Directed by Ralph Bakshi | USA | 80 mins
Ralph Bakshi had made a name for himself as the animation maverick behind America's first X-rated animated film, 1972's Fritz the Cat based on the underground comix of R. Crumb. Bakshi had followed that up with equally controversial efforts like Coonskin (1975) but was in need of a popular hit if his career was to continue. Drawing on his love for fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings, comic book artists like Mike Ploog, and his own comedic and political sensibilities as a Jewish American, Bakshi crafted the science fiction fantasy world of Wizards.
Intended as a "family picture", Wizards evolved into an idiosyncratic work mixing a variety of tones and animation styles into one piece of counterculture art. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where nuclear holocaust has resulted in a return of magic, elves, and fairies, Wizards tells the tale of sibling spell casters Avatar and Blackwolf and the war of their nations of Montagar and Scortch. When Blackwolf discovers the lost art of Nazi propaganda to motivate his armies of goblins and monsters, Avatar must journey with a small band of heroes to destroy his brother's film projector.
Wizards is a violent, sexy, psychedelic, satirical, episodic movie that takes on politics, religion, science, pacifism, warmongering, and a host of other subjects in a style that might best be described as J.R.R. Tolkien meets Max Fleischer. The unexpected success of the picture led Bakshi to be assigned the much more difficult task afterwards of adapting Lord of the Rings as an animated picture, but taken on its own merits Wizards remains a unique and heavily influential expression of a time in sci-fi and fantasy when anything was possible.
Written by Ben Rowe.
Part of our Sword & Sorcery: Adventures in Auteur Fantasy Series
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honour and acknowledge that this screening takes place on Moh’kinsstis and the traditional Treaty 7 territory, as well as the oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations, Indigenous and non, who live, work and play, as well as help steward this land, honour and celebrate this territory.