Wizards on the big screen

This weekend opened with getting off work and going straight to The Hollywood Theater for Wyrd War's special showing of Wizards on the big screen and the first time the sound track was released on vinyl... and the album being released at the show was of 200 special editions made, specifically, for the showing. Of course I got one.

Two of the protagonists Avatar (the good wizard) and Weehawk the elf hero.

Antagonist Blackwolf, the evil wizard.

I met my Dungeons and Dragons group before hand for a few drinks. Gretchen "called in sick" as she was not felling well and stayed home. Bummer as she really wanted to go and many of our friends were there.

Wizards is 40 years old having been released early in 1977. I was 5 or 6 years old when I saw it that year and it came out right before Star Wars. I remember it being one of the first movies I saw a commercial of on TV and telling my parents I wanted to see it. Being the 70s the MPAA (and studios) were not sure what to do with this movie. It got a PG. In hindsight I'm sure it was my first exposure to Nazis and what they did as it played a big part of the movie.

Bad guys went straight up nazi.

Ralph Bakshi made it, famous for other animated movies like Fire and Ice and Lord of the Rings. He is famed for use of Rotoscope - animating over live action film footage - and infamous for being a curmudgeon. He is part of my own mythology. The sound track was by Andrew Belling who was also at the show Friday and he did a great Q&A and I love that dude. He was very touched by seeing a sell-out crowd and said how amazed he was to see such a big audience for something he did 40 years ago.

Famous "They got Fritz!" scene.

Some other animation from the beginning exposition part of a younger Avatar and Blackwolf.

The movie sits in a weird spot in my memories from 40 years ago. I was at the age that my memories are breaking out of dream-like and into legit memories. Some scenes in the movie are engraved in my hardware while some were totally gone. For instance:

1) Battle scenes - I totally remember some of those scenes. Both the focus of some of the animation scenes as well as some of the Rotoscoped background scenes.

2) The character Elinor - I have zero memory of her. That said I have always like curvy women and maybe seeing this when I was so young is part of that? Also, see above comments on this movie being rated PG - hahaha!

Other than a 4 minute scene when she put on a poncho Elinor is in the whole movie like this. PG or not? No judgement here.

Another great gig put up by Wyrd War - Tiffany and Dennis and their kid - They do an incredible job of putting together really cool shit and I'm glad to call them my friends too. They are my people.

Follow Wyrd War via their Facebook page:
And also see a video of Maria Karlin of Federales singing with Andrew Belling playing the ballad in the movie.

EDIT: 7/16/17 at 20:42:
The Battle for Art Blog, by Dennis Dread of Wyrd War,  link is right here and you should click and look at it.

EDIT 2: Did I mention how cool and sweet Andrew Belling is? Exuded coolness.