“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a 1988 film that combines live-action footage with detailed animation, starring Christopher Lloyd as the sinister Judge Doom. The film follows Roger Rabbit, a cartoon rabbit accused of murder, who is framed by Judge Doom to buy out Toontown and demolish it for a large freeway. The film subverts the old maxim about cartoon characters never dying by introducing the liquid concoction known as “dip”.
The film is loosely based on a true conspiracy by General Motors to purchase and dismantle streetcar systems in American cities between 1938-1942. However, an important plot point has a basis in history: Roger is framed as an elaborate scheme by villain Judge Doom to demolish L.A.’s streetcars.
The film follows human PI Eddie Valiant as he investigates a murder involving Roger Rabbit, which leads to the discovery that Judge Doom, a corrupt official, is behind the murder. While the film is an attractive story for conspiracy theorists, it is largely a myth.
In the end, Roger manages to thwart Judge Doom, who frames Roger Rabbit to buy out Toontown and demolish it for a large freeway. The film also hints at the Red Car conspiracy during the wake of the LA freeway system, with special appearances by many actors.
📹 The Roger Rabbit Theory – Actually About Racism? | Channel Frederator
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is known for breaking all traditions of modern filmmaking by combining live-action footage with …
Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s hidden scene?
At the outset, viewers were presented with a considerable amount of nudity, as the animators depicted the character’s dress in a state of undress for a brief period.
Is Who Framed Roger Rabbit based on anything?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, loosely based on the 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. The film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer, and an uncredited Kathleen Turner. Set in an alternate Hollywood in 1947, the film combines live-action and animation, with Eddie Valiant, a private investigator, trying to exonerate Roger Rabbit, a toon framed for murder.
Walt Disney Pictures purchased the film rights in 1981, and Zemeckis was brought on to direct. Canadian animator Richard Williams was hired to supervise the animation sequences. Production was moved from Los Angeles to England, and the film received critical acclaim for its visuals, humor, writing, performances, and groundbreaking combination of live-action and animation. It grossed over $351 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind Rain Man. The film also won three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects, and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Williams’ animation direction.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Deeper meaning?
Roger Rabbit, directed by Robert Zemeckis in 1988, challenges the notion that movies are governed by rules, just like cartoons aren’t governed by Newtonian laws. The movie asserts the real-world coexistence of cartoon characters and actual humans, a concept that is often seen as a challenge in cinema. The addition of animation into live-action movies makes us realize that what we’re watching is fake, and may remind us that all film is inherently artificial, even without cartoons.
Unlike the history of brief cartoon cameos, Roger Rabbit suggests that cartoons are real, viable parts of the regular world, and they make the world more dazzling by being in it. The special effects in Roger Rabbit are breathtaking, and the seamless and spectacular integration of cartoons and real people in the film is a testament to the film’s ability to transcend the limitations of reality.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s allegory?
The film presents a portrayal of Black Americans as subjected to oppression by a system of formal laws and prejudices that favor the interests of white, middle-class America. The participants will investigate the evolution of these themes and analyze the historical context. HeppFEST Reloaded is currently available, offering four days of complimentary sessions designed to inspire, motivate, and enhance students’ confidence as they embark on their academic journey.
Why does Jessica go see Eddie?
Jessica visits Eddie’s office to explain the situation, claiming he didn’t catch her having an affair but was set up to take pictures to blackmail Marvin. Maroon threatened Roger with blacklisting him from Hollywood, which Jessica couldn’t accept. Eddie’s girlfriend, Dolores, confronts them in a compromising position, prompting Jessica to leave. Jessica convinces Eddie to help clear Roger’s name. Dolores reveals that Cloverleaf Industries is after Toontown, and unless Acme’s will is found by midnight that night, Cloverleaf will claim Toontown as the company put in the highest bid at the auction of Acme’s assets. Jessica convinces Eddie to help her clear Roger’s name.
What is the moral of the story Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
The movie “The Lion King” by Disney, based on child development research, is a deceptively mature film that mixes fun with guns and innuendo. Despite its good humor, setting, and cameos, it is not suitable for children due to alcohol, mild language, and sexual references. The PG rating is based on a time when PG-13 did not exist, and the movie includes smoking, a baby mentioning his penis, and a human character being shot and killed.
What is Roger Rabbit’s philosophy?
Roger, a cartoon character, is known for his comic strip humor and his love for his wife, Jessica. He believes that making people laugh is essential for the success of a cartoon’s lives and that a good sense of humor is the only weapon toons have. Roger’s love for his wife is evident in his reaction to alcoholic beverages, which can cause him to change color, swell, spin, and mumble incoherently.
In a pursuit of his employers, the DeGreasy Brothers, Roger hires Eddie Valiant to investigate why they refuse to give him a comic strip or sell his contract. Valiant interrogates several suspects, including Baby Herman, Jessica Rabbit, and Roger’s photographer Carol. He also discovers Roger’s corpse lying in a pool of his own blood, and encounters Toon policeman Captain Cleaver and a human commissioner.
In the 1988 Disney / Amblin Entertainment film, Roger is re-envisioned as a character in 1940s animated cartoons and a resident of Toontown. He is framed for the murder of Acme Corporation C. E. O. Marvin Acme and seeks Valiant to help clear his name.
Why was Who Framed Roger Rabbit so important?
“Roger Rabbit” revitalized modern animation and facilitated Disney’s renaissance, incorporating classics such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Lion King,” due to its respectful incorporation of elements from the history of the genre.
