Product Details

• Actors: Steve Austin (IV), Tom Wolfe, Paul Le Mat, Brian Wilson, Billy Gibbons
• Directors: Ron Mann
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
• DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Run Time: 76 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000H6SY3M
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,129 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Tales of the Rat Fink" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.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

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 8-time Emmy® Nominee (The Big Lebowski)
• Ann-Margret Academy Award® Nominee (Carnal Knowledge)
• Jay Leno
• Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Tom Wolfe (author of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test)
• Matt Groening (creator of "The Simpsons")
• The Smothers Brothers
• And many more!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Big Daddy Lives! — Rare interviews with Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
• Rat Fink Reunion — Painting jam with Ed Roth and Von Dutch
• Big Daddy's Garage — Virtual art gallery
• Interview with director Ron Mann
• Deleted scene
• Theatrical trailer
• The Sadies music video

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pushing the boundaries of traditional documentaries!, November 28, 2006

By	Cubist (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Ron Mann is a Canadian filmmaker who specializes in documentaries about alternative culture; be it comic books with Comic Book Confidential, a famous dance craze with Twist or marijuana culture with Grass. His latest film, Tales of the Rat Fink, playfully profiles Ed "Big Daddy" Roth who helped popularize the customization of cars in the 1950s. Roth saw automobiles as much more than just modes of transportation but rather blank canvasses just waiting to be adorned with his stylish artwork or to be rebuilt from the ground up in his own unique way.

Mann does a fantastic job of taking us back to the `50s with period music and plenty of archival footage. However, his documentary is far from traditional as he has Roth narrate his own life but voiced by actor John Goodman. Mann also gives several classic cars their own voice as they tell their own story and how they contributed to hot rod car culture. It's an unusual move that takes a little getting used to but for those who have seen Mann's other documentaries it is merely a natural progression of his idiosyncratic style - kind of like Roth himself.

Mann animates still photographs and instead of having someone drone on about the different kinds of paint jobs, shows it through stylized animation techniques and footage of cars being customized. Throughout it all, he has Roth's most famous creation, Rat Fink (his answer to Mickey Mouse - a bright green mutant rat - whom he had grown tired of and created a symbol of everything that was cool and dangerous about the hot rod culture), bridges each segment via animated interludes and accompanied by the surf music of the Sadies. Tales of the Rat Fink does an excellent job immersing us in the custom car culture, how it came to be and its distinctive characteristics. This documentary takes a nostalgic look back at a time when cars had their own distinctive look; they were works of art - something that is missing today in our current homogenous culture. Its unorthodox approach may put off some but it does mirror the gonzo the look of Roth's artwork and takes it away from the stuffy confines of traditional documentaries.

"Big Daddy Lives!" is a rare, archival interview with Roth who talks about how he designs cars and the criteria he used to do this. This extra provides fascinating insight into the man and his work.

"Ratfink Reunion." To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rat Fink, Roth and Von Dutch did a customized paint job on a car together. It's great to see these two artists doing what they do best.

"Big Daddy's Garage" features galleries of his rough sketches for t-shirt designs, stills from the 2006 Detroit Autorama that featured a collection of many of Roth's classic cars, samples from the Rat Fink comic strip, and other artists' interpretation of Rat Fink.

"Interview with director Ron Mann." A friend turned him onto Roth's work in the 1990s and in 2000 he decided to make a film about the man but when he died suddenly in 2001 Mann shelved the project. A few years later, he got the idea to tell Roth's story from the point-of-view of his cars.

"Deleted Scene" is a brief clip that shows the Rat Fink merchandise explosion with model kits, t-shirts, hats, etc.

Also included is the theatrical trailer.

Finally, there is a music video for the Sadies who provided the music for the documentary. It's animated and features Rat Fink with members of the band.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fitting Tribute to THE Rat Fink, January 18, 2007

By	Trebor Anthony (Milwaukee) - See all my reviews

A respectful homage to Ed Roth by those who knew , and loved him. If you are a fan ,you should have this already.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Live the Rat Fink, November 9, 2006

By	Trent Reeve (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Yeah this is cool, a tribute to "Big Daddy" Ed Roth and his Rat Fink creation and it took a Canadian film maker to do it (go Canada). Ed Roth finally gets the respect he deserves. Find out how much that is cool today was started by Ed. Learn of the beginnings of hot rod customizing. I only knew a little about the man but after seeing this film many of the questions I want to ask Ed Roth myself were answered. It also filled me with laughter. The animation is brilliant and hilarious, what is next a Saturday morning cartoon? Great overall package, love it.