Freak Show From Another World

Taboos transcended in style in Forbidden Zone

Pick of the Month
By David Giarrizzo

Welcome to my pick of the month, the odd cabaret of the mind called Forbidden Zone, a weird 1980 debut creation of Richard Elfman (sometimes credited as Aristide Sumatra), the elder brother of famed Danny Elfman. Richard has an impressive continued career in film, directing Oingo Boingo: Skeletons In The Closet, Shrunken Heads, Streets Of Rage, Modern Vampires, Date Or Disaster, and in production for this year 2006, The Sixth Element where two shambling dimension-hopping investigators who must save us from an altered future run by the drug corporations and deranged psychiatrists. We’ll be looking for that one! But let’s get back to the predecessor.

Forbidden Zone is a combination of an odd freak show vaudeville act and a Max Fleischer cartoon. It didn’t have widespread distribution and was primarily seen when one dedicated fan showed their second-generation bootleg videotape to friends. Watching the DVD with its digitally re-mastered widescreen presentation is like seeing the movie new again. The soundtrack has been upgraded to Dolby 5.1 standards, and even includes a separate music-only option to listen to Danny Elfman’s musical genius on its own.

Beyond the quality upgrade, the DVD has tons of nooks and crannies to explore. You can check out the music video Richard Elfman directed for Oingo Boingo, or bust a gut at the deleted scenes that have been missing all these years. There is tremendous insight with the audio commentary or watch the new Forbidden Zone documentary and get the inside scoop on the creative process behind this cinematic madness. I won’t reveal that here, you’ll have to do that!

Our tale centers upon the Hercules family. Frenchy Hercules has a fake French accent and an impish spirit procured from her so called Foreign Exchange program in France. Then there’s Flash Hercules, the oldest child alive, Jimmy Durante meets Curly Fein! Gramps Hercules is a manic depressive ex-wrestler who has to be kept contained – one of Flash's chores is to tie up Gramps before going to school. Regarding Ma and Pa Hercules, he works at a “smoke free environment” at the La Brae Tar Pits while she apparently is a couch potato withdrawn on permanently alarmed eyebrows.

The two kids, Flash and Frenchy, go to school and meet Squeezit (the geeky kid who always got beat up in school) sitting in a trash can acting like he is a chicken. Most of the people in the film are less than fully dressed so we get to see a cast of people in their undergarments, definitely a draw for all those Rocky Horror fans.

In the Hercules’ basement is a portal to the anal exit of the Forbidden Zone, complete with huge pillows shaped like dookies. King Fausto, played by Herve Villachez of Fantasy Island and Doris, played by Susan Tyrell (a cult actress and voiceover talent), rule over a subterranean world filled with clashing music and a dice motif. Screaming naked slaves (often whipped by the topless torpedo-titted Princess) in a cardboard and paint set, reminiscent of The Little Rascals.

School degenerates into a gunfight between the teacher and some students as Frenchy shrewdly exits via the window. The scamp tramp sneaks home and enters the basement where a mislaid roller skate propels her into the forbidden gateway to Purgatory. An animated sequence provided by the great John Muto follows. To get to the Forbidden Zone you travel through an intestine before eventually being flushed out of a huge squatting butt. The animation reminds me of the old Max Fleischer cartoon, when real film footage was first mixed with animated.

Frenchy’s investigation of the bizarre land is interrupted by the Princess; the intruder is taken to the King for judgment. He dispatches her to cell number 63, where all of his favorite concubines live. Fausto has the hots for Frenchy, a little detail the Queen does not miss. The two incompatible sovereigns eventually have a spat over the issue, but Fausto neutralizes the situation by having sex with her royal scariness on the long dining table in the white room, complete with a human chandelier.

Did I mention that Squeezit’s sister, or should I say cross-dressing brother, had disappeared into the Forbidden Zone earlier? With both ‘girls’ missing, Flash tries to enlist Squeezit's help. He fails and brings Gramps along for the trip through the intestines. Upon arrival, they immediately find three fat girls in bathing suits and lingerie and begin dry humping them. I mean that they still have their clothes on, but appear to be going to town. Bust Rod, the Frog Butler, captures the would-be rescuers and delivers them to the Martha Rae-like Queen.

The Queen has both Flash and Gramps dropped off of a cliff into a large boiler, but they improbably survive. While looking for the way out they are attacked by a gorilla and Flash is knocked off yet another cliff and drops into the prison of the ex-queen. He starts dry humping away as she explains how Doris tricked her and stole the crown. Meanwhile, Gramps wrestles the gorilla and all hell breaks loose.

Squeezit is still in the normal world, along with his chickens, typewriter, and drunken parents when Flash finds a phone and calls Chicken Boy to beg for help. The appeal works; Squeezit finally gets fed up with his measly existence and enters the Forbidden Zone.

The geek quickly becomes the prisoner of two black robed figures, one of which is made out to be a stereotypical sambo character as well as a couple more times during the movie. The two captors are agents of Satan, Danny Elfman singing a bastardized version of "Minnie the Moocher." Cab Hellaway makes a deal with Squeezit to ensure that Frenchy and the others are saved in exchange for the topless Princess.

Such improbable antics continue unabated, complete with a demented show tune finale which is available on the excellent soundtrack. Forbidden Zone was aptly named for such taboos of taste are rarely crossed so stylishly.

Grade: B

David Giarrizzo is a writer, musician and Scene Editor for the Humboldt Sentinel. He can be reached at scene ~AT~~ humboldtsentinel.com.