John-Boorman Movie Reviews

You won't find a big ensemble cast in this World War II film from 1968. Only 2 actors tell the story, and they don't even speak the same langauge. But they don't need to, these two actors are Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune. They portray enemies, one American, one Japanese, marooned on an island in the midst of the war. They are so brillant in their portrayals, that actions really do speak louder than words. You won't even miss the fact that there are no subtitles when Mifune is speaking. His every expression, lets us know exactly what he is thinking.
Add to this the artful direction of John Boorman, who brought us such exquiste films as "Excalibur", the wonderful music of Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible), and the expert eye of Cinematographer Conrad Hall(Butch Cassidy, American Beauty) and you're in for a real cinematic treat.

When a disciplined Japanese Naval Officer discovers he is not alone on the small Island in the Pacific, he immediatly goes into high gear to protect and defend his territory. But he has met his match in the very undisciplined American Marine that has been washed ashore. And so it begins...these two do everything they can to capture, torture, and generally make life miserable for each other(and at times is on the comical side). The need for human contact though, becomes apparent and they stop short at killing each other, and actually form an attachment to each other. The ending is a bit of a shocker, but there is also an alternate ending included with this DVD.

Anchor Bay as usual has really made this 35 year old film a pleasure to watch. You have the choice of widescreen(2.35:1) or full format(by the way, my DVD was mismarked as to which side was widescreen, so don't panic if this happens, just flip it over). Excellent picture, vibrant colors and the sound in Dolby Dig Stereo is clear as a bell. And don't forget to check out the alternate ending.

A great buy for fans of war movies, Marvin and Mifune, and anyone who appreciates artful film making.

Enjoy....Laurie

2. minimal script - words fail to tell the story

3. cinematography - artistically right on

4. character studies - of characters that are believable and interesting. I did not find find Marvins character to be any less so than Mifunes. Marvin played the stereotype well and so did Mifune. Characteristics are nuanced as well.

5. alternative ending was very satisfying - in reality the alternative ending would have been more likely.

You won't find a big ensemble cast in this World War II film from 1968. Only 2 actors tell the story, and they don't even speak the same langauge. But they don't need to, these two actors are Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune. They portray enemies, one American, one Japanese, marooned on an island in the midst of the war. They are so brillant in their portrayals, that actions really do speak louder than words. You won't even miss the fact that there are no subtitles when Mifune is speaking. His every expression, lets us know exactly what he is thinking.
Add to this the artful direction of John Boorman, who brought us such exquiste films as "Excalibur", the wonderful music of Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible), and the expert eye of Cinematographer Conrad Hall(Butch Cassidy, American Beauty) and you're in for a real cinematic treat.

When a disciplined Japanese Naval Officer discovers he is not alone on the small Island in the Pacific, he immediatly goes into high gear to protect and defend his territory. But he has met his match in the very undisciplined American Marine that has been washed ashore. And so it begins...these two do everything they can to capture, torture, and generally make life miserable for each other(and at times is on the comical side). The need for human contact though, becomes apparent and they stop short at killing each other, and actually form an attachment to each other. The ending is a bit of a shocker, but there is also an alternate ending included with this DVD.

Anchor Bay as usual has really made this 35 year old film a pleasure to watch. You have the choice of widescreen(2.35:1) or full format(by the way, my DVD was mismarked as to which side was widescreen, so don't panic if this happens, just flip it over). Excellent picture, vibrant colors and the sound in Dolby Dig Stereo is clear as a bell. And don't forget to check out the alternate ending.

A great buy for fans of war movies, Marvin and Mifune, and anyone who appreciates artful film making.

Enjoy....Laurie

2. minimal script - words fail to tell the story

3. cinematography - artistically right on

4. character studies - of characters that are believable and interesting. I did not find find Marvins character to be any less so than Mifunes. Marvin played the stereotype well and so did Mifune. Characteristics are nuanced as well.

5. alternative ending was very satisfying - in reality the alternative ending would have been more likely.

The sequences set inside the city itself are a bit campy now (and were certainly over the top then). Nevertheless, the film still works because it strikes a perfect pose between science fiction mumbo jumbo and Monty Python. It's certainly the least likely film to follow Delieverance I can imagine (or the Bond films for that matter).

