Ygam - Fan around the world

Fan around the World

La planète sauvage a largement dépasse le cadre de nos frontières... en Amérique surtout , ce film fait l'objet (comme en France, mais à une autre échelle), d'un véritable culte, et René Laloux s'illustre comme les frenchies de la nouvelle vague dans l'underground américain. La aussi, il aura fait école...

En attendant d'avantage (leur traduction...), voici quelques copies d'articles, de sites , commerciaux ou personnels et les jaquettes des films adaptées aux goûts d'outre atlantique (et d'ailleurs)...la review concernant la musique de la planete sauvage est accessible ici

Fans sur amazon.com

Fantastic Planet, August 18, 2000 Reviewer:A viewer from MN

I saw this movie so long ago I almost forgot about it, untill I went and saw The Cell and to my suprise and delight it was being shown on T.V when I told my son about this movie and what it was about he sounded very excited to see it and now I can buy one here it was very thought provoking and scary when I was much younger, but I feel the message is the same and would recomend this film to any who are sci-fi freaks and cartoon lovers everywhere. I can't wait to get mine.

Best Animation Film there is!,December 28, 1999 Reviewer: lourdes33 from chicago, IL USA

I saw this film in a theatre years ago. I absolutely loved it. The animation is great and the concept was weird, a totally out of this world imaginative story. The unique music well fitted for the storyline. I highly recommend this movie to people who are fans of animated film. This is truly my number one best recommended animated film. I watched this movie many times and NEVER grew tired of it.

Wow, what a planet, November 20, 1999 Reviewer: skylights90n@yahoo.com (see more about me) from USA

I first saw this video 20 years ago. And it was fascinating, thought provoking, enigmatic. And by the way, my 10 year old liked it also.

Great sci-fi!, July 13, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from Madison, WI

The stylistic surrealism of Fantastic Planet was remembered blurrily from an early morning viewing on TV. I've asked around, and this is how most people know this film, although I'm pretty sure I saw it at a drive-in too. This is dark imagery with a telling social satire. The DVD itself is flawed. You may listen in English, but you have to watch the subtitles, which don't match, as well. The three shorts are just plain stupid. The first, The Monkeys Teeth, is probably the worst. I reccamend watching all of them at 2X by the way, it isn't quite as painfull. Anyway, the annoying thing is that he doesn't start with the animation, instead using film of people in what looks like a classroom. The narrator drones about mental patients writing a story together. Then the animation starts and you wonder "Why the stupid intro?"."Maybe they'll have some sort of wrap up or something" you think. But no, it's just a stupid intro. Some guy gets his teeth pulled by a dentist, then wanders around for ten minutes. Then the monkey pulls the dentist's teeth and gives them to the victim. That's worthy of 20 minutes of your life isn't it? NOT! The second film (The Death Times) is not any better, but the visuals are interesting. It's just an excuse for a film really, it's just zooms and pans of drawings. Ignore the narrator, it's just drivel. Some of the pictures are quite striking and inventive. Slides of these would be preferrable, however. The third (The Snails) is almost, ALMOST bearable. Again you must utilize the 2X or you will tear your hair out! A farmer discovers that tears will make his crop grow larger, so he walks through his field with an onion, then reads a depressing book, etc. Anyway, so snails come and eat the crop, grow large and chase people around. It's kind of amusing watching giant snails run around a city and chase people. Keep that 2X on though because they are snails! Overall, just ignore the shorts and enjoy the film, as much as that's possible with the stupid subtitles! Still, it's better than nothing.

Wonderful French Hallucination, May 24, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from New York,

New York Fans of animation , science fiction, or just plain weirdness must not pass this up. Contains some of the most mind-bendingly surreal creatures and backdrops to ever make there way into a feature-length animated film from any country. My only problem with this DVD is the language options. French audio with English subs is fine, but English audio with English subtitles - what is the sense in that? I found it very annoying and unecessary.

Great for people that are really into that kind of movie, May 7, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from Innsbruck, Austria

No question - this is a great story, set up in a really weird environment. I do not doubt that there will be many people out there, who, like me, owe much of their SciFi addiction to watching 'Fantastic Planet' when they still were kids. What should be mentioned with regard to this DVD edition (US, region 1) is, that it is impossible to turn off the subtitles. They are part of the image, and not encoded separately, as otherwise usual.

