Barbarella

Rating:
Summary: Barbarella Psychadella
Review: This film, along with other stunning classics such as "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," are sure proof that the age of really, really bad yet good films is behind us. Set in the 41st Century, the hypersexual Barbarella goes in search of the evil renegade scientist Duran Duran and manages to stumble across what must be the grooviest planet this side of "Vegas in Space." In her quest to find Duran Duran ("Pardon me, but do you know Duran Duran?"), Barbarella manages to shag half the planet and pique the prurient interest of the evil, yet uber-sensual bisexual queen ("hello, my pretty, pretty"). After demolishing the amazing Orgasmatron and getting herself locked into the queen's funky chamber of dreams, Barbarella saves the day with a bubble of goodness and some help from her blind angel friend Pygor. The unbelievably bad acting in this film is very well counterbalanced by the fabulous Pucciesque fun fur sets and amazing special effects (i.e. Everytime Barbarella has an orgasm her hair instantaneously perms itself!) It's impossible, given our current climate of cynicism, to produce good quality camp like this today. All attempts to reproduce a movie this overwhelmingly bad would just have to fail. Yet, I cannot recommend this film highly enough - run, do not walk, to see it.

Rating:
Summary: sexy cult gem
Review: BARBARELLA is one of a few cult films that can be called a "Holy Grail" of cultdom. Jane Fonda's titillating sci-fi adventure is an endless, trippy delight.

Barbarella is a futuristic girl from Earth who is called on to retrieve Duran-Duran, a noted scientist, from the evil planet of SoGo. On her perilous (and quite sexy) journey she teams with blind angel Pygar (John Phillip Law), and battles the Black Queen (Anita Pallenberg) along with various sexual torture devices.

The film is hilarious, from the Black Queen's catch-cry of "pretty pretty pretty" to the hoard of evil children with what look like rabid Cabbage Patch dolls. Barbarella's anti-gravity striptease during the opening credits is a hoot, too.

BARBARELLA was directed by Roger Vadim (then the husband of Jane Fonda), and is full of vintage 60's retro influence.

The DVD also includes the trailer.

Rating:
Summary: "I have regained the will to fly!!!"
Review: "Why would anyone want to invent a weapon?"

I guess that happens when you have your way with Jane Fonda!!!! Barbarella takes place in the far future; a highly sexual woman is tasked with finding and stopping the evil Durand-Durand. Along the way she encounters various unusual people, and almost sleeps with them all. It reminded me of soft porn, without showing the sex.

"This must be the invisible wall."

Barbarella is your classic example of an old school, Star Trek esk, low budget film. It was like a bad version of Flash Gordon. The special effects looked like a lava lamp (no really, think about it when/if you watch it again). I also loved their pistols. It must be a powerful gun if when it shoots someone they pop like a balloon.

"Not with my mini missile projector we won't."

Also, tell me why the first guy Fonda sleeps with happens to be an "Outdoors Man," and his clothes are made of animal fur. When he takes off his shirt to sleep with Fonda, he has so much chest hair it looks like he never took off his animal skin shirt. Austin Powers look out!!!!

"Interesting Therapy."

Roger Vadim (1928-2000) directs Barbarella. His other work that may be recognized by newer television viewers is the old show "The Hitchhiker" that used to be on USA. I had a hard time recognizing exactly what the point of his story was, sex, or a James Bond esk story? As I stated above, it was like a combination of Flash Gordon and soft porn. Barbarella's story was very back and forth and weird, much like the Hitchhiker episodes.

"Love"

There are some positive aspects to the movie; it does have a young Jane Fonda in it. However, the best part of the movie is the crazy soundtrack. Barbarella has a wonderful soundtrack, and I would have bought it in the 70's, 80's, 90's, or currently. The music has a very universal feel to it. As a whole, I would recommend a viewing only if there is nothing else to watch...I mean nothing (the weather channel is out, CNN broadcasts are down, and ESPN is unavailable).

"Something needs to be done."

Grade: D +


Rating:
Summary: "De-crucify him or I'll melt your face!"
Review: That is only a small sampling of the hilarious dialogue in this very entertaining cult classic from 1968. From the unforgettable opening sequence with a very young and beautiful Jane Fonda to the ultra-cheap special effects, this movie is a wonderful escape from reality! In an atmosphere where people greet one another saying "love", bratty kids are used for slave labor, and 60's music is used to kill people, it's hard not to be entertained!

Jane Fonda plays "Barbarella", a sexy 41st-century space traveller who's latest mission is to find "Duran Duran" (played by Milo O'Shea), a psychotic villian who's threatening to take over the world. Along the way she meets killer dolls that bite, various men who save her life and then are repaid with sex, and several space nymphos who want her and her male "angel" companion!

