Tales of the Rat Fink

One of the most inventive documentaries of the year, Ron Mann's Tales of the Rat Fink is part live-action and part cartoon celebration of the life and career of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, a pioneering builder of custom hot rods who helped finance his work by marketing comics, decals, and T-shirts bearing the likenesses of bizarre but non-threatening monsters, the most famous of which was that repulsive rodent known as Rat Fink. Roth's creations spring to life here via animation, with voices contributed by a diverse group of hipsters from the ‘60s (Roth's peak period), including Ann-Margret, the Smothers Brothers, Brian Wilson, and Tom Wolfe, among others. The voice of Big Daddy himself—a larger than life character if ever there was one—is supplied by John Goodman in a particularly ingenious bit of vocal casting. DVD extras include bonus interviews, a deleted scene, a virtual art gallery, and a music video by The Sadies. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (E. Hulse)