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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2017 1:15:08 GMT -5
I plan on working my way through the Heavy Metal issues I have on a year by year basis, at least for the years 1977-1981. I am missing 1 issue form 1981, but I hope to correct that by the time I get to 1981. A few notes for anyone not familiar with Heavy Metal, the earliest issues featured mostly content previously appearing in France in French published in Metal Hurlant. These have been translated and reprinted/presented for American audiences. as the series moves forward, more new, original content is included. The content is intended for a mature audience, so I may be using spoiler tags for some covers, as they might be NSFW. Anthologies can be a mixed bag, and I will be recapping/commenting on each story, and giving ratings for each story rather than for the issue overall. There's a lot of content in each issue, so the pace of these reviews will be slower. I may break some issues down into multiple posts if I can't get to all the content of an issue at once. i am undecided yet it I should do a thread for each year's worth of issues, or whether to have one thread for all the years done, and we'll cross that bridge (and alter the thread title if needed) when we get there. Heavy Metal #1 Part OneCover behind the spoiler Heavy Metal April 1977 (#1 or Vol. 1 #1 depending on the reckoning)Published by HM Communications 96 pages color and black & white; $1.50 cover priceContentsFront Cover painted by Jean-Michel Nicollet Origins (editorial) Deb by Corben Rut by Druillet Conquering Armies by Dionnet and Gal The Adventures of Yrris by Druillet and Alexis Arzach by Moebius Selenia by Marre & Macedo The Sword of Shanara excerpt by Terry Brooks Traumwach by Mouchel, Pierson, and Voss Space Punks by Mezieres Age of Ages by Rubington 1996 by Montellier Sunpot by Bode Manipulation by Roy Back cover by Philippe Druillet NB: Many of these features previously appeared in French in Metal Hurlant, but are translated into English and presented/reprinted here for American audiences ReviewsDen (8 pages; color)Story/Art/Colors: Richard Corben Letters: typeset Synopsis/Comments: A consciousness becomes aware but is unfamiliar with the body it is in or its surroundings, so sets off on a journey of self-discovery. He spots an edifice in the distance and makes for it, finding a wateringplace to refresh himself and encounters a strange lizardman and a woman. He rests and has strange dreams of a possible past and decides to set out after the woman when he wakes as she is headed for the same edifice he saw. This is the first part of a serialized story. Corben’s distinctive art style is a joy to behold and he manages to pack a lot into 8 pages even though the plot may seem a bit thin. The colors make the world and the creatures seem even more alien. Corben examines questions of identity and consciousness and the desert setting harkens thoughts of wisemen setting out on similar journeys into the harsh terrain. Den went one to become one of Corben’s seminal works, and even in this first installment you can see the promise of things to come. Ratings: Story 8/10; Art 9/10 overall 8/10 Rut (3 pages; b&w)Story/Art: Philippe Druillet Synopsis/Comments: A space ship is attacked by an alien creature looking to lay its eggs during its mating season, but the pilot uses every trick available him to drive off the creature n the most unpleasant way, but his actions were not quite quick enough, to his regret. A humorous little sci-fi vignette that relies on visual humor for its punch line, but even with this short piece, Druillet’s creativity and imagination are on full display. Ratings: Story 6/10; Art: 9/10 Overall 7/10 Conquering Armies (12 pages; b&w)Story: Jean-Pierre Dionnet Art: Jean-Claude Gal Synopsis/Comments: The one constant in history is that there will be conquering armies, this is the strange tale of one such army. It advances on a city and takes it and its inhabitants without a fight. They will hold the city until the main force of the army arrive after the winter, but the city has a strange effect upon the army as the city seems to have a pervasive consciousness that subverts the conquering forces, until the next army arrives… There is an underlying them examining the pervasiveness, inevitability and ultimate futility of war in human history. It is both subtle and in your face at the same time, a difficult balance for any writer/artist to achieve, and it is done so here with aplomb. The art is gorgeous and furthers both the story and thematic content. Ratings: Story 8/10, Art 9/10; overall 9/10 The Adventures