Zardoz

Oldie but goodie! Very different take on Syfy. Really good actors who are British icons - in their youth here!

No matter how critical an attitude I bring to it, I simply cannot dislike this film! Its premises, performances, and images are a godsend to a lover of "thinking person's" science fiction. I have no idea what previous reviewers mean when they talk of a hippie sensibility pervading the film. I saw it twice during its initial release and have just seen it again after twenty some odd years; it still holds its special relevance and the satire still connects. Plus, it's a pleasure watching a science fiction film without a surfeit of gratuitous computer generated effects. Most of the story is told with the use of splendid cinematography, interesting sets, and a simple straightforward script with a few compelling twists. Some may argue that the actors' lines are trite; they are, but to wonderful biting effect. The masks worn by the Exterminators are marvelous, as is the floating head of Zardoz. The aerial photography and sound effects are also used to great effect near the beginning of the film to set the stage for the entrance into the Vortex and Zed's "big boy adventure" among the Immortals. Though Sean Connery's Zed chews most of the scenery, my favorite character was Friend played by John Alderton, especially after he received his sentence and was banished to the world of the aging Renegades. Hilarious! Even the time lapse ending was effective. Normally this device is used as a crutch for a filmmaker simply because he/she doesn't know how to develop a denouement. Not here; it works perfectly! This DVD release is crisp and vibrant with stunningly saturated colors and fine sound. I concur with a previous reviewer; this has to be the finest use of the Second Movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony ever in a film, heard in both it's original scoring and in a special choral arrangement--slow, stately and at a funeral march tempo, the way it should be despite the composer's score markings! I haven't heard the director's narrative track and am in no hurry to do so; the film speaks well for itself. In my opinion, this rightfully ranks as a "must have" for fans of lovingly-made, imaginative, and thought-provoking films. Bring an open mind and a sense of humor along with the popcorn; you're in for a treat!

Basically Sci Fi. A Fairy tale. Utopian society where there is no death. They send the people to make infractions to the society banned to an old foiks home. By Aging but not killing them. The leaders of the society are bored being not able to die. They are reborn. A magician amongst them concocts a plan to disrupt the society. Zardoz is his name together with the outsiders they destroy the society and its. immortality. This story is an allegory and has a plot twist. you wont see coming. Marvelous every one should see this. A Cult Classic

Master of understatement John Boorman (better known for the execrable howler "Exorcist II: The Heretic") teams up with Sean Connery in a ponytail wig and diaper to beat the audience over the head with subtlety and nuance. OK, seriously though, this is a heavy-handed and over-acted attempt at cerebral science fiction that pontificates on subjects like religion, inequality, and human nature. Sean Connery is Zed, an exterminator charged by Zardoz (a faux-god residing in a giant, floating, gun-vomiting head) to eliminate the savage "brutals" in this nightmarish future world. The movie is steeped in pretentiousness from the annoying floating head introductory narration to the incredibly stilted dialogue, of which follow several random examples: "I am innocent of psychic violence!", "No! I will not go to the second level!", "Shall I seek vortex consent?", "We will touch-teach you and you will give us your seed.", and of course, "The gun shoots death and beautifies the earth...Zardoz has spoken!" The entire movie prattles along like that, and contains other unintentionally comic elements such as Zed being frightened by a Jack-in-the-Box (really), Zed discovering an inter-vortex exchange holograph (don't ask), Zed getting the stuffing beat out of him by a bunch of demented geezers at the senility home, Zed teaching the "eternal" women how to kiss, thereby reintroducing desire and emotion to the world, and of course, Zed battling refracted light in the funhouse challenge inside a giant computer-crystal (again, don't ask). I am not totally down on the film, I just think it fails as serious science fiction, and becomes a parody of the genre, despite Boorman's commentary track extolling its virtues. The special effects are very basic: the floating head is, for instance, simply suspended from a crane, while in one key scene Zed obtains a secret power enabling him to make the film run backwards. The film is enjoyable as a camp classic, but is lacking as a serious movie (it was also a commercial flop), despite pretensions to be enlightening. Especially onerous is the predictable ending which is even more lamely executed than expected. The film was made in Ireland (Boorman's home) and as such does have some lovely landscape and scenery to recommend it; further the cinematography is generally quite good. The film is let down by trying to do too many things at once, and consequently doing none of them well. The pacing is frequently plodding, the acting is middling at best, the costumes are more hilarious than anything in recent memory (again, Connery's costume is justification enough to buy the movie), the morality of the film is preachy and heavy-handed, while the script is way over the top and utterly laughable. The most pretentious scene in the film (and one of the most pretentious I have ever seen) is the discovery of the true identity of Zardoz by Zed when he is learning to read. (Hint: I don't think that Frank Baum would be especially pleased.) I recommend the film to science fiction completists and fans of camp everywhere: you will seldom if ever find a better example of unintentional humor in a desolate future world than in Zardoz.

