Wizards
Theatrical release poster.
Directed by	Ralph Bakshi
Produced by	Ralph Bakshi
Written by	Ralph Bakshi
Starring	Bob Holt Jesse Welles Richard Romanus David Proval Steve Gravers
Music by	Andrew Belling
Cinematography	Ted C. Bemiller
Editing by	Donald W. Ernst
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	March 2, 1977
Running time	80 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,200,000
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Wizards (originally titled War Wizards^[1][2]) is an animated post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, a good wizard representing the forces of magic and an evil wizard representing the forces of technology. It was written, produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. Wizards is notable for being the first fantasy film made by Bakshi, who was previously known only for picaresque urban films such as Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic and Coonskin. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Ralph Bakshi (October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. ... Ralph Bakshi (October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. ... Ralph Bakshi (October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. ... Bob Holt was the voice of The Great Grape Ape. ... Jesse Welles is an actress. ... Richard Romanus (b. ... David Proval (born May 20, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York as Aron Proval) is an American actor, best known for his role as Richie Aprile on the HBO television series The Sopranos. ... Wizards (originally titled War Wizards[1][2]) is an animated post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, a good wizard representing the forces of magic and an evil wizard representing the forces of technology. ... Fritz the Cat is a 1972 animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi. ... J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... Apocalyptic science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of the world or civilization, through nuclear war, plague, or some other general disaster. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Ralph Bakshi (October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. ... Fritz the Cat is a 1972 animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi as his feature film debut. ... Heavy Traffic is a 1973 American animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, and originally distributed by American International Pictures. ... Coonskin is a 1975 film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, about an African American rabbit, fox, and bear who rise to the top of the organized crime racket in Harlem, encountering corrupt law enforcement, con artists and the Mafia. ...

Synopsis

The planet Earth has been badly damaged by a nuclear war instigated by terrorists, and that it has taken two million years for the radioactive clouds to once again allow sunlight to reach the surface. Only a handful of humans have survived, while the rest has changed into mutants who roam the radioactive wastelands of Earth. In the good land of Montegar, fairies, elves and dwarves (the true ancestors of man) have returned and now live happily in the good areas. During a celebration of 3,000 years of peace, Delia, the queen of the fairies, falls into a trance and leaves the party. The puzzled fairies follow her to her home. One of the older fairies finds that Delia has given birth to twin wizards. Avatar, the kind and good wizard, spends much of his boyhood entertaining his mother with beautiful visions, while Blackwolf, the mutant wizard, never visits his mother, and spends his time torturing small animals. Terrorist redirects here. ... Radioactive decay is the set of various processes by which unstable atomic nuclei (nuclides) emit subatomic particles. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into mutation. ... In mythology and in fiction, Faerie (also Faery) is an otherworldly realm, home to the Fae or fairies. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a creature of Germanic paganism which still survives in northern European folklore. ... Men hur kommer man in i berget, frågade tomtepojken (But how do I get into the mountain? the young dwarf asked. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Blackwolf. ... Torture is defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he...

After many years, Delia dies. Blackwolf, learning that his mother has died, is excited; he believes he will take over her leadership and rule the land. Avatar engages in battle with his evil brother, emerging as the victor because his magic was strengthened by grief over his mother's loss. Defeated, Blackwolf leaves the good lands, vowing to return and 'make this a planet where mutants rule'. Years later, Blackwolf becomes the leader of the dark land of Scorch, where he finds and restores bits and pieces of old technology. He tries to attack Montegar twice, but fails both times because his warriors become bored or sidetracked in the midst of battle. When Blackwolf discovers an old projector and reels of Nazi propaganda footage, he is impressed with the horrifying warfare methods unleashed in the past, Blackwolf enhances the projector with magical power that make the images "real" and utilizes this as a weapon at key moments in battle to inspire his own soldiers and decimate the elves. National Socialism redirects here. ... Soviet Propaganda Poster during the World War II. The text reads Red Army Fighter, SAVE US! Chinese propaganda poster from during the Cultural Revolution. ...

Necron 99, Avatar, Weehawk, and Elinore.

Meanwhile, in Montegar, Avatar has become a tutor to Elinore, the daughter of Montagar's president. Avatar is training Elinore to become a full-fledged fairy. The situation in Montegar is complicated when the president is assassinated by Necron 99, a robot sent by Blackwolf to kill the believers in magic. After a confrontation through brain reading, Avatar learns from Necron 99 that the deciding factor in the war with Blackwolf is a 'dream machine' (the projector) which inspires armies with ancient images of war. Avatar, Elinore, Necron 99 (who no longer wants war and is renamed Peace), and Weehawk, one of Avatar's elf spies, set out to destroy the projector and save the world from another Holocaust. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 436 pixelsFull resolution (845 × 461 pixel, file size: 82 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The main cast of Ralph Bakshis Wizards: Necron 99 (Peace), Avatar, Weehawk, and Elinore. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 436 pixelsFull resolution (845 × 461 pixel, file size: 82 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The main cast of Ralph Bakshis Wizards: Necron 99 (Peace), Avatar, Weehawk, and Elinore. ... Jack Ruby murdered the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... Telepathy, from the Greek τῆλε, tele, remote; and πάθεια, patheia, to be effected by, describes the hypothetical transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. ... “Shoah” redirects here. ...