of Yrris (8 pgs; b&w)Story: Dominique Vallet (writing as Alexis) Art: Philippe Druillet Synopsis/Comments: Yrris, Prince of Thieves comes across a strange city where a crowd has gathered at a flesh market, where the seller is offering a quintet of beautiful women for sale. Yrris plies his pickpocketing skills in the crowd to get enough to buy the lot, but all is not as it seems and the crowd turns on him, knowing what he has done and revealing their true nature. He is captured and put with the women to be taken to the hidden dragon king to be served as dinner, but he escapes and finds himself a weapon…to be continued. This is a 2 part story, but only part one is in this issue. It is fairly standard fantasy fare, but well executed, and with phenomenal art by Druillet, who makes the world come alive and drenches the art with mood and dynamic action. Ratings: Story 7/10, Art 10/10; Overall 8/10 Arzach (8 pages; color)Story/art/colors by Jean Giraud (working as Moebius) Synopsis/Comments: A silent story. Arzach flies towards a large structure riding his flying bird/reptile. He spies what appears to be a beautiful woman changing in a window, but is threatened by a man atop the building, who Azrach deals with and returns to approach the woman and learns all is not what it appeared. Moebius’ skill as a visual storyteller is front and center here, as the entire story is quite clear without a single caption or word of dialogue is included, and the story flows crisply and coherently without them. It is a simple story of wry irony putting a unique twist on a familiar plot. Ratings: Story 7/10; Art 10/10; Overall 9/10 Part 2 coming soon to finish the issue -M
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bran
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Post by bran on Aug 1, 2017 2:19:59 GMT -5
Den (8 pages; color)Story/Art/Colors: Richard Corben Letters: typeset Synopsis/Comments: A consciousness becomes aware but is unfamiliar with the body it is in or its surroundings, so sets off on a journey of self-discovery. He spots an edifice in the distance and makes for it, finding a wateringplace to refresh himself and encounters a strange lizardman and a woman. He rests and has strange dreams of a possible past and decides to set out after the woman when he wakes as she is headed for the same edifice he saw. This is the first part of a serialized story. Corben’s distinctive art style is a joy to behold and he manages to pack a lot into 8 pages even though the plot may seem a bit thin. The colors make the world and the creatures seem even more alien. Corben examines questions of identity and consciousness and the desert setting harkens thoughts of wisemen setting out on similar journeys into the harsh terrain. Den went one to become one of Corben’s seminal works, and even in this first installment you can see the promise of things to come. Ratings: Story 8/10; Art 9/10 overall 8/10 even though the premise is similar to the one from Alice in Wonderland or Conan, this is done as masterfully. it's never derivative, rather Corben was inspired by the idea to tell his own story. slow pacing, landscapes, creatures he meets along the way - what a journey! and what a strong start for HM, with Corben and Moebius as "household" names. (not technically household, they were free to publish elsewhere, in terms of style and quality)
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 1, 2017 9:43:39 GMT -5
Den (8 pages; color)Story/Art/Colors: Richard Corben Letters: typeset Synopsis/Comments: A consciousness becomes aware but is unfamiliar with the body it is in or its surroundings, so sets off on a journey of self-discovery. He spots an edifice in the distance and makes for it, finding a wateringplace to refresh himself and encounters a strange lizardman and a woman. He rests and has strange dreams of a possible past and decides to set out after the woman when he wakes as she is headed for the same edifice he saw. This is the first part of a serialized story. Corben’s distinctive art style is a joy to behold and he manages to pack a lot into 8 pages even though the plot may seem a bit thin. The colors make the world and the creatures seem even more alien. Corben examines questions of identity and consciousness and the desert setting harkens thoughts of wisemen setting out on similar journeys into the harsh terrain. Den went one to become one of Corben’s seminal works, and even in this first installment you can see the promise of things to come. Ratings: Story 8/10; Art 9/10 overall 8/10 even though the premise is similar to the one from Alice in Wonderland or Conan Yeah, if Alice or Conan had their dork hanging out...
