Fritz (voiced by Skip Hinnant of The Electric Company and The Patty Duke Show), is a girl chasing, fast talking, slacker college student. Him and his pals are desperate for the attention of a trio girls. While his friends give up on the pursuit, Fritz convinces the girls to follow him to a friends’ apartment with false promises of spiritual enlightenment. What follows is an orgy in a rundown restroom. The exploration of free love is interrupted by a pair of police officer—literal pigs—who beat up everyone. They end up chasing Fritz through a synagogue before he can escape. Fritz goes on the lam, hiding out in Harlem, where he befriends a black crow (the film’s analog for black people) named Duke (Charles Spider). After starting a riot, they flee Harlem in a stolen car in hopes of a new life out West. The two spend most of the trip bickering with one another. After the car breaks down and the duo’s differences come to a head, Fritz wanders into the desert. There he encounters Blue (John McCurry) a neo-Nazi, drug-addicted rabbit biker and his girlfriend Harriet (Mary Dean). Hitching a ride, Blue brings Fritz to the headquarters of a fascist, terrorist cult, where he is forcibly inducted and sent on a suicidal mission and…we won’t spoil the ending.
While Fritz the Cat is an interesting slice of the sixty’s counterculture, its light on plot but humorous and willfully naughty. Nothing is off limits, whether it’s sex, drugs or racism, the film looks to provoke both visually and vocally. While shows like South Park and Family Guy have dulled the impact of the animation, there are moments that will still shock some viewers. The characters are animated in a manner that fans of Robert Crum will recognize. Backgrounds are hazy and rotoscoping is used. Sometimes the characters move in a three-dimensional manner, sometimes they things look “squishy,” and moving in an oafish way. Despite some hiccups, the animation creates interest and is undoubtedly distinct.
Ralph Bakshi’s script is central to the film’s success. His dialogue is both pointed and sardonic. The voice actors are natural sounding. They interrupt each other, interjecting whenever they see fit. The dialogue sounds more like a play, rather than traditional animation. This format adds to the realism of the characters in the film. Fritz may be a cat, but he is believable as a college student of his era. In a genius move, the soundtrack including tunes by Billie Holiday and Bo Diddley are used to stitch scenes together.
Framed in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Fritz the Cat looks good on Blu-ray. While there are some small instances of film damage throughout, Kino’s presentation represents a great improvement over previous DVD editions. Colors are excellent, the trippy backgrounds really pop. Black levels are deep, and detail is strong. There are some brief moments of softness, though none of the presentation’s weaknesses take away from the viewing experience.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles the busy soundtrack well. Dialogue is clear throughout. The cues are pleasing, effective and well mixed.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following special features are available:
- Audio Commentary with artist Stephen Bissette and historian G. Michael Dobbs.
- Radio Spot (:53)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:07)