This is no masterpiece, but it's much better than Leonard Maltin would have you believe. Jane Fonda never looked more beautiful than in "Barbarella", and this role made her an even bigger star. Also, David Hemmings has a small but incredibly funny role that adds a lot. All you have to do is look at all the terrible movies that have come out of Hollywood lately and you'll agree that even a film like "Barbarella" could be considered a classic! If you enjoyed watching "Plan 9 From Outer Space", then you'll definitely love "Barbarella"!

Rating:
Summary: A '60s classic !
Review: The film shows the campy freedom '60s had and how open minded people were in their views of the world. Harry Dent Jr. ( See his book "The Roaring 2000s" in the book section ) mentioned that radical and conservative generation alternates every 20 years. In contrast to the radical era of '60s and the '70s, its sad to see how predictable, conservative, and cagey the society has become. Barbarella is important culturally in that it's a testament that a society was open minded enough to allow cultural view to be expressed in a cinema to this degree, and it's done in an intellectual ( but not taking things too seriously ) and lavish style that supposedly more modern society of today hasn't been able to recapture. In terms of open mindedness probably the year 1968 when this picture was produced was the pinnacle of our civilization, and our minds have been moving towards structure and pragmatism since then. In that sense, this movie is worth a look by everyone. However you may form opinions about it, it's guranteed to be a mind expanding experience. I'm with the reviewer who've mentioned that they should have made part 2 and maybe part 3 in succession. The saga or trilogy would have made this an even more important landmark of the '60s culture. Costume designs are first class too. They are beautiful, and elegant. Jane Fonda is captured at the height of her beauty in this film by her then husband and director Roger Vadim.

Rating:
Summary: Queen of the Galaxy
Review: I first saw this movie in a small theater outside West Point, NY in 1968. I remember the theater as it had moths on top of the popcorn in the dispensing machine. The movie was innovative for the time. And one of the characters is Duran Duran the inspiration for the band by the same name.

In the 41st-century astronaut Barbarella (Jane Fonda) receives a message from the President of Earth (Claude Dauphin) and is tasked with a mission to track down a threat to the earth, the scientist Duran Duran (Milo O'Shea,) inventor of the "positronic ray." On her quest she must go through many trials and tribulations. We get to experience them vicariously. Put your tongue back in.

Will she find Duran Duran before it is too late?

When Jane looks back on her extensive career this will be her crowning performance. She never really re-captured that Barbarella spark.

I think that Barbarella inspired the opening scene of "My Stepmother is an Alien."


Rating:
Summary: A classic romp through space.
Review: Barbarella, the beautiful space faring adventurous has been asked to venture to a distant planet in the backwoods of the universe to find, Duran-Duran, a scientist who is threatening the ancient peace.

In this spoofy superhero classic part of the appeal are the special effects and the way Barbarella seems to loose her clothing at the drop of the hat. From the free fall strip tease to the birds and dolls eating away her clothing, and her penchant for giving sex as payment for help... It truly is a product of the 70's. From the very beginning where we learn that the only weapons in existence are in a museum, to the little pill they use for sexual encounters, and the excessive machine... it really is an interesting ride.

I do think the PG rating is low. It should be at least PG-13 because there are a lot of sexual situations, and Barbarella does loose her clothing a fair number of times (though she does manage to keep her nipples concealed, even when stark naked). I did let my children watch it and the only part they wondered about was the excessive machine... A hard one to explain.

Rating:
Summary: Jane in her best role
Review: The only movie she ever made that I can sit through. A campy Sci-Fi flick that is representative of the hippie culture that was popular at the time.

She spends the entire movie running around in skimpy clothing, but at least that is an improvement over her talking.

Too bad they didn't make a part II. This movie is a must have for anybody interested in pop culture.



Rating:
Summary: An All Time Favorite For Camp Lovers- And Hanoi Jane Haters
Review: Do you hate Jan Fonda for what she did in vietnam? Then this is her ONE film you'd actually love to watch. Her character is consistently forced to submit to kiny tortures; flesh eating robot dolls rip her skimpy outfit to pieces while she is tied up; she is locked in a bird cage while a horde of angry birds deprives he of her next slinky oufit. Then there is the grandaddy of them all; the excessive machine.

Thiking ahead a little, Barbarella takes off her clothes before this torture commences. The machine whips he up into a sexual frenzy that is supposed to kill her, but her stamina proves a bit too much. Wow. All of this, combined with the famous space-suit stripper scene, makes for a delightful guy movie that's hard to beat.