Hair High (2004) User Reviews

Oh say, can you see, my eyes if you can...

[fnorful · 7/10 · 3 April 2006]

This feature-length offering from Bill Plympton starts out strong, drags a little in the middle and finishes okay. It's hard to sustain the level of hilarity that the introduction carries across the length of an animated feature, from the raw characterizations to the stylish presentation. The music remains strong throughout, with toe-tapping original music presented in a well-integrated fashion with the plot.

Big kids will love this. Some of it is obscenely funny and grotesque (like Mr. Snerd hacking up his entrails) and some of it is outright obscene (Zip's mad orgy in a chicken suit, but since the chicken really acts like a rooster...I guess this may be a tip of the hat to a 10% theme). Obscene, yes, but obscenely funny as well.

Good style, lots of laughs and entertaining.

Japanese Anime Fusion

[tommyg · 8/10 · 19 April 2007]

I viewed HIGH HAIR today in Los Angeles -- perhaps three years after it was originally screened. Comments on IMDb said it was a retro 50's style high school story line which drew my attention.

I am a child of such an era having graduated in 1959 (at the cusp of the next decade of the 50's) from high school.

I entered the theater with an invited friend. I was a bit anxious whether my experience would be the same as another person's opinion as we left the screening and talked.

We both had the same movie experience: It took about 20 minutes to get into it and at one moment in time, there was a hook that carried the film into its conclusion and enjoyment. I suppose this is a cult film, but it works well with those who were in high school in the era of the film despite the fact that this was not my own experience.

My enjoyment was the fusion of Japanese anime into contemporary American animation as a borrowed skill with a true technique honed by Bill Plimpton.

He pulled it off without a finger print of evidence that would tie him to such a cinematic crime of imitating Japanese Anime and not his own invention.

It worked. Just fine. Pure fusion.

Hooray for Hair High

[FilmFlaneur · 8/10 · 1 February 2009]

One of the most easily recognisable auteurs working in animation, Bill Plympton has produced a succession of animated features and shorts which delight with their unique style and idiosyncratic world view. His is a bizarre world which, unusually for such hand drawn work, normally assumes the presence of an adult audience and where the exaggerations of sex can be sniggered over for all the right reasons. HAIR HIGH is no exception, and continues the animator's regular obsessions with the strained relationships between sexually optimistic men and women, detailed with black humour all the while laced with some side swipes at the ironies of romance. There's also plenty of hair spray, horny chickens, a good soundtrack, smoking, and the genital stimulation of frogs. Rudeness, surreality and extremes of physical contortion appear again as part and parcel of the plymptonesque world - which this time includes nods to such disparate films as REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER and THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO. HAIR HIGH is voiced by such talent as Keith and David Carradine, Ed Begley Jnr and Matt Groening. Ostensibly a moralistic tale of 50's high school love that ends in comi-tragedy, HAIR HIGH actually engages as a characteristic free wheeling fantasy, allowing the animator to indulge in all sorts of off the wall scenes and images propelling the narrative forward. For those better used to the tight pencil work and plot construction of more regularly exposed animation studios Plympton's work, which leaps more immediately from the artist's bizarre subconscious, often comes as a wake up call. In its attempt to drag cartoons out of the juvenile closet Plympton's longer work has been blazing a trail for years. With not a cuddly, wise-cracking animal in sight and a hands-off view with regards to any computer generated figures, HAIR HIGH is a must for admirers of Plympton. Since this film Plympton has completed two other features, including SHUT EYE HOTEL and, most intriguingly, TOKYO ONLYMPIC, which at 137 mins is slated at his longest yet, double that of the present title.

THIS is why we keep watching animated movies.

[TomReed · 28 July 2004]

This story is in the same mode as Rod Serling's original "Twilight Zone," except with much more heart and soul, and less Old Testament style revenge. You learn to love the characters, even the ones you initially think are cruel.

After all the overproduced and overhyped animated films, that promise wonders but give us the same old thing - THIS is the reason we come back to watch animation. I've seen several of Plympton's short films, but they didn't prepare me for the beautiful characters, the simple and clear story, and (most amazingly) the 50's - 60's style teen music.

See it in the theatres AND buy it on DVD when it comes out. Be aware, though; there's some violence and messy stuff that very little kids probably shouldn't see. Kids above age 12 should be able to handle it, though.

Not among my favorite Plympton cartoons....though it's well worth seeing.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 3 February 2020]

"Hair High" is a full-length Bill Plympton cartoon that is very different from his hilarious shorts. Instead, it's more story-oriented, less funny and a bit padded. Many scenes seem to be drawn out....and the experience is certainly different.

Spud is a new student at the high school. Soon he draws the ire of Rod, the school bully and quarterback of the football team. To punish Spud for existing, Rod forces Spud to be Cherri's slave...and Cherri is Rod's girlfriend. Eventually, however, the plan backfires when Cherri and Spud falls in love and decide to go to the prom together. In response, Rod runs the pair off the road...killing them. While this should be the end of the story, it isn't...and the dead pair are determined to get to the next prom.

Like many of Plympton's cartoons, this one is certainly NOT for kids. It's filled with sexual material and violence...the sort of stuff teens and adults will enjoy but certainly NOT kids! In fact, I talked with Mr. Plympton a few years ago at ComicCon New York, and he said he did NOT want kids watching some of his films. They just can, in some cases, be way too adult for the little ones! It also is a film NOT for the casual viewer, as the material and especially the pacing are not typical of a Plymton cartoon...so I recommend that those not familiar with his work try something else first. Worth seeing despite its pacing...and very, very strange....sort of like the John Waters film "Cry Baby"...but on acid!

