I would wager that many of you have NEVER seen the film "BARBARELLA" ?

Do yourself a favour & get yourself a Projector & Blu Ray Player and then go buy the Blu Ray Disc for this film.

It's one of the BEST, played so BAD it's GREAT films EVER...and that takes some doing!
Not only is Jane Fonda BEAUTIFUL & SEXY here she PLAYS it WONDERFULLY...it takes REAL ACTING TALENT to CAMP it up THIS WELL
It's a CAMP Fest but in the BEST POSSIBLE way!

In it's way every bit as GOOD as 2001 (my favourite) but at the complete opposite of the film spectrum...THIS is played for FUN & LAUGHS & it WORKS a TREAT.

Another reason this works is the quiet BRILLIANT 'Great Tyrant' played by ANITA PALLENBERG who sadly died today (this is my way of a tribute as I LOVE the film so much) EVERYONE that's seen this film will recall her famous line "HELLO...My Pretty Pretty" she is BOTH Stunning! and Scary here.
Mentions for John Phillip Law as 'PYGAR' the Angel (told you it was a camp fest) and Milo O'Shea as Durand Durand (YES the pop group would take their name from this character )
There's also a fun CAMEO turn from 'David Hemmings' as Dildano

Whilst on release this would have been considered ADULT in Nature...Now I don't really think it is so much, tame by today's standards (can't recall any swearing! and the nudity is only glimpsing but WOW!!! does JANE look GREAT in those OUTFITS as does ANINTA in hers)

This film is an UN-APPRECIATED Classic of it's type (a science fiction camp comedy) which LOOKS AMAZING!

The Set Design, the Special Effects, the camp acting (from everyone is SPOT ON) I enjoy ROCKY HORROR too (although I've never been a fan of guys dressing in woman's clothing but I can still appreciate it & the GREAT Songs) but THIS should be revered as much as that but for some reason isn't (I think many people miss the point?) over at IMDB film reviews it scores a 5.9 out of 10.

The young un's these days will probably have never seen it's like before? (because quiet honestly there is VERY little LIKE IT!!!) & i'm guessing they just won't get it? many didn't get it even back in those FLOWER POWER Days of release in 1968 (i think it flopped at the time at the BOX OFFICE)

HOWEVER...I would ask you younger folks to give it a try (especially on a LARGE Screen if you can?) grab the popcorn/ginger ales & chocs and ENJOY what is a CAMP 'CULT' CLASSIC and much of this is due to the lady that says this EPIC LINE...

So SAD to hear of this...She sounds like a HELL of a WOMAN...but in a GOOD fun WAY!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40271793
You WANT a TASTER of this BRILLIANT Looking Film? then TAKE a LOOK at THIS...

WONDERFUL huh?

5.9!!! more like a 10!
And what's more this was a time when the POSTERS featured actual ARTWORK that SHOWCASED the SPECTACLE and BOY does this FILM have SOME GREAT POSTER ARTWORK (I miss those days! these days this might star? Jennifer Lawrence? and the poster would probably show a photo shopped image of her face!)
Might post my Barbarella Posters here later THEY'RE COOL!!!

I know I mentioned there is very little (IF ANY?) bad language (would have to watch it again to confirm this but I can't recall any?) & surprisingly there is very little nudity BUT ACTUALLY (and how could I naughty Chris) it features ONE of the BEST Strip Tease Sequences EVER!

But this is done so WELL & INNOCENTLY & is so early into the film (right at the beginning of the picture actually) that your simply mesmerized by seeing a Beauty in ZERO GRAVITY on board her SHIP removing her Space Suit & Helmet...and THIS is just COOL and you ALMOST forget she's getting NAKED

BARBARELLA's ADVENTURES here are just FUN...THE CRASH, the Caveman Encounter (yup she gets naked for the Love Scene but it's behind a bubble) the DOLLS that will scare some KIDS for sure, the BIRD CAGE, the DILDANO encounter, meeting the TYRANT (ANITA) & Durand Durand & his UNBREAKABLE Sex Machine (it's NOT as BAD as it SOUNDS!) and of COURSE Barbarella BREAKS IT

Oh and keep an EYE out of the INVISIBLE Key

One more thing...it has 2 SUPER FUN songs...the Title song 'Barbarella' & the 'ANGEL' song at the end (camp but FUN)

You really NEED to see this at least ONCE in your LIFE!

