The Holy Mountain

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A film that screams "product of its time," The Holy Mountain was Alejandro Jodorowsky's dizzying elegy to the sex, drugs and spiritual awakening of the late 1960s and early 1970s -- a suitably bizarre follow-up to his El Topo (1971). Fascinating although it only fitfully makes sense, The Holy Mountain is beautifully shot and designed, and it suggests what might have resulted if Luis Bunuel, Michelangelo Antonioni, and George Romero had all dropped acid and made a movie together. A Christ-like vagrant and thief wanders through a perverse and unfriendly land until he encounters an enlightened one, who gathers the thief and six of the world's most powerful individuals for a spiritual pilgrimage. If that description sounds a bit sketchy, well, narrative isn't this film's strongest suit. But if you want to see the conquest of Mexico re-enacted by reptiles, soldiers shoot innocent people as birds fly from their wounds, and a wizard turn feces into gold, this is the movie for you. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • Feature commentary by Alejandro Jodorowsky
  • Subtitled fieatures, bonus material, and commentary tracks
  • On camera interview with Alejandro Jodorowsky
  • Original theatricl trailer
  • Photo gallery/Original script excerpts

AWARDS

• London Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2006

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Alejandro Jodorowsky - Master
       Hector Ortega
       Richard Rutowski
       Robert Carter
       Juan Ferrara
       Ramona Saunders - Disciple
       Ana De Sade
       Jacqueline Voltaire
       Horacio Salinas - Christ Figure
       Jose Flores

• Director:

  Alejandro Jodorowsky

• Producer:

  Robert Taicher, Allen Klein

• Screenwriter:

  Alejandro Jodorowsky

• Cinematographer:

  Rafael Corkidi

• Composer (Music Score):

  Don Cherry, Ronald Frangipane, Alejandro Jodorowsky

• Editor:

  Federico Landeros

• Production Designer:

  Alejandro Jodorowsky

• Costume Designer:

  Alejandro Jodorowsky

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Gonzalo Gavira

REVIEW:

• Though it is widely regarded as one of the first-rate experimental films of its time, Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain remains as influential as it is unseen. While its scenes have been copied in music videos by rockers such as Marilyn Manson, problems between Jodorowsky and producer Allen Klein kept the film hidden away in vaults for years. The fact that more people have not seen this incredible work is a shame, as The Holy Mountain packs in a massive amount of stunning images that are so joyfully bizarre, one cannot help but be amazed. Part of the film's charm is that the imagery is so random and surreal that its meaning is open to almost any interpretation. Topics as diverse as war, sex, violence, religion, immortality, necrophilia, bestiality, and castration are all given equal attention and carried out with great skill and beauty. With its massive sets, lavish costumes, and an enormous cast, watching this well-crafted film is an experience a viewer will never forget. Some of the subject matter shown in The Holy Mountain may not be for every taste, but for those who are willing, this is a pilgrimage worth taking. ~ Jason Gibner, Rovi