Zardoz

[MichaelB]

Release Date: 14th September 2015
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Sean Connery, Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman
Directed by: John Boorman

Pre-order here.

PRAISE BE TO ZARDOZ!

In-between the Hollywood productions of Deliverance and Exorcist II: The Heretic, John Boorman embarked on one of the strangest films ever to come from a major studio, Zardoz.

The year is 2293. Society as we know it has broken down centuries ago with the Earth’s population split into three classes: the Brutals, who work the land and are forbidden from reproducing; their overseers, the Executioners; and the highly-civilised Eternals, who are protected from the outside world by a force-field. But when an Executioner, Zed (Sean Connery, light years from James Bond), smuggles himself into their isolated paradise, he risks unbalancing the system and threatening the status quo…

Photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth (2001: A Space Odyssey) and designed by Anthony Pratt (Excalibur), dystopian science-fiction has rarely looked so beautiful – or been so odd – as it appears in Zardoz.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

• New 4K digital restoration by Twentieth Century Fox
• Uncompressed audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Audio commentary by writer-producer-director John Boorman
• Brand new interview with Boorman
• Brand new interviews with actors Sara Kestelman and Niall Buggy
• Brand new interviews with production designer Anthony Pratt, special effects creator Gerry Johnston, camera operator Peter MacDonald, and hairdresser Colin Jamieson
• Theatrical trailer
• Radio spots
• More to be announced!
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
• Collector’s booklet containing new writing on the film by Julian Upton and Adrian Smith, plus archive interviews, illustrated by original production stills.

DETAILS:

Region: B
Rating: 15
Cat No: FCD1147
Duration: 105 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: TBC
Discs: 1
Colour

[colinr0380]

I haven't seen this in years but I still remember some images from it extremely vividly, and I think the ending was the first time I remember being strangely tearful and devastated by the mortality of the human condition. I think I was around 13 at the time!

I'm also starting to think that this film is a big unacknowledged influence on Gaspar Noé! Zardoz might might be more crucial to unlocking the brutally gender segregated Irreversible (and especially its final stretch) than 2001 is. Perhaps the poster from 2001 (and the pushing of Beethoven down to subliminal levels in the final 'stargate' scene of the film itself) slyly diverted the attention!

[domino harvey]

Another great thumb of the nose to the outrageous pricing of Twilight Time

[rapta]

Had already pieced some clues together (thanks to somebody on another forum), so knew this would be coming up soon, but glad it got confirmed. Very happy to hear it's a 4K transfer, and can't wait to get my hands on this film - will definitely be one to watch with some mates and a few drinks!

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Another great thumb of the nose to the outrageous pricing of Twilight Time

I was about to say the same. The wonders of providing actual content for fans of a movie!

[TMDaines]

Another great thumb of the nose to the outrageous pricing of Twilight Time

I was about to say the same. The wonders of providing actual content for fans of a movie!

Guys, Twilight Time are the future, remember. Arrow will catch up eventually.

[MichaelB]

Beaver.