A Few Words About A few words about...™ Heavy Traffic -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Ralph Bakshi's Heavy Traffic, was a adult-orientated animated gem when it arrived in 1973. Actually, somewhat mixed media, its colors literally jump off the screen today on this Blu-ray, as they did forty years ago in theatres.

Not for all tastes, definitely eclectic, and with great personality, this is very much an early '70s film. Possibly the Easy Rider of the animated genre.

Heavy Traffic is a beautiful Blu-ray from Shout Factory, via MGM.

Image 4.5

Audio - 5 (2-track)

Recommended.

RAH

 

[Ruz-El]

Nice to see this one was done right. I picked it up dirt cheap for a new release, plan to watch it this weekend.

 

[Sky Captain]

Glad to see it on Blu-Ray DVD at last, even if it's by way of Shout Factory under license from MGM.

 

[Brian Kidd]

I would have loved a commentary or other special features but I'm just glad it turned out looking as nice as it did. I love Bakshi's films. Too bad the DVD of Coonskin has the colors blown out. I'd really love a decent Blu-ray of that one.

 

[Dick]

This was originally rated "X," and later re-rated "R." l am wondering if this involved the cutting of any footage, whether the ridiculous MPAA simply changed their minds, or whether enough time had passed so that relaxed censorship guidelines allowed for this re-rating. Anyone know?

 

[bigshot]

The standards were relaxed by then. The film wasn't cut.

 

[Dick]

Now we need FRITZ THE CAT.

 

[Richard--W]

Yes, bring on Fritz the Cat.

 

[Dick]

Also, as a comment to go along with my thread about the latest Disney animated Blu-rays, the Blu of HEAVY TRAFFIC runs rings around them. Yes, an American-International film released by SHOUT! has ten times the picture quality that any of the last three Disney releases has, with I am sure a fraction of Disney's financial resources. Pretty pathetic on Disney's part. Nice job, Shout!...you bested The Mouse!

 

[rdimucci]

This was originally rated "X," and later re-rated "R." l am wondering if this involved the cutting of any footage, whether the ridiculous MPAA simply changed their minds, or whether enough time had passed so that relaxed censorship guidelines allowed for this re-rating. Anyone know?

The standards were relaxed by then. The film wasn't cut.

The online MPAA ratings database seems to disagree. It says that HEAVY TRAFFIC was "Edited for re-rating" to its [R] rating in 1974.

http://www.filmratings.com/search.html?filmTitle=heavy+traffic&x=-955&y=-42

 

[Roger Grodsky]

The database says that about MIDNIGHT COWBOY, too, which I think is incorrect.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

I had read that a few seconds were cut from a sequence showing animated nudity that was inadvertently left in on the DVD release. I'll bet it is on the Blu-ray as well.