Barbarella

Moviedrome Introduction

Film Details

Release Date: 1968

Director: Roger Vadim

Stars:

Jane Fonda as Barbarella
Anita Pallenberg as The Great Tyrant
Milo O'Shea as Durand-Durand
Marcel Marceau as Concierge

Plot Summary: 

Set in the 41st century, the film follows Barbarella, a space-traveling agent, on a mission to stop the evil scientist Durand-Durand from using a deadly weapon called the Positronic Ray. Barbarella embarks on an intergalactic adventure, encountering peculiar characters and navigating bizarre planets along the way.

Personal History

Think I feel asleep to it as a teenager. It was on late at night.

Current Review

Man alive..... I think I need drugs to be detailed under the sustenance section. Sets that would have been discounted from Dr Who as too naff... Jane Fonda in space outfits, most of the time, designed to titillate.... a bizarre soundtrack.... comedy moments that I am not sure whether you should laugh at.

The director seems to want to find interesting ways to knock off Jane.... death by killer dolls with metal teeth... death by budgerigar. When they are not killing her, men (and angels) are convincing her to have sex with them, including in the old school way of not taking a pill and placing palms together.

Nasty Pointy Teeth

Death from a 1000 pecks

It's possibly the most bonkers film I have ever seen.

Quirky Facts 

• The film's director, Roger Vadim, was married to Jane Fonda at the time of filming. The couple had a tumultuous relationship, and Vadim was known for being controlling and demanding.
• The film's missing scientist, Durand Durand, inspired the name of 1980s new wave band Duran Duran.
• Dildano's password, "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch", is the name of a village in Wales, United Kingdom. It's also the United Kingdom's longest place name.
• Barbarella travels to the evil city of SoGo. The name is a reference to the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Quotes

• Pygar: "An angel does not make love, an angel is love."
• The Great Tyrant: "Pretty Pretty"

Sustenance

Hadn't really considered Sci-Fi as presenting a problem to AI for recommendations. It came up with gaudy cocktails, but alas, I had no blue curacao.

What I really needed was LSD.

Future Inspiration 

Sci-Fi not really my bag, so I think I will ignore other films (although a revisit to Zardos could be considered) and the comic strip/book it was based upon.

Might be listening to Duran Duran's greatest hits.