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|title=<center>Rock and Rule (original soundtrack)</center>
|title=<center>Rock and Rule (original soundtrack)</center>
|image=RockAndRule.jpg
|image=RockAndRule.jpg
|imagecaption=The theatrical poster for "Rock & Rule".
|imagecaption=The theatrical poster for ''Rock & Rule''.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
'''''Rock and Rule''''' is a 1983 adult animated feature film produced by the Nelvana animation studio. The film features musical talents such as Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Debbie Harry. Production began in 1979. Some CGI was used in the film, and some photographic techniques were used to create special effects. Approximately 10 different animation styles were used in the creation of the film.


'''Rock and Rule''' is a 1983 animated feature film produced by the Nelvana animation studio.
==Plot==
 
The film details a post-apocalyptic world where Mok, an aging, famous rock musician who wishes to keep his fame forever, goes on a search to find a "special voice that can unleash a powerful demon from another dimension to fulfill his wish of being immortalized".<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%26_Rule#Plot</ref>  
The film details a post-apocalyptic world where Mok, an aging, famous rock musician who wishes to keep his fame forever, goes on a search to find a "special voice that can unleash a powerful demon from another dimension to fulfill his wish of being immortalized".<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%26_Rule#Plot</ref>  


The film features talents such as Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Debbie Harry.
==Production==
 
Production began in 1979. Some CGI was used in the film, and some photographic techniques were used to create special effects.
 
== Production ==
Originally meant for a children's audience, the film was titled ''Drats!'' in its conceptual stages. With a budget of $8 million, over 300 animators were credited in the film; the movie itself nearly sent new production studio Nelvana into bankruptcy.
Originally meant for a children's audience, the film was titled ''Drats!'' in its conceptual stages. With a budget of $8 million, over 300 animators were credited in the film; the movie itself nearly sent new production studio Nelvana into bankruptcy.


During production, the movie was picked up by MGM, who offered to help Nelvana market the movie to an American audience. Unfortunately, when management shifted at MGM mid-production, the new overseers were dissatisfied with the product, forcing Nelvana to change many aspects of the story and delaying its initial release. MGM also insisted that Omar, the male protagonist of the film, be entirely redubbed by a different voice actor and censored to remove some obscenities.
During production, the movie was picked up by MGM, who offered to help Nelvana market the movie to an American audience. Unfortunately, when management shifted to MGM mid-production, the new overseers were dissatisfied with the product, forcing Nelvana to change many aspects of the story and delaying its initial release. MGM also insisted that Omar, the male protagonist of the film, be entirely redubbed by a different voice actor and censored to remove some obscenities.


==Release==
==Release==
Due to MGM's lack of advertising prior to Rock and Rule's theatrical release, the movie made a mere $30,379 in the box office.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086203/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus</ref> Considered a loss, MGM subsequently shelved the movie entirely.
Due to MGM's lack of advertising prior to ''Rock and Rule'''s theatrical release and its extremely limited theatrical run, the movie made a mere $30,379 at the box office and was only released theatrically in the United States and Canada.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0086203/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus</ref> Considered a loss, MGM subsequently shelved the movie entirely. Years later, the movie gained a cult following after bootleg tapes of the movie were distributed at comic conventions, and the movie was aired late at night on HBO and Showtime, as well as other Canadian broadcasting channels.


Years later, the movie gained a cult following after bootleg tapes of the movie were distributed at comic conventions, and the movie was aired late at night on HBO and Showtime, as well as other Canadian broadcasting channels.
Although the movie was re-released by Unearthed Films for the film's 25th anniversary in surround sound, the master track is still somewhat muddled, and the dialogue and music are occasionally hard to hear. While Debbie Harry wished for the movie's soundtrack to be released as an album, MGM's lack of interest kept the studio from doing so. Home media releases of the film are extremely hard to find and are out of print.


Although the movie was rereleased by Unearthed Films for the film's 25th anniversary, the master track is still somewhat muddled, and the dialogue and music are occasionally hard to hear. While Debbie Harry wished for the movie's soundtrack to be released as an album, MGM's lack of interest kept the studio from doing so.
Even with attempts to restore the original film, the original soundtrack is still partially lost, heard in the movie but only released in part (and slightly altered) by the artists involved. Artists Debbie Harry, Cheap Trick and Iggy Pop released their songs on their own albums as special tracks, albeit their released tracks are slightly altered.<ref>http://dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/rockandrule83.htm</ref> While it is possible that MGM or Nelvana may have the original music, restoration studios have only located master tracks from the initial release of the film in theaters. The existence of the original soundtrack is unknown, as it was never released on vinyl or CD.  


Now, even with attempts to restore the original film, the original soundtrack is still partially lost, heard in the movie but only released in part (and slightly altered) by the artists involved. Artists Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop released their songs on their own albums as special tracks, albeit their released tracks are slightly altered.<ref>http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/rockandrule83.htm</ref>
Music videos for several of the tracks were created, and aired on Night Flight and FMTV at the time, albeit often in abbreviated form. These were intended for release on DVD and Blu-Ray but soundtrack rights could not be worked out. The masters to much of the film and soundtrack were lost or destroyed, and the version of the film on Blu-Ray is from a single rare surviving print carrying the "Ring of Power" title.  


