Zardoz

1974
R
1h 45m

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

25K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer3:00

Adventure Fantasy Sci-Fi

In the late 23rd century, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.In the late 23rd century, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.In the late 23rd century, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

25K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,894

1,520

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 2 nominations total

Death
(voice)

Daisy Boorman

Young Eternal (Flashback Scene)
(uncredited)

John Boorman

Katrine Boorman

Young Eternal (Flashback Scene)
(uncredited)

Telsche Boorman

Young Eternal (Flashback Scene)
(uncredited)

David de Keyser

Tabernacle
(voice)
(uncredited)

Director
- John Boorman
Writer
- John Boorman
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The opening sequence is an introduction added by Sir John Boorman, at the request of Twentieth Century Fox executives, to help the audience understand this movie.

Goofs
Early in the film, when the weapons are spewed out of the floating head's mouth, several crew-members' arms and a face, can be seen throwing them.

Quotes
[the gigantic Stone Head hovers before the worshipful horde of Exterminators]
Zardoz: Zardoz speaks to you, His chosen ones.
Exterminators: We are the chosen ones!
Zardoz: You have been raised up from Brutality, to kill the Brutals who multiply, and are legion. To this end, Zardoz your God gave you the gift of the Gun. The Gun is good!
Exterminators: The Gun is good!
Zardoz: The Penis is evil! The Penis shoots Seeds, and makes new Life to poison the Earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the Gun shoots Death and purifies the Earth of the filth of Brutals. Go forth, and kill! Zardoz has spoken.

Alternate versions
The pre-credits sequence featuring Arthur Frayn's disembodied head was added by director John Boorman after the movie was released, as an attempt to explain the plot to audiences that found it hard to understand. Boorman would later declare that the scene didn't work as he wanted it to.
The Spanish (Spain) released version cut part of the "boner" scene (the breasts-rugging and mud wrestlers on-screen). Later prints and current DVD and video releases are uncut.

Connections
Featured in To the Galaxy and Beyond with Mark Hamill (1997)

Soundtracks
Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 II. Allegretto
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven (as Beethoven)
Played by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest (as Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)
Conducted by Eugen Jochum

User reviews252

Review

Featured review

Nothing like it ever made!

I've seen some weird movies in my time! 'The Holy Mountain', 'Human Highway', 'Men behind The Sun', 'Nude For Satan', 'Pink Flamingos', 'Dune', but NOTHING as weird as 'Zardoz'! Nothing!

'Zardoz' has the feel of a Alan Smithee movie. It's like you're watching a movie made by committee or recut behind the director's back. But you see that it is written, produced and directed by John Boorman, the man who made the still dazzling revenge thriller 'Point Blank', and the first rate hillbilly suspense classic 'Deliverance', and you realize that this movie is EXACTLY what Boorman intended it to be. And your mind boggles!

'Zardoz' is neither a mindless sci fi action movie not a serious SF-as-ideas film ala Tarkovsky or Kubrick. It's... well, I don't know WHAT it is! A trippy Dystopian fantasy that cribs a few ideas from other sources (Huxley's Savage, Wells' Eloi and Morlocks, Moorcock's Jherek Carnelian), adds plenty of philosophical gobbledygook, some semi-naked babes, an embarrassed looking pony-tailed Sean Connery, and by the look of it, mixes in a bucket full of psychotropics, and hey presto! you end up with a movie like no other before or since!

'Zardoz' MUST be seen! By you. Right now. Unforgettable.