In the early 1980s, cable TV was an important and marvelous new development for Young America. For one thing, MTV was on it. But there was also soft-core porn and other adult programming, and parents often weren’t conversant enough with the technology (or the TV schedule) to prevent their offspring from watching things they probably shouldn’t. For a male preteen such as myself around 1982, there wasn’t much on the premium cable schedule I was interested in watching more than Heavy Metal. A sci-fi cartoon for adults that was both scary and sexy? With music by Blue Öyster Cult, Journey, and Cheap Trick?? You have got to be fucking kidding me. I was 12 years old and had no way of seeing an R-rated movie. But I could dial up Cinemax when my parents weren’t around…...... 

I think I dimly understood that there was a “magazine” out there called Heavy Metal that was for adults. I definitely did not know that so many of my favorite Canadian entertainers (think SCTV) were involved, including John Candy, Eugene Levy, Ivan Reitman, and Harold Ramis, although I’m certain I would have recognized the name “John Candy” in the credits.

As I say, I never saw the movie in the theater, but if I had I might have spotted some of these handsome lobby cards while entering. I suspect that Heavy Metal has not dated all that well, but I’m impressed at how effortlessly these striking images, after more than 30 years, communicate Danger - Sex - Adventure - FUN.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Here’s a set of lobby cards from France, where the movie was called Metal Hurlant:

 
Here’s a set from Germany, where it was called Schwermetall:

 
I believe this come from what was then called Yugoslavia. You can make out the phrase “Centar Film Beograd” on the cards, which refers to Belgrade, the country’s capital.
 

 

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Ultra stylish lobby cards from the fashionable world of 1960s British cinema
Super hot German movie poster & lobby cards for ‘Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!’