While it is possible that MGM or Nelvana may have the original music, restoration studios have only located master tracks from the initial release of the film in theaters. The existence of the original soundtrack is unknown, as it was never released on vinyl or CD.  
On February 26th, 2015, Garrett Gilchrist made a post on the forum Orange Cow, noting that when the film came out, some journalists were given promotional cassettes of portions of the soundtrack. One journalist, preferred to be anonymous, provided a digital transfer of his tape to Gilchrist. However, the tape was damaged, switching to a lower quality mono presentation halfway through along with the playback speed being slightly below ideal, affecting the quality of "Triumph" and "Invocation Song." ("My Name Is Mok" and "Angel's Song" are presented in stereo but still have a playback speed issue.) <ref>http://orangecow.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=303&sid=5339959a5cf809814a89b5e32c225d36&start=140</ref>


=== Soundtrack ===
'''Please note: Some links may be broken depending on what country you are located in due to copyright.'''
 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
* Deborah Harry – '''Angel's Song''' (rewritten and released as ''May Be For Sure'' on the 1989 album ''Def, Dumb and Blonde'')
|-
* Deborah Harry - Invocation Song'''  
! style="background-color:lightblue" | Song
* Cheap Trick - '''Born to Raise Hell'''
! style="background-color:lightblue" | Description
* Cheap Trick - '''I'm The Man'''
! style="background-color:lightblue" | Status
* Cheap Trick - '''Ohm Sweet Ohm''' (all three Cheap Trick songs were included on their 1996 boxset, ''Sex America: Cheap Trick'')
|-
* Lou Reed – '''My Name Is Mok'''
|"Angel's Song" by Debbie Harry||Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press. Also was re-written and rereleased as "Maybe for Sure" (1989).||[https://youtu.be/FoKECGK_gOI<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
* Lou Reed - '''Triumph'''
|-
* Earth Wind & Fire – '''Dance Dance Dance''' (full version is available on iTunes)
|"Send Love Through" by Debbie Harry and Robin Zander||Reconstructions exist that removes many sound effects, but not all of them. Master possibly destroyed.||[https://youtu.be/7ZR7Hy1wS7Y<span style="color:orange">'''Partially Found''']
* Melleny Brown – '''Hot Dogs and Sushi'''
|-
* Iggy Pop – '''Pain & Suffering''' (released as an extra track on the 2003 re-release of his ''Zombie Birdhouse'' album)
|"Invocation Song" by Debbie Harry||Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press.||[https://youtu.be/GUjLa_oNj4Y<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
* Deborah Harry and Robin Zander – '''Send Love Through'''
|-
|"Pain and Suffering" by Iggy Pop||Released officially by Iggy Pop in 2019.||[https://youtu.be/EckOnlZ_N6E<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"My Name is Mok" by Lou Reed||Found in low quality on different sources.||[https://youtu.be/sw23L6CFf4c<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"Triumph" by Lou Reed||Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press.||[https://youtu.be/NAnCOVS_ksg<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"Born to Raise Hell" by Cheap Trick||Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996.||[https://youtu.be/bfc456q8Er8<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"I'm the Man" by Cheap Trick||Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996.||[https://youtu.be/Bbu4D8zC1cg<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"Ohm Sweet Ohm" by Cheap Trick||Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996.||[https://youtu.be/D96hKP3z2mA<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"Dance Dance Dance" by Earth Wind & Fire||Released officially by Earth Wind & Fire in 2012.||[https://youtu.be/AK3wAcukHEU<span style="color:green">'''Found''']
|-
|"Hot Dogs & Sushi" by Melleny Brown||Full song possibly destroyed. Reconstructions exist of the 1-minute truncated version used in the film.||[https://youtu.be/-0yydJi9dJM<span style="color:orange">'''Partially Found''']
|-
|"Sweet Angel" by Patricia Cullen||Only used in the American theatrical version of the film. Full version has never been found and was possibly destroyed. An incomplete version is found on home media releases.||<span style="color:orange">'''Partially Found'''
|}


===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =7ZR7Hy1wS7Y
  |description1 =A reconstructed version of "Send Love Through" containing sound effects.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =-0yydJi9dJM
  |description2 =The incomplete version of "Hot Dogs & Sushi" reconstructed to remove some sound effects.
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =sw23L6CFf4c
  |description3 =The full version of "My Name is Mok."
}}


=== References ===
==References==
<references>
{{reflist}}
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%26_Rule Wikipedia page for the movie]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086203/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus Internet Movie Database page]
*[http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/rockandrule83.htm Review covering interviews with music artists involved]
</references>


[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]

Latest revision as of 01:37, 26 February 2024

RockAndRule.jpg

The theatrical poster for Rock & Rule.

