Heavy Metal

An animated anthology adapted from the comics magazine of the same name. The film does not tell one story. There are independent segments: a space cab driver, the dead crew of a bomber, a woman warrior charged with saving a planet, a short and dark story about a scientist. What links them is a green sphere called the Loc-Nar, which appears in each and carries evil with it. The segments were made by different studios and different teams, so the drawing style changes from one to the next. Music defines the film's identity. The track list includes Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Devo, Cheap Trick and Sammy Hagar. That music later became a problem: home video rights to the songs had not been secured and the film could not be released legally for years. Through that period it circulated on pirated copies, and its cult standing was largely formed then. Clearing the rights took until the mid-1990s. A defining production of its moment for anyone who likes adult animation and 1980s science-fiction aesthetics. Before you watch, know this: the film recognises no limit on violence or nudity, and its female figures are drawn to the same template throughout.