Arsehole of the Year 2001

[Squishy]

From the Internet Movie Database (http://www.imbd.com) Celebrity News for 19th December 2001:

"First Rings Director Slams Jackson
The director of the first Lord Of The Rings film is furious with film-maker Peter Jackson for not talking with him before his Fellowship Of The Ring remake. Ralph Bakshi, who directed the animated Lord Of The Rings in 1978, is irate that neither Jackson, nor anyone else who worked on the new three-film series, thought to consult him about the production. Bakshi fumes, "For a start, the guys doing the picture really don't have the authority to - my contract reads that I have all sequel rights - but I think I'll let it go. And second, none of them have spoken to me, and I find that ungentlemanly. I think Jackson is a good director, but leaves a lot to be desired as a gentleman." The 63-year-old Bakshi, who has met with little success and significant critical drubbings in the past decade, may have some words about Sam Raimi next year as he also produced and directed the animated Spider-Man TV series in the late 1960s."

Ralph: you're lucky anyone remembers you at all, you pathetic, bitter loser. Rotoscope my weiner .

[Chadzilla]

And Ralph Bakshi is...?


hehehehehehehehehe

[Chris K.]

And yet, he has no right to talk like that! Bakshi claimes that HE owned the sequel rights in his contract (and yet, I am sure that contract has expired-it was signed in 1978 for God's sake), yet the publishing owners of Tolkein's books gave Peter Jackson permission as I can recall.

Besides, it's not like Bakshi was going to make a sequel in the firstplace. He had his chance, but decided not to go all out with a sequel so it's left to a more talented and more respected director like Jackson. Bakshi is a good director of animated material, but this is the guy who thinks he made landmark history with the X rated FRITZ THE CAT (it was OK, not great)! MIDNIGHT COWBOY made better film history than Bakshi's feature.

And calling Jackson "ungentlemen-like", where the hell did that come from. Bakshi is sure as hell no gentleman in his statement either. Bakshi deserves to give his opinion, but he must have some good support and brother the support he shows in his statement does not hold up well.

I always wondered by Bakshi never continued in the film industry. But after reading his statement, it makes more sense why this guy is not making movies.

[AndyC]

I'm a little fuzzy on why, exactly, a director making a live-action adaptation of a novel would consult someone who made a feture-length cartoon of it more than 20 years ago. Apples and oranges. Besides, if you look at all of the really widely adapted works, do all the living filmmakers who ever adapted a novel sit around a table and discuss each new version that comes along? Of course not. That's ridiculous. The material's there, to be brought to the screen as the current filmmaker sees fit. Bakshi's talking like he wrote the damn thing. As for the sequel rights, if there is anything to that, this is not a sequal but a new take on the story. I have my doubts about any contract holding up. Anyone who says he could sue, but is just going to let it go, is full of s**t.

Sounds like Bakshi's just taking an opportunity to play the wounded artiste, in order to drum up interest in the old animated feature while everyone's into LOTR, and try to get a little piece of the action. Self promotion, nothing more.

[C. Hill]

"Ralph Bakshi... is irate that neither Jackson, nor anyone else who worked on the new three-film series, thought to consult him about the production."
Um, yeah.  It's probably because they didn't want the movie to suck.

[Trevor the rat]

Don't get me wrong Bakshi is the same guy who brought us the heavy metals, heavy traffic, american pop, and cool world, but it's also the dick who went an desecrated FRITZ THE CAT without Robert Crumb's Consent. May he rest in peace

[Hairzilla]

 Ralph Bakshi....UHG! I'm having a COOL WORLD flashback! [I bet Kim Basinger is proud to have THAT on her resume'.]

  Y'know, it sounds like Bakshi would probably get along really well with Adam West. I caught "Biography" awhile back when it was about West and, when the subject of the first BATMAN film inevitably arose, many equally ridiculous whines were voiced over the fact that West was never even asked to do so much as a cameo in it!

