Customer Reviews

Zachariah

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Zachariah" has remained one of the most vivid memories of my teenage cinematic years. And I only saw it once. As a 14-year-old in 1970, it was perfectly timed to take advantage of the growing fusion of rock, drugs, rebellion, free love and good times that were evolving through the culture. And it packaged them up in a funny, satirical fashion that was uniquely themed as a Western. I still remember one of the gunfight songs "Zachariah, Zachariah don't go to Apache Wells; 19's tried and 19's died, and you'll make only one."

If you're a hippie product of the 70s era, "Zachariah" is a must see, as much for the fun, gags and drug references, as for the actors who went on to further stardom whether in movies or television.

Just a couple of points to add that seem unmentioned by previous reviewers:

One of the eeriest high points of the film is a cameo appearance by the legendary Ragin' Cajun, Doug Kershaw, who plays an itinerant prophet known only as The Fiddler -- part insane oracle and part Orpheus.

The other important point to mention is that the story is a loose retelling of the Hermann Hesse novel Siddhartha. But then... so many things are....

jmr

Despite all the "first electric western" hoopla, there is an eerie truth about awakening conveyed throughout this eccentric, eclectic, perverse adaptation of Herman Hesse's novel "Siddhartha." The characters are all there Siddhartha, Govinda, Kamala (Bell Starr!), the Old Ferryman, and more.

The plot is a parody of Hermann Hesse' Siddartha. It is the life story of Gautama Buddah. This novel was very popular in colleges in the late 60's and early 70's

The "western rock opera" is not a genre that has been explored by many directors (probably for good reasons). In ZACHARIAH, director George Englund takes a multitude of long-haired actors into the mountains and desert of California and attempts to create a hip, compelling drama. Don't expect a cathartic experience here. Instead, you'll find yourself laughing at the campy characters, dialogue, and situations which come up as the protagonist, Zachariah (played by John Rubinstein), learns how to shoot a mysterious pistol discovered buried in the sand. Soon he cultivates an intense desire to become a gunslinger, and with the help of his best friend Matthew (played by a very young Don Johnson, later of Miami Vice), he creates somewhat of a reputation for himself. The resident outlaws, known as the Crackers, begin to feel threatened by Zachariah's skills as a gunslinger.

Based on the god-awful dialogue, Zachariah and Matthew's relationship is ambigously gay (though director Englund probably did not intend this to be so) and this seems to produce the most laughs.

So what makes this film a must see? The inclusion of drummer Elvin Jones -- who spent much of his illustrious career as John Coltrane's percussionist -- is its greatest asset. Jones plays the role of Job Cain, a true outlaw with mad drumming skills (as he demonstrates in the film). His influence on Don Johnson's character is so powerful that he is able to separate the ambigously gay duo temporarily and turn them into rivals.

The other cool aspect of this film (which makes it worth purchasing) has to be all of the scenes with County Joe MacDonald and his psychedlic group, The Fish. Here, Country Joe and the Fish play a group of no-good outlaws, who happen to be rock musicians and go by the name of The Crackers.

The opening scene --with The James Gang playing an intense rock tune in the middle of the desert -- is also quite memorable and is slightly reminiscent of Pink Floyd at Pompeii or one of Can's obscure music films.

Patricia Quinn (a.k.a. Alice from Alice's Restaurant) works well as the character Belle Star, a strumpet who runs the local brothel. Her band, The New York Rock Ensemble, also has one memorable scene.

Watch this movie for the wonderful music and have a few laughs along the way.

I saw this movie when it was first released in the theatre (1970). Being a fan of Country Joe and the Fish and James Gang got me to the movie originally. The movie itself made me never forget it. When I saw it was on DVD, I had to get it, and I'm glad I did. All the unlikely scenes (electric guitars, drum solos, etc.) fit right into the story and never seem out of place. Watching Zachariah again was more than nostalgia, and I felt good afterwards. Highly recommended!

Here's a wild, unexpected one: an electric western. John Rubenstein concocted a surprisingly fun movie in Zachariah, with appearances by the James Gang, Country Joe and the Fish, and Doug Kershaw, among others. If you are feeling free-spirited and looking for a good but laid-back time, this is one video to get.

Zachariah is a cult,college circuit,head movie designed to appeal to pot-smoking. meaning of life seeking, Herman Hesse reading neo-hippies circa 1970. It was billed as the first Electic Western. On DVD it's called the First and Only Electric Western. There's a reason for this....

Zachariah is pretty tame stuff. Too tame. It's rated PG and has a couple of shots of nudity, some drug use and mild display of violence but it's not a very innovative work. There's a little satiric homage to 2001 in the beginning of the film (where an amplifier is photographed like the 2001 monolith)but don't get your hopes up for too many moments like this--they aren't here. The Firesign theater did contribute to the script but a few good ideas and scenes (like Dick Van Patten's Horse salesman cameo) aren't enough. The use of rock music in a period piece wasn't a first, but it was almost a new idea. There's some hard rock, folk rock, country rock, classical rock, and some old fashioned fiddling too. It's pretty good but not particularly memorable.