A few more VIDEO's to CHECK OUT...

This is a FUN Making Of...



This will SHOW you MORE scenes in the FILM...if you get a taste for it you might want to treat yourself to that Blu Ray copy & a Projector



And finally a few Photographs of the CAST including ANITA (Pretty Pretty) PALLENBERG...rest easy!



See that first BRILLIANT photograph showing Barbarella taking The Tyrant HOSTAGE! well that's one of the FANTASTIC Front of House / LOBBY CARDS that you no longer see at Cinema's today!
Many a good few minutes were spent outside our local Art Deco Cinema admiring both the POSTERS & these SCENE Cards wondering if the FILM would LIVE UP to them...BARBARELLA is ONE of those that DID.

I suppose this has turned into a little bit of a TRIBUTE to both ANITA PALLENBERG & the film 'BARBARELLA'

Here are a few POSTERS...NOW this was when POSTERS really were POSTERS & works of ART

First up are the ORIGINAL RELEASE Posters from the time (LATE 60's) when this film hit CINEMA'S for the 1st TIME...

This is the ORIGINAL USA 1 Sheet POSTER



Ain't THAT Pretty Pretty JUST LOOK at this Wonderful ARTWORK (this guy also did the James Bond 007 Poster art during the 60's / 70's)

NOW this is the 'One' EVERYONE WANTS!!!

It's the ORIGINAL UK cinema release (called a Quad and these were in the HORIZONTAL Format as opposed to those USA VERTICAL 1 Sheets)

This is a BEAUTY...Design by TERRY SOUTHERN & it's just so...well 'POP ART' (of it's ERA) as RARE as HEN's TEETH & captures the film Beautifully.

If you WANT one? I think they go for somewhere between £1,000-2,000 possibly more but how LOVELY is THIS ?



And finally back to the USA 1 Sheet format & a poster for this film when re-released in cinema's during 1977 (these are still reasonably easy to find & buy if you like the look of it? I do & it's a close run thing between the 2 USA one sheets, I think i'll plum for the ORIGINAL release ART but this sure goes close but as this is a MUCH cheaper price at around the £100 last time I checked a few years ago it's probably one that could be bought & displayed)

Funny really because that original USA 1 sheet release does have the 1960's LOOK about it whilst this one has got a 1970's Vibe about it...



I told you the ARTWORK for this Film was EPIC...I miss seeing this type of ART at the Cinema's!

FINALLY a few ORIGINAL Lobby Cards...

THIS is one of my ALL-TIME favourites as it's SPOOFING an actual scene in the MOVIE in which David Hemmings character DILDANO (The pill LOVE Scene) begins by TOUCH HANDS (altogether now....HANDS, Touching Hands, Touching You, Touching Me.....Dmm Dmm Dmm SWEET CAROLINE ) with BARBARELLA.

So here we have PYGAR (an Angel that can't FLY because he's lost the LOVE...he should have a word with ORVILL (our UK folks will get that one! ) touching hands with Barbarella (a scene not in the movie with Pygar)

A studio shot & one showing Jane Fonda in one of the most POPULAR outfits from the film.
This is a GREAT original FRENCH Lobby Card.



And finally...

A British original FOH (Front of House) Card seen at the front or sometimes in the lobby of a cinema at the time.

This show Barbarella again with Pygar & a GROUP of Aliens in a curious little place on the PLANET away from all the going on's inside (you can see that STRUCTURE up there on that hillside in the top right hand corner...I WONDER if they have ANYTHING like THIS on OUR MOON? )



So that's it...a FILM I LOVE, a WONDEFUL OTT Performance by a woman that was some would say gloriously OTT in REAL LIFE & GOOD on her, she was a TERRIFIC 'Tyrant' & that phrase will last for a long time...

So "GOODBYE My PRETTY PRETTY'

Hope some of you folks reading this here will be inspired to GIVE it a TRY (even if it's NOT your thing you can hopefully appreciate it gives it's ALL in terms of CAMP (but Brilliantly done so) ACTING & amazing set design)

And don't forget...

"An ANGEL is LOVE"