On the Silver Globe or
Na srebrnym globie to give it its original name, is a 1988 Polish film directed by Andrzej Żuławski and based on the novel by Jerzy Żuławski. I had never heard of it up until a week or two ago, where it was described to me as being a very weird film, as in "Zardoz" levels of weird.
Now this is a good description for me because although we almost never talk about Zardoz around here - because it lacks spacesuits - it is actually one of my all time favourite films. Which just puts
Na srebrnym globie, even higher on my; to see list.
I'll let you know after I've tracked a good copy down but in the mean time if anyone wants to agree with me that Zardoz is a work of genius or discuss the merits of; On a Silver Globe ,then join me in the comments section below.
Thank you again to Tim
Steve
I didnt realise this but this was actually shot back in the mid 70s and was never properly completed before the communist authorities shut down the production.I love doing research for this site especially when I find very obscure things like this,also I agree Zardoz is brilliant,I can still remember the pic from the book Sci fi now with the caption:Sally ann newton holds the source of all knowledge,and the dialogue in the movie "we will touch teach and you will learn by osmosis",you`re right the only thing its really missing is a suit,oh and my own personal inclusion would be a blaster/stun gun as well
ReplyDeleteDid I read that all original edits were destroyed and that this was put back together, as close as possible, from the original shot footage. I love a film with a good back story.
DeleteI appreciate all the efforts Tim.
As for Zardoz it just gets better with every watch. Interestingly when generalising about sci-fi "They" like to say how no sci-fi film ever predicted the internet but I would argue that Zardoz did. The Tabernacle and Arthur Frayn's ring (as discovered by Zed) is surely that very bit of technology employed in a background and understated way.
Nat Geo has a Mars series coming up directed by Ron Howard
ReplyDeletehttp://nerdist.com/ron-howards-mars-gets-a-danger-laden-full-trailer/
http://adevarul.ro/assets/adevarul.ro/MRImage/2016/08/23/57bc6ba35ab6550cb806dfeb/646x404.jpg
http://www.entertainmentaffair.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/3159_MARS_30MAY2016NATGEO.jpg
I'm not an artsy sorta guy, so I wish that "On the Silver Globe" had been assembled with more straightforward descriptive/explanatory segments to cover the missing bits... It's a stunning science fiction epic with stuff that calls to mind "Dune" (in a good way) and jarring cuts to irrelevant contemporary street scenes do not improve it.
ReplyDeleteI first saw "Zardoz" when it opened in '74. I was sixteen at the time and I took it seriously. I still do. The culture, dialogue and costumes all seem to strike a lot of folks as silly and dated (See frequent "Connery in a diaper" comments) but I look at it anthropologically - The immortals experiencing telepathy (which may well be moderated by the AI called "The Tabernacle" are a pretty fascinating bunch and we see a lot of elements of their society laid out for us. And think how often you have seen a better representation of Clarke's dictum that "Any sufficiently advanced technology will have the appearance of magic" __Says a guy to lazy to look up the actual quote__...
Thanks for the comments and the memories. Glad to hear people actually liked Zardoz at the time because the constant red nappy jokes would suggest otherwise. Agree with your opinions and observations about it. A work of genius worthy of constant viewing and consideration
DeleteBy the way,the helmets in this movie are the good old Gsh-6[another listing for the Gsh-6 suitography].They`ve done the same thing that the did in Test Pilot Pirx ie they`ve put a new fixed face plate on the helmet and the opening visor is now painted/covered over and left in the raised open position.
ReplyDeleteActually considering that this was made in 77 and test pilot pirx was made in 1978,its pretty likely that this was the first use of the idea,its even possible that these helmets were recycled for Test Pilot Pirx,who knows?,sadly we probably never will.