|
By: James Porter
 It
occurs to me that the 50s were to the 80s what the 80s are
today, a 10-year time frame that a certain generation of people
will always see as the best 10 years of all time. It makes
sense. How else can you explain Back To The Future's plot being
going back to 1955? Well, it seems this occurred to Ralph Bakshi
as well in the 80s, and may have been what lead to his making
the movie Hey Good Lookin' in 1982. He probably did it
to show what living in the 50s was REALLY like.
|
|
Hey Good Lookin' tells the
story of some teenage kids growing up in Brooklyn in 1953. Vinnie
Genzianna (played by Richard Romanus), leader of a gang of Greasers
called “The Stompers”, Crazy Shapiro (played by David Proval), Vinnie's
best friend who is just as his name says, and Rozzie Featherschneid
(played by Tina Romanus), the girl of Vinnie's dreams. It follows them
as they live life in 1953. Living, enjoying life, falling in love, and,
for Vinnie anyway, trying to figure out what to do about an upcoming
rumble (that's 50s slang for “gang fight”) between his gang and another
one called “The Black Chaplans” lead by a man named Boogaloo (voiced by
Philip Michael Thomas).
 |
 |
Now, if you've watched a Ralph Bakshi
movie, chances are you know what to expect. Animation consisting of
either rotoscoping or a traditional style that makes characters look
abstractly ugly, characters talking about either each other, or
metaphors about life itself (one of which is even in the beginning of
the movie), adult imagery, and uncensored swear words. You certainly do
get all of that in this movie, set to the backdrop of Bakshi's take on
50s-era Brooklyn. Of course, your enjoyment OF this movie all settles on
your level of comfort with the above mentioned. Ralph Bakshi's stuff is
rather off-beat, so it takes a certain kind of person to truly
appreciate it. I watched this once on YouTube, and I liked it. It had
good characters, a great soundtrack (which I HIGHLY recommend you check
out), and really delved into what it was like to be a teenager in that
time.
 |
 |
In the end, I'd say Hey Good Lookin'
is a movie worth checking out. If you want something from the 80s a
little different from what most of the other 80s things are like, this
is a choice that I highly recommend. As said before, enjoyment of this
is all dependant on your level of comfort with a Ralph Bakshi movie, but
I'd say that this is a must-see from his filmography. Sadly, I don't
think it was ever released on DVD, but it WAS released on VHS. And hey,
if you can't find the VHS, just
check out YouTube.
Hey Good Lookin' Soundtrack
|
1. Hey Good
Lookin' (3:33)
2. Burnin' (3:23)
3. Crazy's Theme (4:30)
4. That Girl Was Mine (2:51)
5. South Street Walk (3:44)
6. I'm Cryin' (2:41)
7. Gittin' While The Gittin's Hot (2:07)
8. Our Love (3:20)
9. Don't Say Goodbye (4:00)
10. Just One Night (3:14)
|
11. Playin' To Win (5:59)
12. I'll Come Back (3:34)
13. Movin (1:44)
14. This Could Be Love (0:31)
15. You Gave Your Love To Me (1:03)
16. Slow Burnin (1:55)
17. Our Love (uptempo)-vocal (2:13)
18. Don't Say Goodbye-piano (2:10)
19. Playin' To Win-city (2:32)
|
