Badmovies.org Forum

Zardoz (1974) on TCM Underground tonight Dec 3 2am

(https://www.otekisinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/Zardoz002.jpg)

When I joined this forum, ZARDOZ was legendary here.  And reviled.  

It's BAD alright; I watched all of it last night.  It just ain't that clever, and it's mostly boring.  Implausible.  Silly.  Kinda cheapo.  THOSE COSTUMES!  It's like an explosion at the Babushka Kitty Kat Klub garage sale.  

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1p7ioEAzD4/VIsft6ynsUI/AAAAAAAB_to/7-0pC2VBGqM/s1600/Zardoz%2B(37).jpg)

It's an 'art film' to be sure.

It gets ragged on for the line 'the gun is good, the penis is evil.' But between a gun and a penis which is easier to show in media?

It's a "fart film" to be sure.   :thumbup:

Eh,I kinda like it a bit. It's definitely weird.

I kinda like it too.  It's definitely tacky.

It's tacky in a very unique and artistic way.

Fascinating movie, especially the ending with Beethoven's 7th. Also, bewildering points about immortality.

Parts are fascinating but I found it mostly boring... and bewildering especially when Eternals are shot to death painfully, begging for it, running away.   Wtf?  
The ending with the cave gurus meditating birth, aging, skeletons... made the whole damned thing worth sweating thru.  Thanks for pointing out what that wonderful music was!  

http://youtu.be/KbNGklNz8Yk (http://youtu.be/KbNGklNz8Yk) 

https://youtu.be/KbNGklNz8Yk (https://youtu.be/KbNGklNz8Yk)

And Sir Sean Connery in a red thong  :buggedout: :buggedout: :buggedout:

The Brits trying to be Jodorowsky?

BOORMAN doesn't need to try to be JODOROWSKY. 

The point about Jodorowsky reminds me of his dreams for Dune:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cJNR8HEw0#)

Boorman made ZARDOZ after he couldn't get the rights to "Lord of the Rings." He came back a few years later with an epic fantasy that was actually good: EXCALIBUR.

If you listen to his DVD commentary you'll get the idea that he figured out the film was a mess while he was making it and tried (semi-successfully) to turn it into a campy comedy. Thus, the floating head introduction he added stating the film was "rich in irony and highly satirical..."

https://youtu.be/ezT7P970Bw4

Boorman actually did a masterful job of salvaging a hugely entertaining bad movie out of what he originally intended to be a profound, philosophical piece. He also made another entertaining bad movie, EXORCIST 2. He's so talented that even when he misfires badly he approaches greatness.

That's quite a talent right there. 

"hugely entertaining"
 Steady on there, Reverend. It remains pretty pretentious and long winded at times.

Like   all the time.

I LOVE pretentious movies, as long as they're also completely crazy! Ken Russell is totally my jam. I don't find ZARDOZ too long-winded, though. It has a doldrum or two, but there's enough excitement in the rest for two movies. The site is devoted to appreciating bad movies!

"Hugely entertaining" I think might've been hyperbolic.  In any case, I found it pretty boring but we agree it's bad.  And I love bad movies. Did I mention I love the ending? 

We'll have to agree to disagree. I never thought I'd hear ZARDOZ referred to as "boring," but I guess the term is subjective. It's a cult movie for a reason; not everyone is on the same wavelength. I am. For me, I watch at least one movie a week that's more boring than ZARDOZ.

Two words; Guns & girls
And so was El Topo

And, say it with me, There's only one reason I sat through all four hours of La Belle Noiseuse

About what?  I think you know it's bad...


You're on the same wavelength?  What wavelength might that be?   :question:

Kind of can't believe you're defending ZARDOZ... and I like boring movies!   :teddyr:

Love it or hate it, Zardoz! was not a normal movie. It was kind of a one of a kind movie, unique, not a remake or a rip-off of anything else.

For that alone it deserves some kudos.

Disagree about it being hugely entertaining. I say ZARDOZ is both bad and hugely entertaining, like PLAN 9 or THE ROOM. I'm on the wavelength of ZARDOZ lovers, you're not.

ZARDOZ has lots of defenders besides me.

https://nerdist.com/article/zardoz-insane-cult-classic-must-see/

Well, you have me at the 'hugely entertaining' bit. I do agree that Zardoz is certainly worth seeing, but recent movies I'd consider hugely entertaining are things like Everything Everywhere All At Once, or See How They Run, and I can't put Zardoz in the same category, not by a long way.
Perhaps I have less tolerance for pretentious movies. Back in high school with a bunch of mates we used to write stuff, and we thought we were so terribly clever. Zardoz reminds me of those days. Also, I don't buy the 'I meant it to be a parody all along' defence for one second.

Gives me an excuse to post an old article I wrote: https://366weirdmovies.com/in-defense-of-pretense/

My favorite Boorman movie is still Point Blank, and I think what makes it admirable isn't that it's pretentious but is able to make you unaware of such:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz1328EcZlQ#)

I love POINT BLANK, too.

I liked Boorman's Excalibur.

Having read you article, I think we mean slightly different things by pretentious

After EXCALIBUR, my favorite of his...