The Point
review by Bobby Blakey
In 1971 ABC aired the first ever animated special in prime time with The Point! Based on the album from Harry Nilsson. I couldn’t tell you where I saw it but I remember seeing at least part of this film as a kid featuring Ringo Starr narrating, but had forgotten all about it until now. MVD is now bringing the film to an all-new Blu-ray collector’s edition in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.
The Point follows a place called The Land of the Point, because everything in The Land of the Point had one - the barns, the houses, the cars, everything - even the people. Everyone, that is, except Oblio, who was born round-headed. Since he had no point, Oblio - along with his trusty dog, Arrow - was banished to the Pointless Forest. Join them to see what wonders await these two intrepid travelers as they make their way on their amazing, song-filled journey of discovery!
Filled with old school animation that may seem crude by today’s standards it was something that stood out at the time. The story is pretty simple but a lot more powerful than you might imagine. The simple character designs and creative direction make it a visual treat that old school animation fans will no doubt love. What I found more compelling about revisiting it was how topical it still is to today’s world. There are so many lessons injected here that never feel like something forcing itself on you but instead just straight forward and to the point.
Like many films of the time there are some wacked out trippy moments making for something often times bizarre in the best possible way. I dived right back into this flick and loved every minute of it. The visuals, music and weirdness of it all took me back to a time in animation that I truly miss. This is not for everyone and outside of some select few will likely not resonate
with most due to the overall strangeness. This is the biggest injustice of it as it is packed with so many important moments and messages it really should be seen by everyone.
In addition to the classic film this release offers up bonus content including not only all of the previously available bonus featurettes, but also brand new material produced exclusively for this release by Kier-La Janisse and Lee Blackman, including new interviews with voice-over cast member Mike Lookinland; screenwriter Norm Lenzer; Harry Nilsson's son Kiefo Nilsson and composer/producer Bobby Halvorson; and Nilsson biographer Alyn Shipton, whose featurette contains mini-interviews with several people familiar with Harry Nilsson's work on film.
As if that isn’t enough it also includes a collectible mini-poster that is sure to make fans even more eager to get their hands on a copy. Grab your copy of The Point MVD Rewind Collection 50th Anniversary Edition available now from MVD.