Psychedelic rockabilly animated nightmare.

[garethcrook · 7/10 · 18 May 2018]

This is a bit of a psychedelic rockabilly animated nightmare. Packed with 50s American cool, depicted with 60s European charm. Telling the story Spud, a new kid in high school, it's a familiar and not particularly original story, but Spud is likeable and as he says "he just doesn't know the rules". The rules being that teenagers are obnoxious and if movies have taught us anything, it's American teens are more obnoxious, stupid and self centred than most. It certainly seems that Bill Plympton has made exactly the film he wanted to... a pretty disgusting, dialled up to 11 X-Rated version of The Rugrats do Carrie. His style signposts every inch of this and feels devoid of outside interference, which in itself is pretty cool. For all it's B-Movie cool though, it boasts a pretty decent cast of voice actors. I can honestly say I've never seen anything quite like this before.

An Amazingly Funny Gothic Comedy

[downwardhope · 10/10 · 13 March 2004]

Bill Pympton's "Hair High" is everything an animated feature should be. It features some of the funniest comedy you will ever see in a film, animated or live action. This comedy is combined with excellent, unique animation that sets the film apart from other animated features. The rough feeling of it is a much needed break from the perfection that is Disney and Dreamworks. Plympton really proves that you don't need expensive fancy 3D graphics to make an amazing film; all you truly need is talent and ambition. The plot ties everything together; giving some meaning to the crazy world that is Plympton's animation style.

One of the best parts of "Hair High" is the cast of voices. Kill Bill's David Carradine lends his vocal talent, along with Beverly D'Angelo, and Animators Don Hertzfeldt and Matt Groening. Each voice fits the character perfectly, which really adds to the already excellent animation and story.

Overall, the incredibly weird, yet extremely funny, antics of "Hair High" are sure to entertain. Laugh after laugh, this film takes the fun of Plympton's shorts and allows the audience to enjoy the fun for over an hour.

more surreal, imaginative, often gross animation from Bill Plympton

[cherold · 7/10 · 2 July 2018]

Hair High is a take-off of retro high school dramas, as a mild-mannered student finds himself being tortured by the top echelon at his new school. The story is little more than a frame for a series of insane set pieces that range from flies having sex to a crazed car battle.

This episodic, gag-first approach keeps one from caring much about the characters or events, but it's pretty consistently funny.

Bill Plympton has a weird sense of humor, but his mix of surreal cleverness and outrageous is always lots of fun. Hair High isn't quite as good as his shorts, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.

One of the best

[deadandlovely · 10/10 · 10 August 2008]

Such a great work.One of the best animations that I've ever watched, although the story is very common; popular guy and cheerleader go out together but a "a new kid in school" falls for this popular cheerleader.

Drawings are very expressive you can almost taste the life they are living at the screen. I think this animation deserves more than just congratulations.

The thing about this animation is it makes you wonder and at the same time makes you want to watch over and over again.

If you haven't still watched it you may be missing a lot in my opinion.

Enjoy.

Terrible movie I have ever seen

[princesswu-79837 · 1/10 · 26 June 2022]

This movie is god awful sickening. It's one of the worst films of 2004, next to Terkel in trouble. Rod is totally lame. He's got the same hair as jimmy neutron. The animation is grotesque and disgusting that it makes me cringe and sick to stomach. They were watching a movie and good god man. The movie they were watching was about these worms crawling into her skin (MY GOD!!!) she started screaming. It was horrible.

Oh and not to mention the beginning of the movie. There was this one girl that screamed in a disturbing voice. I never want to see this movie again in my entire life.

A great animated film

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 15 July 2010]

I think that Bill Plympton is one of the most original and talented animators of all the history, and just like his other films and animated shows, "Hair High" is enough proof of his unique vision and talent. While it starts as a simplistic high school comedy (But without any of the stupid clichés and stereotypes of this kind of films) it quickly evolves into a bizarre, surreal tale of romance and horror, with great plot twists and lots of dark humor, just like all the other works made by Bill Plympton. If you are looking for a completely different kind of animated film, you should give a look to this film. It is one of the funniest and more artistic animated comedies ever made.

10/10

bad, bad animation

[guyhome · 4/10 · 14 November 2005]

While the story is pretty good (although very used), this kind of animation just blows. it looks like the animator is down right lazy. instead of 10 frames he uses the same 2 over and over. i've seen better animation by first year art student. i mean it. And the dubbing synchronization (and voices characterization all-in-all) is poor: when someone looks (visually) like he's shouting, their voice is dry and in normal volume. there is way too much silence and lack of sound effects to make the scenes work and be coherent, instead of just frames flickering around with big random pauses.

There are so many great storytellers and animators out there. I really can't figure out why Plympton is considered such a great one.

A sheer disappointment.

Superb animation that should be better acknowledged

[robertemerald · 10/10 · 23 August 2020]

I wonder if Pink Floyd's The Wall animations helped inspire this little animation gem. I wish this had had greater circulation. The Triplets of Belleville comes to mind as well. The story is strange, the animation brimming with nicely realised ideas. I guess you could compare it to Carrie. It's sort of a grand All-American nightmare. I found this movie at an op shop. Another lucky day for me!

Awful, the drawings made me puke!

[Irishchatter · 1/10 · 24 May 2016]

Seriously, this animation is worse than a children's drawing. Yeah i know its meant to be different and that's good but really, they either made your head spin or give you a migraine headache. It is just terrible!

I don't understand why this was given good reviews by critics and reviewers on here. Sarah Sliverman was mad for taking part in this horrible cartooonish crap. She's better off in doing better movies than being involved in this.

I can't say no more because I'm blinded from the horrible drawings. I would love to give this a 0 but can't!