What is the revealing scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
In the scene in question, Jessica Rabbit and Eddie Valiant (portrayed by Bob Hoskins) are seen driving through Toon Town in a vehicle that has been animated. The vehicle collides with a lamppost, resulting in Jessica and Eddie being ejected from the vehicle. The camera then focuses on Jessica Rabbit’s body, which spins to reveal a full-frontal view of her genital area.
Why is Eddie in hiding?
Eddie Munson, a character in Stranger Things, is a man who goes into hiding at Reefer Rick’s home after being suspected of Chrissy’s murder. He is the only one present at the time of Chrissy’s death. Max Mayfield, Dustin Henderson, Robin Buckley, and Steve Harrington are the first to find Eddie Munson. Jason Carver and Patrick McKinney also find him. After his friends find him and inform them of Chrissy’s murder, Eddie and his friends embark on a mission to find the gate and defeat Vecna. Eddie sacrifices himself to stop Vecna from killing more people in town. He is severely injured by Demobats after he lures them away from the gate.
Why does Jessica feel guilty?
In William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, Jessica, a Jewish moneylender’s daughter and Christian convert, is ashamed of her father’s usury and greed. This leads her to elope with her Christian lover Lorenzo.
📹 Analyzing Evil: Judge Doom From Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Hello everyone and welcome to the one hundred fifty-eighth episode of Analyzing Evil! Our feature character for this video is …
Just wanted to say that this was a great article. I first saw this movie when I was 8 years old the year it came out and it’s been my favorite ever since. The reasons it is my favorite are many, but the most obvious is the fact that the movie appeals to kids and adults equally. It appealed to me as a kid because there were cartoon characters portrayed in a realistic way in the real world. I had never seen anything like it and it blew my mind. What made it’s appeal last for me, and I am now 36, is the fact that over the years I began to truly understand more about the movie and how intricate and “adult” the story actually was. I also still marvel at how this movie was filmed, with no help from CGI or computer imagery. Everything was done practically which just blows my mind. It was released at the tail end of the practical effects era and there will never be another movie like it, ever, which in itself makes it that much more special. Also, while the racism comparison seems obvious to me now, I am not so sure I ever quite grasped this idea until you presented it here. So bravo for that!
I would love to see a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Where everyone acts like “Cartoon-ism” is no longer a problem in society but it still festers below the surface. Where cops profile toons and jump at the chance to shoot a toon in the back while they are running away in fear of the human police. Its even more horrifying when you see a self hating toon cop do the shooting. This could be a very powerful film that holds up to the original. Goddamn that would be an amazing movie and a really good way to point out a lot of the racial and class issues that still plague our society.
This was an enjoyable change of pace as far as topics to cover. Consider this perhaps the most important movie in the scheme of the late 80s-early 90s Animation Renaissance for kicking so much into gear (though gems popped up prior, as I’d consider 87 the start on TV). That compliment out of the way, I must say: Go back to putting the preview for next week in a separate article. Comments at the end are wonderful, but hearing your responses to them made the article end even better. Putting the preview at the end of the article removed that, and this should be reversed asap. Thanks for the great vids, and keep up the good work.
It’s not really a theory if its true. To me, a theory plays plausables hints that could lead the theory to be true. This however is fact. The movie is not afraid to make the suggested hints about this issue. Basically stating toons perform only and the majority of humans watch for entertainment. Toons aren’t allowed so much out side the toon verse and in a sense are treated as such. I think what makes this movie well done is not only the animation styles and hints at adult things, but really the mood and story telling. It’s dark, but has a nice mix of uplifting moments. Plus that shading style they used for the animation is just amazing. After this movie came out, it seems no one can top it.
I know there is already a article on Frozen and Beauty and the Beast being tied together but let’s take out history for now, since Tarzan was confirmed to tie in with Frozen at D23, I recently researched Jane’s family, the only real family member was Archimedes but in one of the episodes of the animated series ‘Tarzan and Jane’….They talk about “Aunt Isabelle” and I know Disney reuses some models and that might be why Jane and Belle are so similar but I believe Aunt Isabelle could actually be Belle
Honestly, if we’re going by the book, what he actually does is probably even darker than if just killing them. Much like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, there are some bleak overtones to such a supposed whimsical character. Like at one point Pan wanted to bar the windows of Wendy’s house so she’d never have to leave, but he decides against it.
MAYBE do a conspiracy about Uncle Grandpa? i always found it weird how he appears on “missing posters” and the fact that whatever things he destroyed, recover immediately and he disappears, and the fact that he always talks to children but adults don’t believe their children when they tell them about Uncle Grandpa.
I remember I first noticed that disparity when I first saw Who Framed Roger Rabbit as a kid. My immediate conclusion was that cartoons are innately incapable of functioning in society. Remember how a toon killed the main character’s brother by dropping a piano on him? or how the same private eye was almost killed while he was staying in toon town? It made so much sense as a kid that these toons were relegated to entertain because that’s the only thing they can do without hurting people. And best of all, they work for peanuts.
I actually have an uncle grandpa theory. The theory goes as follows … During the uncle grandpa show there is occasionally a short about 2 characters named Beary Nice and Hot Dog Person and during the shorts Beary nice and Hot Dog Person do something new and Hot Dog person gets injured badly. For Example. In the short where they take their first bath Beary gets the bath and Hot Dog Person gets the toilet and he gets flushed because of a bar of soap Beary threw in the Air. Could Beary Nice be trying to kill him and be acting nice? That’s for you to decide
About the trolley cars being removed, this was a real ploy done by GM in the same time period to cement internal combustion engine vehicles superiority over electric vehicles to gain control on the market and gain revenue for their cars. However, now we’re finding out the electric vehicles are far better.