Status: Partially Lost

Rock and Rule is a 1983 adult animated feature film produced by the Nelvana animation studio. The film features musical talents such as Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Debbie Harry. Production began in 1979. Some CGI was used in the film, and some photographic techniques were used to create special effects. Approximately 10 different animation styles were used in the creation of the film.

Plot

The film details a post-apocalyptic world where Mok, an aging, famous rock musician who wishes to keep his fame forever, goes on a search to find a "special voice that can unleash a powerful demon from another dimension to fulfill his wish of being immortalized".[1]

Production

Originally meant for a children's audience, the film was titled Drats! in its conceptual stages. With a budget of $8 million, over 300 animators were credited in the film; the movie itself nearly sent new production studio Nelvana into bankruptcy.

During production, the movie was picked up by MGM, who offered to help Nelvana market the movie to an American audience. Unfortunately, when management shifted to MGM mid-production, the new overseers were dissatisfied with the product, forcing Nelvana to change many aspects of the story and delaying its initial release. MGM also insisted that Omar, the male protagonist of the film, be entirely redubbed by a different voice actor and censored to remove some obscenities.

Release

Due to MGM's lack of advertising prior to Rock and Rule's theatrical release and its extremely limited theatrical run, the movie made a mere $30,379 at the box office and was only released theatrically in the United States and Canada.[2] Considered a loss, MGM subsequently shelved the movie entirely. Years later, the movie gained a cult following after bootleg tapes of the movie were distributed at comic conventions, and the movie was aired late at night on HBO and Showtime, as well as other Canadian broadcasting channels.

Although the movie was re-released by Unearthed Films for the film's 25th anniversary in surround sound, the master track is still somewhat muddled, and the dialogue and music are occasionally hard to hear. While Debbie Harry wished for the movie's soundtrack to be released as an album, MGM's lack of interest kept the studio from doing so. Home media releases of the film are extremely hard to find and are out of print.

Even with attempts to restore the original film, the original soundtrack is still partially lost, heard in the movie but only released in part (and slightly altered) by the artists involved. Artists Debbie Harry, Cheap Trick and Iggy Pop released their songs on their own albums as special tracks, albeit their released tracks are slightly altered.[3] While it is possible that MGM or Nelvana may have the original music, restoration studios have only located master tracks from the initial release of the film in theaters. The existence of the original soundtrack is unknown, as it was never released on vinyl or CD.

Music videos for several of the tracks were created, and aired on Night Flight and FMTV at the time, albeit often in abbreviated form. These were intended for release on DVD and Blu-Ray but soundtrack rights could not be worked out. The masters to much of the film and soundtrack were lost or destroyed, and the version of the film on Blu-Ray is from a single rare surviving print carrying the "Ring of Power" title.

On February 26th, 2015, Garrett Gilchrist made a post on the forum Orange Cow, noting that when the film came out, some journalists were given promotional cassettes of portions of the soundtrack. One journalist, preferred to be anonymous, provided a digital transfer of his tape to Gilchrist. However, the tape was damaged, switching to a lower quality mono presentation halfway through along with the playback speed being slightly below ideal, affecting the quality of "Triumph" and "Invocation Song." ("My Name Is Mok" and "Angel's Song" are presented in stereo but still have a playback speed issue.) [4]

Please note: Some links may be broken depending on what country you are located in due to copyright.

Song Description Status
"Angel's Song" by Debbie Harry Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press. Also was re-written and rereleased as "Maybe for Sure" (1989). Found
"Send Love Through" by Debbie Harry and Robin Zander Reconstructions exist that removes many sound effects, but not all of them. Master possibly destroyed. Partially Found
"Invocation Song" by Debbie Harry Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press. Found
"Pain and Suffering" by Iggy Pop Released officially by Iggy Pop in 2019. Found
"My Name is Mok" by Lou Reed Found in low quality on different sources. Found
"Triumph" by Lou Reed Contained on a promotional cassette given to the press. Found
"Born to Raise Hell" by Cheap Trick Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996. Found
"I'm the Man" by Cheap Trick Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996. Found
"Ohm Sweet Ohm" by Cheap Trick Released officially by Cheap Trick in 1996. Found
"Dance Dance Dance" by Earth Wind & Fire Released officially by Earth Wind & Fire in 2012. Found
"Hot Dogs & Sushi" by Melleny Brown Full song possibly destroyed. Reconstructions exist of the 1-minute truncated version used in the film. Partially Found
"Sweet Angel" by Patricia Cullen Only used in the American theatrical version of the film. Full version has never been found and was possibly destroyed. An incomplete version is found on home media releases. Partially Found

Videos

A reconstructed version of "Send Love Through" containing sound effects.

The incomplete version of "Hot Dogs & Sushi" reconstructed to remove some sound effects.

The full version of "My Name is Mok."

References

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%26_Rule#Plot
  2. ↑ http://imdb.com/title/tt0086203/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus
  3. ↑ http://dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/rockandrule83.htm
  4. ↑ http://orangecow.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=303&sid=5339959a5cf809814a89b5e32c225d36&start=140
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