Fritz the Cat (1972)

Fritz the Cat

• Man, I love counterculture. Especially if down to earth, gritty depictions of it. First, let me tell you how I discovered this film. I had never, ever heard of it until I was watching a YouTube video about fifteen weird facts about the making of ‘Grease’. This film was mentioned in the video because of the animated intro in ‘Grease’, which was done by the guy who made this. The narrator mentioned how it was the first X-rated animated film, so I was like “screw it, we’re doing an impulse watch” and I immediately watched it to see what it’s about. I promise, you do not realize what you’re getting into. It’s not really anything horrible, it’s just a lot of cartoon nudity and substance abuse and language. Ok, maybe it’s a lot, but if it was live action, there’s no way it would’ve been released. Anyways, it’s actually a pretty ok film, though certainly nothing amazing. It focuses on Fritz (the cat!) and the 60’s scene of living free and fighting the system. A topic I will always love and enjoy. I kind of imagine this being like if you smushed ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Inherent Vice’ together and made it a cartoon with talking animals. That’s about the vibe and look you have. Which is a good thing, for the most part. In terms of voice cast, it’s just whatever, but you certainly remember the characters. Visually, it REALLY embodies the time, setting, and atmosphere. It’s quite pretty to look at and feels really immersive. The score is also fun with some jazzy tones. That’s really about all there is. It’s definitely sensory overload at times, and it’s nothing spectacular. It’s also not one I would recommend to most people, because you definitely need to have a certain taste for this. But it’s pretty crazy and a lot to take in, and I’m glad I watched it.