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EFILM
"Director Ron Mann is known for creating some of the most fun documentaries around. And Tales of the Rat Fink is no exception -- it's one of the most visually interesting and engaging nonfiction films I've seen."
Folha de São Paulo - March 2007
Ratfink review
jalopyjournal.com - by Ryan Cochran
I first met Ed Roth in 1999 when I stumbled across his small booth at the Oakland Roadster Show. There were no long lines, no groupies, and just not as much fuss as you would imagine. We talked for about an hour and I left with the ...
Todd David Schwartz, CBS
"THREE STARS (Out of Four). A delightful, informative look at a seminal element of American pop grooviness. Long live Big Daddy Roth!"
canuxploitation.com, Jan. 07
...Mann’s enthusiasm and reverence for his subject translates well on screen... everyone will appreciate Mann’s dynamic visual style and respectful treatment of a truly unique artist.
popsyndicate.com, Dec. 10, 06
Mann really created an informative film which does justice to Ed Roth, a man who pioneered so much in this world as we know it and redefined pop culture. Worth your time and then some.
ocregister.com, Dec. 11, 06
A bloodshot visionary. Underground icon Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth is back in the spotlight.
Montreal Mirror, Dec. 06
It’s an “animentary,” an animated doc with the voices of John Goodman, Jay Leno, Matt Groening and more, that explores the life, times and disgustipatin’ hot-rod monster art of the kustom-kulture deity Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, inventor of Rat Fink and icon to gearheads and goofs the world over. The DVD boasts all manner of neat bonuses, above and beyond Mann’s super-cool flick.
Canadian Driver , Dec. 7, 06
Tales of the Rat Fink is a must-see. Edgy, fun, informative and just the right length, this is gearhead cinema the way it should be.
Siff Blog, Oct. 20,06
You've got to give props to any documentarian who steps outside the Ken Burns box of archival footage + omniscient narrator + soporific soundtrack = high-minded hagiography.
WhatDVD.net, Nov. 06
Tales of the Rat Fink (2006), playfully profiles Ed “Big Daddy” Roth who helped popularize the customization of cars in the 1950s.
sfgate.com, Oct. 19, 06
Director Ron Mann ("Comic Book Confidential") deserves the Academy Weirdo Award for this intriguing, always-off-the-wall biography of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Harp Magazine, Nov. 06
Tales of the Rat Fink, Ron Mann’s biopic of legendary hot rod artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, is a story that begged to be told in pictures.
Pop Vulture, Nov. 13, 06
None of the creations on this DVD are anywhere near being "corporate." It all started with Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's imagination, passion and indie spirit, and just exploded from there!
The Hollywood Reporter, Nov. 1, 06
There's a perfect marriage between artist and subject that occurs with Ron Mann, the documentary filmmaker whose previous works have included cultural explorations of comic books and marijuana, and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth," the legendary pioneer of the custom car.
The Oregonian, Nov. 3, 06
...an affectionate look at a neglected phenomenon of the baby boomer generation with "Tales of the Rat Fink,".
dvdverdict.com, Nov. 06
Toronto-bred pop culture aficionado Ron Mann has explored the social history of North America in engaging films like Comic Book Confidential Twist, and Grass. His documentary on Roth's life, Tales of the Rat Fink, may be his most focused effort yet.
Cinema Signals, Nov. 3, 06
Paying tribute to "Big Daddy," all. The Sadies pump up the fun level with their high-test music tracks.
NewsOK.com, Nov. 3, 06
Alienated adolescents of the '60s loved him, and through animation, vintage film and a veritable pageant of automotive beauties lovingly photographed in living "Kandy" color, Mann shows why Roth deserved the adoration.
South Florida Sun Sentinel, Oct. 31, 06
People don't generally think of documentaries as being fun, but Tales of the Rat Fink is one of the most fun stories to come along in quite a while.
Free Times, Nov. 06
...a swooningly nostalgic study-hall fan's note to the late Roth.
Rolling Stone, Nov. 2, 06
A lovingly posthumous look at Roth and thee customized hot-rod craze he helped spearhead....
Washington Post, Oct. 27, 06
People don't generally think of documentaries as being fun, but "Tales of the Rat Fink" is one of the most fun stories to come along in quite a while.
Santa Fe New Mexican, Oct. 27, 06
.a loving tribute to visionary hot-rod artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth that was released on DVD this month...
The Guardian, Oct. 06
It would be physically impossible to find a cooler film subject than the late Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, the hugely influential and wildly creative artist beloved for his customized cars and monster cartoons ...
MSN.ca,Oct. 24, 06
As one of Canada’s most idiosyncratic filmmakers, Ron Mann has been making documentaries that focus on alternative culture for over two decades.
STL Today,Oct. 19, 06
For the uninitiated, the film is a simple but stylish introduction to Roth. For his fans, it's a total gas.
