Editorial Staff
Musician Richard Elfman has taken to indiegogo to raise funds for a sequel to “Forbidden Zone”, the wildly-entertaining, off-kilter art project that played some fun midnight shows in the early’80s.
Elfman, who crafted the original with famed brother Danny, is looking to generate a million bucks. Richard’s son, Bodhi Elfman will star in the film.
First time around, the filmmakers put their own money in it – money they didn’t really have. “The journey making Forbidden Zone cost me my house and bankrupted me”, Elfman writes on the Indiegogo page. “I even lost my rights to the film along the way (only gotten back recently). But giving Captain Ahab and Atlas run for their money, I persevered and somehow completed the movie.”
The music-man continues :
About ten years ago after putting up my first website I got thousands of hits from Forbidden Zone fans around the world. The film has subsequently been re-released on DVD, BluRay and cosltly colorized (with my blessing). I now attend screenings around the country filled with younger fans who seem to know every word. But why the popularity and longevity of this absurdist little musical-fantasy?
The film does have its share of fun and laughs. But ultimately, it’s that Forbidden Zone, like the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, has timeless “memorable” music—as opposed to simply “serviceable” music.
What I’m about to say may piss some people off, but Chicago is a good example of serviceable music. I personally enjoyed the film, especially the way the musical numbers were staged and shot. Later however, many of the melodies seemed to mush together in my head. Other than a few catchy lyrics (all that jazz), the songs just weren’t that “take for life” memorable. But they worked fine along with everything else—to service the vehicle.
Memorable music stands on it’s own, without the visuals. Time only burnishes it. I’m talking;
Wizard of Oz, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Nightmare Before Christmas, even O’ Brother Where Art Thou, which deftly mined forgotten folk music, buried in plain sight.Forbidden Zone has memorable music—both forgotten classics as well as great original material by my brother Danny. The audience takes it home in their heads, they enjoy hearing it again. Or more fun, enjoy seeing the film again. And again.
Well, now it’s time for Forbidden Zone 2. Between my library and my legacy, we definitely have
the music. We also have the right team in place to deliver everything else the Sixth Dimension might require. And I guarantee you something bigger, badder, bolder—and even more damned FUN than the original.So please dig deep, give big, and come help me make Forbidden Zone 2!
Here’s the film’s Indiegogo page, and here’s the trailer :