Extremely good movie, but this edition suffers., May 6, 1999 Reviewer: Someone who owns it. from WI, USA

Imagine how I felt finally being able to buy this on video, only to find out that this particular version is dubbed into English (as in the original USA release) and subtitled into English. The subtitles do not match the dubbing. I'd really like to see it in the orignal French...

March 12, 1999 Reviewer: casefritz@hotmail.com from Portland,Oregon

I have just purchased this movie and watched it as soon as I got home. The imagination and animation are fantastic!(As the name implies =) ) The ability to listen to it in French with subtitles or no subtitles and listen to it in English makes this film even more pleasurable to watch. The movie has dark undertones and may not be suitable for all family members, however, I think that everyone in the family would learn something from this movie. I recommend the purchase of this movie. This is an excellent addition to anyone's collection.

Weird, dream-like... fascinating to watch, March 12, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from New York City

For animation fans or admirers of strange cinema, check this film out. As a kid, I'd seen it on cable television many times and was really taken by the strange characters and design work. It still holds up and the DVD is beautifully done

February 12, 1999 Reviewer: jeff@ultraviolet.com (see more about me) from San Francisco, CA -USA

I have been a fan of this movie for a long time and only now as an adult have I finally felt the full depth of the concepts conveyed through this film. Set in a strange world not unlike our own, a culture of large alien giants reigns over the planet while 'infestated' by a type human culture the size of hamsters. As these little "pets" are treated like slaves and abused as a lower lifeform, you feel yourself identifying with rats and other small pets. The protagonist learns more about the culture and the world by finding a learning device which is used to teach the GIANT children about the universe. After a daring escape, our hero steals the learning device and teaches "wild" humanoids about the world and together they rebel against the alien giants. This thrilling film also features a fantastic soundtrack with 70's synth stylings in full effect. A must own for animation enthusiasts.

Rene Laloux freaks us out, February 2, 1999 Reviewer: saisir@mail.utexas.edu from Austin, Texas, USA

"Fantastic Planet" is an animated movie, released in 1973. It chronicles the life of a human named Ter, kept as a pet by a young girl who belongs to an alien race. He escapes his master and joins a civilization of wild humans (called "Ohms" by the master race). This film is bizarre and sometimes even thought-provoking. The adversarial relationship that develops between the Ohms and their masters nearly destroys them both, and the road to ruin is fascinating and surreal for the viewer. Early 1970s period music and what seems to be colored-pencil animation make this movie truly unique (the animation was completed in Czechoslovakia). Accolades for the film include the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

A beautiful and fascinating obscure little movie., December 23, 1998 Reviewer: tgilmore@rmisp.com from U.S.

I actually caught this on some movie channel, in a motel, at about 3 in the morning. This is one of those movies that you never have heard about, but really rewards a person for having an open mind about what movie to watch. Rene Laloux presents a surreal atmosphere throughout. It also has a deep plot; unlike U.S. animated movies, this was made for adults, and therefore it speaks on a very mature level. Though, what makes this movie worth it is its sublime enviroments and beautiful artwork.

Exceptional political and social commentary, December 22, 1998 Reviewer: Scott Shepard (scottbuzz@juno.com) from Memphis, Tennessee

"Fantastic Planet" is one of the most profound and unappreciated commentaries on the Soviet Empire. Produced in Chzechoslovakia shortly after the 1968 Russian invasion, this film is an incredible, under-the-table commentary about life under Russian rule. The giants are the Russian invaders. The humans are the Czechs and Slovaks, kept as curious "pets" but who eventually become troublesome and must be exterminated. The pets organize to resist the giants. This is not a fantasy but one of the finest metaphors of the Cold War and the nuclear age since the Japanese created Godzilla in the wake of the atom bomb. That the Czechs were allowed to produce this film right under the noses of their Russian captors is a testament to their spirit and cunning.

Quite the Bizarre and Unusual Movie.., December 3, 1998 Reviewer: A viewer from Temple City, CA

This is a cartoon that is not for kids because they wouldn't understand it. It is one of the most bizarre movies I have ever seen- the animation, music and sound combine to produce a very strange experience. I bought this on sale somewhere for $2.99 (the EP version - not very good quality) and it was worth every penny! Seriously, I would recommend this because you have to watch it and see for yourself. It is a film with an interesting premise.