I don’t think public transportation was only for people who couldn’t afford cars. When street car systems were omnipresent, one took them because they went where you were going and why drive when for a nickel you could take the trolley? And everybody else used them so there was less social/economic issues with using a trolley. The streetcar systems were done away with in that part of California perhaps through a conspiracy with the car and oil companies. If you’re curious about where the street cars went, go south. A lot of street car (and later bus and firetruck) gear was sold lock stock and barrel to other markets outside the US.
There should be a theory on why that old goon (Used to be mayor) in the simpson’s alway’s has something tragic happening to him and then he is completely fine in the next episode. For example one episode of the simpsons showed him bieng blindfolded tied up and sent off into the distance in the middle of no where (The canyon/Desert). Or another episode featured him crash sometimes he even dies. Heart attack’s have happened to him like wtf WHY IS HE NOT DEAD!?
I have a theory. Peter Pan is the Angel of Death. Peter cares deeply for children and wants to make them so he takes them to neverland so they can be happy little kids forever and can no longer suffer. The lost boys are all kids who have died. Peter took them to neverland. Which is really heaven as thier always happy and have no worries. Captain Hook is the devil and he tries to enter heaven but can’t so he tries to capture Peter and the lost boys so no one else can get to heaven/neverland. Wendy and her brothers are currently dying and that’s why they go to neverland. It’s also why Wendy wants to go home so badly, she doesn’t want to accept the fact that she is dying. They go back home as they were revived/healed.
+ChannelFrederator To answer the “Why would Disney put their characters in a movie about racism?” question. Disney does have a movie that’s sort of racist featuring animated characters called Song of the South. It considered banned because there is a slave who, for whatever reason, enjoys being a slave. Also, there were plenty of racy cartoons back in the day especially the notorious Censored Eleven cartoons made by animation companies that are also considered banned. Look them up sometime, they are sort of intriguing to watch.
Here is a conspiracy theory. The Winx Club and the Little Mermaid related? in season 5 of winx club the fairies have to earn the sirenix power. they do, but something goes wrong and Bloom becomes a spirit and finds her way to the world of little mermaid. Prince triton feels sorry for her and turns her into a Mermaid unable to completely reverse it. They fall in love and Bloom changes her name. Dies shortly after Airel’s birth which was just after King Tirton has found the spell. he uses the spell on airel because of his guilt not being able to help Bloom.
The reason I say 2.5 is because the conspiracy Theory talks about racial segregation, but I. The actually movie, the rooms are not only discriminated against by about 4 out of every 1000 people who show up in the show, and the fact that everyone loved Jessica (the actor on stage, and everyone thought she was one of the most beautiful people out there) so I would have to say that the movie isn’t really based on Racial segregation, but more on separation, so I will repeat this again I rate it 2.5 out of 5.
I think it’s sort of ridiculous to ask why Disney and other companies would allow their characters in movie about racism when making it seem like it’s less of a big deal that the movie contains alcoholism and other adult content. A discussion about race, whether that was the underlying goal or not is arguably pretty important and can be a very positive thing. Also Disney has clearly proven to be very caring of the subject since this movie with a lot of their shows and movies in the early 2000s (Proud Family, That’s So Raven, The Color of Friendship, etc.)
South Park kids are ghosts. it’s a stretch, I know, but I changed it a little to make it better. Its demon trapped in the town and he kills children to feed on their essence. however, after so many deaths, South Park was abandoned. the demon didn’t want to starve, so placed the children’s spirits into a dimension of his own making and amuses himself with their insane crazy adventures. this is they have birthdays, but they’re appearances never change, Kenny used to die, but no one remembered, and events like Cartman killing someone or hundreds of deaths due some disaster always seem to be forgotten the next episode. it’s also why Satan, God, and even Jesus tend to be portrayed so crudely. He despises all three.
I like to think of this movie as a biopic that connects all of animation before and after its release; one that sparked a change within the fictional universe as well as reality. So this doesn’t take too long, only some points that tie both universes together: During the Golden Age of animation, animated shorts were shown in theaters. There was an eventual end to film shorts and a new beginning to animated television shows. Not all film actors are good on tv and vice versa (much like Betty Boop’s failure to transition to color could be a reference to some actors not being able to transition to sound). Since the freeway system was built, Toon Town was eventually destroyed. So where did they relocate? If you’ve seen Space Jam, you know they’ve lived underground all this time. Except the Animaniacs, they were stuck in a water tower. This biopic brought attention to the plight of the cartoon which sparked a renewed interest in not only animated film, but also television programs. Disney produced some new shows with their established actors, Nickelodeon began their animated block, and Cartoon Network came to town. Now there are more movies and shows than you know what to do with. With old WB shorts playing on CN, Bugs and the gang have the influence they need to get Michael Jordan to help them fight those damned martians. This had strengthened our bond with the toons. Networks have since had characters interact with the viewing audience, or characters from other shows, as if they were merely actors now – much like they did back in the golden age.
