On February 17 and 18, Tinker Street Cinema will finish up a run of cult films by Ralph Bakshi with two of the animator’s best-known works, Wizards and Fritz the Cat.
The psychedelic post-apocalyptic fantasy Wizards (1977), which screens on February 17 at 7pm, is rated PG and follows the battle between two wizard brothers of opposing powers, one of whom represents the forces of magic while the other represents the forces of technology—certainly a timely viewing in this age of rapidly burgeoning A.I. Check out this original trailer from the year of its release:
Bakshi’s feature film debut, Fritz the Cat (1972) is an independent adult animated black comedy film based on the titular comic strip by Robert Crumb with the lead role of Fritz voiced by comedian Skip Hinnant. Definitely not for little ones, the film was given an X rating (a recent equivalent to NC-17) by the Motion Picture Association of America, making it the first American animated film to receive the rating. With sociopolitical overtones, the story follows the gritty exploits of college-dropout cat Fritz and was controversial for its depiction of profanity, sex, and drug use.
Wizards and Fritz the Cat will screen at Tinker Street Cinema in Woodstock on, respectively, February 17 and 18 at 7pm. Tickets are $10 (discounts apply).
