Danny Elfman, Gisele Lindley, Herman Bernstein

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84% liked it

5,070 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

6 critics

R, 1 hr. 13 min.

Directed by: Richard Elfman

Release Date: January 1, 1982

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DVD Release Date: August 31, 2004

Stats: 514 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (514)


  • October 15, 2008
    'Forbidden Zone': Don't Say You Weren't Warned!

    Yikes! What netherworld of dementia did I just land in? Imaginative, outlandish, kitschy, purile, grotesque cult film fodder. Worth a look so you can decide for yourself how to finish the sentence, "So bad it's...."
  • February 5, 2007
    A great score, insane characters and bizarre situations make this my favourite musical of all time (maybe a tie with Pennies from Heaven).
  • November 6, 2009
    "Come with us to the land of sin and pleasure. You'll be surprised by the things that you will see." - The cast of Forbidden Zone

    Now I'm not what you would call a fan of musicals. The idea of people bursting into sudden fits of song, unless used for comic effect or in a cart...( read more)oon, will usually turn me off immediately (I think the only serious musicals that I love are The Wizard Of Oz and Dancer In The Dark). That's not to say that musicals are bad movies, they're just not my cup of tea. Now, having said that, I'd like to talk about this twisted, hallucinatory, and hilarious example of the genre. Until about three years ago, my favorite musical was The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which should come as no surprise to those of you familiar with my taste in movies), but then, one day, a friend of mine stumbled upon this gem. He bought it two weeks later, and once I got a chance to see it for myself I was hooked. Rocky Horror had to take a backseat. There is no way to explain this movie to someone. It's like an acid trip set to Cab Calloway. The music (an odd mixture of French songs, rumba, Jewish songs, Cab Calloway [with some humorously altered lyrics] and some original Danny Elfman creations) is fucking awesome. Every time I watch it the entire soundtrack gets stuck in my head for about a week. It stars Herve Villechaize (Tattoo from Fantasy Island) as the horn dog king of the sixth dimension, Susan Tyrell (Wizards, Andy Warhol's Bad) as the sadistic queen, Matthew Bright (director of Freeway and one of Forbidden Zone's co-writers) as the chicken loving Squeezit and his gender confused twin brother/sister Rene, and Danny Elfman (if you don't know who he is then you must be living under a rock) as Satan. The set design (done by Marie-Pascale Elfman who also stars as Frenchy) is unforgettably weird, and the integration of animation is pretty amazing for a film with such a low budget. This movie was made as a way of capturing the insanity of The Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo, and in my opinion it was a total success. If you're a fan of strange, offbeat and purposely offensive movies then buy this right now. I can almost guarantee your total satisfaction.
  • September 8, 2009
    hystericalllllllll, if this is considered a musical, then it's my favorite.
  • June 3, 2009
    If you like Oingo Boingo I would watch it or if you are willing to watch anything otherwise run away. It's a little out there.
  • April 25, 2009
    Love this film..Just plain fun to watch.
  • February 9, 2009
    Such a crazy movie, I can hardly describe it, you just have to see it.
  • December 1, 2008
    Say what?? The music is great, but c'mon...
  • November 24, 2008
    This has to be the ultimate cult movie.And it will drive many nuts. It looks cheep,the acting's abysmal,it makes no scene what so ever. But it's very,very funny,if you watch it the right way. The main thing you shouldn't do is watch this on your own for the first time,it will dri...( read more)ve you mad,and you'll pick out all the shitty bits.When you have a party,and you want a fun stupid movie to watch,for a laugh,like you do.Stick this on,and enjoy,trust me when i say this,its so much better after a few.I did this,and everyone's still asking me what that crazy film was,and that was 6 months ago.

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • ggfgffg
    January 11, 2007
    This is by far the weirdist most bizarre movie I have ever seen, and that is what makes it so genius and unique! It is so epic! The 80's cult band Oingo Boingo, before they became really famous, did the soundtrack for this movie, and that is one of the best features of the movie! Richard Elfman is a genius with directing this film! And Danny Elfman is a genius in the music writing as well as playing the devil! Absolutely epic!

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Forbidden Zone Trivia


  • What movie is the following quote from: "Father, forgive us for we have sinned! We parked our car in a forbidden zone!"  Answer »
  • From what movie this soundtrack came from "Forbidden Zone"? HINT: horror remake of 2006.  Answer »
  • What film composer began his movie career in 1980 as Satan in the musical "The Forbidden Zone"?  Answer »
  • Which movie has the '70s band, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, in it?  Answer »

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