Wizards, Again

   Ok, I've gotta rant about Wizards again. I'm trying to figure out why I love this movie so much. I honestly watched it four times in a row yesterday. I've never done that before! There are so many things about Bakshi's films that I adore. I love that you can see  it was made by hand. I love the low-budget feel.
   Yes, all traditionally animated movies are hand-made, but there's something about Bakshi's films that remind you you're watching something made by a group of passionate people. There's a saying about animation along the lines of, "If the audience can catch what you did, you're not doing your job well enough." But for some reason that's what I crave. I'm so excited to see little imperfections, because then I feel connected with the artist.
    Another great thing about his movies is the stylistic disconnect between the backgrounds and the characters. You have simple, animatable characters set against intricate backgrounds that are delicately inked with pen, or painted in watercolor, or even filmed in live action. And for some reason it works, and makes me want more.

   Ralph Bakshi proved that you can make a good movie that has heart without spending millions of dollars. All you need is a handful of determined artists (seriously, there were 5-6 animators on this entire film!), and an honest, heart-felt story that you want to show to an audience. I want my own films to reflect his style and outlook.