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Zardoz ()

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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.
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Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.
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Photos and Videos

104 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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...
Zed
...
Consuella
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May
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Friend
Sally Anne Newton ...
Avalow
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Arthur Frayn / Zardoz
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George Saden
Jessica Swift ...
Apathetic
Bairbre Dowling ...
Star
Christopher Casson ...
Old Scientist
Reginald Jarman ...
Death (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daisy Boorman ...
Young Eternal (Flashback Scene) (uncredited)
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Farming Brutal Shot by Zed / Zardoz Mask and Head Model (uncredited)
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Young Eternal (Flashback Scene) (uncredited)
Telsche Boorman ...
Young Eternal (Flashback Scene) (uncredited)
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Tabernacle (uncredited) (voice)

Directed by

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John Boorman

Written by

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John Boorman ... (written by)

Produced by

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John Boorman ... producer
Charles Orme ... associate producer

Music by

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David Munrow

Cinematography by

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Geoffrey Unsworth ... (photographed by)

Editing by

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John Merritt

Editorial Department

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Alan Jones ... first assistant editor

Casting By

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Miriam Brickman

Production Design by

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Anthony Pratt

Set Decoration by

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John Hoesli

Costume Design by

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Christel Kruse Boorman

Makeup Department

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Colin Jamison ... hair stylist
Basil Newall ... make-up
Colin Arthur ... assistant make-up (uncredited)
Jan Jamison ... assistant hair stylist (uncredited)
Christopher Tucker ... make-up (uncredited)

Production Management

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Seamus Byrne ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Redmond Morris ... second assistant director
Simon Relph ... assistant director

Art Department

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Martin Atkinson ... assistant art director
Reg Bream ... assistant designer (as Reginald Bream)
Peter McGoldrick ... construction manager
Jimmy Kavanagh ... drapes (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Jim Atkinson ... sound editor
Liam Saurin ... sound mixer
Doug E. Turner ... dubbing mixer (as Doug Turner)
Peter Maxwell ... adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Gerry Johnston ... special effects (as Gerry Johnson) / special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Charles Staffell ... process projection effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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John Campbell ... assistant cameraman
Jack Conroy ... electrical supervisor
Paddy Keogh ... grip
Peter MacDonald ... camera operator
Bob Bremner ... generator operator (uncredited)
Luke Quigley ... camera grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Jack Gallagher ... wardrobe master

Music Department

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James Bowman ... vocalist: Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A, op. 92, 2nd movement - vocal version (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Jean Skinner ... continuity

Additional Crew

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Austin Gaskin ... horse master
Robin Hughes ... special projection material
William Stair ... design and story associate (as Bill Stair)
Aneuryn Jones ... horse supplier (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

In 2293, Zardoz--an unseen "God" who speaks through an idol, a large stone statue of a head--leads a barbaric race called the Brutals, who live a harsh existence in the Outlands. Zardoz tells the Brutals that once they die, they will be transported to the Vortex, where they will live happily as Immortals. He has armed a small group, the Exterminators, with guns, as Zardoz's philosophy is that killing is good, and procreation is the root of all that is bad. In reality, Zardoz is Arthur Frayn, from a competing, more advanced race called "the Eternals", who live in paradise in the Vortex. The Eternals truly are immortal as they do not age and their bodies undergo reconstruction if they "die". They truly do not believe in procreation as their society has reached perfect equilibrium. Past human acts such as sex and sleep are obsolete in their advanced state. All major decisions are achieved through pure democracy. The Eternals, however, are not immune to non-life-threatening disease or sin; the latter is punishable by aging, only making their life less pleasant, but not ever killing them. Arthur's mission as Zardoz is to control, monitor, and study the Brutals for the Eternals. Being in the Outlands, Arthur is isolated without communication back to the Vortex and the Eternals. In his work as an Exterminator, Zed is accidentally able to find his way to the Vortex as a still-alive being. The Eternals vote to keep Zed alive temporarily so that they can study him before they kill him. Among the Eternals who have direct interactions with Zed are: May, the lead scientist, who believes Zed is a blessing in that they have not had access to a Brutal in some time; Friend, a hedonist who wants to use Zed as the animal he considers him to be; and Consuela, the hard-lined one who believes in vigilante justice. In the Eternals' access to Zed, they might learn whether his making it to the Vortex was indeed an accident--and their so-called Utopian society might be exposed for what it truly is. Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines Beyond 1984, Beyond 2001, Beyond Love, Beyond Death See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Zardos (United States)
  • Taş Tanrı Zardoz (Turkey, Turkish title)
  • Зардоз (Soviet Union, Russian title)
  • 未来惑星 ザルドス (Japan, Japanese title)
  • Zαρντόζ (Greece)
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Runtime
  • 105 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,570,000 (estimated)

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. See more »
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. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in To the Galaxy and Beyond with Mark Hamill (1997). See more »
Soundtracks Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 II. Allegretto See more »
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.
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