Forbidden Zone
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Forbidden Zone is a 1980 black-and-white cult film co-written and directed by Richard Elfman, the older brother of Danny Elfman (who composed the film's score, performed by the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo). The film was made as an attempt to capture the essence of the stage group's live shows on film. It received little notice when it was originally released, and was attacked by some who found it offensive (the film was rated R). However, the film has since gained a cult following. The film was released on VHS in the late 1980s and on DVD in the early 2000s.
Cast
Hervé Villechaize
Susan Tyrrell
Gisele Lindley
Jan Stuart Schwartz
Marie-Pascale Saboff
Virginia Rose
Ugh-Fudge Bwana
Phil Gordon
Hyman Diamond
Toshiro Boloney
Danny Elfman
Viva
Joe Spinell
The Kipper Kids
Response
The film was given limited distribution during its initial theatrical release, and not well-received by critics. Some of the film's sequences and characters led to director Richard Elfman being accused of racism (because of its satirically surreal use of blackface), and even anti-Semitism. According to Elfman, "I was attacked on every level. [...] We were kicked out of theaters; there were arson threats." However, the film has since been rediscovered, and has gained new life as a cult film. The film's soundtrack has also become popular, and its theme song was eventually reused by Danny Elfman, who rearranged it as The Dilbert Zone for use as the theme for the television series Dilbert.
