B-17 Sequence From "Heavy Metal" (1981)

Heavy Metal Indeed

A B-17 figures prominently in "Heavy Metal" (1981).

"Heavy Metal" (1981) was a Canadian-American animated feature film directed toward an adult audience. Directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, it is composed of a series of loosely connected vignettes. These scenes don't have much connection to each other aside from a murky framing device involving some kind of alien force. One of the best scenes is set somewhat incongruously during World War II aboard a USAAF B-17 bomber in the South Pacific.

The B-17 story is tight and surprisingly realistic despite the supernatural theme.

The animators drawing the different scenes basically went where they wanted to go without much regard to an overall plot. The B-17 story, written by Dan O'Bannon of "Alien" fame, apparently was drawn by a World War II veteran who just wanted to tell a supernatural tale from that conflict based on his own experiences - and things branch off in different directions from there.

"Heavy Metal" thus features creativity run wild, which either comports with what you want from an animated feature film or doesn't. Any fan of animation should get a thrill out of it. I think this scene is interesting as a kind of hallucinogenic fantasy memory of World War II. And, it's just plain fun.

The musical track that accompanies this part of the scene is by Don Felder of the Eagles. Oh, and before you hunt down the movie, just be aware that the rest of it has nothing whatsoever to do with B-17s or bombers in any way, shape, or form. Anyway, this is just a break from the usual historical heavy lifting on this blog, something a little fun. I hope you enjoy this selection! If you wish to learn more about "Heavy Metal," I have a page devoted to it here.

2021