A timeless animation film dealing with prejudices., August 2, 1998 Reviewer: m_halinen@hotmail.com. from Portland, Oregon

Fantastic Planet was definitely ahead of its time when it was created. The musical score is riveting. The creativity of the scenery and life in the film is breathtaking. Dealing with the universal issue of prejudice the film shows that all life has its hierarchy, and prejudice is possible anywhere. A beautifully composed animated film which is more geared for adults than children.Timeless in its answer to solving hatred among different cultures.

Fantastic Planet, August 18, 2000 Reviewer: A viewer from MN

Best Animation Film there is!, December 28, 1999 Reviewer: lourdes33 (see more about me) from chicago, IL USA

: Wow, what a planet., November 20, 1999 Reviewer: skylights90n@yahoo.com (see more about me) from USA

I first saw this video 20 years ago. And it was fascinating, thought provoking, enigmatic. And by the way, my 10 year old liked it also.

: Fantastic Film, August 16, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from Syracuse, N.Y.

Came across this film for the first time around two a.m. one summer morning in 1986. It was being broadcast on a late-night cable t.v. program known as "Night Flight." Unfortunately, just prior to it starting, I had to leave to take a friend home. But being a fan of animated films, I didn't want to miss it, so I popped a tape in the VCR to record it. When I came home, I went straight to bed. The next morning when I woke up, I played the tape. I simply could not believe what I had just recorded. This film has been an all-time favorite of mine ever since. Over the years, I have tried to find a copy of the movie, and was finally able to find one through a mail-order catalog about four years ago. Upon watching the new copy, I discovered that it had been edited, and discovered that my original copy was edited as well. Both copies had parts that the other did not. Being a perfectionist, but one without the proper film editing equipment, I tried unsatisfactorily to combine the two copies into a good quality, complete version. I began to think I'd never have a good copy of this great film. Fast forward to this past weekend. While browsing at a record & movie store, what did I see but a nicely packaged 25th anniversary release of the film. Of course I snatched it up, brought it home, and played it. To my delight, it was complete, and a great reproduction as well. However, one thing I could do without is the poorly-matched English subtitles with dubbed English. I know it's a cliche - but one I can't escape - "They just don't make them like this anymore."

great sci-fi!, July 13, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from Madison, WI

Wonderful French Hallucination, May 24, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from New York, New York Fans of animation , science fiction, or just plain weirdness must not pass this up. Contains some of the most mind-bendingly surreal creatures and backdrops to ever make there way into a feature-length animated film from any country. My only problem with this DVD is the language options. French audio with English subs is fine, but English audio with English subtitles - what is the sense in that? I found it very annoying and unecessary

. Great for people that are really into that kind of movie, May 7, 1999 Reviewer: A viewer from Innsbruck, Austria

No question -this is a great story, set up in a really weird environment. I do not doubt that there will be many people out there, who, like me, owe much of their SciFi addiction to watching 'Fantastic Planet' when they still were kids. What should be mentioned with regard to this DVD edition (US, region 1) is, that it is impossible to turn off the subtitles. They are part of the image, and not encoded separately, as otherwise usual.

May 6, 1999 Reviewer: Someone who owns it. from WI, USA -Extremely good movie, but this edition suffers.Imagine how I felt finally being able to buy this on video, only to find out that this particular version is dubbed into English (as in the original USA release) and subtitled into English. The subtitles do not match the dubbing. I'd really like to see it in the orignal French...

Well worth watching (more than once even!), March 12, 1999 Reviewer: casefritz@hotmail.com (see more about me) from Portland, Oregon

Text by Edward Champion:

1998 has seen a re-releasing frenzy as zealous as Van Gogh's ear-oriented insanity. Art houses everywhere have been flooded with everything from touched-up Orson Welles masterpieces to wacky Jacques Demy musicals. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Hot on the heels of this monomania, CQN Releasing has had the balls to re-release a truly interesting 1973 French oddity by the name of Fantastic Planet. This animated film was directed by Rene Laloux, who co-wrote the film with Roland Topor (Topor would later go on to write Polanski's underrated The Tenant, based on his own novel). Ostensibly based on the novel Oms en Serie by Stefan Wul, Fantastic Planet plays like an animated equivalent of the Bunuel/Dali classic, L'Age d'Or. The film opens with a mother running with her child through the woods. She tries to run up a hill, but a giant blue hand comes out of nowhere, repeatedly flicking her right down the hill. Is this the hand of a bored god? The hand picks up the mother and unintentionally kills her. We soon learn that the hand belongs to a member of a blue-skinned, red-eyed, and superintelligent group of aliens, the Draags. The child, who is named Terr, is an Om, human beings that are Lilliputian in comparison to the Draags. There are wild and tamed Oms. The tamed types, however, are merely pets for the Draag children, at the mercy of being thrown around or battling with each other. The wild Oms are mainly Oms who have managed to escape the Draags. Now all this may sound distinctly Cormanesque, but the film is really best enjoyed as a collection of surrealist ideas. Cardboard cutouts leap out of a stark rococo environment that seems to be inspired from Terry Gilliam's animations for Monty Python and perhaps owes a little bit to the jagged, demented drawings of Ralph Steadman. Considering the minimalist animation approach, there are a good deal of eye-popping, off-the-wall design ideas offered in Fantasitc Planet. The Draag town hall features a large block in the center with the officials sitting on top and the image of the person speaking reflected on all four sides of it. There are a variety of odd creatures on the planet, including a meat-based form of the Venus flytrap The Draags resort to "de-oming" the Oms and employ a variety of strange devices to exterminate them when they get out of hand. There's also a strange Paganistic ritual that seems to have somehow found inspiration from both Tarkovsky's Andrei Reblev and the Summer of Love. Surprisingly, after twenty-five years, the film holds up pretty well. This is not to say that it is without its limitations. When tied down to carrying out the plot details, it falls a bit flat. But Jonathan Swift would be proud of the Oms. And you have to dig Alain Goraguer's funky French soundtrack.

la version americain de l'affiche des maitres du temps

Light year, le titre americain de Gandahar

Review sur GANDAHAR

Lightyears - influence on End Sinister? greenspun.com : LUSENET : Aeon Flux : One Thread Has anyone seen "Lightyears"? It's a French animated movie, from the late eighties, that contains some interesting parallels to End Sinister, like cryogenic sleep, confronting an enemy 1,000 years in the future, mutants (if you look closely, you can see one with no nose or mouth, just like End Sin's aliens), and some ultra-bizarre imagery (in one scene, a flower gives birth to what looks like an anteater, and a woman breastfeeds it).Paul D. Gilbreath (gilbreathfamily@worldnet.att.net), June 03, 2000

"my quest begins with a riddle: in a thousand years, gandahar will be destroyed. a thousand years ago, gandahar will be saved, and all that can't be avoided will be." you know, paul, you're a bit scary when you point to obscure material when exploring possible influences for any given flux episode. as a professional animator, it is almost certain that chung would have viewed "light years" and enjoyed how asimov's fantasy planet, gandahar, was depicted. i would like to point out, however, that the enemy in "light years" is an artificial brain that gandahar's leading scientists created and left abandoned in the middle of the ocean. the mutants (much after the x-men tradition) were outcasted by the society. seen as a threat to the society, the mutants (who were victims of the scientific experiments linked to the creation of the artificial brain) were forced to live underground. but in the thick of battle, the mutants show that they are allies. they are NOT the enemy. therefore, just as in "End Sinister," the 'aliens' are thought to be an enemy but turn out to be human, so too do the mutants in "light years" prove to be fellow brothers of the gandaharian people. rene laloux is a wonderful director of animation. i recommend that you watch "fantastic planet," if you enjoyed "light years." thanks for your wonderful insights. although i never respond, i enjoy reading all the post-its on this site. :)illy (yyen@hotmail.com), June 08, 2000.

Hey, thanks. I think Lightyears (is it Lightyears or Light Years?) was seen by all of 2 people, honestly I didn't expect a reponse. I hear Fantastic Planet was really amazing for it's time, one of these days I'll have to see it. Thanks Paul D. Gilbreath (gilbreathfamily@worldnet.att.net), June 08, 2000.

Ahhhh i saw that movie before...and i thought i was the only who's seen it! i haven't watched it for quite some time though...i'm going to have to go and rent it now...lol....and fantastic voyage, cool i'm going to look for that one to. Lady Morgan (Aeonfluxfan1@Aol.com), June 11, 2000.

I just went to the video store to rent lightyears and they have never even heard of it! Darn it!!!!! Wonder where i can get it. -- Lady Morgan (Aeonfluxfan1@aol.com), June 12, 2000.