Finding their audience drying up in favour of rock music, two young mouse folk singers find themselves with a bleak future. Desperate for a better career and life, the female vows that she would do anything to become a rock star. Instantly, the Devil arises to take advantage of that and offers to make her a star in exchange for her soul. She agrees and she quickly becomes the star she's dreamed of while her boyfriend, Daniel Mouse, is left behind. On the night of her greatest triumph, the devil comes to collect on her soul. In desperation, she turns to Daniel who must attempt the impossible task of trying to find an escape loophole for his girl's release.Written by
Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>
This special is the precursor story and inspiration for Nelvana's hidden gem, Rock & Rule (1983). See more »
Quotes
B.L. Zebub:
[the judge asks for a witness to be called]
I call B.L. Zebub. Otherwise known. As. ME-EEEE!
[his face shifts into a bizarre, frightening blare of fire]
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Alternate Versions
The DVD release on the 2-disc set of "Rock & Rule" is missing two and a half minutes worth of footage. Missing from this version are the following scenes:
The title segment is trimmed down, and the first few lines of "Look Where the Music Can Take You" have been removed.
After Jan appears on the cover of "Rolling Moss" there's a scene with her and Wease backstage. Wease tells her that she's headlining the "Roxy Meadow Marathon" as he fumbles with a bottle of champagne -- the cork flies off and pops him in the nose (which explains why he has a bandage on his nose at the Hollywood Bowl).
When Jan falls out of the log and the Devil morphs into a fish, there's a longer sequence of him chasing her underwater.
When Jan's hiding in the forest, Wease discovers her before the Devil morphs into a tree.
After the Devil tells Jan that she has "24 hours to say goodbye to" her friends, Jan returns to town momentarily to seek help from the band, who are loading equipment into a van. They inform her that "the union man says" she didn't pay her dues -- a reveal of Wease implies that he is the "union man" that got them kicked out.
During the trial, Dan claims that the Devil's contract is invalid "because she was too small," to which the Devil rebuttals, "She was big enough to sign."
The final credit on the film is missing: "Produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation."
I can remember it like yesterday. Christmas Eve 1978 or 9, and I'd been out helping Dad at work. It was cold, we'd had a lot of snow, and we came in at teatime. Whilst Dad got our tea, I sat and put the telly on, a big wooden box with the big clunky channel knobs. This cartoon came on and I was transfixed. Thirty one years later and it's one of my most fond and vivid memories of being with my Dad. Cold 1970's winters, helping out on the farm, and being a child again. It's funny what you latch on to for childhood memories, but this rates pretty highly up there for me. Just reading about it has started tears running down my face with fond nostalgia, and wishing back to a time when things were so much simpler.
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I can remember it like yesterday. Christmas Eve 1978 or 9, and I'd been out helping Dad at work. It was cold, we'd had a lot of snow, and we came in at teatime. Whilst Dad got our tea, I sat and put the telly on, a big wooden box with the big clunky channel knobs. This cartoon came on and I was transfixed. Thirty one years later and it's one of my most fond and vivid memories of being with my Dad. Cold 1970's winters, helping out on the farm, and being a child again. It's funny what you latch on to for childhood memories, but this rates pretty highly up there for me. Just reading about it has started tears running down my face with fond nostalgia, and wishing back to a time when things were so much simpler.