American Pop [Blu-ray]

Overview

The rise and growth of American popular music through the 20th century is reflected in the lives of four generations of one family in this animated drama directed by Ralph Bakshi. Zalmie (voice of Jeffrey Lippa), a Russian Jew, emigrates to America, and tries to struggle along as a comic and musician in vaudeville, until an injury suffered in World War I ends his singing career. Zalmie's son Benny (voice of Richard Singer) inherits his father's love for music, and when he grows to adulthood, he joins a jazz combo as a pianist; his career is cut short, however, when he's killed while fighting in World War II. Benny's son Tony (voice of Ron Thompson) is also bitten by the music bug and is determined to make his mark as a songwriter; he becomes involved in the Beat poetry and music community in San Francisco, and later falls in with a pioneering psychedelic band. Along the way, Tony fathers an illegitimate son named Pete (voice of Eric Taslitz), and ends up becoming Pete's guardian in New York City without realizing he's the boy's father. After Tony's death, Pete supports himself by dealing drugs, while struggling to make his dream of becoming a rock star a reality. Ralph Bakshi achieved American Pop's unique look through a process called "rotoscoping" -- shooting the scenes with live actors, and then tracing their movements onto animation cells.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/22/2023
UPC:	0043396633421
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Source:	ALLIED VAUGHN
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	3,265

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Hilary Beane	Showgirl #1
Gene Borkan	Izzy
Beatrice Cohen	Prostitute
Frank DeKova	Crisco
Ben Frommer	Nicky Palumbo
Jerry Holland	Louie
Roz Kelly	Eva Tanguay
Amy Levitt	Nancy
Jeffrey Lippa	Zalmie
Richard Moll	Poet
Ron Thompson	Tony/Pete
Marya Small	Frankie
Lisa Jane Persky	Bella
Richard Singer	Benny
Elsa Raven	Hannele
Joey Camen	Freddie
Leonard Stone	Leo
Eric Taslitz	Little Pete
Vincent Schiavelli	Voices
Bob Morones	Voices
Lynda Wiesmeier	Voices

Technical Credits

Ralph Bakshi	Director
Maggie Abbott	Executive Producer
Martin Ransohoff	Producer
Richard R. St. Johns	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

An animated cult classic, Ralph Bakshi's American Pop says it all in the duality of its title: It chronicles both a century of popular music and a tale of father-son relationships among four generations of entertainers. Zalmi is a turn-of-the century Jewish immigrant who becomes a burlesque vaudevillian and mob-hit victim, while his son Benny dies before finding fame as a pianist. Benny's drifter son Tony, a self-destructive songwriter in San Francisco's psychedelic rock scene, leaves behind his boy Little Pete, who ultimately shines as a punk rock star. The film's visually compelling use of rotoscoping (tracing from live action) is punctuated by documentary footage of America's changing social and political climates. The soundtrack is a history lesson of 20th century music: George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Scott Joplin, Sam Cooke, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, The Mamas & The Papas, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Seger, and Lynyrd Skynyrd all get their due. From Minsky's and dance halls to Greenwich Village coffeehouses and West Coast rock festivals, American Pop is an unforgettable time capsule that drives home music's impact on all generations.

Barnes & Noble - Sharon Steinbach

American Pop is an ambitious and groundbreaking work of storytelling that also just happens to be animated. For years, love-him-or-hate-him director Ralph Bakshi pushed the envelope of animation as far as he could, which more often than not, resulted in some rather racy material (Streetfight, Fritz the Cat). Then came American Pop, which in 1981 ushered in not only a new style of animation for the masses (rotoscoping -- something Bakshi had played around with years before), but a soundtrack that covers almost 80 years of popular music, from Scott Joplin to Hendrix. It's a lofty goal, and even more so because of how utterly serious the sprawling story line is. This isn't loud and flashy like Heavy Metal, nor was the music as hip as Rock & Rule two years later. American Pop is a heavy drama that deliberately takes its time while trying to do justice to each character and their time period's music. That said, it tends to drag in some parts, focusing in on this or that person for too long -- but when the rock & roll revolution starts to take over, it knows when to turn it up and let the crazy visuals flow. The end, for instance, shouldn't work. Bakshi's been putting his audience through the emotional ringer for almost 90 minutes, but by the time Bob Seger starts blastin', you're there, fist in air, ready to preach the gospel. It's a great close to a daring animated film whose ambitions have to be respected, whether you enjoy it or not.

All Movie Guide - Jeremy Wheeler