The film is an allegorical comment on the neutrality of technology and the potentially destructive powers of propaganda.^[2] Blackwolf's secret weapon is propaganda, used to incite and motivate his legions and terrorize the good fairy folk of Montegar; Blackwolf also utilizes technology for evil ends. However, in the end, it is Avatar's willingness to use a technological tool (a handgun pulled from "up his sleeve") which saves them all. Allegory of Music by Filippino Lippi. ...

Cast

• Bob Holt ... Avatar (voice)
• Jesse Welles ... Elinore (voice)
• Richard Romanus ... Weehawk (voice)
• David Proval ... Peace (voice)
• James Connell ... President (voice)
• Steve Gravers ... Blackwolf (voice)
• Mark Hamill ... Sean (voice) (as Mark Hamil)
• Susan Tyrrell ... Narrator (uncredited)

Bob Holt was the voice of The Great Grape Ape. ... Jesse Welles is an actress. ... Richard Romanus (b. ... David Proval (born May 20, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York as Aron Proval) is an American actor, best known for his role as Richie Aprile on the HBO television series The Sopranos. ... Irishman Jim Connell (27 March 1852 - February 1929) was a political activist of the late 19th century and early 20th century, best known as the writer of the anthem The Red Flag in December 1889. ... Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and voice actor. ... Susan Tyrrell (born March 18, c. ...

Production and development history

An early drawing of Elinore.

When production on Wizards started, Bakshi had made four city-based autobiographical politically oriented films, Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, Hey Good Lookin' (released in 1982), and Coonskin, all of which had been plagued with production problems and controversy. Bakshi wanted to show the world and himself two things, which were that "it doesn't take controversy for animation to be soulful, beautiful, [to have] feelings, and be realistic. [...] And, also, I didn't want to repeat myself to death."^[1] Bakshi felt that he could make an animated fantasy film, and come up with the same elements that were in his other films. "If I could do a kids' film," Bakshi is quoted as saying, "with the same sort of emotion that people love, that doesn't lean on curse words, that doesn't have urban dialogue...that it would validate why I did these other films. [...] I wanted to do a family film that had heart, that talks to kids in a real way, so Wizards was a very important challenge for me."^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hey Good Lookin is a 1982 animated film written, directed, and produced by Ralph Bakshi. ... Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. ...

The original title of the film was War Wizards. During the production of the film, director George Lucas, who, at the time was making Star Wars for the same studio, approached Bakshi and explained that "the various departments were having a problem with two fantasy films coming out with 'war' in the title." Bakshi was asked if he could drop 'War' from the title of his film. Bakshi told Lucas that he would think about it, before eventually changing the title to Wizards.^[1] George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological...

Casting

The film's main cast includes Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval and Steve Gravers. Bakshi cast Holt based on his ability to imitate the voice of actor Peter Falk, of whom Bakshi is a fan.^[2] Welles, Romanus and Proval had previously worked with Bakshi on Hey Good Lookin', where Romanus and Proval provided the voices of Vinnie and Crazy Shapiro, respectively. Actress Tina Bowman, who plays a small role in Wizards, has a larger role in Hey Good Lookin'. Actor Mark Hamill auditioned for and received a voice role in the film. "He needed a job, and he came to me, and I thought he was great, and Lucas thought he should do it, and he got not only [Wizards], he got [Star Wars]."^[1] Bakshi had wanted a female narrator for his film, and he loved Susan Tyrrell's acting. Tyrell performed the narration for the film, but Bakshi was told that he couldn't credit her for her narration. Years later, Tyrrell told Bakshi that she got most of her work from her narration on the film, and that she wished she had allowed him to put her name on it.^[1][2] Peter Michael Falk (born September 16, 1927) is an American actor. ... Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and voice actor. ... Susan Tyrrell (born March 18, c. ...

Animation

Rotoscoping in Wizards.

