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Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal

Animation · Science Fiction · Adventure · 1981

The embodiment of ultimate evil, a glowing orb terrorizes a young girl with bizarre stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror.

Movie details

Heavy Metal

“A step beyond science fiction.”

1981 Animation · Science Fiction · Adventure 1h 30m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

The embodiment of ultimate evil, a glowing orb terrorizes a young girl with bizarre stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Heavy Metal?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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O Lucky Man!

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Gerald Potterton · John Bruno · John Halas

Written by

Len Blum · Daniel Goldberg · Dan O'Bannon

Rodger Bumpass

Rodger Bumpass

Hanover Fiste / Dr. Anrak (voice)

John Candy

John Candy

Desk Sergeant / Dan / Den / Robot (voice)

Jackie Burroughs

Jackie Burroughs

Katherine (voice)

Joe Flaherty

Joe Flaherty

Lawyer / General (voice)

Don Francks

Don Francks

Grimaldi / Co-Pilot / Barbarian (voice)

Marilyn Lightstone

Marilyn Lightstone

Whore / Queen (voice)

Eugene Levy

Eugene Levy

Sternn / Male Reporter / Edsel (voice)

Court is in session

Put Heavy Metal on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.