What's new

Zardoz coming from Twilight Time (Tentative February 2015) (1 Viewer)

ROclockCK

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
1,438
Location
High Country, Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Steve
I will forever associate Zardoz with the hundreds of now 40-/50-something IT geeks I've worked with over the years (all male, mostly egghead) who, whenever drunk or stoned enough, invariably cite it among their Top 5 guiltiest-of-guilty movie pleasures.

Generationally speaking, I think this proud oddity has more committed cult appeal than its still available blowout bin DVD might suggest*. Those who seem to like it, really love it.

* I've already begun e-mailing any of the 'core faithful I know that it's finally coming to Blu-ray. "Vive des titres portmanteau!"
 

Josh Steinberg

Premium
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2003
Messages
26,250
Real Name
Josh Steinberg
I've never actually seen it, but I've been curious about it for ages.. one of these days..
 

Dave B Ferris

Screenwriter
Joined
Apr 27, 2000
Messages
1,260
I will forever associate Zardoz with the hundreds of now 40-/50-something IT geeks I've worked with over the years (all male, mostly egghead) who, whenever drunk or stoned enough, invariably cite it among their Top 5 guiltiest-of-guilty movie pleasures. Generationally speaking, I think this proud oddity has more committed cult appeal than its still available blowout bin DVD might suggest*. Those who seem to like it, really love it. * I've already begun e-mailing any of the 'core faithful I know that it's finally coming to Blu-ray. "Vive des titres portmanteau!"
Writing with some sadness, given recent events, the now-homeless (at least the last time I checked that thread) Jack Briggs was a huge fan, I think. Even though he was not an official reviewer, I think he was allowed to post a guest-review of the DVD.
 

Ejanss

BANNED
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
2,789
Real Name
EricJ
Josh Steinberg said:
I've never actually seen it, but I've been curious about it for ages.. one of these days..
It's as self-indulgent as anything Boorman was doing before Excalibur, and more so. (If you thought Altman and Lucas were going artsy-loopy on sci-fi dystopia in Quintet and THX-1138, clear the dance floor for the Deliverance Guy...)

It should be a lot more interesting once you figure out the significance of the title,
(pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!)
but even then....it somehow isn't. :unsure:
 

Persianimmortal

Screenwriter
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
1,376
Location
Canberra, Australia
Real Name
Koroush Ghazi
I really shouldn't like this film, but for some reason the somewhat camp '70s atmosphere and quirkiness of it means I inevitably seem to watch it (and enjoy it) at least once every couple of years. I'll definitely be buying it :)
 

bruceames

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
777
Real Name
Bruce Ames
I'm good with watching a really weird "so bad it's good" movie, but not if the typical wardrobe is that shown in the pic above.
 

Persianimmortal

Screenwriter
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
1,376
Location
Canberra, Australia
Real Name
Koroush Ghazi
I wouldn't really call it a "so bad it's good" movie. And I certainly wouldn't recommend a blind buy.

Here's my totally pretentious and possibly controversial take on it: Zardoz shares many elements with A Clockwork Orange. Both portray a dystopian future, replete with wacky outfits and exaggerated linear extrapolations of then-contemporary trends/fads. Both films have a campy atmosphere, liberal nudity and all manner of silly sounding made-up words and idioms. A Clockwork Orange is the better film of the two of course, because (a) Kubrick; and (b) It has a much deeper underlying message. Zardoz is less thought-provoking, with whatever message it's trying to convey buried deep under layers of sometimes hilarious camp (like Connery's bright red man-diaper costume).

I suspect that if you like A Clockwork Orange, you may like Zardoz. In any case, I wouldn't write Zardoz off as just another "so bad it's good" film :)
 

Mike Frezon

Moderator
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2001
Messages
60,683
Location
Rexford, NY
Mark Walker said:
I will forever associate Zardoz with the HTF.
Newer members might not realize that Zardoz would never have made it to DVD without the assistance of the HTF.

In that vein, I have already e-mailed Jack Briggs about this news. I figured it might bring a smile to his face. :biggrin:

Some blasts from our past (unfortunately, I couldn't find all the threads I wanted):

#1

#2

#3
 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,131
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
I had the afternoon relatively free, so I took the DVD of Zardoz off the shelf and watched it for the first time since I first purchased it. I'll have a lot more to say about it if I get to review the Blu-ray, but it's certainly a one-of-a-kind movie, no question about it.
 

Tony J Case

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2002
Messages
2,736
zardozian_recursion.gif
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,710
Messages
5,121,108
Members
144,146
Latest member
SaladinNagasawa
Recent bookmarks
0
Top