the commercials. Loved them all! I even watched Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon for i had the hots for the girls on those shows, i watched Twilight of the Cockroaches, but it wasn't until december of 95 when i was 13 i read an article on anime in newsweek which was mentioning about Ghost in The Shell here in US theaters at the time in december around as it mentioned that plus pics and stuff of other anime such as Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Voltron, A-Ko, Urotsukidoji, Ninja Scroll and more. I rented Akira from one of the local movie rental stores and loved it plus the uncensored version of VHD which rocked seeing one of my 11 year old boy crushes nude which excited me plus A-Ko as well which gave me an impression on my 13 year old mind seeing A-Ko and B-Ko in the buff.

I also got hooked into adult animation when i bought Warriors of the Wind when i was 10 years old from one of Albuquerque's bargain bins in K-Mart. I also bought Fire and Ice at 11 at Wal-Mart including Wizards as i saw F&I when i was 5 years old living in St. Louis and Wizards when i was 6 living in Omaha at the time before moving to Socorro/Albuquerque New Mexico. Watching Heavy Metal, Vampire Hunter D, Rock and Rule and Robot Carnivals were pleasures thanks to reading TV guide on what Sci-fi and horror movies will come on TBS and they stated animated so they had to be good.

I went to see Ghost in The Shell at 13 turning 14 in early 96 at one of Albuquerque's movie theaters with my visiting big brother who also liked anime when i showed him Akira. Loved it! i also started to rent and bought nearly any anime show and movie there was but Grave of the Firerflies i saw at 15 and MY GOD it made me cry badly which was at that age Titanic did as well to me. I had rented a of Rock & Rule from one of the city's video rental stores then taped it including Lightyears (Excellent French movie), Fritz The Cat, Heavy Traffic, and Hey Good Looking.

I had an anime club when i was 16 in my town's high school which was awesome and i even borrowed fansub copies of Porco Russo, Castle in The Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds from the teacher as i taped them on another VCR, loved them. I even saw Princess Mononoke in theaters when i was 17 and that was one of the most rewarding movie going expreiences of my life.

Say S2M did you think of Ghost in The Shell (You got to see it! it's as amazing as Akira and earns it's US theatrical release like Akira did here in the states in 1989), Ninja Scroll, Wicked City, Little Nemo Adventures in Slumberland, Blood The Last Vampire, Memories, and Steamboy?

Nice review on Perfect Blue btw.

[slave2moonlight]

But weren't shows like Gadget and Ghostbusters primarily made for, or at least produced by Americans? In general, that isn't considered Anime. After all, aren't most animated TV shows animated in Japan or Korea or places like that? I never really thought of Transformers as Anime either, but I guess that one maybe was. Can't judge it since I haven't seen it since I was little.

I only recently got Little Nemo Adv. in Slumberland, and I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I remember it used to run on Disney, but I never managed to catch it there. I am really eager to see Ghost in the Shell, but I haven't gotten around to watching any of those yet, HarryCanyon. Soon, I hope, though I don't think I have ALL of those here at my sister's apartment yet. Some are back home.

Yeah, Perfect Blue was cool. Frankly though, years of watching Anime has gotten me to prefer the Brazilian wax look (which I didn't originally), so I'm not thrilled now that they are switching tactics. But better not talk about that anymore, or we'll get in trouble here, ha.

[HarryCanyon]

I edited that ok, well maybe next month you can reciew some of the Ghibli stuff like Kiki, Mononoke and Spirited Away.

[littlefuzzy]

Harry, you might also like the anime thread: http://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8381
Also, Enigmawing started the Adult Cartoons thread (both adults only as well as stuff like South Park or Family Guy that aren't aimed at kids.)
http://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24514

[Sotiris]

You can now watch the movie for free. The entire thing has been uploaded to YouTube in HD by one of Nelvana's official accounts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knENwlh0FFA