The penis is evil.
And thus begins one of the strangest A-list Hollywood films to come out of the 1970's, John Boorman's "Zardoz." Sandwiched career-wise between the captivating "Deliverance" and the travesty of "The Exorcist II," "Zardoz" is pretty much what you'd expect from a guy on the way down -- a movie with big ambitions and little success it meeting them.
Typically, this is the part of the review wherein a user will give a brief plot synopsis, but I have to be honest with you, having seen the film several times, I still can't really tell you what's going on. I know this much -- it's the future, and mankind is now ruled by a big stone head that floats around and vomits guns on the people. The people then take these guns and... shoot each other, I guess. I'm not sure. It's probably a noble idea, and I'm sure it's supposed to say something about man's violent nature, but the sight of Sean Connery's tangerine speedo and a big stone head puking out machine guns is just too bizarre and amusing for the point to get across.
That's not to say you won't enjoy the film. Pulling four of your film geek buddies together for a case of Icehouse and an evening of watching, deconstructing, and mocking "Zardoz" can be a fine way to spend a Saturday evening. Indeed, this is one of those films you'll want to pick up from the $5.99 bin at Best Buy, only so you can show it to your closest friends -- "Dude, you HAVE to see this incredibly f'ed up movie."
And thus begins one of the strangest A-list Hollywood films to come out of the 1970's, John Boorman's "Zardoz." Sandwiched career-wise between the captivating "Deliverance" and the travesty of "The Exorcist II," "Zardoz" is pretty much what you'd expect from a guy on the way down -- a movie with big ambitions and little success it meeting them.
Typically, this is the part of the review wherein a user will give a brief plot synopsis, but I have to be honest with you, having seen the film several times, I still can't really tell you what's going on. I know this much -- it's the future, and mankind is now ruled by a big stone head that floats around and vomits guns on the people. The people then take these guns and... shoot each other, I guess. I'm not sure. It's probably a noble idea, and I'm sure it's supposed to say something about man's violent nature, but the sight of Sean Connery's tangerine speedo and a big stone head puking out machine guns is just too bizarre and amusing for the point to get across.
That's not to say you won't enjoy the film. Pulling four of your film geek buddies together for a case of Icehouse and an evening of watching, deconstructing, and mocking "Zardoz" can be a fine way to spend a Saturday evening. Indeed, this is one of those films you'll want to pick up from the $5.99 bin at Best Buy, only so you can show it to your closest friends -- "Dude, you HAVE to see this incredibly f'ed up movie."