I have a theory and would at least like it if you talked to me about it, here it is. Mlp:fim theory Equestria is a future earth- Twilight just got sent to an alternate world of her own and what world does it look like? Well, stop thinking because it is EARTH Hmmm. yes, but why are people all funny colored? Genetic modification? But if that then shouldn’t everything else be a little more updated in terms of tech? More than likely this could be a world where the ponies actually evolved and found some way to start another brand new Earth. Out of the nuclear fallout. The US government’s genetically modified ponies rose from the ashes and tool over the world. Welcome to- EQUESTRIA! How do you explain the magic of the world and the fact the two sisters can control Celestial bodies and the fact that ponies can control weather?\\ In the human version none of that stuff exists. IE myths . Long ago human(s?) laid eyes on Equestria. ———-8/26/2015 – To explain why they look so weird but still live on earth in our time add multiverse theory. So then they can theoretically have genetic modification and slightly advanced tech and yet still exist in our time. Expand: String theory: in String theory there are different strings/ plains of multiverses. Some have more gravity than others and different physics. Why pegasi can fly The mirror ties them
I didn’t like this one. It’s obvious it was about racism. it was obvious it was about cartoons being considered second class when I was a kid. I’m unsubscribing. I think this show has lost its point and wandered into just talking about how great a movie was. Maybe it’s expecting all its watchers to be younger than me, like they never saw it or something. I guess I’m old at 26 that I know what a movie or show is about and a conspiracy isnt supposed to be the actual plot of the movie.
am i only one who think “african american” is a dumb term north africans from lebanon and egypt are really light skinned now. bring em to usa and theyre not african american by color even if they technically are african american… i like to say black american bc theres literally millions of dark skinned ppl in europe, latin america,, south asia and pacific islands. lets make black american a proper politics term #blackamerican
I dare you i double triple dare you say to do are mulan and star wars in the same universe think about it the emperors palpatine we did see a guy that looks like tarkin a few times and maybe just maybe mulan’s princess leia and the prince charmibg her first boyfriend i forgot his name i first saw it in woookiepiedia
You are actually right about toons being susceptible to mental damage. Remember when R.K Maroon planned to blackmail Acme with pictures of him and Jessica? Roger was pure heart break. Maroon said it best himself “You can drop anything you want on a toon and he’ll just shake it off. But break his heart he goes to pieces just like you and me.” That alone says toons can have mental and emotional breaking points.
You know the creepiest thing about The Vile Eye? Is that when he says something has change about his audio because he didn’t change his voice or he’s sick and he sounds literally exactly the same. He’s the type of guy that would have a whole rant and excuse himself for the emotional outburst and his tone nor voice barely changed. It’s terrifying.
That scene where Judge Doom removes his eyeballs to reveal this animated lunatic, traumatized me as a child lol. I used to think Rodger Rabbit was the “grown people one” when i was trying to distinguish him from Bugs Bunny 😂 (Edit: 11/24/23… One day i was trying to describe Rodger Rabbit movie to my dad because i wanted to watch it on vhs but couldn’t remember the name of it at the time. I could only describe it in short scenes and then i called it the “grown people’s rabbit”…. And that was all my dad heard smh. He assumed i was talking about playboy . Om shanti shradhanjali pops 🙏🏼2016
Honestly, Christopher Lloyd deserved an Oscar for Doom. The man kept his head shaved save for the bleached hair tuft for the entire shoot, spent the movie having to wear heavy makeup, interacting with beings who aren’t there, all the while making the character truly sinister while also pointing out what’s going on the whole time. Another Youtuber named Danger Dan Jerz was the person who pointed it out, but his cover was almost blown immediately due to the hand buzzer and a toon’s urge to go fully electric in his intro, which kinda ties into your point about him not wanting to be the butt of the joke any more.
Judge Doom has to be one my most favorite villians in all of fictional media, just his own chilling hatred against his own kind has me entirely engrossed into his character and just how he moves adds more to the creepiness on what he truly is, an enigmatic cartoonish monster but of course his physiology as a toon makes him a lot more horrifying, definitely one of the best
I heard somewhere that Judge Doom was loosely based on the Nazi judge, Roland Freisler, who was known as Hitler’s Hangman. He was a rather nasty character who berated his victims in the courtrooms with his shrill voice. He also was at the Wansee Conference that set up the Final Solution. Fortunately his head to split open during an American bombing raid. If you think of Doom along the lines of a self-hating toon, a group that is clearly treated as second class (even Roger says they get no justice in the movie), it makes his character all the more loathsome and even more complicated in the sense he wants to eliminate his own kind so he can live among humans as a human.
I respect the fact that you opted to explore the Baron Von Rotten identity for the purposes of the article, but I also think that the Pistol Packin’ Possum identity contains some interesting implications: There are a total of four film posters that line the walls of Maroon’s Office. One of them is an advertisement for the “Pistol Packin’ Possum”, the other three pertain to the three pervious Baby Herman/Roger Rabbit shorts that preceded “Somthin’s Cookin'”. It’s also worth noting that when Valiant is interrogating Maroon, he states: “The truth is I had a chance to sell my studio. But Cloverleaf wouldn’t buy my property unless Acme sold them his. The stubborn basterd wouldn’t sell, so I was going to black male Acme with pictures of him and the Rabbit’s wife.” What this all potentially means is that the Possum was a former lead actor under contract with Maroon Cartoon Studios whose career hit a dead end after his under-performing cartoon short “The Pistol Packin’ Possum” was overshadowed by the pop culture success of the Roger Rabbit’s first short. When Maroon approaches Cloverleaf to sell his studio, the Possum (through Cloverleaf) agrees to under the condition that Acme sell as well — which would mean that the Possum reverse engineered a circumstance under which he could kill Acme and frame the actor who he potentially blamed for the end of his career. It’s also worth noting the possibility that the pistol seen in the poster for “The Pistol Packin’ Possum” is the same gun that Doom used to assassinate Maroon.
Judge Doom scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. I’m not sure if I saw it in theaters, I would have been 7, maybe 8 if as a VHS rental. I think it was the fact that he was an evil cartoon in the real world made it feel like he could really get me. The idea that he couldn’t be killed with normal weapons was a terrifying idea up there with Dracula. He’s still kind of freaky to me.
