Wake Me Up When The Planet's Destroyed

Wizards
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Sunday night at the drive-in was dedicated to a Ralph Bakshi animated classic from the late 70's.

Show banner designed by Andrew Kern

I discovered this movie as a teenager in the late 90's.  Hollywood Video had just opened in my hometown, and they had a selection of anime and other animated features that were geared towards an adult audience that no other store in my area had at that point.  I rented it on VHS and while I was blown away by the artwork and was intrigued by its commentary on fascism and propaganda, I don't think I fully appreciated its humor.  The good wizard Avatar has a dry wit that reminds me of the Mel Brooks character in The 2,000 Year Old Man.  He's fighting for a better world while seeming to believe throughout most of the movie that it's a lost cause, and that's something I can relate to.

Rob mentioned to me that he believes that the 35mm print of Wizards that he projected for us at the Mahoning last night is the same one that he got to see several years ago, and that there's a decent chance that this is the only known print of the film that exists today.  The opportunity to see a 35mm print of this film at a drive-in in 2024 is really something special.  I've now seen 390 different movies on this screen (over 400 counting repeats), and it still blows me away every single time as much as it did the first time that I drove onto the lot.