The feature films of French animator René Laloux are the closest thing to cinematic equivalents of comics magazine Métal Hurlant. Laloux’s collaboration with Roland Topor, Fantastic Planet (1973), is familiar to Anglophone audiences but fewer people are aware of Time Masters (1982) and Gandahar (1988), two more science fiction films made with Moebius and Philippe Caza respectively. Time Masters looks marvellous but the story (based on a novel by Stefan Wul) lacks the strangeness of Fantastic Planet. Gandahar, based on a novel by Jean-Pierre Andrevon, I’ve yet to see but anyone searching for it should be aware that the version dubbed into English (and retitled The Light Years) dumped Gabriel Yared’s score, and had a sexual encounter censored by the usual rabble of prudish American producers.
The Captive (1988) continues the collaboration with Philippe Caza being a 7-minute adaptation of Caza’s comic story Equinoxe (1982). The music for this one is also by Gabriel Yared, and this copy at YouTube includes English subtitles. For comparison, the comic story is here. Of the two I prefer the comic but then I’ve always enjoyed Caza’s work.
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Les Temps Morts by René Laloux
Speaking of Caza, some local musicians are fans of his work and acquired his permission to use one of his images:
http://thelabel.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/nz_poster_dec_2014_A4_web.jpg
I was surprised there aren’t more Caza record sleeves. Moebius did a few, and Druillet’s work has appeared on more. Would have been nice if Leloux and Druillet had collaborated. There may have been discussions for all I know; Jodorowsky asked him to work on Dune but they fell out at the first meeting.