IT’S ABOUT GODDAMN TIME!
Whoops! Whoah there. Harumph…Tapering off on the meds lately, so I have to learn to control little outbursts like that. Nearly jumped out of my chair and crashed through the wall like the Kool-Aid man. Boy, the neighbors woulda been pissed. Nobody drinks Kool-Aid these days.
So what I was trying to say is that, yes, it really is about time that Richard Elfman’s epic absurdity gets a proper re-release. And here it is. New 35mm prints of “Forbidden Zone” have been created for midnight screenings throughout the summer, melting brains in select cities.
When originally released in 1980, “Forbidden Zone” was so out of control it scared away even some of the hardest cult film fanatics. No one could put their finger on just what exactly the hell this thing was that presented us with a sixth dimension called the Forbidden Zone, ruled by a French dwarf king and inhabited by a chicken boy, a man-sized frog, lots of topless women and Satan. “Forbidden Zone” is like “The Twilight Zone” if Rod Serling started eating his Wheaties with White Out. It’s the ultimate wrong turn at Albuquerque.
But since its initial release, “Forbidden Zone” has gone on to become the Citizen Kane of underground movies with a rabid fan base that have been clamoring for a re-release since its disappearance, only to be found as a worn VHS for sale on the occasional Ebay auction or broadcast on a late night art school cable transmission. Maybe it’s something in the meatloaf; perhaps the drugs are stronger these days; and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the composer of the film’s unique soundtrack go on to front one of the world’s greatest rock bands. Whatever the case, “Forbidden Zone” is back and we spoke with Richard Elfman recently about the film’s triumphant return.
Get the interview in part two of RICHARD ELFMAN: INTO THE “FORBIDDEN ZONE” AGAIN>>>
