Customer Reviews

Forbidden Zone: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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...... and in many ways, still one of his best. It is just so sad that the only place you can find the film this music is from is either Ebay or the odd cult sections of random video renters.

Before the band Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman and his brother Richard founded The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which was more of a theatrical troupe than a straight ahead band. It has even been said that the very band was formed as part of Richard Elfman's film project. To watch these guys (and girls) do their thing was like watching an NC-17 rated Betty Boop cartoon on acid, a totally rude and hilariously brilliant musical performance experience. The film "The Forbidden Zone" is/was the only cinematic testament to the existence of this wonderfully weird ensemble, which Maestro Danny evolved into the better known new wave big band Oingo Boingo when the brothers parted ways.

One can get sort of an idea as to the energy of this lost treasure of a film from the soundtrack selections. A highlight is Danny's take on Cab Calloway in Minnie the Moocher, which was a staple of the Mystic Knights' original performances. Another is actress Susan Tyrell's performance of "Witch's Egg", which she also penned the lyrics for. There are also the wonderful instrumental intervals, which range from punchy funky cartoonish to surprisingly beautiful (the blatantly Satie-ish love theme), and of course the title theme, the style of which was to determine the rock direction of Boingo.

It is tempting to delve further into this album and cover more of the film it is from, but there is not much point if the film isn't even available. At least we still have the music. An interesting thing to do is to compare the material on this disc to the soundtrack of "The Nightmare Before Christmas"; not surprisingly, a lot of similarities find their way out of these two otherwise different-as-night-and-day Elfman outings. But then, that's always been a strength of his, this chamelion-like tendency in music. One can't help but hope that he's got another musical or two in store for us on his own, dark personal project board.

In the meantime, cross your fingers (and maybe even start a petition or two) for the imminent release of "The Forbidden Zone" on DVD.

Richard Burton's 1980 film "Forbidden Zone" was an avant-garde homage to pre-production code Max Fleishcer cartoons. He called upon his brother Danny, of the soon-to-be-legendary (Mystic Knights of) Oingo Boingo to score the film, and write the songs of the musical. He was allowed only two weeks for the task. The maddening, frenetic pace of working within such a time constraint is apparent with the inherent genius of the songs. Danny himself has a cameo in the film as Satan, presented here as a big band leader a la' Cab Calloway. This album is not only a must for Oingo Boingo and Danny Elfman fans alike, but for fans of cult cinema, and anyone with a wild streak in them.

This is the soundtrack for the black-and-white, 16mm very-bad-dream-made-reality film by Richard Elfman. You can enjoy this soundtrack CD without having first seen the movie, but your appreciation of the music will be much less. The music is very Oingo Boingo, in that it was driven solely by the creative genius Danny Elfman. As such, it is a must-have for any hard core Oingo Boingo fan. Best bits on the recording: The Forbidden Zone theme, "Journey Through The Intestines," "Alphabet Song," and "Witch's Egg." Notably missing on this CD is the wonderful rendition of "Pico and Sepulveda," used for years by Dr. Demento as his theme song. Your final bit of Forbidden Zone trivia: For those legion of lovers of Dilbert and the animated TV show, the TV show's theme song is a slightly modified "Forbidden Zone" theme. Strange music from a strange film, and well worth your investment.

"Pico and Sepulveda" and "La Petite Tonkinoise" have vanished from the CD version. Josephine Baker's "Tonkinoise" is readily available on anthologies of her music, but just TRY to find ANYTHING by Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra. "Pico and Sepulveda" is one of my favorite songs from the movie (which in itself is an all-time favorite) and its absence here is a major disappointment. That being said, what remains is great, and the CD is worth having, but hang onto the original LP if you're lucky enough to have it, otherwise you'll be missing two of the film's musical high points.

The fact that this soundtrack is just as good as his today shows what a bargain Richard got him for. Amazingly, Richard himself still has a few copies of the film available from his website (I got one myself). The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo make their stunning appearance with Danny Elfman as Satan, along with a musical number.

The music itself varies from insane to moving, as he puts songs appropriately with the scenes. He took a song off this album for his "Music for a Darkened Theater Vol. 1" the Love Theme. This is still my favorite from this album, but the other songs deserve their due.

The title theme fits the movie well, but stands well on its own. If you saw the Dilbert TV show, you'll recognize it: they are the same song.

And the aforementioned "Alphabet Song" is a classic. Once you see the movie, you'll know why its so catchy!

This is my favorite soundtrack by Danny Elfman. A goofy upbeat oompapa through and through. Each trak is as daring and provocative as the previous and will have the listener humming and toe tapping to it's upswing beat. Each trak will have you dancing in the aisles and swinging from the cieling fan as Oingo Boingo and the rest belts out each tune like Benny Goodman on [something]. Yes, and the swarthy tootlings of Squeezit the Moocher will have you screaming for more. I highly recomend this CD to any highbrow misic lover.

Unfortunately, that song isn't included on the soundtrack cd.

I was lucky enough to have Danny Elfman (Theme of THE SIMPSONS) autograph a copy of the LP at a BOINGO performance at Club Rogues in Virginia Beach.

If you're the type guy, or gal, that likes 'QUIRK;' this is the ablum for YOU!

There are a few songs on here, the Alphabet Song (from 3 Stooges) and Squeezit the Moocher (performed by Danny Elfman as SATAN!) that are straight out of Dr. Demento-type archives. Other songs are original for the soundtrack, the result is a WIERD, ECLECTIC, EXPERIMENTAL, Mish-Mash of styles and qualities that leaves the listener confused, satisfied, stunned, shocked and mildly-aroused.

Like a train wreck, your ears can't look-away! You have to listen to how bad it is, and how (like BOINGO)strangely refreshing it is. (I mean, I heard a SLOT MACHINE, that had a vamp that sounded like something from EMPIRE STRIKES BACK...for KRINE out loud!) When you have the opportunity to get eclectic, fresh, artsy-fottsy, vintage anomolious, vapidly performed entertainment, you either DIVE IN AND LOVE IT LIKE ME...or go, get a beer, and turn on CMT or something equally repetetive (a.k.a. BORING.)

The movie is wierd to watch too, Susan Tyrell's cleavage is worth the price of a ticket, oh, there it is on the album cover, it's worth the price of the album/CD/Poster/DVD too!he-he... (saw a print screened at NARO EXPANDED CINEMA, Norfolk VA/USA. ARF: Art Repertoire Films)

In my youth I wasted a lot of time being wasted at the midnight movie, the "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." RHPS was shocking and outré and we liked it all the better for it. "The Forbidden Zone" is the movie which makes RHPS seem like "Mary Poppins." I'm very glad for the CD for the music is great, but where is the movie? Admittedly it's in grainy B&W, the sets are flats with cheap paint, and the acting is horrible, but it's the sort of movie which John Waters just aspires to make. If you cannot see the movie, enjoy the songs.

The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo. Danny Elfman. Richard Elfman. That's all that needs to be said. Get this...but see the movie first. It's like a live action Betty Boop cartoon. You can still order it from Richard Elfman's web site!