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Post by mikelmidnight on Aug 1, 2017 11:33:02 GMT -5
even though the premise is similar to the one from Alice in Wonderland or Conan, this is done as masterfully. it's never derivative, rather Corben was inspired by the idea to tell his own story. slow pacing, landscapes, creatures he meets along the way - what a journey! and what a strong start for HM, with Corben and Moebius as "household" names. Den was originally a film Corben made in college called Neverwhere. The original Den from that movie appears in this comic as Den's "uncle Den." I loved Den when it first started out. Apparently it was something Corben worked on between other projects as a sort of hobby, and that actually worked to the strip's benefit to my mind, creating an enjoyably meandering tour through this new land. I've always felt the strip actually suffered when Corben finally bore down and decided he needed a plot and stuff like that in order to properly finish it up, and I never much cared for the sequals.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2017 12:04:47 GMT -5
Heavy Metal #1 Part 2
Selenia (10 pgs; b&w) Story: Marre Art: Sergio Macedo
Synopsis/Comments: An expedition has been sent to investigate strange tremors in a crater on Copernicus. They find an artificial pit at the bottom of the crater and enter, but one of the team is sucked into a doorway that seals shut. The other member of the patrol calls in a strike team and they raid the facility and defeat a giant robot guardian, only to discover the facility has been programmed to anticipate such an occurrence and has a failsafe in place to maintain it’s protection, much to the chagrin of the patrol. Solid story and artwork, exploring the theme of man’s hubris and that in exploring the galaxy it will not always be the superior intelligence, and how ill-equipped our previous experience to handle encounters with superior intelligences. Ratings: Story 7/10; Art 7/10; Overall 7/10
Sword of Shanara excerpt by Terry Brooks
I am not going to review this excerpt promoting the recently released (at the time) novel by Brooks, the first Shanara book. I first encountered the Shanara books as a freshman in high school, having already explored Tolkien, Stephen Donaldson, Robert Howard, Lloyd Alexander, CS Lewis and other fantasy works. It was billed as the grand successor to Tolkien and in many ways it was, but in other ways it was simply a formulaic paint by number saga following the Tolkien blueprint. I adored it in high school, loved the Hildebrandt’s art for it, and devoured the next two volumes (Elfstones and Wishsong), but rereading Sword in college I found I had outgrown it and it felt dull and unimaginative, and I haven’t even looked at the roll of sequels in the series that Brooks has churned out. I tried watching the series MTV did when it hit Netflix, but I couldn’t even get through the first episode without cringing through just about every scene. It was an important milestone in the development of the market for fantasy in the US and a milestone in my development as a reader of fantasy, but as a story for me, it just doesn’t stand up well past an initial encounter. Traumwach (10 pgs; b&w) Story: Pauline Pierson Pencils: Philippe Mouchel Inks: Al Voss
Synopsis/Comments: A lone rider, Saint Alban, flees a defeated city followed by a gang of riders, who give up pursuit when he enters the forbidden reaches of Traumwach. In there, Saint Alban sees a beautiful winged woman fall from the sky into the depths of a lake and dives in to save her. He does, but a winged man arrives and steals away the maiden. Saint Alban retrieves his bike and pursues and catches up to them in an amphitheater, where the drama plays out. The winged man disarms Saint Alban, but the maiden’s lover arrives to battle the other winged man, but the maiden is killed in the process. Reality seems to shift in its fluid nature revealing a different truth behind the whole passion play, and Saint Alban flees, riding away upon his bike. For me, this was one of the misses of the issue, though it has its merits. The dialogue is clunky, whether that is a problem of translation or an intentional attempt to mimic the flowery language of the stage, it doesn’t work well either way. The art carries the story well, but feels a little stiff, again whether this was intentional for it to look staged to carry the theme of the passion play throughout I don’t know, but it doesn’t work well for me overall. Story: 5/10; Art: 6/10; Overall: 5/10
Space Punks (8 pages; color) Story/Art/Colors: Jean-Claude Mezieres
Synopsis/Comments: A young punk is arrested and given the choice of the army or reform school. He joins up to the expeditionary core and is eventually sent to pacify a rebellion in the outer reaches of Earthspace. His actions win a medal and when he musters out he gets a cushy job, wife and kid, and settles down to a comfortable middle class life. Mezieres is working a metaphorical tale, one I am sure he saw play out with many of his generation who went from rebellious punk to part of the establishment without every realizing they had sold out. This is a textbook example of sci-fi speaking of the ills and mores of the author’s contemporary society. Mezieres art here is a shining example of his distinctive style too. Ratings: Story 8/10; Art 9/10; Overall 9/10
