Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

American Pop Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 27, 2023

Somewhere between the razzle dazzle of silver age Walt Disney Animation, the darker worlds and tales of Don Bluth (you better have The Secret of NIMH in your collection) and the Hobbity nostalgia of Rankin/Bass arose animator and artisan Ralph Bakshi, an early advocate of quasi-photoreal animation best known for high post-nuclear fantasy Wizards (1977) and his unfinished adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (1978), but arguably best loved for more adult fare a la the controversial X-rated Fritz the Cat (1972), hard-hitting Fire and Ice (1983) and the much lesser known, largely underappreciated American Pop (1981). Ahead of its time with a tale of an immigrant family framed, even defined by the music of the age, it's a film that's at once trippy and drug-addled, much like the songs and performances teetering across the frame, and intimate and important, with meaning that goes beyond its parade of rock stars.

Journey into an explosion of sight, sound, song and superb storytelling as brilliantly conceived by animation innovator Ralph Bakshi ('Fritz the Cat', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Wizards'). From a turn-of-the-century immigrant vaudevillian to a rock superstar, 'American Pop' is the story of four generations whose lives revolve around the beat of American popular music. Featuring a mind-blowing soundtrack bursting with the hit music of The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Mamas & The Papas, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pat Benatar, Lou Reed, Bob Seger and more. Packed with energy, excitement, electricity and enthusiasm, Bashki's work is a ground-breaking, kaleidoscopic animated trip.

I'll tell you right up front: I struggle with Bashki's animation. I recognize its role in its era, and certainly its influence, not to mention its '70s and early '80s appeal. But it hasn't aged well, and without the grade school nostalgia I have for something like Rankin/Bass's The Hobbit, which allows me to push through those struggles based on countless childhood viewings, I haven't developed the same fondness for Bashki. His work was too adult and explicit in the eyes of my parents, and they kept movies like Wizards off my rental wish list (a tame fantasy by the animator's standards and wholly undeserving of their helicoptering). It wasn't until my 20s that I discovered the bulk of Bashki animation. I appreciated it immediately, but only as one does walking through a museum, noting a piece of art as a crucial but long-past building block to things that came after.

But American Pop is a bit of a different beastie. While the rotoscoped animation remains decidedly a product of the era, the film is more concerned with capturing the feel and tenor of a time in history when the chaos of music and the life of the immigrating everyman collided within a country and culture constantly at war with itself. Trauma, tragedy and division is at the core of the generational story in American Pop, and the rock songs that tend to steal newcomers' attention are actually paired with everything occurring on screen with a sharpness and veracity that almost, almost makes the movie play like a modern throwback; a period piece dedicated to capturing a time long past and an uncertainty that is both quaintly forgotten and horribly relevant and timely to the 21st century American experience. American Pop longs for equality and freedom, both in artistic expression and cultural opportunity (for the likes of immigrants desperate to climb the social ladder). And through that lens, raises questions I was surprised to be asked by a mostly forgotten animated film that hails from 1981. Questions like, "how is it the immigrant experience has worsened over the last forty years?" "Have we as Americans shirked our responsibility as a melting pot and a country that desired to accept 'your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free'?"

But that's all beneath the surface and may not be of interest to as many as it should. Fortunately, Bashki's reputation as an adult animation rebel and aficionado drew the attention of a wider swath of rock stars than Disney, Bluth or other animation greats could have assembled. Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Mamas & The Papas, even the likes of Jefferson Airplane and The Doors, all at a relatively bargain price considering the number of bands on tap. Feature songs include "Hell Is for Children" by Pat Benatar, featuring Neil Giraldo, Pat Benatar and Roger Capps; "Summertime" by Big Brother and the Holding Company; "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas; "This Train" by Peter, Paul and Mary; "Somebody to Love" by Marcy Levy; "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke, "Turn Me Loose" by Fabian Forte and, my personal favorite of the bunch, "People Are Strange" by Jim Morrison and The Doors. You'll also catch ear of music from George Gershwin, Louis Prima, Herbie Hancock and Lou Reed. Even those who don't enjoy American Pop can find something to dig in one of the strangest versions of a Woodstockian headtrip you could dream up.