The DVD does not play and locks up my players, all of them. I had to unplug my DVD players for 10 minutes to reset them and eject the DVD. I tried returning it, but Amazon will not return it because it was over 30 days before I tried to play it. I even tried to play it on my computer without success. The DVD is useless and is junk. I will have to throw it out and I am out all my money.

As much as I enjoy this piece of cinema, you must understand that it's completely awful. It's a bad movie through and through, and that's what's fun about it. Sure it drags at points, and the production design is tragic, but this is what you get before Star Wars. "Completely unique" isn't always a compliment, but should be enough to drive one's curiosity. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I cannot explain all the reasons why I love this film so much, unlike its critics who seem to have every reason for being confused by it. In places I am also left pondering like Zed and learning the alphabet of the language Boorman uses in Zardoz. This is a complex story in that it probes several philosophical ideas while it gives us a picture of what a world of immortal humans might look like socially, economically, and politically. Recognizing the parallels to our own world, is only a slight stretch of the imagination away. Zardoz is largely metaphorical and leaves some thinking for its audience to do, in an enjoyable way. It is an eternally fresh sci-fi film that should be revisited over time, like a stimulating story-telling uncle. John Boorman is one of the greatest of story-tellers and Zardoz is one of his best films.

Items received and is as described.

Not the greatest movie ever made but very entertaining and the print is great quality.

I always wondered why they're are not more films like this made. It's a great sci-fi film to watch

Un des chefs d'oeuvre de John Boorman, à l'esthétique parfois déstabilisante et très imprégnée de l'époque Hippies/seventies. Considéré par les uns comme un nanar et par les autres comme un chef d'oeuvre. Pour ma part pas de doute il s'agit bien d'un chef d'oeuvre, d'une parabole d'anticipation avec le regard des gens de l'époque sur un probable futur.L'image est léchée, symbolique mais ne sombre pas dans la lenteur, j'ai eu plaisir à regarder de nouveau ce film en Blue Ray et de revoir un Sean Connery en tenue de Brute avec ses mythiques cuissardes.