1996 (1 pg; b&w) Story/Art: Chantel Montellier
Synopsis/Comments: A biting satire of middle class life as a family in the 90s sits watching the horrors of the news uncaringly, and switches channels to cheer for some mindless entertainment. Bread and circuses. Human nature doesn’t change. Another one-pager appears later in the issue. Rating: Story 8/10; Art 7/10; Overall 7/10
Age of Ages (4 pgs; b&w) Story: Akbar del Piombo Art (collages): Norman Rubington
Synopsis/Comments: The subtitle for this piece is “A Gothic Science Fiction Trip to the Apocalypse.” It is the first of a multi-part serial. Strange events are occurring, extraterrestrials appear, figures form the past reappear and wreak havoc, etc. all investigated by the ace dick of Scotland Yard and secret chief of the Planetary Intelligence Survey System (PI** for short) Sir Edwin Fuzz. These events seem random and have no pattern except to Sir Edwin who suspects they are leading to something dire. This one is another miss for me. It is a bit avante guard in its approach and technique, but it feels scatterbrained rather than intriguing to me, not weird and interesting but weird for weirdness sake. There’s a certain absurdity to it to be sure, and that may have been the intent, but I found the collages mostly dull and lacking anything interesting in composition which might have piqued my interest more. A noble attempt that fell flat for me. This may be a case where serialization hurts the presentation, as this may very well need the ending and whatever punch line it holds to make the piece stand up as a whole. We’ll see as we encounter the rest of it in future issues. Ratings: Story 4/10; Art 3/10; overall 4/10
1996 (1 pg; b&w) Story/Art: Chantel Montellier
Synopsis/Comments: The second of these one pagers in the issue. The same pap entertainment music video form the previous strip is playing in the background as a middle class shopowner/diner owner? Is giving the bum rush to an alien drving him out the door complaining of “dam ferners”-another case of the more things change, the more human nature stays the same. Rating: Story 8/10; Art 7/10; Overall 7/10
Sunspot (8 pgs; color) Story/Art/Lettering: Vaughn Bode Colors: Bruce Patterson
Synopsis/Comments: Actually only 4 pages of story, the other 4 pages are a title page, blueprints for the Sunspot space ship and character sketches. This is the first part of an ongoing serial. The Sunspot is a spaceship in orbit around the moon run by lizard scientists and their various robot servants. An Apollo craft from earth is approaching lunar orbit and the crew of the Sunspot fears discovery. Dr. Electric, the lead scientist orders the Apollo craft shot down since the Sunspot’s engines aren’t up and running, but something goes wrong… Bode’s artwork is quirky and cartoony, and takes some getting used to if you are not familiar with the underground styles in American comics and used to mainstream comics, but it is fun and evocative. There’s a lot of set up here and not much else, but it promises to be a fun ride. Rating Story 6/10; Art: 8/10; Overall: 7/10
Manipulation (4 pgs; b&w) Story/Art: Patrice Roy
Synopsis/Comments: A typical neighborhood and its children go about the business of being kids but the television broadcasts warnings of a potential killer on the loose. People watch TV, kids read comics and books, do rebellious things but all the while the media input from TV and what they read manipulates their perceptions… A very subtle commentary on the pervasive influence of media in manipulating our perceptions and construction of social norms. More interesting than good as a story, and the art felt a bit stiff, hampering the ability of its story to drive the reader through the vignette to get the thematic point. Rating: Story 6/10; Art 5/10; Overall 5/10
Overall Impressions of the Issue: There’s some great stuff here, and some stuff that falls flat. The thematic content is a snapshot of many of the social concerns and commentary that was common in the early to mid 70s, and even though the issue was released in early ’77 most of the content was from the previous few years reflecting the thought of the time it was created rather than the time it was released for an American audience. Some of it does feel dated, but a lot of it transcends the time it was created and still has something to say today. There’s some stuff that falls flat and misses, but nothing I thought was terrible, and that is the risk inherent with an anthology. You never know what you are going to get for the most part, but that also leads to the joy of discovery too; you may buy into the anthology for a feature you know or are excited for and discover something else that completely enthralls you or blows your mind. This first issue delivers a ton of quality features, and even the stuff that missed was the result of noble experiments with the form of comics or with graphic storytelling as a whole. There are standouts for me, Moebius, Druillet, Corben, but each feature had something to offer in terms of either entertaining storytelling or interesting case studies in the craft of making comics.
