Editing Heavy Metal (film) (section)

== Legacy and cultural impact ==
Several years after the film's release, ''Heavy Metal'' managed to achieve a strong [[cult following]] mainly through [[Midnight movie|midnight screenings]], TV showings, and home video releases.<ref name=LATimes1996 />

The film served as inspiration for many animation and science fiction films and shows following it, such as ''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982),<ref>{{cite magazine|department=FILM|title=RIDLEY SCOTT'S BLADE RUNNER|first=Scott |last=Bukatman|magazine=ArtForum|date=Dec 1992|volume= 31|number= 4|url=https://www.artforum.com/columns/ridley-scotts-blade-runner-203281/|quote=The film’s visual design, primarily by Lawrence Paull and Syd Mead, was partly derived from the art style of ''Heavy Metal'' magazine, as drawn by artists like Moebius (Jean Giraud), Philippe Druillet, and Angus McKie.}}</ref> ''[[Starchaser: The Legend of Orin]]'' (1985),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[Gandahar (film)|Gandahar]]'' (1987),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'' (1988),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[The Fifth Element]]'' (1997),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[Titan A.E.]]'' (2000),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[Sausage Party]]'' (2016),<ref>{{cite web|title='Sausage Party' Directors Conrad Vernon & Greg Tiernan On Making 2016's Most Outlandish Animated Film
|first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi |last=Amidi | date=Aug 12, 2016|work=[[Cartoon Brew]]|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/sausage-party-directors-conrad-vernon-greg-tiernan-making-2016s-outlandish-animated-film-142425.html}}</ref> [[Mandy (2018 film)|Mandy]] (2018),{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} ''[[The Spine of Night]]'' (2021),<ref>{{cite web|title=SXSW Interview: 'The Spine of Night' Filmmakers Talk About Their Animated Work |first=Mitchell |last=Beaupre|work=Awards Radar|url=https://awardsradar.com/2021/03/19/sxsw-interview-the-spine-of-night-filmmakers-talk-about-their-animated-work/|date=Mar 19, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Futurama]]'',{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} and ''[[Rick and Morty|Rick & Morty]]''.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The film was parodied in a season 12 episode of the adult animated comedy series ''[[South Park]]'' entitled "[[Major Boobage]]" (2008; S12E03), which also featured songs from the film's soundtrack.<ref name=HuffingtonPost>{{cite web |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2008/03/26/south-park-major-boobage/ |title=South Park: Major Boobage |accessdate=2008-03-29 |last=Trechak |first=Brad |date=March 27, 2008 |work=[[HuffPost]] |archive-date=2012-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325123227/http://www.aoltv.com/2008/03/26/south-park-major-boobage/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Some news reports have suggested that ''Heavy Metal'' was an influence for [[Elon Musk]] [[Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster|when he launched a Tesla Roadster alongside a fake spaceman in the front seat into orbit]] in 2018, which seems to reference the film's title sequence "Soft Landing", in which a space traveler lands on Earth in a [[Chevrolet Corvette]] convertible two-seater.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edge.ca/news/4011097/a-canadian-american-predicted-what-elon-musks-rocket-roadster-did-yesterday-in-1981/ |title=A Canadian-American predicted what Elon Musk's rocket roadster did yesterday—in 1981! |first=Alan |last=Cross |work=[[CFNY-FM]] |date=2018-02-07 |access-date=2018-02-11 |quote=picture is not fake [...] photo is from space [...] resemblance to the opening sequence of a Canadian-American adult animated movie from 1981 called ''Heavy Metal'' |archive-date=2020-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613114306/https://edge.ca/news/4011097/a-canadian-american-predicted-what-elon-musks-rocket-roadster-did-yesterday-in-1981/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tesla-and-spacex-have-already-merged-2018-2 |title=The Falcon Heavy Roadster Launch reveals how Tesla and SpaceX are already beginning to merge |first=Matthew |last=DeBord |website=[[Business Insider]] UK |date=2018-02-10 |access-date=2018-02-11 |quote=Roadster orbiting Earth [...] like something out of the [...] opening sequence from the 1981 grownup animated movie "Heavy Metal" |archive-date=2018-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023112633/http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-tesla-and-spacex-have-already-merged-2018-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Both ''Heavy Metal'' and the British animated film ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' (1978) served as strong influences on the animation and anthology styles of the music video "[[At the Door]]" by [[The Strokes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exploring the 80s animation references in The Strokes' At The Door video |url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/mike-burakoff-benjy-brooke-the-strokes-at-the-door-music-video-animation-170220 |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=www.itsnicethat.com |language=en}}</ref>