Unearthed Films just brought this classic out on DVD in a two-disc collector's edition. It's well worth the price! The two-disc set contains the original Canadian version, the altered American version, and the release of "The Devil and Daniel Mouse", the inspiration for this movie. Also included are "making of" features about both "Rock and Rule" and "Devil".
This movie is animated, but it's not for the very young crowd. It contains animated nudity, occasional adult language, and adult situations such as drug use and death. That said, I first saw it when I was 12 and wasn't scarred for life. This movie's got it all: great music, great animation (far better than "Heavy Metal", a similar film, which was released around the same time), and a storyline that appeals to a more mature mindset. If you think of animation as two categories -- anime or "Care Bears" style kid stuff -- this doesn't belong in either. It's a uniquely American animation style. And the music! Debby Harry, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger, Earth Wind & Fire, it goes on and on, a constant stream of music that not only doesn't distract, but is a complement to what's going on on screen. The songs have aged very well in the past 30 years. This movie's a musical, but its music flows naturally, without those "And now I must stop everything and sing!" moments that make musicals so tedious. The special effects are also amazing, the more so when you consider when this movie was made.
I was one of the people who wrote Nelvana, and then Unearthed, begging for this re-release, and I was one of the first to order the set. I'm happy to say Unearthed has remained true to Nelvana's vision -- this set is everything I hoped it'd be. Don't miss it.
This movie is animated, but it's not for the very young crowd. It contains animated nudity, occasional adult language, and adult situations such as drug use and death. That said, I first saw it when I was 12 and wasn't scarred for life. This movie's got it all: great music, great animation (far better than "Heavy Metal", a similar film, which was released around the same time), and a storyline that appeals to a more mature mindset. If you think of animation as two categories -- anime or "Care Bears" style kid stuff -- this doesn't belong in either. It's a uniquely American animation style. And the music! Debby Harry, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger, Earth Wind & Fire, it goes on and on, a constant stream of music that not only doesn't distract, but is a complement to what's going on on screen. The songs have aged very well in the past 30 years. This movie's a musical, but its music flows naturally, without those "And now I must stop everything and sing!" moments that make musicals so tedious. The special effects are also amazing, the more so when you consider when this movie was made.
I was one of the people who wrote Nelvana, and then Unearthed, begging for this re-release, and I was one of the first to order the set. I'm happy to say Unearthed has remained true to Nelvana's vision -- this set is everything I hoped it'd be. Don't miss it.