Zardoz/Fun Facts

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< Zardoz

Zardozff.jpg

  • The scene where Zed (Sean Connery) and Consuella (Charlotte Rampling) turn into skeletons had to be shot three times. The first time, the film was damaged, and the second time, a studio helper accidentally exposed the negatives. Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling were extremely annoyed, because of the time they had to spend having make-up done.
  • DIRCAMEO:(John Boorman) the slave forced into farming and shot by Sean Connery.
  • To help keep the movie cost down, Sean Connery used his own car and drove himself during the production. John Boorman then gave him half the money that had been budgeted to hire him a car and driver. The idea was Connery's, according to Boorman.
  • Zed's revolver is a Webley in 455 caliber.
  • The exterior shots at the very opening of the movie were taken right next to director John Boorman's house in Ireland.
  • To make the shots of the stone head move into the mouth accurately, the camera was placed at the mouth and tracked backwards, and the film reversed in the lab.
  • Burt Reynolds was the first choice for Zed, but he bowed out due to illness.
  • The government initially refused to allow the production team to import the guns for the movie into Ireland because of terrorist attacks occurring at the time.
  • Radio spots (available on the DVD) were narrated by Rod Serling.
  • According to John Boorman, Sean Connery found it incredibly difficult to get work when he abandoned the James Bond role a second time after Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Thus, Boorman was able to hire Connery very cheaply for this project.
  • Budget: 1 Million US Dollars.
  • Quentin Tarantino was inspired by this film for Pulp Fiction (1994) and created the line: "Zed is dead".
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