John Boormans, zum Kultfilm avancierte Dystopie, beschreibt die Welt im Jahr 2293. Im Interview betont der Regisseur, daß er sich seinerzeit Gedanken um die menschliche Gesellschaft machte und wie sie sich in Zukunft entwickeln könnte. Darauf folgte der Film Zardoz, welcher im Jahr 1974 uraufgeführt wurde. Die Welt der Zukunft stellt sich als karges, verwüstetes Ödland dar, in dem die Überlebenden des Niedergangs ein erbärmliches Dasein fristen. Sie werden gejagt und geknechtet von sogenannten Exterminatoren, Dienern des Gottes Zardoz. Jener Gott stellt sich dar, als ein mit einem furchtbaren Äußeren ausgestattetes, flugfähiges Steinhaupt. Er taucht auf, gibt seinen Dienern Anweisungen und versorgt sie mit Waffen, im Gegenzug wird er mit Nahrungsmitteln beladen und verschwindet wieder. Über Sinn und Zweck des Ganzen erfährt man im weiteren Verlauf des Filmes mehr. Zardoz ist in vielerlei Hinsicht ein ungewöhnlicher Film und beinhaltet eine Vielzahl surreal anmutender Momente. Eindrückliche Bildkompositionen und eine tragende Musik runden den Eindruck ab. Sehr dominant hier 'Allegretto' aus Beethovens Symphonie Nr. 7. Die Hauptfiguren in diesem Werk sind namentlich, Zed (Sean Connery), Consuella (Charlotte Rampling), May (Sara Kestelman), Freund (John Alderton) und Arthur Frayn (Niall Buggy). --- Ein wenig zum Inhalt --- Mißtrauisch geworden, beschließt der Exterminator Zed, hinter die Maske von Zardoz zu schauen. Zu diesem Zweck schmuggelt er sich mit Hilfe einiger Gefährten in den Steinkopf, um zu erfahren wohin dieser immer entschwindet. Er gelangt in das sogenannte Vortex, einen idyllisch anmutenden Ort in dem kein Mangel herrscht. Dort trifft er auf die unsterblichen Bewohner, eine Gruppe von auserwählten Menschen, die sich von der Außenwelt abgeschottet haben. Rasch entpuppt sich dieser Ort als alles Andere als ein Utopia. --- Inhalt Ende --- --- Zur Veröffentlichung auf Blu-Ray --- Berücksichtigt man das Entstehungsjahr von Zardoz, so ist die Bildqualität fast durchgehend als gut zu bezeichnen und frei von Defekten. In den anfänglichen Einstellungen wirkt er etwas weich und es tritt ein leichtes Flimmern auf. Davon abgesehen ist die Detaildarstellung durchgehend gut. Filmkorn fällt gelegentlich auf. Der Ton ist frei von Störungen und stetig gut verständlich. Er liegt vor in Deutsch Stereo (Surroundboxen werden angesteuert), Deutsch Mono und Englisch (Surroundboxen werden angesteuert). Es gibt einen Audiokommentar von John Boorman, O-Ton Englisch. Untertitel gibt es in Deutsch und Englisch, nicht jedoch für den Audiokommentar. Ton und Untertitel lassen sich standardmäßig über Haupt-, Pop-Up Menü und die Fernbedienung ansteuern. Wird der Film gestoppt wird ein Marker gesetzt, er wird dann an dieser Stelle wieder fortgesetzt. Extras: Neun Interviews O-Ton Englisch ohne Untertitel (Regisseur John Boorman, Darstellerin Sara Kestelman, Kameramann Peter MacDonald, Produktionsdesigner Anthony Pratt, Schnittassistent Alan Jones, Hairstylist Colin Jamison, Special-Effect Künstler Gerry Johnston, Regieassistent Simon Ralph, Aufnahmeleiter Seamus Byrne Drei Kinotrailer (zwei deutsch, einer englisch), Zwei Radiospots (englisch), Bildergalerie Das Steelbook hat kein FSK Zeichen und auf der Rückseite keine Angaben zum Film. FSK Zeichen und Filmangaben befinden sich auf einem angeklebten, leicht ablösbaren Pappumschlag. Die Blu-Ray selbst sitzt sehr fest in der Halterung, vermutlich könnte das Steelbook aus dem zehnten Stock fallen und die Disc wäre immer noch an ihrem Platz. Hier ist etwas Vorsicht und Fummelei beim Herausnehmen angebracht. Dieser Umstand tritt gerade bei Steelbooks häufiger auf und die Vertreiber sollten sich hier womöglich für einen Druckknopfmechanismus entscheiden.

This review is for the BLU RAY issued 2015 (N.B. This is not a review of the DVD - everything is as usual all lumped together!). The quality of the Blu Ray is excellent. 2.35 ratio (bars top and bottom) excellent colou, clear picture and good sound with good sybtitles. Extras include a commentary from Boorman and an interview with Sara Kestleman (not seen by me). The film...What ca I say? I suppose I have seen it some 6 or 7 times since the original cinema release, and I still get great pleasure from every viewing. Is it important to understand the plot? Or can you just enjoy it for what it is - a wonderful mindblowing SciFi fantasy, beautifully filmed and led by a superb Connery in arguably the role he was born to play. Enjoy the colours, the landscape, the often dotty dialogue, John Alderon's performence, and lastly the Misses Rampling and Kestleman. A little bit of sex here and there, plenty of action, and mystery. That's how I see it. I don't think Boorman could make a "straight" film, and God Bless him for this. Highly recomended for lovers of Sean and the unusual. (P.S. I know I shouldn't say this but my DVD copy is pretty good too, so is the BLU RAY essential? - Probably is!)