MovieChat Forums > Wizards (1977) Discussion > How old and when did you first see this?

How old and when did you first see this?

posted 18 years ago by Doctor-Phibes
85 replies | jump to latest

Me, I saw it when I was about 10-11, back in the mid 80's. We lived overseas at the time and couldn't get TV stations (save for taped shows sent over by family), so Wizards was one of a few movies I'd rewatch a gazillion times.

I almost wonder if many kids who've grown up on things like Dragonball Z (ugh) think that Wizards is a screwy flick. I still love the trippy effects, weird rotoscoping- and Mike Ploog's and Ian Miller's art still stands today!

[–] xplutox 18 years ago

I was 14, lol i saw it about a month ago, i think it is so cool. my dad got it, and i asked him what it was, and he poped it into the DVD player. I realy like it, i may not see All the humor in it, but i still like it.

[–] Camelot_2000 18 years ago

I first heard of the film back around the late 1970s when I saw a theater advertisement for it in the newspaper. The poster of the red mutant on that ostrich shaped two legged horse really sparked my interest in wanting to see it. The chance never came though until about 1982 (when I was 13 years old) when it aired on the movie channel, finally satisfying my curiosity on what it was about.

Unclean beast! Get thee down! Be thou consumed by the fires that made thee!
Dragonslayer

[–] NotAJackal 18 years ago

My dad rented the video when I was maybe three or four, and me and him and my brother were all in the room when it was playing.

For many, many years to come, we would always refer to it as the "They Killed Fritz" movie (that being the only part I got)

POP, Six, Squish Uh uh, CICERO, Lischitz

[–] drmuttonchops2 18 years ago

I first saw it while I was a little kid on the Sci-Fi channel.

[–] PyroPlasmX 18 years ago

I was like 21 when I saw this movie for the first time. So therefore I was old enough to get what the movie had to say. The way they did the effects with the rotoscoping really made the movie even more unique. I wouldn't mind watching this movie again because I know there was something I missed watching it the first time.

Although I don't really think this is the best animated movie to show to the kids. First it has some violent images and some scary characters. Secondly the plot is such that most kids will be confused and like was said here they will only remember one part or one line.

[–] Doctor-Phibes 18 years ago

Had no clue that the Sci-Fi Channel ever aired this.

Smithy I totally agree about the animation's uniqueness. And no it's definitely not a Disney type of kiddie flick.... that fact really and blaringly goes without saying. The same year I saw Bakshi's StreetFight and Lord of the Rings, (and had back then only read about his other films), and had no chance of mistaking Ralph Bakshi for Walt Disney. (Though Rings was much tamer than Streetfight of course)

Glad you enjoyed it, though I say that you don't have to be near 21 to understand it. The imagery alone was far from subtle.

[–] drmuttonchops2 18 years ago

The Sci-fi Channel aired this around the same time they aired Saturday Anime and what-not,I remember watching it and being blown away.

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 18 years ago

I was 5 back in 1987 watching this on video with my brothers, i thought it was neat but didn't knew that fairies could bleed! it was quite violent for an animated movie.

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb"-Batman.

[–] elbryanwyndon 18 years ago

I was around fourteen, I rented Wizards and Light Years(Gandahar) both and loved both of the titles.

In the trivia here, the title was not forcibly changed by the studio to simply Wizards. Ralph Bakshi did a personal favor for George Lucas by changing the title, it's mentioned in the "Making Of" type bonus feature on the widescreen DVD edition.

[–] cyrilchua 18 years ago

Watched it when I was 11. Totally intrigued. As my language skills were poor, I didn't really quite get the full story. Really wanted to get the old clippings of Hitler.

[–] astridfire 18 years ago

Actually I watched it last night for the very first time, I am 30. Never heard of it until last night my husbands' friend brought over his Laserdisk and he let me pick a movie I chose Wizards. I am watching it again right now.

[–] slbolfing 18 years ago

Saw it when it came out... I was 21 and in still in college. I went to see it because I had so much fun with Fritz the Cat, and I was a big fan and SciFi/Fantasy.

Enjoyed the heck out of it then, and am looking forward to getting it on DVD!

[–] insectboy 17 years ago

"Saw it when it came out... I was 21 and in still in college. I went to see it because I had so much fun with Fritz the Cat, and I was a big fan and SciFi/Fantasy.

Enjoyed the heck out of it then, and am looking forward to getting it on DVD!"

___________________________________________

Ditto. Saw it at the old magic Lantern Theater in Isla Vista at UCSB in 1977. One of the best endings a movie ever had.

I’m open to the possibility it’s possible.
Is your mind open to the possibility it’s impossible?

[–] YouKnowMyName68 18 years ago

I first became aware of Ralph Bakshi's 'Wizards' at the age of 11 in 1979 in Mountain View, Ca through a tv guide that I was paging through and I stopped dead when I saw that painting of Necron 99 looking 'bad' one arming a big ass laser shot gun astride that futuristic mutant biped. But, I had missed it by a few days. I finally rented it in 1988.