[Jay O\'Connor]

Don't get me wrong Bakshi is the same guy who brought us...>a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0076929">Wizards


many equally ridiculous whines were voiced over the fact that West was never even asked to do so much as a cameo in it!

It was a nice touch that the actors from the orignal "Lost In Space" TV series were asked to do bit parts in the movie version

[Jay O\\\'Connor]

Don't get me wrong Bakshi is the same guy who brought us...http://us.imdb.com/Title?0076929">Wizards


many equally ridiculous whines were voiced over the fact that West was never even asked to do so much as a cameo in it!

It was a nice touch that the actors from the orignal "Lost In Space" TV series were asked to do bit parts in the movie version

[Hairzilla]

 I totally agree with you Jay, in reference to your point about the members of the original Lost In Space series who made cameos in the feature film. It was, as you said, a nice touch!

  In Adam West's case, however, I have to take the opposite stance. Not too long ago I caught an edition of "Biography" in which he was the focus, and when the feature film version of BATMAN inevitably came up both Mr. West, as well as other people associated with his career [If that's an appropriate term...], clearly had much the same arrogant attitude regarding the movie that Ralph Bakshi apparently does about LORD OF THE RINGS - which was the comparison that I [jokingly] was trying to make. Just as Mr. Bakshi erroneously feels that he should have been "consulted" about the new version of LOTR , those in the West camp expressed that, due to his well known association with Batman and the success of the series, Mr. West automatically DESERVED to be consulted on the movie or offered a part out of RESPECT.  Uh, so does that mean that every living actor that has ever portrayed Superman needs to be consulted before any new film can be made?...That would be, what, at least three or four guys by now?

  While I'm not discounting the BATMAN tv show's great success [Even to a serious Bat fan like myself it's entertaining - in a bizzaro sorta way.], I'd have to bring up the same points that have already been made about Ralph Bakshi. Adam West in no way owned the rights to any of the BATMAN properties during the show's run, and portrayed only a goofy parody of the character with permission from DC comics - which was exactly the image that Tim Burton was trying to distance his film from. That being the case, and to borrow the first of two really good comments made by AndyC: I'd be a little fuzzy myself on why, exactly, a director making a feature film adaptation of a comic book would consult someone who made a comedy tv show version of it more than 20 years ago. Apples and oranges.

  And yet - to echo another of AndyC's comments - Mr. West, much like Mr. Bakshi does in his statement, also sounded like the "wounded artiste" upon the release of the film [Actually, I've always thought that he sounded more jealous than anything else.] and, according to "Biography", was very disappointed when he wasn't even approched about appearing in it.  Additionally, he also loudly criticized the movie after it came out - just like Bakshi is doing in his statement about LOTR.  

Holy sour grapes Batman!....Uh, did I just say that?

[peter johnson]

Isn't Robert Crumb still alive?  Therefore, I don't think the "rest in peace" nod is correct --
* * * *
Ralph Bakshi did some amazing things with animation -- very adventurous.  If you can find the uncut European version of "Heavy Traffic", do see it, as this is an amazing film.  I mean the X-rated version:  The R-rated version so readily available cuts out some serious imagery.
Bakshi also did the original Deputy Dawg TV series, which old animation buffs do enjoy, and the more modern Mighty Mouse series which got him in dutch with the Moral Majority for showing alleged drug-snorting scenes.
I hated American Pop, but there's no faulting the man for taking risks, & I will always love "Heavy Traffic".

[Flangepart]

Yes, you did say that....and i don't blame you. Ya know, Leonard Nemoy hasen't expressed that kind of whineyness....but, no one else has tried to portray Spock yet.....how much ya' wanna bet ol' pointy ears gets wind of something like that......he may noe...lets hope not.

[lester1/2jr.]

That reminds me of my favorite old joke about the arrogent mosquito who's floating on his back down the river with a hard-on.  He comes to a drawbridge and yells "raise the bridge!!!"  I can't remember how to tell the joke.