-M
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bran
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Post by bran on Aug 1, 2017 13:14:13 GMT -5
even though the premise is similar to the one from Alice in Wonderland or Conan, this is done as masterfully. it's never derivative, rather Corben was inspired by the idea to tell his own story. slow pacing, landscapes, creatures he meets along the way - what a journey! and what a strong start for HM, with Corben and Moebius as "household" names. Den was originally a film Corben made in college called Neverwhere. The original Den from that movie appears in this comic as Den's "uncle Den." I loved Den when it first started out. Apparently it was something Corben worked on between other projects as a sort of hobby, and that actually worked to the strip's benefit to my mind, creating an enjoyably meandering tour through this new land. I've always felt the strip actually suffered when Corben finally bore down and decided he needed a plot and stuff like that in order to properly finish it up, and I never much cared for the sequals. yes, the same thing. and it's pretty clear from the start - Den is about the journey not the destination. destination is largely known. if I recall right he would even die on few occasions - that would set him back (and had other unknown consequences). the concept that later became known in video-games, but here it's really about the boundaries. like the op, no-one growing up in the 90s had the entire HM collection (especially those old issues), there were always some issues missing. it could have been a "problem" with other titles - not with Den as it was not "events-heavy". if you ask me, there are way to many 100% events-driven comic books - completely lacking "the meat" inside. stands the same for TV/movies.
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Post by Rob Allen on Aug 1, 2017 13:25:11 GMT -5
I think I had (or have) this issue, but I don't recall a single story, image or character from it.
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bran
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Post by bran on Aug 1, 2017 13:47:42 GMT -5
even though the premise is similar to the one from Alice in Wonderland or Conan Yeah, if Alice or Conan had their dork hanging out... right, it would look strange on Alice. unlike this completely savage Neverwhere-World, Conan's Hyborian Age has some social norms (which include clothes). Conan keeps it on a bare minimum for a good measure, while civilized men are often wearing elaborate layers. in a story about the man re-gaining his masculinity, Corben opted not to ignore the visceral aspect. Den has to follow his instincts sometimes (or he dies). as Tom Cruise said in Top Gun - "You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead." in similar fashion Alice is discovering her feminine nature (in transition from a child), and the grown-up World that is sometimes completely irrational, but also beautiful from a certain point of view.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 1, 2017 13:52:41 GMT -5
Yeah, if Alice or Conan had their dork hanging out... right, it would look strange on Alice. unlike this completely savage Neverwhere-World, Conan's Hyborian Age has some social norms (which include clothes). Conan keeps it on a bare minimum for a good measure, while civilized men are often wearing elaborate layers. in a story about the man re-gaining his masculinity, Corben opted not to ignore the visceral aspect. Den has to follow his instincts sometimes (or he dies). as Tom Cruise said in Top Gun - "You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead." in similar fashion Alice is discovering her feminine nature (in transition from a child), and the grown-up World that is sometimes completely irrational, but also beautiful from a certain point of view. I was mostly thinking of this...
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 1, 2017 14:02:32 GMT -5
It took me a little time to warm up to Corben's visual style, as bombastic as it is; not to mention, the sheer amount of nudity and violence. I first encountered it in the World Encyclopedia of Comics, then a few other examples, before seeing the movie, then the actual Den stories.
When I think of Heavy Metal, it is that early imagery, from 1977-1981/82 that comes to mind: Corben, Druillet, Moebius, Chris Achilleos, Soyarama, Rod Kierkegard, Ranxerox, Arzach, Bilal, Wrightson, Simonson, Luis Royo, Mezieres, Suydam, McKie, Jodorwski, Dionett, Caza and many more. By the time I was a regular reader, that was long over, though we still got things like Daniel Torres, Scott Hampton, Giardino and a whole lot of Serpieri. That magazine introduced me to Simon Bisley (via Slaine and Mr. Monster).
NBM and Catalan Communications helped connect me to more of these European works, reprinting the Cities of the Fantastic. Pepe moreno's work, Bilal, The Mercenary, Thorgal, Druillet's Lone Sloane and other stories, Torres' work, and more.