American Pop Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is a tough one to analyze and grade. There isn't an extensive record of the condition of American Pop's original elements, nor its journey to this 2023 Blu-ray release. We also don't have anyone on staff who could offer more information or insight than was found in my research. The film's trek from 1981 to today is muddled and often mysterious, and it's unclear how much work Sony put into the master utilized on this Blu-ray release or if, more likely, the team simply acquired a master that was deemed up to par. It would be nice if studios followed Criterion's example and documented, even in a brief paragraph or two, the work put into each catalog transfer. Regardless, American Pop's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation looks... pretty good, all things considered. Certainly not incredible. But it satisfies to a reasonable point, despite demanding a higher caliber restoration. (If, and it's a very big if, realistic budgetary constraints, the condition of the original elements, the cost of music rights, consumer demand, and the level of work required to bring the image in line with modern expectations somehow magically aligned. Sad spoiler alert: they won't. Ever.)

Colors are sometimes murky (a staple of Bashki's animation shortcomings) and all at once vivid and explosive, with mixed media film footage and other techniques meant to blend with the animation. It makes for an effective, at-times eye-popping image, even if by accident. Flashy purples, blues and reds turn musical numbers into acidic trips reminiscent of 2001's jaunt across the stars, and the high definition encode holds its own. Detail is decent, though print specks and cel dust is common. Most of the wear and tear present are a product of the physical animation materials and production rather than an issue in encoding or raw image quality. This is most likely the best the original animation could look without an extensive, and I mean extensive, high dollar overhaul. There isn't much noise in the way of blocking or banding (although occasionally some exceedingly minor pixelation could be seen along line art when pausing to take screenshots), but the film's grain has an occasional chunkiness and inconsistence that isn't exactly attractive. The good news is those of you who love American Pop, along with those who are primed to come to love American Pop, will see all of this as only enhancing the period personality and authenticity of a gritty, grimy animated oddity that comes to life more and more as color and music collide.

American Pop Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There isn't a lot to say about Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. It sounds solid. Clean, clear and vital. The music soars on its own merits, so the age and limitations inherent to the original recordings are expected, and personally didn't bother me a bit. I expected it. I dug it. It was like listening to a vintage record. And it even added to the period charm of hearing such beloved classics while watching them set to at-times wildly kinetic animated sequences. Prioritization is more than adequately managed, without any issues of buried dialogue or under-supported instrumentation or vocals. The only real disappointment is that a newer, remastered 5.1 experience hasn't been created to see what the film might sound like if given a modern treatment. That said, purists will be pleased. Mostly. It isn't perfect by any means -- clarity inconsistencies are present throughout and, again, debatable as to whether they're a real issue or not -- but everything I needed was satisfied with a quality and, as far as I could tell, faithful mix.

American Pop Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's release of American Pop doesn't include any special features, which is a real shame.

American Pop Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

American Pop is a nearly long lost relic of its time; a film that deserves far more attention and memory that it's earned in the last forty-some years. You needn't be a fan of Bashki's rotoscoped animation per se, just a lover of intimate stories, tragic struggles, trippy visuals and classic rock. There really is a lot to appreciate, even adore here, and it's no wonder the film has retained a small but loyal fanbase over the years. I wish I loved it as much as you, I do. Sony's Blu-ray release is a bit of a toss-up, unfortunately. While its AV presentation is relatively remarkable, it could be better... if the stars aligned, which let's be honest, fair or not, they won't on this one. And a complete lack of special features is a big disappointment. How better to frame the importance and uniqueness of a film like American Pop than a full supplemental retrospective? Ah well. This is probably the best you can expect of an American Pop release for the foreseeable future. My take? It justifies its price to fans, and then some. Newcomers may have to fight off a bit of buyer's remorse. Time will tell.