Frazetta: Painting with Fire (2003)

For over 50 years, Frank Frazetta dominated the art world with his images of fierce warriors, helpless princesses, and fantastical creatures set in the most lavish landscapes. His impact ... See full summary »

Director:

Lance Laspina

Stars:

Eleanor Frazetta, Frank Frazetta, Heidi Frazetta

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Eleanor Frazetta	...	Herself
Frank Frazetta	...	Himself
Heidi Frazetta	...	Herself
Forrest J. Ackerman	...	Himself
Simon Bisley	...	Himself
John Buscema	...	Himself
Glenn Danzig	...	Himself
Bo Derek	...	Herself
Kevin Eastman	...	Himself
Joe Jusko	...	Himself
Dave Stevens	...	Himself
Al Williamson	...	Himself
David Winiewicz	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Neal Adams	...	Himself
Ralph Bakshi	...	Himself

Storyline

For over 50 years, Frank Frazetta dominated the art world with his images of fierce warriors, helpless princesses, and fantastical creatures set in the most lavish landscapes. His impact upon the worlds of fantasy art and film was unparalleled, and it can be seen to this day in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Amazingly, he managed to do this while nearly dying because of an undiagnosed thyroid condition. Even more astonishing was his ability to survive six strokes, which forced him to switch from drawing with his right hand to drawing with his left hand. The film documents the life and work of this legendary fantasy artist while exploring the universal theme of inspiration. Visual effects are used in a very unique way to bring his paintings to life. And when you combine this technique with an outstanding original score, it makes for a very original documentary. Bo Derek, Ralph Bakshi, John Milius, Glenn Danzig, and Forrest Ackerman are just a few of the people who appear in this ...

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Plot Keywords:

art | artist | sci fi filmmaking | painter | fantasy filmmaking | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 2003 (USA)

Filming Locations:

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinemachine, Dark Kingdom Inc.

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

After the credits there is a brief skit showing Ralph Bakshi pretending to steal a painting hidden under his shirt.

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Connections

References Ghosts Can't Do It (1989)

User Reviews

Fan Produced, With Too Little Objectivity

Right up front, I'm a Frazetta fanatic and have been since childhood. I am among those who bought a few too many mediocre Conan paperbacks from Waldenbooks in the early 80s because I had to own the Frazetta covers. Since there is no other documentary on his life and work to choose from, I am extremely grateful for the existence of this film and for the efforts of those who made it.

The film features a lot of well-known fantasy and comic books artists, and various other industry insiders who have a great appreciation for Frazetta's work. They do a good job of explaining what makes his artwork remarkable and inspiring to a certain subculture of geeks and fans (and famous filmmakers), and why the quality of his work transcends the genre in which he attained fame and success.

There's also an undercurrent of defensiveness about the lack of critical acclaim directed toward Frazetta from anyone outside of the sci-fi/fantasy industry, but it is never really addressed. I think the film would have benefited greatly from some critical voices, and that may have provided a more substantive context in which to consider his work. Instead the film is a bit of a fanboy product, and as much as I agree, Frazetta's career deserves more serious consideration than that.