Forbidden Zone (Fantoma)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: B     Film: B

 

 

Here is the (somewhat) legendary 1980 cult film that prominently displays the extremely quirky antics of The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo (or just Oingo Boingo, the truncated name by which they would later be known once mutating into a more conventional 80‘s band, influenced by the British New Wave's approach to Ska).  Richard Elfman directs this crazed movie, while his brother Danny composes and makes a very memorable appearance as Satan in a scene that obviously had influence on a similar one that featured Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Though this is a great movie with a lot of really cool musical numbers linked together in unexpected ways, you may find it difficult to wrap your head around everything that’s going on at first - but on repeated viewings, this film really blossoms.  It’s a shame that it has taken such a long time for this film’s audience to finally get recognition, but it seems that the fanbase is expanding, as the Rocky Horror crowd looks elsewhere for offbeat musicals in a similar vein.

 

While this movie really isn’t anything like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, fans of that movie will certainly overlap in liking this one as well. Much is the case with some other films both in and outside the genre, such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Velvet Goldmine, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - and it’s Americanized sister, To Wong Foo.  These films have a certain appeal to those who seek out quirky films with ties to music and glam, but Forbidden Zone is in a league all its own, being more musically diverse, zany and random, and also devoid of any significant connection to gay subculture.  While obviously the lowest budgeted of these films, its originality more than makes it stand out as the best of all the films mentioned here.  Be thankful that it’s now receiving such a great DVD presentation, complete with a great audio commentary with Richard Elfman and Matthew “Squeezit” Bright.  The two most recently collaborated on Modern Vampires - a horror film I’ve overlooked several times when shopping for movies, but will have to reconsider after finally seeing this film and seeing that there may be real talent behind that seemingly bland looking film after all.

 

Some of the other features you’ll find here are deleted scenes from the 16mm prototype for this movie, “The Hercules Family”.  There’s also a fairly extensive featurette with interviews from the cast and crew, an isolated musical soundtrack without dialogue or sound effects, an Oingo Boingo music video - directed by Richard Elfman, and the obligatory theatrical trailer.

 

The sound has been given special treatment, and has received a new 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound mix.  The video quality has also benefited, as it has been remastered in 1.78:1 widescreen and anamorphically enhanced for 16x9 televisions. It looks great, and black and white image is pretty crisp, with a nice range of grays and good clarity.

 

I don’t want to give too much of this movie away - and it’s our policy here not to, so I’ll stay tight-lipped about it in this review.  But if you like some of the films mentioned earlier in the review, you should get a lot of enjoyment out of this one - even though it’s way too short, not even reaching an hour and a half.  Even if you’ve heard things about this film, you’re still in for a surprise... and this movie stays untamed throughout.  If you get the chance, see it in a theater with a group of friends.  I recently missed the opportunity to see it at a local engagement, but someday soon I hope to make another showing and catch it on the big screen.

 

With seemingly renewed interest in this film, I wouldn’t be surprised to find more and more newcomers who become acquainted with it as it creeps into independent theaters throughout the country and word of mouth spreads through college towns.  This DVD just helps that buzz along, and a supposed sequel, The Sixth Element, is reportedly in the works for an unknown release date.  I’ll be hoping that all goes well with that, but in the meantime I urge everyone to go out and at least test this movie out.  As weird as it is, you may find yourself liking it a lot more than you’d have expected.

 

 

-   David Milchick