The plot borrows from a number of post-apocalyptic science fiction films/novels and makes what is borrowed its own. Unlike total garbage like Damnation Alley, The Last Gunfighter or any of the post-Mad Max rip offs, Zardoz doesn't take itself too seriously. That's to the film's credit as there are moments that are laughable and over the top and a few that are genuinely touching.

Basically the plot features Connery as Zed one of the Brutals who ride around on horseback killing, raping and generally misbehaving at the behest of their god--Zardoz. Zardoz is a flying talking stone head that spews guns, ammo and pithy sayings ("The Gun is Good"). Zed is a better educated than most of the Brutals and, in fact, is something of a noble savage. He sneaks inside Zardoz with assistance from his comrads. He knows that someone is controling the stone head and taking the food they provide. He wants to find out who and why.

What he discovers is a world of beauty and elegance where everyone lives in a sort of commune. Nobody ages but they are also at the mercy of a computer that controls too many aspects of their lives. Zed is there because perfection and immortality are overrated and someone must destroy Eden.

The DVD transfer is sharp and finally has the correct aspect ratio. The extras are nice additions (particularly Boormann's animated and entertaining commentary). Put it on, have a laugh and enjoy it for what it is--silly, over the top and serious at the same time. If Billy Wilder had ever directed a science fiction film, this is what I would have imagined him coming up with.

The vast majority of the world has been destroyed. How the world was destroyed was never explained, but we see that most of the world is barren and smoking. Most buildings are ruined. People run like cattle from a selected few called exterminators, whose sole mission is to kill anyone they find.

All has not been lost, however. There are enclaves of people living in sanctuaries, each called a Vortex. These sanctuaries are protected from the outside world by force fields. Inside the sanctuary the people study and are well fed. They have developed mental abilities, including telepathy and some telekinesis. Most importantly, they are apparently immortal. There are only two downsides to this utopia. First, these people have lost all interest in physical love. Second, a number of these people are so apathetic that they have become like walking dead, devoid of energy and purpose, nearly comatose.

Our story focuses on Zed, played by Sean Connery. Zed is an exterminator who manages to penetrate a Vortex by boarding the giant floating head known as Zardoz. Once Zed penetrates the Vortex, he finds that he was actually bred to be the savior of the residents of the Vortex (you'll have to watch and find out what he is supposed to do, and whether he does it). We learn the origin of the Vortex and follow Zed as he reaches his destiny, as well as that of the people of the Vortex.

The Vortex itself is a socialistic, apparently matriarchal, society. The general appearance and behavior of the residents is as though they were transported from the 1960s into the future. The touching and feeling techniques, the psychedelic special effects, and the generally communal nature of the Vortex all bespeak of the utopia that the flower children of the 60s were hoping to achieve. However, as the advertisements for the movie state, I have seen the future and it does not work. Truer words were never spoken. The citizens of utopia have accomplished nothing, and in general appear to be regressing and petty rather than advancing. Thus, the movie satirizes the society that was held as the ideal of the 60s.

In general the movie is somewhat dated by the now-crude special effects. However, as a vision of the future, the movie accomplishes much. While there are a few plot holes, most of them can be ignored as you follow Zed in his quest for knowledge. I've seen the term "cerebral science fiction" used for this movie, and find it appropriate. This movie falls into the narrow class of movie occupied by a few others such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Dark City," and "The Game." You are intended to look for the meanings and satire in this movie, of which there is much.

This movie was one of the best movies I had seen prior to "Star Wars," and continues to be one of my favorites. I recommend this movie to those who like quirky, bizarre and unusual films. It's quite good if you can get into it, but incomprehensible and confused if you can not. Borrow it from a friend before you buy it.

Another annoyance is, I HEAR the DC5's music between the boring incidental music but do not SEE a single DC5 performance!!! In fact they are not even musicians in the flick!!!!!!

COME ON GUYS!!!!!!!!!! STUNT MEN???? Are you for REAL????????????

I thought the Beatles were bad actors but these guys are more frightening! HORRENDOUS!!!!!

The film does have it's moments. The party scene with the 'title' track 'Having A Wild Weekend' blaring is excellent and very 60's. The opening credits with the flick's REAL title track 'Catch Us If You Can' is VERY COOL and VERY 60's as well! The scenes of traveling around England are VERY NICE too.

