Zachariah

Still dont remember why I bought this DVD, or why it sat for 3 years before watching it. Anyway, this movie is a real hoot. From Don Johnson's premiere as an 18 yr old Prom Queen lookalike with a sidearm to Country Joe's surreal insertion into an old west shoot-em-up saloon. The whole thing is just twisted as hell, and fun.

A recommended rental with a 6 pack. 7 tokes.

Remember Easy Rider? Remember Beyond the Valley of the Dolls? Remember Fistful of Dollars? Now, put all those movies in a blender, hit frappe, and you'll get Zachariah. Once you get past the fact that they're playing electric guitars in 1880's, it's an enjoyable film.

Oh, how I love late 60s/early 70s Hollywood! When the studios figured to capture the turned on youth market, but had NO CLUE what was really going on! Great era when almost anything could be passed off as psychedelic, and weirdos like the Firesign Theatre could co-write a movie and GET IT MADE. Grooovy!

'Zachariah' is a unique, rock'n'roll western, which is so lame brained and misguided it turns out to be one of the most entertaining movies of the period. Just check out the cast! Pretty boy Don Johnson, TVs John Rubenstein, Country Joe and The Fish, and DICK VAN PATTEN! Add to that a Who-inspired James Gang (with a young, clean shaven Joe Walsh) and Coltrane's legendary drummer Elvin Jones, and you've got a truly, er, UNIQUE proposition!

Make a great double-bill with 'Tommy'!

I've never seen this movie, but I had to jump in to the defense of the Firesign Theatre, and the popular misconception that they wrote this movie. In reading interviews with various members of the comedy team, the Firesign Theatre wrote *the first draft* of this movie which was meant to be a comedic adaptation of Sidhartha, set in the old west. Then what seems to have happened was that the studio executives assigned another writer to do a re-write (and probably tinkered a bit with the script themselves) and the final product bore only a passing similarity to the original script.

I do not think that the Firesign Theatre are in any way proud of this movie and don't mention it on their web-site.

I saw this movie when it first came out and occasionally think about it. It was called the 'first electric western', if I remember right. It was fun and funny and I'd like to see it again. I remember little after over thirty years, but I believe it was low budget with mostly outdoor scenes, desert at that. The 'outlaw' gang, 'The Crackers', had their own theme song, which they sang. I think Zacharia and his friend were marijuana farmers in the desert. I believe it was even called a 'cult' film, or something similar. It's hard to remember, after so many years, but I recommend this movie and I'm looking forward to seeing it again myself.