A great breakdown of a villain from a film I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid. I miss the movies that combine cartoons with live-action. I like how you aim to be fair and unbiased in your analysis while still not being shy to make a judgment. Suggestion: A new movie out now called Saltburn. While it’s a tad on the shocking side, it has an understated character who commits depraved acts of evil if you’re interested in catching it while it’s still in theaters and analyzing it afterward.
There is ONE thing though which leaves a curious question to his actual form. After he dies of dip, there is only red and yellow color. The red is easily explained from the eyes but the yellow doesn’t show up anywhere else. He also shapeshifts only in gold color making it probable that his original form was golden somehow.
Aw yes! I was hoping you’d do him one day! I still remember when I was a little kid and saw the movie, I mean it had Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, but no joke I (and I imagine many other kids) was absolutely terrified when he reveals his true nature to the point I couldn’t even look at the movie screen till he was gone. Excellent villain so glad you covered him! Another thing about Doom though: Remember toons live for laughter, they live by “rule of funny” and can bend any rule of reality for a joke. We see hints that part of him never went away when you see the ways he murdered Eddie’s brother and Acme and attempted to murder Eddie in ways that would be utter slapstick in a cartoon, and so what would that mean? What would another reason be he did all this? Because to him, in his warped mind, it’s HILARIOUS!
You know when Doom puts on that glove at the beginning of the movie, the sound that thing makes, and then slowly lowers the toon into the dip. That was heartbreaking to watch as a kid, but I remembered Christopher Loyd as Uncle Fester and Doc so he never quite got to me like someone who didn’t previously know him. He’s acting royalty to my generation. May he live forever.
Judge Doom’s eyes are nightmare fuel. Terrified me as a kid. The only villain(or character) I want to see analyzed is The Grinch. Jim’s and Benedict’s in their own separate articles since both are different. The animated version could be ignored since there isn’t really anything to characterize him. Dr. Seuss isn’t known for deep characters, only for his art style, made-up words, and rhythms after every sentence.
What makes his existence all-the-more terrifying is that, due to the toons “rule of funny”, they never did any jokes or gags that caused actual damage to humans, since they don’t find actually causing injuries and deaths as funny. The fact that Judge doom can actually use toon physics to murder Eddies brother, harm Eddie with an anvil hand, try to cut him to pieces with a saw arm, and commit genocide in order to basically get rich off of a freeway means that everything he did was HILARIOUS to him.
Vile, I wasn’t able to suggest it in the discord, but kindly consider analyzing The Commandant from Beasts of no Nation. The lengths he goes to maintain his sense of power and control over others intertwined with his ability to inspire men and even young boys to kill for his cause, as well as perform other unspeakable acts, is quite disturbing. I think he’d make a great candidate. The movie itself is also fantastic in its own right.
Reading the comments and even hearing you mention the Christopher Lloyd character of Judge Doom seemed scary almost surprised me because I was 19 when the film came out and it did not seem scary to me, but then I think back to 1980 when The Empire Strikes Back came out and the scene when the Minock sticks it’s ugly face on the Millennium, Falcon cockpit window alarming Princess Leia, that jump scare frightened me so much that I would always cringe. every time it was going to happen in subsequent screenings. Great job Vile Eye because you reminded me of what it’s like to be a child and be scared by things that are not necessarily meant to create nightmares while still providing an interesting take on the origins of Judge Doom.
This might be one of Lloyd’s best and simultaneously more over looked performances. On the surface it looks over done and obvious. In any other movie it wouldn’t have worked. But figuring out that Doom is the bad guy was never the point. It was never meant to be subtle. So this hammed up mad man persona works really very well. Then, when the veil is lifted at the climax. The most important part was to show just how demented and dangerous he really is. Quite a feat considering how menacing he seems for the run of the film. I struggle to think of many actors at the time who’d have pulled it off without seeming too goofy. Michel Keton maybe? Beetlejuice came out the same year and really displayed his range. I think he could have pulled it off. But the character wouldn’t have come out the same. Lloyd was a perfect pick.
Just a reminder note: when Eddie first goes into the bar where Dolores works, he comes across a man passed out over a table. Eddie reacts to the man by returning the man’s hat to his head. Afterwards, Eddie asks (in reference to the passed-out man,) “What’s with Earl?” to which a mute bar patron writes, “Laid off.” It is then explained that the man (Earl) worked for the “Red Car” Trolley Line Co. which had been bought out by “Cloverleaf,” (Doom’s front company) and the new owner was implementing cutbacks. So, absolutely people were losing their jobs due to the “Red Car” being closed by Judge Doom’s freeway idea.
@TheVileEye It all make sense now! Judge Doom was a shapeshifter that portrayed every single toon villain in television history! I still love to imagine that he was a toon possum, just because it’s really cool. I remember perusal this movie as a kid, and I thought Judge Doom was a really awesome villain.
Southern California native here, Los Angeles for the last 10 years or so, and I certainly had a moment when rewatching this movie recently seeing doom and going…”Damn it… not only did this guy scare the shit outta me as a kid, but he’s also responsible for fucking up public transportation in LA!” Very much ratchets up his evil score in the eyes of an Angeleno.
As silly as it sounds, my personal head-cannon as to the identity of Judge Doom was Ren from “Ren & Stimpy”. Here’s why I thought that: – His absolute hatred for anything goofy. – Red eyes – Absurd body shape-shifting – His brilliance when he worked at the Fruit Roll-Up Factory – The time he actually wanted to be president – His temper and willingness to literally kill his own friends Writing this out makes my idea sound very absurd, but in my mind, it kinda made sense XD
Great analysis as always! I think the characters and themes from Ozark should be analyzed as well. I originally thought just Marty and Wendy deserved a article but many of the characters range from morally gray to evil: From Agent Petty to the Byrdes all the way to Navarro. Barely anyone there is a saint.
