The Silver Screen Oasis

Zardozz (1974) on TCM Underground tonight Dec 3, 2022 2am

I love this movie! I believe it is the best stream-of-consciousness surreal allegory ever committed to film. It is shameless counterculture absurdity complete with hot British chicks topless while riding horses. The title is itself absurd as those who fashioned the society in-movie knew that it was a joke.

It was written and directed by John Boorman whose work includes: Point Blank (1967), Deliverance (1972), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Excalibur (1981). Robert Ebert stated: "Boorman seems fascinated by stories which are disconnected from the ordinary realist assumptions of most movies"

I believe that this is most definitely a love-it-or-hate-it movie. I can say only that it requires an appreciation of art-for-art's-sake and understanding the reductio ad absurdum presentation of the auxesis and meiosis of social divides. It is not within my province to prescribe but I will state that it has been my observation that appreciation of this movie is heightened when viewed through a light veil of herbal smoke.

"It is not within my province to prescribe but I will state that it has been my observation that appreciation of this movie is heightened when viewed through a light veil of herbal smoke."

Indeed.

Sage! I mean sage. Its smoke purifies and increases spirituality and makes you more receptive to new ideas.

That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Hopefully, RMeingast from the TCM message boards knows this movie is airing.

He mentioned that he shows up at the SSO from time to time.

Thank you. My library has Zardoz so I requested it. Looking forward to giving it a try!

TikiSoo wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 9:04 am Thank you. My library has Zardoz so I requested it. Looking forward to giving it a try!

I believe that you may wish to check the: IMDb.com Parental Guide. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070948/pa ... tt_stry_pg Six out of ten found the: "Violence and Gore" to be: "moderate". I did not personally find the movie physically violent but I have a tolerance for such things and I buy into the surreal nature of it with ease. I fear that you might find it disagreeable to some degree.

I would very much like for you to watch the movie because I believe you might appreciate it more than most but I do not wish for you to enter it blindly and lose some modicum of faith in our recommendations.

It's BAD alright; I watched all of it last night. It just ain't that clever, and it's mostly boring. Implausible (shoveling grain into a giant floating head). Silly. Kinda cheapo.
THOSE COSTUMES! It's like an explosion at the Babushka Kitty Kat Klub garage sale. I can enjoy a bad movie for its own merit, not so much this one. I'd recommend it for the BAD movie lover (I'm one),

TikiSoo wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 9:04 am Thank you. My library has Zardoz so I requested it. Looking forward to giving it a try!

Best of luck with that!

HoldenIsHere wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 1:46 am Hopefully, RMeingast from the TCM message boards knows this movie is airing.

He mentioned that he shows up at the SSO from time to time.

I sometimes posted a notice at TCM forum when I saw something interesting on their schedule, which I would have done there last night.

Masha wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 10:46 am

TikiSoo wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 9:04 am Thank you. My library has Zardoz so I requested it. Looking forward to giving it a try!

I believe that you may wish to check the: IMDb.com Parental Guide. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070948/pa ... tt_stry_pg Six out of ten found the: "Violence and Gore" to be: "moderate". I did not personally find the movie physically violent but I have a tolerance for such things and I buy into the surreal nature of it with ease. I fear that you might find it disagreeable to some degree.

I would very much like for you to watch the movie because I believe you might appreciate it more than most but I do not wish for you to enter it blindly and lose some modicum of faith in our recommendations.

The full frontal nudity every five seconds will probably turn off more of the squeamish than the hokey violence.

Masha wrote: ↑December 2nd, 2022, 11:25 pm I love this movie! I believe it is the best stream-of-consciousness surreal allegory ever committed to film. It is shameless counterculture absurdity complete with hot British chicks topless while riding horses. The title is itself absurd as those who fashioned the society in-movie knew that it was a joke...

Really? Check out FELLINI's 81/2 (1963)

Allhallowsday wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 2:43 pm Really? Check out FELLINI's 81/2 (1963)

Meh.

I find that to be one of those nearly-mainstream overhyped movies which people are told they must like despite its very mundane underpinnings. It is self-validation by a man who let justified praise for his earlier work go to his head and believed his masturbation fantasy warranted filming. It is as surreal as a can of beige paint. One must believe the filmmaker had ADHD and early-stage Alzheimer's to believe that it is stream-of-consciousness.

Even Jean Rollin's worst movie is a greater exercise for mind and soul than 8 1/2.

Masha wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 3:25 pm

Allhallowsday wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 2:43 pm Really? Check out FELLINI's 81/2 (1963)

Meh.

I find that to be one of those nearly-mainstream overhyped movies which people are told they must like despite its very mundane underpinnings. It is self-validation by a man who let justified praise for his earlier work go to his head and believed his masturbation fantasy warranted filming. It is as surreal as a can of beige paint. One must believe the filmmaker had ADHD and early-stage Alzheimer's to believe that it is stream-of-consciousness.

Even Jean Rollin's worst movie is a greater exercise for mind and soul than 8 1/2.

Okay! You don't like it. Not sure I do either, but I always make up my own mind.
Try FELLINI'S SATYRICON (1969)?

I loved the ending of ZARDOZ.

LostHorizons wrote: ↑December 3rd, 2022, 2:37 pm The full frontal nudity [...]

You say that as if it is a bad thing.