‘Hair High’ Blu-Ray Review – Bill Plympton’s Twisted Take On Old-School High School Drama

Legendary animator Bill Plympton’s (THE TUNE, MUTANT ALIENS) cheerfully unhinged and wildly hormonal tribute to 1950s teen romance opens on star quarterback Rod (voiced by Dermot Mulroney) and head cheerleader Cherri (voiced by Sarah Silverman) as the unchallenged king & queen of Echo Lake H.S..  Enter scooter-driving Spud (Eric Gilliland) as the bumbling New Kid in School, who quickly runs afoul of Rod and Cherri – but will love unexpectedly blossom between the Geek and the Prom Queen?  Filled with reanimated frogs, writhing teenage tongues / tonsils / lips, deranged parodies of drive-in flicks like THE BRAINEATERS, and (of course) a sea of gravity-defying, Dr. Seuss-like hairstyles (our favorite visual gag? Rod’s football helmet is shaped like his massive hairdo), this is Plympton’s cheeky musical take on REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, GREASE, HAIRSPRAY and BYE BYE BIRDIE.  And like the best of Plympton, it’s fueled by sex and roaring libidos:  the school team is the Fighting Cocks, and one of the wildest sequences involves the mascot experiencing an uncontrollable erection and humping everything in sight.  “The joys of biology,” as chainsmoking teacher Mr. Snerz (David Carradine) observes between (literally) hacking his lungs out.

Featuring a stellar voice cast including Beverly D’Angelo, Martha Plimpton, Keith Carradine, Tom Noonan, Justin Long, and Ed Begley Jr., plus fellow animators Matt Groening and Don Hertzfeldt, with a wonderful score by longtime Plympton musical collaborators Maureen McElheron, Hank Bones and Corey Allen Jackson.  And remember:  today’s lunch will be Sloppy Joe’s and creamed corn!

For thoughts on Hair High, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Hair High debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a 2K restoration that looks really fetching on the format. Every distinct flourish within the animation is left unmarred with no ridiculous digital manipulation to ruin the natural state of the creation. The memorable character designs and every deliberate line and mark of the animation are retained in this newest release. The textures of this exaggerated world on display look authentic and give the outrageous story the appropriate amount of depth. This Blu-Ray is an ideal representation that ensures that nothing is ever less than amazing. Black levels are sterling with no obvious issues of banding or compression. The complex colors are assured with these dazzling hues mingling with one another while maintaining the necessary delineation. Deaf Crocodile continues to honor the work of Bill Plympton. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original English which translates this as accurately as one would desire. The film is replete with wondrous sound effects that are given the necessary placement within the mix. The track deploys the atmospheric effects favorably on all fronts. Dialogue comes through triumphantly without competing sound effects or music obscuring important information. The score thrives as it emanates with exceptional fidelity, every note full of life. The audio does not falter in the slightest. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of Hair High arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring new essays by longtime Plympton collaborator John Holderried and film critic and author Walter Chaw. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

• Audio Commentaries: This disc offers both a new and an archival commentary track filled with tons of fun anecdotes and observations from two valuable perspectives. Plympton is a very colorful personality who shares so many engaging stories, but the new commentary track provides some valuable context to the legacy of the film and the filmmaker that is not to be missed. 

• • Audio Commentary #1 (2026):  Animation producer and podcaster Adam Rackoff, podcaster and film critic James Hancock, and filmmaker and podcaster Martin Kessler

• • Audio Commentary #2 (2004): Director Bill Plympton

• Horny High: An 11-minute visual essay from film critic Celeste de la Cabra that explores the career of Bill Plympton, the prevalence of sex and violence in his work, the various themes on display in Hair High, the abundance of innuendos, and more. 

• Interview with Bill Plympton and Composer Maureen McElheron: A 58-minute interview with director/writer/producer Bill Plympton and composer Maureen McElheron conducted by Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok. In this conversation, the pair discusses their history with one another, the inspiration for the music, and more. 

• Scene Breakdown: A two-minute look at a scene compared to the storyboards and footage from the recording booth. 

• Anicam: A seven-minute time-lapse video that allowed Plympton fans to view the progress of the animation process on his website. 

• Film Premiere in Portland: A 13-minute look at the west coast premiere at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland with Bill Plympton, Martha Plympton, Eric Gilliland, and Keith Carradine. 

• Voiceover Session with Ed Begley Jr. (6:34)

• Voiceover Session with Sarah Silverman (3:04)

• Bill Plympton Short Films: A pair of animated shorts from Bill Plympton is provided that show some of the immense creativity of Plympton. These are both wonderfully entertaining and hilarious films. 

• • Shuteye Hotel  (2007) (HD) (7:24)

• • Horn Dog (2009) (HD) (4:46)

Final Thoughts

Hair High is an expectedly hilarious and offbeat excursion into the twisted perspective of animation legend Bill Plympton that skewers the nostalgia of stereotypical Americana. The archetypes are all here, yet they all get put through the meat grinder of his imagination. The animation is a joy to witness, and you can always tell how much care is put into each frame thanks to the work of these creative figures. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a tremendous A/V presentation and a desirable assortment of special features. Recommended 

Hair High is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.