The Guardian (Interview with Ron Mann) Oct. 19, 06
It would be physically impossible to find a cooler film subject than the late Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, the hugely influential and wildly creative artist beloved for his customized cars and monster cartoons (including Rat Fink, born of the SoCal resident’s rejection of Mickey Mouse and all the cookie-cutter mainstreamness represented by the then-brand-new Disneyland).
greencine.com, (interview with Ron Mann) Oct. 20, 06
Tales of the Rat Fink is a great introduction to Ed Roth's life and work, leading to a few quick questions for director Ron Mann.
siffblog.com, Oct. 18, 06
You've got to give props to any documentarian who steps outside the Ken Burns box of archival footage + omniscient narrator + soporific soundtrack = high-minded hagiography.
Metroactive, Oct. 18, 06
Pin-stripe master Nat Quick takes a look at new Ed Roth doc.
Timeout Chicago, Oct. 12, 06
...the animation and the colors that seem to leap off the screen and the talking cars and the message of everything out there that is art-able and people who think outside the box to fill the world with different shades of color and life…it’s supertrippy too, so if you smoke pot, do that. If you drink, do shots. If you do nothing, just focus your mind on these visuals, which are just part of this amazing film and story and really, just history so inspiring.
Out of the Inkwell, Oct. 12, 06
Funny, nostalgic and educational, "Tales of the Rat Fink" is a great salute to a one of a kind man.
Film Journal International, Oct. 12, 06
Roth was to cars what Warhol was to soup cans and Lichtenstein to oil paintings of comic-book panels
LA Weekly , Oct. 11, 06
There are no talking heads in Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann’s exuberant 75-minute “animentary” about legendary car customizer and graphic artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, though there are plenty of talking cars. No, not the cute, cuddly Disney kind, but rather the tricked-out, cool-daddy-o drag-racing kind...
LA City Beat, Oct. 11, 06
In a wise move, Mann’s visually arresting flick shuns talking heads entirely, using voice-overs.
Boston Phoenix, Oct. 11, 06
a playful tribute to the late Ed “Big Daddy” Roth
Boston Globe, Oct. 11, 06
Add ``Tales of the Rat Fink" to the long list of Roth testimonials that includes surf-rock album covers and a famous ``Kandy Kolored" essay by Tom Wolfe, who contributes vocals and a cameo to this documentary. FOFs (Friends of ``Finkie") won't be disappointed in this film, and nobody else really matters.
Cinema Signals , Oct. 06
...amiable history of Roth's artistry as it evolved from printed T-shirts, which were trademarked with the green ratfink image, to car model kits, car detailing and, with the advent of fiberglas freeing his inner muse for a form of new expression, the use of the hot rod as the motif for a unique, award-winning brand of counter-culture sculpture.
Chicago Reader, Oct. 6, 06
...an illuminating primer about a custom car commando whose influence is far more pervasive than you'd fink — er, think...
Ubyssey, Oct. 6, 06
Many documentaries are notable because they provide a view into grim social realities and project strong political messages— not so much the case for Ron Mann’s work.
Variagate.com, Oct. 6, 06
The film is immersed in animation by Mike Roberts and a CGI boost to animate available archive stills, all of which suggests the rebel's own grand cartoonish style.
New York Times, Oct. 6, 06
Ron Mann's "Tales of the Rat Fink," a paean
to the custom-car designer Ed Roth, plays like a
rambunctious merger of personal history and automobile
pornography
Chicago Reader, Oct. 6, 06
The pace never flags, and the enthusiasm is infectious
TV Guide, Oct. 06
...colorful and suitably gonzo documentary
Timeout NY , Oct. 06
Ever wondered where the guys on Pimp My Ride got their outrageous ideas?
Lee-uhhh....wha? Blog , Oct. 06
GO SEE IT I F***ING SWEAR!!!!
The Gateway, Oct. 18, 06
One pimpin’ documentary!
24 Hours, Vancouver, Oct. 5, 06
Tales of the Rat Fink is Ron Mann's latest study of a fringe fad. This time it's hot rods, message T-shirts, model-car kits with monster drivers and even unique real cars, all dreamed up by the late California designer and artist, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.
National Post , Sept. 22, 06
...an entertaining trip down the custom car culture fast lane
Seattle Times, Sept. 22, 06
Are You Into the Fun and the Weird?
Seattle Times, Sept. 22, 06
FOUR STARS - A MASTERPIECE!
Toronto Star, Sept. 22, 06
Hot-rod artist documentary fun, stylish
Toronto Sun, Sept. 22, 06
Hot-rod artist documentary fun, stylish
Globe and Mail, Sept. 06
Pure fun, fun, fun
Herald.net, Sept. 22, 06
Middle-age boys will love 'Rat Fink
Canadian Hotrodder, Oct. 06
...quirky, groovy, kool, weird (good weird of course) and entertaining.
