Fritz the Cat

Ralph Bakshi’s (Wizards/Lord of the Rings) 1972 adaptation of Robert Crumb’s underground comic was the first X-rated animated feature released in America…and boy did it earn that distinction. The film follows Fritz, a hedonistic, politically restless college student who dives headfirst into New York’s counterculture, drifting through sex, drugs, revolutionary fantasies, and chaotic misadventures with a mix of satire and shock.

Exploding onto the scene as both a box-office hit and a cultural lightning rod, Fritz the Cat pushed American animation into unapologetically adult territory. The film’s audacious barrage of profanity, extreme violence, nudity, anti-religious sentiment, and protest politics, as well as accusations of racial stereotyping, sparked major controversy especially when Crumb publicly disowned the film. Today, it stands as a provocative milestone that opened the door for adult animation as we know it.

Grossing over 90 million dollars on its $700,000 budget, the film exploded into the cultural zeitgeist and still stands today—almost 55-years after it was released—as a flashpoint for debate in the evolution of independent animation.

Freaky Fridays ticket prices include a free popcorn and soda or lemonade for all attendees! Alcohol can be purchased at Eden Bar. Regular food service will not be available for Freaky Friday events. So, come early, and fuel up outside for the night ahead!

_{1972, 78 minutes, USA, Directed by Ralph Bakshi, Rated X}