Flipper City

Original title: Heavy Traffic

1973
16
1h 17m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.9K

YOUR RATING

An underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.

Play trailer1:58

2 Videos

99+ Photos

Adult Animation Hand-Drawn Animation Satire Animation Comedy Drama

An underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.An underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.An underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.9K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos2

Photos124

+ 118

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Half way into production as Bakshi was fired (before being re-hired). A different director stepped in and animated a train sequence in which Michael goes to visit his brother-in-law. He is on a subway and witness' a woman sleeping while two men begin to undress her. Michael just watches. As the woman wakes up, she screams "rape" toward Michael. This was in the original script, but was scrapped when Bakshi returned to the project, as he felt the scene was in bad-taste.

Quotes
Moe: Hey, It's Michael Corleone! What's you doin' now?
[makes pigeon noises]
Moe: What's you doin' now?
Michael: Hey, crazy man! How come you're not down in your basement?
Moe: Well, I, I came to kill your pigeon, boy.
Michael: Ah, that's bullshit, Moe, you're probably peekin' down at the ladies.
Moe: Yeah! My peekin' days long shut down, Michael.
[sadly]
Moe: I ain't there no more. I just ain't there.
[plays his harmonica]
Michael: Ah, you're just a crazy nigger, Moe. Just a goddamn crazy nigger.
Moe: We's all niggers, boy! Ha ha! You an' me, just goddamn crazy niggers! We's all niggers boy. Most of us don't know it yet.
Michael: [passing a joint to Moe] Hey, listen, you want some of this shit?
Moe: Even your pigeon's a nigger! Ha ha ha ha ha! That's why I'm gonna kill him.
Michael: Moe, you ain't gonna do shit!
Moe: Moe: I just ain't there. Every - everybody plays like they there... but they ain't there. I ain't there. Your pigeon ain't there! He flies high like he there, but he don't fly 'less you open that cage. And he got to come back 'cause he's trained to! He ain't there.

Alternate versions
In 1974, the film was cut and rereleased with an "R" rating, replacing the previous "X" rated version.

Connections
Edited from 42ème rue (1933)

Soundtracks
Take Five
Composition by Paul Desmond
Performed by Dave Brubeck Quartet
Courtesy Columbia Records

User reviews45

Featured review

5/10

Generally Disappointing

An "underground" cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his artwork.

Another reviewer said that people who review this film poorly are either offended by the nudity or just do not get it. The nudity (and blood) do not bother me in the slightest -- fill the screen with as many animated sex organs as you feel necessary, for all I care. On the second point, it is possible I do not get it.

While I understand the animation was innovative for its time and that the film shows urban decay -- both with cartoons and actual locations -- I cannot help but think that it just has not aged very well. Some scenes I found excellent (such as the God segment), while others were completely forgettable. It balanced out to be average at best.

The New York Times called it the "most original American film of the year." Could they look back now and say that again? I am not so sure.