Ralph Bakshi

Ralph Bakshi

Born: October 29, 1938
in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine [now Israel]
Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote. He has been involved in numerous television projects as director, writer, producer and animator.

Beginning his career at the Terrytoons television cartoon studio as a cel polisher, Bakshi was eventually promoted to director. He moved to the animation division of Paramount Pictures in 1967 and started his own studio, Bakshi Productions, in 1968. Through producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi made his debut feature film, Fritz the Cat, released in 1972. It was the first animated film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, and the most successful independent animated feature of all time.

Over the next eleven years, Bakshi directed seven additional animated features. He is well known for his fantasy films, which include Wizards (1977), The Lord of the Rings (1978) and Fire and Ice (1983). In 1987, Bakshi returned to television work, producing the series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, which ran for two years before it was canceled due to complaints from a conservative political group over perceived drug references. After a nine-year hiatus from feature films, he directed Cool World (1992), which was largely rewritten during production and received poor reviews. Bakshi returned to television with the live-action film Cool and the Crazy (1994) and the anthology series Spicy City (1997).

He founded the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning in 2003. During the 2000s, he has focused largely on painting. He has received several awards for his work, including the 1980 Golden Gryphon for The Lord of the Rings at the Giffoni Film Festival, the 1988 Annie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation, and the 2003 Maverick Tribute Award at the Cinequest Film Festival.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Ralph Bakshi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Movies for Ralph Bakshi...

Midwest
Title: Midwest
Released: October 12, 2023
Type: Movie
A new Bakshi joint. A poem about the American Midwest. One from a series of new work by Ralph and his grandson, Miles Bakshi.
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Adventures in Plymptoons!
Title: Adventures in Plymptoons!
Character: Himself
Released: May 30, 2011
Type: Movie
A documentary film about Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton. This is a portrait piece that includes interviews with family, friends, colleagues, critics, and fans.
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Forging Through the Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for 'The Lord of the Rings'
Title: Forging Through the Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for 'The Lord of the Rings'
Character: Self
Released: April 10, 2010
Type: Movie
A deep look at how Ralph Bakshi made his version of Lord of the Rings (1978). With Ralph Bakshi, Victoria Bakshi-Yudis, Chris Conkling, Timothy Galfas, Scott Kleinman, & Tom Tataranowicz.
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Breaking the Mold: The Re-Making of Mighty Mouse
Title: Breaking the Mold: The Re-Making of Mighty Mouse
Released: January 5, 2010
Type: Movie
Documentary about Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.
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Frazetta: Painting with Fire
Title: Frazetta: Painting with Fire
Character: Himself
Released: January 1, 2003
Type: Movie
A documentary on the life of painter Frank Frazetta, who revolutionized science fiction, fantasy and comic art with breathtaking realistic paintings of fantastic heroes, most famously Conan the Barbarian.
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Babe, He Calls Me
Title: Babe, He Calls Me
Character: Super Hero
Released: November 28, 1997
Type: Movie
Melvin's saga continues as his partnership with Malcom is compromised by an urban superhero's intrusion. Meanwhile, Melvin's mother aids a criminal after being unable to meet with her son.
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Malcom and Melvin
Title: Malcom and Melvin
Character: Super Hero
Released: November 28, 1997
Type: Movie
Melvin is an alienated loser until he meets Malcom, a trumpeter cockroach who has a huge talent.
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Title: Spicy City
Character: Stevie (voice)
Released: July 11, 1997
Type: TV
Spicy City is an animated television series which was created by Ralph Bakshi for HBO. The series lasted for one season which consisted of six episodes.
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Title: Spicy City
Character: Connelly / Goldblum (voice)
Released: July 11, 1997
Type: TV
Spicy City is an animated television series which was created by Ralph Bakshi for HBO. The series lasted for one season which consisted of six episodes.
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American Pop
Title: American Pop
Character: Piano Player (voice)
Released: February 13, 1981
Type: Movie
The history of American popular music runs parallel with the history of a Russian Jewish immigrant family, with each male descendant possessing different musical abilities.
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Wizards
Title: Wizards
Character: Fritz (voice, uncredited)
Released: February 9, 1977
Type: Movie
After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded and sage Avatar, calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination -- even if it means destroying his own flesh and blood.
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Wizards
Title: Wizards
Character: Storm Trooper (voice, uncredited)
Released: February 9, 1977
Type: Movie
After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded and sage Avatar, calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination -- even if it means destroying his own flesh and blood.
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Coonskin
Title: Coonskin
Character: Cop With Megaphone (voice)
Released: August 20, 1975
Type: Movie
Brother Rabbit, Brother Bear, and Preacher Fox rise to the top of the crime ranks in Harlem by going up against a con-man, a racist cop, and the Mafia.
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Heavy Traffic
Title: Heavy Traffic
Character: Various Characters (voice) (uncredited)
Released: August 8, 1973
Type: Movie
An "underground" cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his artwork.
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Fritz the Cat
Title: Fritz the Cat
Character: Narrator / Pig Cop #1 (voice)
Released: April 12, 1972
Type: Movie
A swinging, hypocritical college student cat raises hell in a satirical vision of the 1960s.