Product Description From the award-winning director of Comic Book Confidential and Grass comes Tales of the Rat Fink, Ron Mann's wildly inventive bio about Renaissance man Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, who engineered a shift in mid-twentieth century culture with his customized cars, "monster" T-shirts and America's alternative rodent "Rat Fink". Mann's largely animated documentary-style film features the voice talents of John Goodman, Ann-Margret, Jay Leno, Brian Wilson, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Tom Wolfe, Matt Groening, the Smothers Brothers, and many more! .com Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann has specialized in making counter-cultural documentaries since 1978, and Tales of the Rat Fink is his masterpiece. Rarely has the combination of technique and subject matter been presented with such symbiotic perfection, and Mann's tribute to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth will appeal to anyone who recalls the glory days of hot rods and custom cars. Roth pioneered customizing in the late '50s, taking his cue from the legendary Von Dutch (whose automotive pinstripes "flowed like jazz") to become the first hot-rodder to sculpt custom cars out of fiberglass, the first to airbrush custom "monster" designs on T-shirts, and the inventor of Rat Fink, the "anti-Mickey Mouse" adopted as the drooling mascot of rodders, surfers, model-building hobbyists and assorted misfits throughout the '60s. Roth's best-known custom cars--The Outlaw, The Beatnik Bandit, Mysterion and others--remain timeless classics of southern California's custom-car culture, and they're all shown here on dazzling display. It's a pity Roth (1932-2001) didn't live to witness Mann's exquisite collaboration with animator Mike Roberts, whose dynamic contributions bring Rat Fink to life in all his wretched glory. John Goodman splendidly narrates as a posthumous Roth, looking back at his creations as numerous pop-cultural icons (Ann-Margret, the Smothers Brothers, and author Tom Wolfe, who first brought Roth to the world's attention) lend their voices to custom cars that "talk" with flashing headlights, similar to (but more reverent than) Pixar's Cars. It's a perfect way of honoring Roth, the culture he created, and the enduring legacy of his "weirdo" ingenuity. Mann's playful tribute makes it perfectly clear that Roth and Rat Fink embody a creative spirit that will live forever. --Jeff Shannon
R**L
Ed Roth’s Rat Fink
Excellent info on Ed Roth’s life and creations .
M**E
One of my faves!
I love this movie. I love learning about Ed Roth, and having John Goodman as the voice us a definite bonus. Learning the history behind Rat Fink is one of my hyperfixations, and this movie will definitely be rented again.
T**M
Not documentary grade.
I'm not sure what the creators were actually trying to accomplish. Rat fink is hard to put in a cartoon style. This video shows just how difficult that is and how easy it is to fail. Way too much suspect animation, and not enough documentary that I was expecting.
J**K
Nice job on capturing the spirit of Ed Roth
As a fan of Kustom Kulture, I enjoyed this unique collaborative as a tribute to one of it's most influential and commercially successful icons. While it was not a complete biography, it did capture the spirit of Ed Roth which lives on through his work and his fans.There are so few of the original "kings" of Kustom Kulture living today (like master pin striper Lyle Fisk shown on the film's "bonus features" and kustom builder George Barris) while most of the kulture's founders (Von Dutch, Boyd Coddington and many others in addition to Bid Daddy) have passed. I would love to see a feature-length documentary on the history of Kustom Kulture and how that kulture is alive and well today.
J**Y
For any one and those who didnt grow up with the Fink it is a awesome piece of history.
Love it !
H**R
Could've been better
I want to give this a 3.5 really. I've had a mild curiosity as to what the Rat Fink was for a long time. Finally got around to watching it here on Prime. Never even heard of Ed Roth, but I'm amazed at the things in American and Global culture he influenced by just being a wacky artist with out of the box thinking. Could have delved a little deeper into his artistic process and more of his inspirations. It kind of glossed over that he was looking for alternative materials to use for expressing his art, like how he read about fiber glass and immediately put it to use to make his wildest imagination reality. Did the Big 3 ever take notice of him and try to get him to do something, since he was such a hit with kids and presumably influencing the minds of future gear heads?This was a great introduction into the world of Ed Roth and the hot rod and car show scene, but major points were pretty hit and run. Worth a watch if you've never heard of Ed Roth or are unaware of his influence in modern culture and art.
C**K
Crappy Documentary but Entertaining None-the-less
If you rent/purchase this expecting a provocative exposé or a reflective introspective on Ed "Big Daddy" Roth then I have to ask, "Who are you?!?" That would be akin to looking for a serious documentary about Roger Rabbit, the character.While, admittedly, Big Daddy did influence the Custom Car Culture, which he loved dearly, his over the top antics and car builds were a caricature of the community. And much like him this documentary is very tongue-in-cheek.Life's too short don't take it so seriously and everything will be all right!
M**S
Great
Great movie for any Ed Roth fan.
T**M
Five Stars
My dad is going to love it, DVD came in, and wasn't even broken!
さ**3
車ばっかり、モンスター描いてるとこが見たかった
家庭用ビデオカメラで撮った作品？ビデオテープが劣化した様な感じで見にくい。買う必要がなかった。
C**N
Well... It's Okay...
As a teenaged kid in the early 60's Ed Roth was something of a hero to me and my friends, (all without driving licenses and avid model builders)... especially with his Rat Fink and automotive designs. This is a good documentary on his life and the contributions that he made to current popular culture, (who knew that he invented metal flake paint? The first to sculpt in fiberglass?). HOWEVER I found the frequent interjection of assinine Rat Fink cartoons -and that stupid voice, somewhat annoying and took what could have been an excellent documentary down several notches... my opinion.
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