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Post by MDG on Aug 1, 2017 14:20:22 GMT -5
It took me a little time to warm up to Corben's visual style, as bombastic as it is; not to mention, the sheer amount of nudity and violence. I first encountered it in the World Encyclopedia of Comics, then a few other examples, before seeing the movie, then the actual Den stories. I was already sold on Corben from Warren, so I was in by the time I saw Den (in the underground Grim Wit, rather than heavy Metal). Here's the original movie--I haven't rewatched in several years. I didn't stay with Heavy Metal more than six or eight issues--beautiful to look at, but I was never a big sf/fantasy fan, especially in short chapters. Actually, what I like most from the magazine--and this didn't show up 'til later, was The Bus by Paul Kirchner.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 1, 2017 15:43:24 GMT -5
It took me a little time to warm up to Corben's visual style, as bombastic as it is; not to mention, the sheer amount of nudity and violence. I first encountered it in the World Encyclopedia of Comics, then a few other examples, before seeing the movie, then the actual Den stories. I was already sold on Corben from Warren, so I was in by the time I saw Den (in the underground Grim Wit, rather than heavy Metal). Here's the original movie--I haven't rewatched in several years. I didn't stay with Heavy Metal more than six or eight issues--beautiful to look at, but I was never a big sf/fantasy fan, especially in short chapters. Actually, what I like most from the magazine--and this didn't show up 'til later, was The Bus by Paul Kirchner. Unfortunately, I was too young for Warren, until they were pretty much done. Also, my sensibilities of the time were different. I had to come to that stuff later, in reprints. One of the things I will say for later Heavy Metal was that they gave you full stories, rather than serializing things. Reading earlier issues can be frustrating, as you get a few pages of one really good story, then it ends and you have to wait for more. Some issues, you may only find that one story that connects, which really makes you feel robbed. When I first started reading the magazine, I wanted to love everything in it; but, rarely found more than a couple of stories I really liked. If I was lucky, the others would at least be entertaining. Sometimes, I just had to settle for enjoying the art and not the writing. I tended to enjoy the more sci-fi oriented than the fantasy, especially the very European style of crowded cities and flying vehicles. I live in the Midwest, where things are spread out. It is a different sensibility to see such crowded cities, with towers stretching to the skies. The European artists tended to go beyond the old Alex Raymond art deco cities I knew from DC sci-fi comics. Same with the Japanese artists, especially the more modern ones, Like Otomo and Shirow, with their Blade Runner-influenced stories. One of the things that connected me to Aeon Flux, on MTV's Liquid Television, was that European look to things.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Aug 2, 2017 11:35:50 GMT -5
I think I had (or have) this issue, but I don't recall a single story, image or character from it.
I own all the HM's for the first several years, but certainly do not remember all these strips. Unfortunately they're a bit buried and difficult to review.
I will touch on Sunspot, as I was (and am) a huge Bode fan. I don't consider this his deepest work, but I'd not have had any access to it at all otherwise if not for this reprint, so was quite glad to see it included.
And since Den's manhood has been an issue, I do think Corben is one of the few artists who can draw naked men and make them seem natural and not lurid. I also remember watching the animated HM film and being so amused/annoyed at the care they took to give Den a loincloth.
I think they totally missed out by not having the original 'Neverwhere' short as a DVD extra on that.
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Post by hondobrode on Aug 2, 2017 12:36:40 GMT -5
What a huge project you have in front of you mrp !
I have the early years buried somewhere. The last time I liked at them, most of them were dated and sub-par, but the gems like Moebius, Druillet, etc are fantastic of course.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 2, 2017 12:39:27 GMT -5
I think I had (or have) this issue, but I don't recall a single story, image or character from it.
I own all the HM's for the first several years, but certainly do not remember all these strips. Unfortunately they're a bit buried and difficult to review.
I will touch on Sunspot, as I was (and am) a huge Bode fan. I don't consider this his deepest work, but I'd not have had any access to it at all otherwise if not for this reprint, so was quite glad to see it included.
And since Den's manhood has been an issue, I do think Corben is one of the few artists who can draw naked men and make them seem natural and not lurid. I also remember watching the animated HM film and being so amused/annoyed at the care they took to give Den a loincloth.
I think they totally missed out by not having the original 'Neverwhere' short as a DVD extra on that.
That was because they had enough trouble with the MPAA. You can pretty much give a gynecological exam to an actress on screen and get an R; but, have a penis for more than a second or two (Life of Brian, for example) and it's an automatic X (in those days). They flirted with an X for a lot of it, between the sex and the violence. Actually, the sex was more implied than anything, leaving mostly the violence. They had enough problems with music rights for the video and dvd releases that I doubt they would have wanted the headache of getting the permission or buying the rights for Neverwhere. Ironically, it was the lack of a Heavy Metal commercial release that led me to buy my first bootleg video, at a convention. A dealer had Heavy Metal and, after asking him to run it to check the quality, I snapped it up; first purchase of the convention (first larger convention, too).
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