Nice choice! I never would have thought about Judge Doom as a pick for the website (so yeah, freat choice). Who framed Roger rabbit was one of my favorite movies whenever I was a kid. I was maybe 8 years old or so when I first watched it back in the ’80s or super early ’90s. My little brother, who is 3 years younger than me, I remember the first time he watched the movie with me, judge Doom at the end, when he starts slowly morphing into his toon form, his red cartoon eyes scared my little brother, But what really scared my little brother to the point of crying and like running away and cowering was whenever he becomes flattened out, I think which was after the bulldozer? Just going off of the clips in this article, I think it was the bulldozer that caused him to be all flattened out. Idr. I haven’t seen this movie in like I don’t know… Probably like 30 years (or close to it), But anyway, the way that he was walking after being flattened, that was what really really seriously scared my little brother so badly 😂 He couldn’t watch this movie because of that lol oh! And his voice whenever it’s all high-pitched and unhinged sounding, that used to scare the poops out of my kid brother as well haha He was also terrified of the part where Doom is lowered into the dip as well. Pretty much that entire scene of the end for judge Doom, but the specific parts of his last scene we’re the ones that mortified my little brother haha What’s funny though, Christopher Lloyd had become one of his favorite actors of all time lol
I especially loved that this one was done, since Roger Rabbit is my favorite movie (tied with Forrest Gump). As far as a suggestion, I’ll make another pitch for Col. Flagg from M*A*S*H. Even a more vile figure than Frank Burns. I’ll add a character that’s a sort-of reverse of Judge Doom: a comic book character also in an animated version… also has an amazingly dark backstory in the comic – Mr. Gone from The Maxx.
I’m curious if he hated laughter before his accident or did It get triggered after. Since he’s a lifelong villain, and people usually laugh at the villains downfall and cheer with merryment for the hero, It is easy to understand why Doom hated laughter. Heck, maybe his character was laughing before the grenade went off and put them in a coma. “You know what happens when you don’t stop laughing? You die laughing”
I thought that judge doom was maybe the golden comic book era version of the mask. Just some of things he does like turning his hands weapons reminded me of the mask, and killing all toons would not be out of the question for the og golden era mask. if you just ever so slightly get on his bad side, he would probably kill you with complete zero hesitation because he is the definition of a psycopath.(if the movie stayed completely true, then they would be rated r for a lot blood and gore)
Not gonna lie, but I never really knew this evil characters backstory that well. Long before you made this article, I actually last year research this character through villains wiki. Villains wiki gives a lot of info on villains of books movie TV, shows article games you name it. Everything you’re describing in here about Judge doom as well as his past self. Yeah, it’s pretty right on the money what I found on villains wiki.
Judge Doom from who framed Rodger rabbit is actually a pretty well created villain. He has a clear motive to destroy the tunes, and the crazy idea of building a freeway. His methods are a little sadistic, destroying Toons with the dip. Any even goes through the steps of framing Rodger rabbit, and killing the previous owner of the deed to toontown. In the twist, he killed the protagonist brother. Didn’t see that coming the first time perusal.
I almost didn’t watch this because this movie traumatized me so severely as a child lol I saw more horror and violent movies than I can count growing up, including the ones with real life animal deaths, as well as experiencing physical, mental, and sexual abuse. But for SOME reason, the scene where the little shoe gets put in the acid stuck with me and bothered me more than anything else to this day. It’s weird how certain things stick with you.
As an adult now, in the 11th highest populace city of the US(about to hit top 10), that has been almost completely developed with residentals because of northern flight. With roadways in my area that haven’t been updated since the 80s. Who has to travel on a two lane each way beltway in rush hour both ways for 45 minutes (1.5 hours each day.) Stop-and-go for 8 miles (with literally zero traffic lights) until it opens up on the last 7 miles, on what otherwise would take 15-18 minutes any other time. Doom’s plan doesn’t sound half bad. I dare say, “My God, it would be beautiful.”
I love how much effort the makeup artists put into making Christopher Lloyd’s skin look plastic and artificial. Even as a kid, I noticed his face looked rubbery and fake, so when the reveal drops that he’s a toon posing as a human, you immediately go “OH! THAT’S WHY HE LOOKED SO WEIRD!” The performance is spot-on, too: he’s “cartoonishly evil” because, well, he’s a literal cartoon. I also like how they never show you his true form; all we see of the real Doom are his eyes popping out of the human suit, and his arm-mounted gadgets. He’s just so much scarier that way.
3:08- plus it would make his target of Roger all the more personal because Pistol Packin Possum was the sort of Toon that was popular when Toons were allowed to be more violent and surreal in the 30s which is also the age of gangsters. When the 40s came around, Toons became more associated with light-hearted comedy and children, so Pistol Packin’ Possum and Toons like him such as the Toon Patrol most likely, were phased out much like how the monochrome Betty Boop lost prominent focus when technicolor became the norm. And because Pistol Packin’ Possum was previously the star of Maroon Cartoons, combined with a likely violent attitude off camera, was fired in favor of Roger Rabbit though RK Maroon did have enough of a soft spot to keep one portrait of his former star. So Pistol Packin’ Possum, now Judge Doom, devised the means to get back at the more cutesy Toons that robbed him of the spotlight while also benefiting from it. And he became even more deranged after he killed Teddy Valiant, learning that he could break the Toon taboos under specific circumstances. And gaining a self-loathing for being a Toon, who are not taken seriously, he rebranded himself a human with a venomous hate for his fellow Toons and the whimsy that drove him into obscurity. And so the possum became a true monster that was neither Toon or human, one ruled by prejudice, sadism, and greed.
