Ralph Bakshi's Wizards Sends Aftershocks of 1977 Ten Million Years into the Future

Can you eat frozen yogurt with chopsticks?  Honestly, we’ve never tried, but this might just be the day to give it your best shot.  After the Patriots rallied in the second half to put the Super Bowl in overtime and defeat the Falcons, it seems like anything could happen on a Monday morning.  So grab a bowl of Girl Scout cookies cereal, EarBuds, and sit down for a BONUS LENGTH episode as controversial animator Ralph Bakshi sends shockwaves through time with his 1977 fantasy film, Wizards.

 

In the NEWS…

Nicole Kidman is Aquaman’s mother and the Black Manta will be challenging the superhero of the seas in the upcoming DC movie.  Director Chad Staheleski focuses on improved continuity for his reboot of Highlander, hoping to make a trilogy of movies.  Pac-Man’s father dies at 91 — the video arcade generation mourns. 

 

Aftershocks of 1977

In the wake of cultural upheaval brought about by the civil rights movement, Kennedy assassinations, and the unpopular war in Vietnam emerged a jarring animated vision of a post-apocalyptic world millions of years in the future where elves and fairies battle mutants and demons in a war between two brothers.  In Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards, twins Avatar and Blackwolf engage in a showdown between freedom and fascism in a truly unique amalgamation of various artistic styles, live action sequences, and cheaply produced “rotoscoping” that burned itself into the collective consciousness of a generation.  With similar themes and plot devices to Star Wars, it seems as if both Bakshi and Lucas had tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with their fantasy films in 1977.  Pitting magic against technology and juxtaposing modern war machines against swordplay, Wizards and Star Wars both successfully captured the imaginations of viewers.  JediShua and shazbazzar go in-depth in their appreciation for this weird “fairy tale”.  

 

History Lesson

Everyone has to be born sometime, whether they’re wizards obsessed with muggle culture or sidekicks who like to cheat at cards.  This week’s History Lesson reveals the ages of the likes of Arthur Weasley, Short Round, and the big, green bulk with orange hair from Street Fighter.

 

So set up the projector with your favorite fascist’s propaganda films and start terrorizing fairies and elves in your quest to dominate the planet. Or, even better, plug in your ear buds this morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you think about Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards by calling our voice mail line at [phone] or sending us an electronic-M to [e-mail].  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!