i flipped on the TV and turned to TCM which usually shows horror and exploitation flicks on saturday night and guess what is on sean connery's first post-bond film zardoz [1974] written and directed by john boorman i don't know what boorman was smoking when he conceived of this whacked out vision of a post-apocalyptic earth i mean i've seen this movie several times and i still don't know what the hell boorman is on about

sci-fi films of the early to mid 1970s were something else alright the photography editing acting writing directing and scoring of this particular movie is pretty damn messy and not in a good way because the production is bloated and the storytelling is pretentious like many message films of its time like soylent green [1973] but at least soylent green plays as a gritty crime drama set in a dystopic NYC boorman's film is filled with half-baked stoner ideas of limited appeal

oh well the movie next up on TCM is logan's run [1976] about a negative utopia in the 23rd century starring the beautiful michael york and the very beautiful jenny agutter this flick is a favorite of mine even if it is just as bloated and silly as zardoz yet the direction is lean and the story is simple a man wants to live past his 30th birthday in a society that doesn't let its citizens live beyond the age of 30 logan is a sandman a government goon who executes runners people who also want to live past the age of 30 and then go on the lam when it is logan's birthday he goes on the lam accompanied by jessica played by agutter and is pursued by his former best friend who is also a sandman played by the gifted richard jordan

but then i may not stay up that late to watch logan's run i have it on DVD anyway but as for zardoz it is making me angry for good lord this pic performs like bad community theater i wonder if connery still lists this flick on his cv