For a villian suggestion I think an analysis of Hotline Miami 1 and 2 would be perfect the games tackles violence in a way that alot of other games dont its fun and cathartic when you play through the adrenaline filled massacre you then stop to see the canarge and misery you caused. Jacket as a protagonist is very underrated and seeing his mental state degrade is the best ive seen in a game. The Villians of Hotline Miami are pretty much everyone and the environment you live it the game even questions the players love of violent games and cinema the first game is fairly abstract and trippy while the second is very story focused and answers questions from the first game is a more cinematic way seriously Hotline Miami 1 and 2 are excellent points for discussion thank you
weird historical fact about Doom’s whole plan. It was based on something that did happen in LA back in the30-40s. a group of car companies and oil refineries brought up trolley and streetcar companies to put them out of business. In the end they were found guilty of trying to be a monopoly and were fined…$5000.
I like to imagine toons often wouldn’t fight on the front lines, but surrounded by humans that kept dying and the pure PTSD and survivor guilt, along with any troubles he may have had in the first place led him to become the character he did, it even makes sense to why he would want to dip other toons. Toons can’t die or have physical damage, so I imagine deep down, in some twisted way, Doom was trying to end what he had went through. He hates toons, despises them, because he knows the horrors worse than death, going through what would kill others but not being able to die.
I’m sure this suggestion has already been fielded to you countless times, but I’d love to see an analysis of Ricardo Montalban’s Khan Noonien Singh, particularly as he appears throughout the course of The Wrath Of Khan, since I’ve always felt that film is an excellent breakdown of how villainy often develops through gradual degrees starting from an initial, understandable reaction against genuine injustice, until the villain’s actions have finally taken him so over the top, he’s gotten everyone on whose behalf he claimed to fight killed, and STILL he’s clutching their dead bodies while declaring, “I shall avenge you.”
There’s another aspect of Doom’s character that I think should’ve been touched on. In the universe of the film, Toons are treated as second-class citizens. There are a couple of deleted scenes that make this point more obvious, but the implication is still there. So, not only would Baron von Rotten have been treated with suspicion by his fellow Toons, but he also had to deal with mistreatment by humans as well. For all that he took pride in his identity and work as a Toon, he still suffered disrespect and discrimination on a regular basis. That very likely had a severe impact on his psyche and contributed to his madness after he was severely injured in the line of duty.
I think another thing to remember regarding Doom’s past is that as a toon he would be considered a second class citizen. In the movie we see how toons are excluded from certain parts of society and not always given the same basic rights as others. And no more do we see that then in the cartoon business where toons may star in lead roles but don’t always get well paid for their efforts, with some like Dumbo literally being paid in “peanuts” not cash. And if Doom was originally an animal I can see guys Like RK Maroon trying to pull something similar. And when toons are put through severe often lethal cartoon violence like Roger, your health is not going to be taken into consideration since people assume that since toons can’t die they’ll be fine even though it’s clear toons still feel pain. In fact people seem to be more concerned about the props used in the violence then they are the toons being mutilated by said props. And if Doom was a cartoon villain I can imagine cartoon violence was always something he would deal with as frequently as Wile E Coyote or Elmer Fudd. After that it makes sense why Doom would loath the toon world where toons are mutilated all the time by each other and cartoon studios but no one cares, and would want to replace it with a smooth orderly freeway where everything is efficient and better yet controlled by him. And it would make sense that after years of being on the receiving end of cartoon violence he would not only distribute it but even evolve it by going after toons and people alike and creating a way to make his violence on toons more permanent with his infamous dip.
Big questions answered: 1. What kind of toon is Doom? -We never learn, but what we can say is that his body is golden since his limbs are colored yellow. Doom also appears to be a shapeshifter as evidenced by how he can turn his limbs into weapons. There are tons of theories relating to his identity, but nothing has ever been confirmed. 2. How did Doom become who he is today? -We never actually learn how Doom became evil outside of a non canonical graphic novel that said he was an innocent toon actor that got a severe head injury leading him to think he was a villain. Other than that, the canon answer is ‘no one really knows’. None of the other toons could see anything familiar with Doom and neither do they recall any colleagues going missing. 3. Were the weasels aware of Doom being a toon? -We never actually get some answers as to whether the weasels were aware of Doom being a toon or not. The comics imply the former, but we never canonically get any answer
Vile Eye, the fifth season of the TV series Fargo is now on both FX and streaming on Hulu. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the feature film or any of the original four seasons of the television show but the TV show is a great combination of crime, drama and dark comedy just like the movie and I think that either focusing on all the seasons at once, since they do carry similar themes, and you’ve done articles like that before, might be a good thing to do in the future. Or if you are only going to choose one villain, I would go for either, Lorne Malvo, who was played by Billy Bob Thornton, or Mr. Milligan, who was a real interesting character in season two and you actually got his origin story in season four. So I hope you don’t mind this suggestion. Thank you.
Hello Mr. Analyzing Evil, I Finally Became A Subscriber. Started perusal You When I Viewed “Tony Soprano”, “Bill” (Kill Bill) & “The Mother Of (Precious)”, (Excellent articles Too). Is It Possible In Your Business Time Could You Do These Two Suggestions? (The Harder They Fall (Netflix-Movie), “Rufus Buck”), & (Doubt (Movie), “Father Flynn”)? Thank You For Your articles, You Have A Strong Mind.
