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The world recently lost comic actress Catherine O\u2019Hara, known for classics like Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and the series Schitt\u2019s Creek. She has been endlessly memed and mimicked, and her work is constantly viewed by fans all over. In the 1983 Canadian animated feature Rock n\u2019 Rule, she makes an unexpected appearance as an unusual character in a place nobody expected to find her.<\/p>\n
Rock n\u2019 Rule takes place in a post-apocalyptic future that is now populated by intelligent anthropomorphs and abominations mutated from the remains of a nuclear war in the distant past. A rock band led by Omar strives for fame in Ohmtown, but when Omar is upstaged at their big show by his girlfriend Angel, it causes a rift between the two. <\/p>\n
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However, Angel has caught the attention of the sinister superstar Mok, whose evil plot to raise an eldritch demon requires a very special singing voice. When Mok kidnaps Angel to raise his demon, Omar and his bandmates Izzy and Stretch head off to Nuke York City to rescue her and fight the rock star on his own turf: the stage.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been a huge fan of this movie since I saw it in the late 1980s, and I had never noticed that Catherine O\u2019Hara plays Izzy\u2019s aunt Edith, a grizzled Nuke Yorker who runs a tattoo parlor and helps the band while they\u2019re in town. It features a smorgasbord of celebrity voices and musical appearances, including Cheap Trick and Debbie Harry as Omar and Angel\u2019s band, Lou Reed and Izzy Pop as Mok; the dialogue voice talent is a little less well-known but stars Paul LeMat, Susan Roman, and Don Francks.<\/p>\n
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The story is a fun rock n\u2019 roll romp about the rise and fall to stardom. The soundtrack definitely delivers on the magic and majesty of music, even when it\u2019s not intentionally being used for occult purposes. Debbie Harry absolutely delivers with her performance, and it is easy to see why it would get Mok\u2019s attention. The fantastical blend of magic and technology Mok uses for his sorcery ignites the imagination in ways that a more traditional story about a demonic summoning doesn\u2019t accomplish.<\/p>\n
The lingering aura of nuclear war is constantly emphasized throughout the movie, from the names of places to the smoggy and desolate settings the characters inhabit. Mutant creatures that evolved from waste are looked down upon by mainstream society, as illustrated by warnings and security measures at the venues visited during the film. In this respect, the movie is very dated, as the early 1980s were a time of such fear of nuclear war that we had \u201ccivil defense drills\u201d against bombs rather than the \u201cactive shooter drills\u201d of today.<\/p>\n
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The movie also saw pushback from Rolling Stones superstar Mick Jagger. Mok was originally supposed to be called \u201cMok Swagger\u201d and was drawn to resemble the strutting singer with a dash of fellow musical collaborationist David Bowie thrown in. Mok is portrayed as being narcissistic and drunk on his own stardom, a portrait that Jagger didn\u2019t seem to appreciate, even fictionally. He succeeded in having the character\u2019s surname dropped, but otherwise, as he sings in the movie himself, \u201cMy name is Mok\/thanks a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rock n\u2019 Rule may be a throwback to previous social trauma, but it\u2019s still a worthwhile watch today, and I watch it every time I find it because it is just that much fun. It\u2019s raunchy, with slapstick comedy and a thoughtful premise, and most importantly, great music that keeps you coming back to hear it again.<\/p>\n
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