The Making of Rock & Rule Poster

The Making of Rock & Rule 1983

★ 8.01 votes25 min📅 1983-01-01

Step behind the scenes of the 1983 cult animated adventure Rock & Rule with this rare 25-minute documentary, The Making of Rock & Rule.

Cast

Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Self
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Self
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Self
Chris Stein
Self
Maurice White
Maurice White
Self
Patrick Loubert
Self
Michael Hirsh
Michael Hirsh
Self
Anne Marie Bardwell
Self
Frank Nissen
Frank Nissen
Self
Robin Budd
Robin Budd
Self

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Making of Rock & Rule (1983) about?

This short documentary reveals the creative struggles and off-screen magic that birthed the cult animated film Rock & Rule. Interviews with Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop and others uncover how punk legends helped shape a bizarre, music-driven cartoon unlike anything else in the '80s.

Who directed The Making of Rock & Rule?

The film was helmed by Clive Smith, who guided the Nelvana team through the unconventional fusion of punk culture and animated storytelling.

Who stars in The Making of Rock & Rule?

The documentary features luminaries including Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, Chris Stein, and Maurice White, each offering insights into the project's creation.

Is The Making of Rock & Rule (1983) worth watching?

With its 25-minute runtime and unrated status, the film is a hidden gem for animation and music historians. Fans of punk and cult animation will find its raw interviews and behind-the-scenes energy irresistible.

How long is The Making of Rock & Rule?

The documentary runs 25 minutes, making it a perfect quick dive into the making of Rock & Rule.

About The Making of Rock & Rule (1983) — The punk-rock secrets behind Nelvana's cult animation

Step behind the scenes of the 1983 cult animated adventure Rock & Rule with this rare 25-minute documentary, The Making of Rock & Rule. Featuring candid interviews with the legendary voices behind the film—Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, Chris Stein, and Maurice White—the short offers an intimate look at the creative ferment that shaped this one-of-a-kind musical sci-fi epic.

Animated by the visionary team at Nelvana and helmed by director Clive Smith, the project fuses punk energy, proto-synthwave textures, and underground comic aesthetics into a singular vision of 1980s pop culture. The film crackles with the raw magnetism of its cast, whose off-camera anecdotes reveal how punk's rebellious spirit crashed into the then-nascent world of adult animation. Expect stories of studio struggles, late-night jam sessions, and the unlikely alchemy that turned garage-band iconoclasm into a cartoon that still feels ahead of its time.