How about analyzing John Wayne Cleaver from I am Not a Serial Killer? You can pull from the film—which also has Christopher Lloyd as Joe Crowley—and the six, yes, six, books focusing on John Wayne Cleaver’s story of finding and killing The Withered. (I’m also Future-Agent over on Reddit, and I think suggesting the analyzing the evils of celebrities was a complete shitshow lol.)
So many tells that foretold the fact that Doom was a toon. Did anyone else pick up on these tells? His cape blown by a constant breeze with no open doors or windows Rigid turning movements The way he ran away from Eddie after Eddie shot him in the alley Over exaggerating speeches Being scared of the gun Roger was pointing at him Never laughing The comedic fall he took when he slipped on a floor full of plastic eyeballs Being able to counter a giant super magnet by being pulled towards it and forcing it on Eddie……anymore?
Hey I have a great idea do bart – played by Bob Hoskins from the movie unleashed 2005 because he is in roger rabbit it gave me the idea hopefully you’ve seen unleashed it’s insane and bart the guy who owned Danny the dog is frankly a scary guy psychologically intimidating to me and the way that you literally analyze people and situations circumstances just the complex dynamics of people amd and their behavior is absolutely genius and very genuine too I’m the way you do it I really admire not only your intelligence but the way you view and interpret people and things I love your website to death so hopefully you do that eventually and again thank you for doing pazuzu over October for Halloween
It’s also important to note that in real life, the construction of large freeways led to the destruction of many minority communities that paved through homes and businesses Sugar Hill and West Adams Heights was a upper middle class black neighborhood in Los Angeles, home to stars such as Hattie McDaniel, and was torn down to make way for the Santa Monica Freeway The freewways helped more well-off white families with cars leave the city into nearby suburbs, as the 50s saw the phenomenon of White Flight, leaving African-American, Hispanic, and Asian residents out of businesses Throughout the film, it’s implied that toons are a minority seen by other humans, such as the Ink and Paint Club, a homage to the famous Harlem Cotton Club, where African Americans performed and served white people, but were barred from being patrons themselves, being seen as a commodity rather than people Toontown is meant to be a stand-in for these neighborhoods that were a home to people that despite their place in the social hierarchy, were able to forge their own community that looked out for them
There’s a level that’s being missed in this. In the world of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it’s shown repeatedly that toons are subject to the Rule of Funny. Roger says it explicitly at one point — he couldn’t get out of those cuffs at just any time, “only when it was funny!” This relates to why toons and humans effectively can’t harm each other, as the violence done by or to a toon results in minor slapstick injuries. Judge Doom, however, wasn’t just the inventor of Dip, a way for humans to harm toons, he was also the inventor of black comedy, a way for toons to harm humans. Think of the way he killed Teddy Valiant — he literally dropped a piano on him. The scenes in the film discussing this end up pulling into black comedy territory, deriving humor from the incongruity between a classically “slapstick” manner of dealing harm (dropping a piano on someone) and the very real consequences of actually doing so. The tragic relation of the story nonetheless causes a laugh from the sheer absurdity of such a death. We derive humor from all manner of horrible things, and Judge Doom weaponized this to do something nobody else thought possible: kill a human as a toon.
The only problem I have with Judge Doom’s backstory is the fact that an explosion put him in a coma for two weeks. It’s PHYSICAL DAMAGE to the brain that causes one to slip into a coma, and Doom was a toon. We’ve all seen Yosemite Sam and Elmer Fudd blow themselves up in all kinds of ways while trying to kill Bugs Bunny and just walk away from it (half naked and covered in soot, but alive and unharmed). It should be the same for Judge Doom. I’ve actually given Doom’s origin story a bit of a rewrite. It all happens pretty much exactly the same as was mentioned in this article. The one difference is that the explosion had thrown Baron Von Rotten into a wall beneath a shelf that held canesters of the three types of paint thinner that eventually make up Dip. The canisters topple over and pour out, running off the edge of the shelf and onto Baron Von Rotten down below. The “proto-Dip” melts part of Von Rotten’s face, giving him a “Phantom Of The Opera/Two-Face” kind of appearance. And sadly, none of his Hollywood make-up skills could repair the damage, not even temporarily for the cartoons he acted in. This cost him his job as an actor. All of his toon friends stopped coming to see him. And THAT is what drove him mad and why he became Judge Doom.
Judge Doom is in my top tier villain list. An evil cartoon is terrifying. It never occurred to me before that if the toons about to be wiped out to make way for the freeway are analogous to all the minority neighborhoods that were leveled for the freeway IRL, the toon angle becomes an interesting metaphor for minorities passing in Hollywood which brings it back around to Doom as a member of city gov who is also passing.
The capitalist speech at the end reminds me of how physical media is treated today. Streaming seems cheaper and easier than collecting hundreds of DVDs, but when a service can remove items from their library at any time and permanently shelve them, it becomes a lot more sinister. As is the rejection of physical media by film corporations that directly own streaming services, and the corporate entities that partner with them (Best Buy). Try as they might, we’ll still collect. People will still bootleg, because they’d rather get it for free always than free sometimes.
So basically, he was a method actor who went too far. Then he became an industrialist and started playing the role of a robber baron. Apparently, he never bothered to read any Ayn Rand material. Some people forget that she was as much a critic of robber barons as she was of command economies. 9:52 See also Sideshow Bob. Calls himself a “Republican,” yet he seeks to “rule like a king.” Oxymoronic hypocrisy. 14:02 Ayn Rand made basically the same point. She pointed out that robber barons and monopolies are anti-competitive and can only attain power and influence through collusion with the state (and by behaving like “the state,” themselves).