You might enjoy it as a piece of nostalgia, or you might enjoy it as an entertaining so bad it's kinda' good movie. But for a real trippy 'head' movie track down a copy of 'El Topo' instead. Don Johnson who looks like he's 15 (He was 21 or 22) has a major but not starring role in the film. Johnson was in a lot of quirky films from The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart (1970) to Zachariah (1971) to the Harrad Experiment (1973) to the notable A Boy and His Dog (1975) before hitting the big time with Miami Vice in the early 1980's.

Zachariah is a farmer (John Rubinstein) who dreams of being a wild-west gunfighter. After getting his gun via mail-order, he teams up with his old friend the blacksmith, Mathew (Don Johnson) to seek their fortunes.

Psychologicaly the film is a hoot. The gun of course being symbolic of one's manhood and the friendship between Mathew and Zachariah being thinly disguised homo-eroticism at it's clumsiest. There's a montage where they share the joys of gun slinging that is high camp classic (as is the films finale'). They team up and pursue The Crackers, a well known gang of outlaws who also happen to be a rock and roll band. The Crackers are played by the once well known Country Joe and the Fish (the band's claim to fame was the "F" cheer at Woodstock and the I'm Fixin' to Die Rag anti Vietnam anthem).

The Crackers play at a local bar and one of the patrons hates their music and picks a fight with Zachariah. It's the squares versus the hippies set in the old West. This leads to a gunfight. Zachariah wins and decides he's a tough gunfighter. They join the Crackers. The Crackers however aren't very good outlaws. In a forced montage set to a rocked up William Tell Overture, The Crackers are seen being incompetent outlaws, failing to rob a stage coach, and then ambushing a Pony Express rider stripping him of his mail and his clothes.

Zachariah and Mathew come up with a plan and they pull off a bank robbery. Zachariah needs more out of life though. He's sure he has a destiny, though he doesn't know what it is. Shades of Herman Hesse's Sidhartha. The search for one's true self is on. In this case Zachariah wants to learn how to be a great gunfighter from one of the most notorious gunfighters in the West... a man named Job Cain. We know Cain is good because there's a $50,000 bounty on his head.

The names are downright biblical aren't they?

Job Cain turns out to be Elvin Jones who hangs out with the James Gang. He does an impressive and long drum solo after winning a gunfight.... The James Gang dress in cooler leather outfits and have lots of good looking woman groupies hanging around. However, even after Zachariah proves himself worthy to Job Cain's challenge he's not fulfilled. He and his friend Mathew go their separate ways. Mathew stays to become part of the gang.

Zachariah spends some time with an old man in the middle of nowhere, and then goes to a strange border town to meet some ladies. The town is interesting, but the film gets really silly during this sequence and Pat Quinn does a very bad imitation of Mae West as Belle Star, Queen of the Whores. Zacharia is coiffed and decked out like a countrified Siegried and Roy with a big white cowboy hat complete with a large feather. If you ever wondered what Liberace as a cowboy would look like the answer can be found right here. He then woos Belle Star and decides of course that she is not what he is looking for in life either.

This all leads to... well I don't to spoil the film. . . let's just say if you like high camp you'll have a great time at the end of this film.

If you can laugh AT the film, you'll have a pretty good time with it. If you can't, the film's charms (assuming you found a few in the film) evaporate completely after the first 45 minutes.

It's an odd hybrid of a film which boils down to a story of two friends searching for themselves and discovering friendships are perhaps most important of all. It's cornball stuff. The film has more unintentional laughs than earned ones. It never quite clicks as an exploitation type film ala' Roger Corman's Psyche Out or The Trip, nor is it a Cheech and Chong Out West type of thing. It's also not as fun, manic or funny as Blazing Saddles is either. They almost do a funny campfire scene though.

The DVD is a bare-bones no extra affair. The film looks and sounds okay, but there are enough instances of grain, edge enhancement, etc to warn the pickier among you of the problems.(. . .)

I remember seeing this one at the midnight movie show numerous times during the early 70's. If you like somewhat absurd, campy humor & early 70's electric rock & roll, it is a must for a collector. Country Joe & the Fish are great! The James Gang & NY Rock Ensemble are electrified! Doug Kershaw's fiddle playin is very hot! Super sound track! Not politically correct!

I have loved this film since i saw it in the base theatre at NAS Sigonella in Sicily.

Just one additional correction to the writer who missed the point and thought it was a drama gone wrong, rather than a purpose-built comedy:

"The Fish" are not "Country Joe's band" (as a lot of people assume) -- rather, the "Fish" is guitarist Barry Melton, co-founder and co-writer of a lot of the music.