Seattlepi, Sept. 22, 06
Pop culture chronicler Ron Mann pushes the definition of documentary with his energetic portrait of hot rod and custom car culture guru Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.
Toronto Sun, Sept. 22, 06
In the beginning, there was Big Daddy!
Hollywood-elsewhere.com
If schools employed Ron Mann to do their educational films, kids would learn a lot more on "video day" at school. I went into Rat Fink a relative newcomer, but I came out a proselytizer. If you've never seen Grass or Go Further, find an afternoon and get to know this filmmaker a bit better.
HaltonSearch.com, Sept. 20, 06
Sheridan grad has hand in documenting life of '60s icon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Winnipeg Sun, Sept. 29, 06
Gentlemen, start your engines. And your amplifiers. Toronto's beloved Sadies rev it up and go, daddy, go on this instrumental soundtrack for filmmaker Ron Mann's Tales of the Rat Fink, a loving documentary about hot-rod artist Ed (Big Daddy) Roth.
bestofneworleans.com, Sept. 19, 06
John Goodman never had a chance to own a flashy car. When he first got excited about hot rods while growing up in St. Louis, he was too young to drive.
New York Times, Sept. 15, 06
Let Ken Burns make films about jazz and baseball. In his new documentary film about Big Daddy Roth, “Tales of the Rat Fink,” Ron Mann captures Americana...
Globe and Mail, Jennie Punter
Mann (Comic Book Confidential) plays with archive, animation and music (hot soundtrack by the Sadies), illuminating another worthy counter-culture corner. Pure fun, fun, fun
Macleans Weblog, Brian Johnson
(Rat Fink) reaffirms Ron Mann's status as pop culture's most vital and imaginative historian.
Motertrend, Sept. 7, 06
Few automotive cult figures better symbolize the rebellious nature of the 1960's hot rod movement than Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Best known for his now iconic "Rat Fink" cartoon, widely regarded as the alter ego of Disney's Mickey Mouse,Roth's designs represented the dawn of a counterculture era.
Toronto Sun, Sept. 18, 06
Tales Of The Rat Fink is poised to kickstart a renaissance in hot-rod car-culture
Cinemascope, Issue 28
The Mouse that Roared: Interview with Ron Mann on Tales of the Rat Fink
Magnet Magazine
Interview with Travis Good from THE SADIES.
Good doesn't have a driver's license. He's driven a tractor, but that's about it So what's he doing writing the soundtrack for Tales Of The Rat Fink?
Toronto Sun, Sept. 16, 06
When was the last time you saw a documentary that wasn't angry about something? (A) fun, ebullient look at Big Daddy Roth, the guy who all but invented hot-rod detailing, printed T-shirts and those goofy monster-driven hot-rod models some of us inhaled glue fumes over as kids.
Festival Daily, Sept. 16, 06
Ron Mann rats out counterculture pioneer.
Page 1/ Page 2
Butch Delux, Sept. 15, 06
Oh, and get the Sadies' "Tales of the Rat Fink" soundtrack. It's not good, it's F***ING good. \
CBC.ca, Sept. 13, 06
Big Daddy Dearest. Tales of the Rat Fink eulogizes the Salvador Dali of Kustom Kulture
Austin Chronicle, Sept. 15, 06
When we first spoke to Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential), it was mere hours before his latest documentary, Tales of the Rat Fink, was due to unspool at SXSW 06, and, by the director's own giddy admission, the print "wasn't even dry yet." And, of course, no one – not even Mann himself – had seen what would ultimately become the finished film set to open in Austin this weekend.
Toronto Star, Sept. 9, 06
Goodman grew up to play Big Daddy. As a kid, actor idolized rebel artist's work. Voices him in Ron Mann's unusual tribute doc.
NOW Magazine
Mann's sprightly account of the career of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth offers the same pleasures as his earlier films like The Twist, where archival footage, lively animation and cheery music (this time a surf-inflected score by the Sadies) carry us easily through a straightforward look at a some forgotten corner of pop culture.
Eye Weekly - 4 Stars!
A pop-culture innovator gets his due in Ron Mann’s playful and galumphing bio-doc. The visionary in question is Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, a California gear-head who went from souping-up cars to warping the minds of an entire generation with an array of garish silkscreened t-shirts, mind-rotting comic books and way-cool monster-car model sets. An all-star cast of famous weirdos (Tom Wolfe, Brian Wilson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, together at last) lend their voices to some of Roth’s now-ancient automobiles while John Goodman stars (via voice-over) as Roth himself.
Toronto Sun - Sept. 11, 06
Car culture started in California, so it's not surprising that when Ron Mann decided to make a documentary about a car culture god, the late hot-rod detailing legend Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Hollywood stars beat a path to his door.
CBC.ca
The Hot List - 10 Canadian buzz films at TIFF
Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential) is our country’s best guide to the subculture and in this part-animated, part-interview documentary, he paints a portrait of yet another fellow iconoclast whose fans include Jay Leno and John Goodman.
entertainment-news.org
Another dark horse in Toronto is Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann's "Tales of the Rat Fink," a hybrid of candy-colored animation and film that portrays the life and art of famed American hotrod designer and graphic artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.
Toronto Star
Fest Quest: What to see
Hitherto unexplored links between hot rods, Rat Finks, T-shirts, monster movies, Bart Simpson and iMacs are in this amusing, informative biopic on Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the car customizer and pop-cult savant whose grooviness influenced generations.
Playback, Sept. 4, 06
Having too much footage was not a problem for Ron Mann (Grass, Go Further) on Tales of the Rat Fink, his latest doc, which makes its Canadian premiere in Real to Reel. In fact, a distinct lack of footage of the film's protagonist, artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, ended up defining the character of this almost entirely animated documentary.
DRIVE! Review
(The film) was done in a very psychedelic way, reminiscent of the 1960s. I was on the edge of my chair the whole time wondering where this movie was going to go.
Variety
The complete Real to Reel program features 34 titles from 18 countries, including "…So Goes the Nation" from James Stern and Adam Del Deo, "Sharkwater" directed by Rob Stewart, "Shot in the Dark" from Adrian Grenier, Jia Zhangke's "Dong" and "Tales of the Rat Fink" from Ron Mann.
Austin Daze
An interview with Ron Mann on his latest film TALES OF THE RAT FINK.
Rod & Custom Magazine
If you’re any kind of Roth fan, hot rodder, or weirdo, you'll want to find it and see it.
Ain't It Cool News - July 27, 06
A MUST SEE for anyone you know who is a car enthusiast.
Sales From a Crypt of Kustom Kulture - May 28, 2006
Earlier this month, Jimmy and Danny Brucker, original benefactors of Outsider art, auctioned their holdings at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Monday Magazine - April 20-26, 06
"Shooting the Alternative - Ron Mann is just a counterculture sort of guy."
E-Film Critic
"An amusing look at the life and legacy of Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth"
Bananas and Blow
"An amusing look at the life and legacy of Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth"
IndiWire: Buzz and Rumours - July 23-29, 06
"Abramorama has acquired Ron Mann's animated biopic "Tales of the Rat Fink..."
National Post - April 07, 2006
"This year in cinematic offerings may well go down as the year of the talking car."
Hotrod Hotline
A look into the life and art of the late "Big Daddy" Ed Roth South By South West Music and Art Festival (SXSW).
Austin Chronicle - March 17, 2006
"Tales of the Rat Fink is an ebullient survey of Roth's life that revs along with the zest a souped-up hot rod."
Films in Review - SXSW FILM FESTIVAL
Ron Mann's blazing biography of legendary animator and car artist Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth leaves you breathless. (austin360)
Toronto Star - March 17, 2006
"Mann's turbo-charged, smashingly animated (by Mike Roberts) popcult documentary about the late hot rod god Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, might have been Mann's third movie to play at SXSW, but it's also the one that landed with the biggest ka-boom."
Hollywood Elsewhere
If schools employed Ron Mann to do their educational films, kids would learn a lot more on "video day" at school. I went into Rat Fink a relative newcomer, but I came out a proselytizer. If you've never seen Grass or Go Further, find an afternoon and get to know this filmmaker a bit better.
Hollywood Bitchslap - March 17, 2006
"Director Ron Mann is known for creating some of the most fun documentaries around. And Tales of the Rat Fink is no exception -- it's one of the most visually interesting and engaging nonfiction films I've seen."
Forbes Article - March 13, 06
"Ed Roth is long gone, but his wild cars and subversive artwork are frisky all anew."
Toronto Star Article - Dec. 23, 2005
"Big Wheels Roll Our for Rat Fink Tales"
Toronto Star Article - Dec. 23, 2005
"Goodman Embodies "Big Daddy" Spirit"
My Movie Journal is Better Than Yours!
Fresh and interesting and entertaining like a quick little joyride or some other equally-strained car metaphor |
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The Sadies score "Rat Fink", read about it in Chart Attack!
The Sadies record album for "Rat Fink", read about it in Chart Attack!
What Tom Wolfe has to say about ED ROTH:
"Ed Roth was a giant as an artist as well as a behemoth as a man. He and his fellow Kar Kustomizers worked in the only uniquely American art medium, the automobile. He never thought of his creations simply as shells of molded sheet metal or fibreglass. He always wanted you to see the engine, too, because the Only American Art Form is not an object. It's a kineticism. Its materials are speed, momentum, excitement, and freedom, which is to say, the American Zeitgeist, except that we don't say Zeitgeist. We say, the spirit of the American age."
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