Notable artists involved in the production of Wizards include Ian Miller, who produced the gloomy backgrounds of Scorch, and Mike Ploog, who contributed likewise for the more arcadian lanscapes of Montegar.^[2] Bakshi was unable to complete the battle sequences with the budget Fox had given him. When he asked them for a budget increase, they refused (during the same meeting, director George Lucas had asked for a budget increase for Star Wars and was also refused).^[1] As a result, Bakshi finished his film by paying out of his own pocket and using rotoscoping for the unfinished battle sequences.^[1][2] "I thought that if we dropped all the detail, it would look very artistic, and very beautiful, and I felt, why bother animating all of this? I'm looking for a way to get realism into my film and get real emotion."^[2] "There's no question that it was an easier way to get these gigantic scenes that I wanted. It also was the way that showed me how to do Lord of the Rings, so it worked two ways."^[1] In addition to stock footage, the film used battle sequences from films such as Zulu, El Cid, Battle of the Bulge and Alexander Nevsky for rotoscoping. Live-action sequences from Patton were also featured. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 443 pixelsFull resolution (1635 × 906 pixel, file size: 179 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A scene from Ralph Bakshis Wizards, featuring extensive use of rotoscoping. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 443 pixelsFull resolution (1635 × 906 pixel, file size: 179 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A scene from Ralph Bakshis Wizards, featuring extensive use of rotoscoping. ... Rotoscoping is a technique where animators trace live action movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Eisneresque Topaz: Splash panel, Werewolf by Night #13 (Jan. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. ... J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings is the title of an animated film produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi, and released to theaters in 1978. ... Zulu is a 1964 adventure film depicting the Battle of Rorkes Drift between the British Army and the Army of the Zulus. ... El Cid is a 1961 historical epic film made by Samuel Bronston Productions in association with The Rank Organisation and released by Allied Artists. ... Battle of the Bulge is a war film released in 1965. ... Alexander Nevsky (Александр Невский) is a 1938 historical drama film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitry Vasiliev and produced by Mosfilm. ... Patton is a 1970 epic biographical film which tells the story of General George S. Pattons commands during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. ...

Response

Necron 99 and Weehawk in battle.

The film was well-received in Japan and Germany. According to Bakshi, he was once interviewed by a German reporter who asked why Bakshi had used the Nazi Swastika to represent war. Bakshi responded, "Are you kidding?"^[2] Critics were generally positive in their response to the film,^[3] with a few exceptions. Film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 56%.^[4] In David Brin's article on The Lord of the Rings, and more generally Romanticism versus the Enlightenment, he refers to the film as being "just about the most evil thing produced since Goebbels ran the Nazi propaganda mill."^[5] The film's visual designs are heavily influenced by Vaughn Bode's Cheech Wizard comics, to the point where some people have accused the film of plagiarism. In actuality, Vaughn was a friend of Bakshi's, and had tried to persuade him to direct a screenplay he had written.^[6] The film still maintains a large fanbase. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (853x480, 44 KB) Summary Screenshot from the movie Wizards. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (853x480, 44 KB) Summary Screenshot from the movie Wizards. ... A right-facing Swastika in a decorative Hindu form The swastika (from Sanskrit ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing () or left-facing () forms. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Glen David Brin, Ph. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by the English academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Wanderer above the sea of fog by Caspar David Friedrich Romanticism is an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in 18th century Western Europe during the Industrial Revolution. ... ... In religion evil refers to anything against the will or law of the god(s). ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ) (29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... Vaughn Bodé (July 22, 1941 - July 18, 1975), was an influential artist involved in and inspirational to underground comics, graphic design, and graffiti. ... Cheech Wizard was a cartoon character created by artist Vaughn Bode and appearing in various works, including the National Lampoon, from 1967 until Bodes death in 1975. ... Plagiarism (from Latin plagiare to kidnap) is the practice of claiming, or implying, original authorship or incorporating material from someone elses written or creative work, in whole or in part, into ones own without adequate acknowledgement. ...

Sequel

Bakshi has stated that Wizards was always intended as a trilogy. One of the sequels was pitched to Fox, who have yet to greenlight the project.^[3] In late 2004, a Wizards II graphic novel went into production, produced by Bakshi. The stories will be from the Wizards "universe" and each story will be created by a different artist.^[7] A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that are connected and can generally be seen as a single work as well as three individual ones. ...

Home video availability

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment had long neglected to put the feature out on DVD until an online petition^[8] created by Animation on DVD.com and written by Keith Finch demanding the film's release on DVD was brought to their attention, influencing them to release the film in the format.^[1][2][9] The disc, released on May 25, 2004, featured an audio commentary track by Bakshi and the segment Ralph Bakshi: The Wizard of Animation, in which Bakshi talked about the film against a black screen as various rare production photos and clips from the film are shown throughout. DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ...

References

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Wizards at the Internet Movie Database
• Wizards at the TCM Movie Database
• Wizards at Rotten Tomatoes
• Wizards at the official Ralph Bakshi website.