I prefer to LISTEN to the music of the Dave Clark Five and later on,Dave Clark And Friends. The latter recorded an incredible version of Neil Young's 'Southern Man' in 1971. Both the DC5 and DC & Friends have some great music. Seek out the German CD's. They are well worth it.

As for this disaster,buy the video,play it once,pack it away and remember just how much better the Beatles films are.

No British Invasion video collection is complete without it but be prepared to snooze off half way through this bomb.

content--Steve and his girl encounter a group of long-haired ex-beatniks who ask for grass and heroin, and quote Zen koans-- and all of this in 1965! A comically bickering couple who eventually takes them in also provides for a marvellous costume party sequence in which director John Boorman, in his first film, shines. The climax, in which the journey is compared to the final result, makes for an interesting discussion; the film's themes of youth vs. elders, people vs. the press/society and the resulting question of whether it was "worth it" or not would become the riding question of the 60s. It's almost like an "Easy Rider" before its time-- the big question then becomes why the DC5 faded soon after this film's release, not being known as counterculture heavies in the least...

First things first, I think that one of the reasons so many people walked out of this film during it's theatrical run was due largely to the film's lack of shock sequences. The original EXORCIST was full of them; head spinnings, regurgitations, doing bad things with holy relics. The sequel offered none of the above, not even the occasional cuss word and alot of people were left unsatisfied and angry.

My biggest problem with EXORCIST 2 is in the make-up effects. The original had frightening make-up effects that transformed the innocent beauty of Linda Blair into a hideous creature from hell. Her face was scarred and mutilated, sweaty and slimy, with colourless eyes and chapped lips. Truly terrifying. The make-up in the sequel is too made up, too neat. It doesn't even come close to the same frighening level. Another factor is the voice effects. The demon in EXORCIST 2 sounds like an old woman. It's predessesor used an amplified demonic voice which not only spoke English but also in Latin and in many scenes, there were several overlapping voices, making it seem that Regan was possessed by a legion of demons. The overall effect was as chilling as the nasty visuals. The sequel fails to deliver on that level as well.

Another factor is the silly use of the "synchronizer" machine. All of that mumbo-jumbo about some mysterious machine that is able to hypnotizes 2 individuals at the same time and one is able to see the other person's dreams, blah, blah, blah is simply too over the top unbelievable. I think the film would have worked better had they just resorted to good old fashioned hypnosis.

All of that said, EXORCIST 2 is still a very attractive looking movie. The special effects and cinematography are excellent. Even those who despise the film have commented on the visually stunning set pieces- The sweeping views of the African landscapes; the surreal images of the locusts swarming an impoverished African Village; doves flying over Regan's Penthouse balcony; and last but not least Linda Blair's exquisite and radiant beauty. The film's score is also quite good. As a matter of fact it's quite beautiful, especially Regan's theme. The tune wouldn't leave my mind for several days after I watched the film. I also liked the idea behind Regan's possession- she's some kind of Godsend, a healer who Satan wants destroyed. However on the negative side, the whole scenario is executed to such a ridiculous extent that we end up being annoyed instead of moved by the whole experience.

There are 2 versions of EXORCIST 2. There's the original theatrical version presented on this DVD and there's also a version Boorman released after the films critical attack. The version they ALWAYS showed on TV here in Toronto was the latter and it's the version I'm used to. I personally think it's a definate improvement over the original theatrical release. The alternate opening is included on this DVD but the alternate ending is not which is disappointing because the second ending is far better. Although no less confusing, it's edited to an extent that it flows better and all of the bogus dialogue after the collapse of Regan's former residence is gone. What I found ridiculous about the "original" finale is that you have a house collapse into nothingness, you have a fatal car crash, a fire, a swarm of a million locusts, yet no one on the block seems to notice. The street is absolutely empty. Come on people, not even a " Bertha, what the heck is going on next door??? or "Why did I just see a million angry grasshoppers fly by our window????" Nada. At least the director's final cut ended with Regan's "locust" dance so we don't get a chance to ask all of these relevent questions.

EXORCIST 2 is definately NOT for "original" EXORCIST loyalists because you will only religiously dislike it. However, if you have an open mind and view it solely as entertainment, you might find plenty to like. It offers dazzling visuals, breathtaking scenery and some surreal imagery. Not perfect, but definately NOT THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE.