Cool and the Crazy (1994): Big kids, Big hips

Ralph Bakshi’s only full-length feature film is Cool and the Crazy (Cool and the Crazy, 1994) from the Rebel Highway series, his next work after the Cool World. In fact, the name should be translated as “Cool and the Crazy”. There is a 1958 film of the same name Cool and the Crazy, but it has nothing in common with Bakshi’s picture – the old film tells about a gang of teenagers who turned into a bad path.

Young Robert Rodriguez, having been among the directors of Rebel Highway, after hearing the name Cool & Crazy, was delighted and thought that he would like to make such a film, and not the one that he was offered, some kind of Racers. But this, fortunately, was not destined to come true.

Michael and Rosalyn started dating when they were still in high school, and got married at the age of 18. They think it’s cool. At the age of 19, they already had a child, Michael Jr. However, some of them have not yet had enough exercise to really be ready for family life. There are two superstars of the 90s: Alicia Silverstone and Jared Leto. There is no special chemistry between them, but that’s how it was thought, but they play well.

Ralph Bakshi:

It was the first movie for Jared. He then called me and thanked me very much. I also gave Alicia Silverstone her first big role. Jared is a very nice guy, really appreciates the work. He’s very nice. I like him. And he was very passionate about filming.

The film is based on the script If I Catch Her, I’ll Kill Her (If I catch her, I’ll kill her), which Bakshi wrote back in the late 60s and unsuccessfully offered to film studios in the 70s and 80s: “They believed that no one recognizes what women can and do – deceive their husbands. They thought it was too indecent.” In 1993, Lou Arkoff, the son of Samuel Arkoff, offered Bakshi a job on a low-budget movie for Showtime, and he finally realized his idea.

Bakshi:

I am a cartoonist. Feature films are great to shoot because they can be done quickly – I shot Cool And The Crazy in a couple of weeks. It would take me years if I was doing a cartoon. And here I could quickly get my check (laughs). But in movies you have to deal with actors and actresses, and they’re still a pain in the ass. And you only realize this when you find yourself on the set with them.

Critics noted that Bakshi shoots from unusual angles, and the final scene demonstrates that violence can be shown without shedding blood on the screen. And that the director gets the most out of shots with young and unknown actors.

Ralph Bakshi made this film at the age of 56. Of course, this has never been an action movie or a melodrama, it’s also difficult to call a thriller. The film is more about growing up, about choice. And this is one of the best Rebel Highway movies.