TALES OF THE RAT FINK (2006)

I have a weird relationship with cars. I fascinated by the design, the ideas and the mechanics of them, as in, the science of the mechanics, but I don’t care what I drive as I just see it as a form of transportation.

I like cars in media though: I like video games that have cars in them, I like cool cars in comics and other media, love me a good movie that has a cool car or cars in them (which is where the 2Fast 2February car in cinema celebration came from) and I especially loved the cool model kits of Big Daddy Roth’s Hot Rods from Revell (I think, or Monogram) when I was a kid.

This documentary came out in 2006, and I believe I read about it in an article lowbrow art magazine called Juxtapoz, which used to be really cool but devolved into started art wankership.

NB. If it was not Juztapoz it may have been one of its imitators/ competitors.

Now if you don’t know who Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth is, let me get you up to speed. Ed Roth was born in 1932, and after studying engineering and a short stint in the airforce, discovered the joy of fibreglassing, which, in combination with that degree engineering, and his love of cartoon art, made him create some of the most off-the-wall hot rods ever seen. These were not rat rods that had been stripped down to their bare necessities to make them go faster, no, these were airbrushed works of art, that are still kept in an auto museum to this day!

This is a documentary about his life and his art, hosted by his best known creation, Rat Fink, and it is a documentary with a big difference: all the cars are given voices and personalities and tell the story of Roth’s life in that manner. There is also some fun animations of both him and his characters as interstitials between scenes.

Some of the people who play the voices of the cars are the Smothers Brothers, Ann-Margaret, Billy Gibson from ZZ Top, Matt Groening (creator of the Simpsons), Jay Leno and even Stone Cold Steve Austin but best of all, John Goodman plays the voice of the ghost of Roth, telling his own life story from the afterlife.

It’s an interesting take on a biopic, but seeing as how Roth’s life and creations were interesting, it’s appropriate, and I can’t really imagine many other people having their life story told in such a fashion.

It’s a fun doco both for automobile fans and for fans of pop culture and one of the people who really started the legitimisation of adults liking product that may be traditionally kids stuff. I mean, the man basically invested the graphic T-shirt, so that’s a cornerstone right there.

Extras: There is a decent quantity of extras on this DVD:

Big Daddy Lives! A Rare Interview with Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth is an interesting archival interview which looks at why he never resold any of his vehicles and his car creation process.

Rat Fink Reunion – Painting Jam with Ed Roth and Von Dutch is a video from 1983 of Roth and Von Dutch… remember those caps everyone was wearing a few years ago… doing some pinstriping on a vehicle together.

Big Daddy’s Garage – Virtual Art Gallery looks at his vehicles, T-shirt designs, comics and art from the book ‘Rat Fink’s Revenge’ where various artists reimagined Rat Fink in their own vision.

Interview with Director Ron Mann is a clever tip of the hat to the film as Mann is interviews as a broken down car in a junk heap. He briefly looks at the whys of making a documentary on this pop cultural icon.

The Deleted Scene is a niche of the commercially produced products made of Roth’s art. I honestly don’t know why they would have removed it except it targets Mickey Mouse, the character Rat Fink parodies.

There’s also a Theatrical Trailer and The Sadies music video for their song, Horseshoe, which is used in the film.

Film: 8/10

Extras: 6/10

Rewatchability: 10/10

This DVD was purchased from Amazon