Zotz!

Last updated

Zotz!
Zotzposter.jpg
Directed by William Castle
Written by Walter Karig
Ray Russell
Produced byWilliam Castle
Starring Tom Poston
Julia Meade
Jim Backus
Fred Clark
Cecil Kellaway
Cinematography Gordon Avil
Edited byEdwin H. Bryant
Music byBernard Green
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 3, 1962 (1962-10-03)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Zotz! is a 1962 American fantasy comedy film produced and directed by William Castle, and starring Tom Poston, Julia Meade, Jim Backus, Fred Clark, and Cecil Kellaway. It is about a man obtaining magical powers from a god of an ancient civilization. It is based on Walter Karig's 1947 novel.

Contents

Plot

A brilliant but peculiar professor of Ancient Eastern languages, Jonathan Jones, finds that an amulet sent to his niece Cynthia by a boyfriend from an archeological dig has magical powers.

Whoever has the amulet in their possession can 1) cause great pain by pointing at another living creature, 2) cause time to go into slow motion (but only for the target(s)) by saying the word "Zotz!", or 3) cause instant death by simultaneously pointing and saying "Zotz!". Both government and Communist agents immediately develop an interest in the amulet's possible military use. (This is a metaphor for the age of nuclear weapons, as the novel was written two years after atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).[ improper synthesis? ]

In the meantime, Jones and rival professor Kellgore are both in line for a promotion to take over from retiring Dean Updike as head of this California university's language department. A new colleague and possible romantic interest, Professor Fenster, is startled by Jones's behavior, particularly at a party thrown by Updike's wife that turns into chaos. Near the end of the movie, Jones refers to Fenster as Mrs. Jones, implying that they were either already married, or that they were going to get married soon.

Professor Fenster's first appearance occurs moments after Jones first mentions the name of Zotz in one of the early scenes of the movie. She is standing naked just outside one of the windows of his home during a thunderstorm that Jones (unintentionally) just so happens to conjure up when he mentions Zotz. Shocked and embarrassed by her nakedness, he quickly closes the window on her. Feeling somewhat sorry for her, though, he waves her over to go to the front door. Shortly after Jones hands her his suit coat so that she could maintain her modesty, he temporarily permits her to come into the house. When firmly asked by Jones to leave, so as not give the wrong immoral impression to his niece who is asleep upstairs in her bedroom, Fenster refuses to go back out into the storm half-naked. Fenster emphatically explains to Jones, in hope that he would sympathize with her, that she was "hurrying along, trying to beat out this sudden storm," when she was apparently struck by lightning. Moreover, she also tells Jones that her clothes were blown off by the electrostatic charge embedded within the bolt that hit her. After listening to her seemingly "far-fetched" story, he mentions that he remembers hearing about an actual incident where someone's clothes were literally torn from their body as a direct result of being struck by lightning. [1] Finally realizing that she is telling the truth, Jones lends Fenster some of his niece's clothes. Now, fully clothed and armed with an umbrella that Jones also lends her, Fenster opens the door to brave the elements and goes home. The storm is, however, now over and the umbrella is no longer needed.

Cast

Promotion

During the initial theatrical run, theater patrons received a full-size plastic replica of the amulet as a promotional item. In color, size and design, the replicas were essentially identical to the film amulet, with the additional feature of a small hole drilled at the top, for a key chain.

Home media

On October 20, 2009, Zotz! was released on DVD by Sony Pictures as part of The William Castle Collection box set. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Summer Lightning</i> 1929 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Summer Lightning is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title Fish Preferred, and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, London. It was serialised in The Pall Mall Magazine (UK) between March and August 1929 and in Collier's (US) from 6 April to 22 June 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Sullivan</span> Park ranger struck by lightning 7 times (1912–1983)

Roy Cleveland Sullivan was an American park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 and 1977, Sullivan was claimed to have been struck by lightning on seven occasions, surviving all of them. For this reason, he gained the nicknames "Human Lightning Conductor" and "Human Lightning Rod". Sullivan is recognized by Guinness World Records as the person struck by lightning more recorded times than any other human being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Castle</span> Fictional character in the crime series Castle

Richard Edgar "Rick" Castle is a fictional character on the ABC crime series Castle. He is portrayed by Nathan Fillion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Castle</span> American film director, producer, screenwriter (1914–1977)

William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.

<i>Hellboy: Sword of Storms</i> 2006 television film directed by Tad Stones

Hellboy: Sword of Storms is a 2006 animated superhero film based on Mike Mignola's comic book series Hellboy and its 2004 live-action film adaptation. The film was animated by Madhouse, produced by Starz Media, Revolution Studios and Film Roman and co-produced, co-written, and directed by Tad Stones. The plot is partly based on the Right Hand of Doom storyline from the original comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Karig</span> American writer

Walter Karig was a prolific writer, who served as a US naval captain. Karig wrote a number of works on Allied naval operations during World War II. He also wrote scripts for the television series Victory at Sea. Besides his works on naval history, Karig was a novelist, publishing under his own name, and a journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil Kellaway</span> South African actor (1890–1973)

Cecil Lauriston Kellaway was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for The Luck of the Irish (1948) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).

<i>Further Chronicles of Avonlea</i>

Further Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery and is a sequel to Chronicles of Avonlea. Published in 1920, it includes a number of stories relating to the inhabitants of the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea and its region, located on Prince Edward Island. Sometimes marketed as a book in the Anne Shirley series, Anne plays only a minor role in the book: out of the 15 stories in the collection, she narrates and stars in only one, and is briefly mentioned in passing in two others. Three other characters from the Anne books are seen in brief secondary roles: Diana Barry and Marilla Cuthbert in "The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily", and Rachel Lynde in "Sara's Way". As well, Matthew Cuthbert is mentioned in passing in "The Conscience Case of David Bell".

<i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i> (1955 film) 1955 film

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1955 West German film, directed by Erich Kobler, based on the 1812 story of Schneewittchen by the Brothers Grimm.

<i>Heartbeat</i> (1946 film) 1946 film

Heartbeat is a 1946 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Ginger Rogers, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Adolphe Menjou and Basil Rathbone. It is a direct remake of the French romantic drama Battement de cœur, released in 1940. It was produced by the Hakim Brothers for distribution by RKO Pictures.

<i>Blond Cheat</i> 1938 film by Joseph Santley

Blond Cheat is a 1938 American romantic comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Joan Fontaine, Derrick De Marney, and Cecil Kellaway. The film was produced by William Sistrom, and originally released by RKO Radio Pictures. The original story is by Aladar Lazlo. The screenplay is by Harry Segall, Charles Kaufman, Paul Yawitz, and Viola Brothers Shore. The tagline for the movie was: "A happy blend of blackmail, robbery, treachery, and love!"

<i>Shake, Rattle & Roll 13</i> 2011 Filipino film

Shake, Rattle & Roll 13 is a 2011 Filipino horror anthology film produced by Regal Entertainment, and the thirteenth installment of the Shake, Rattle & Roll film series. It is directed by Richard Somes, Jerrold Tarog and Chris Martinez, and was an official entry to the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival.

<i>Half Angel</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Richard Sale

Half Angel is a 1951 Technicolor comedy directed by Richard Sale, starring Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten, and Cecil Kellaway. Nora Gilpin (Young), a prim and proper nurse, is engaged to the stuffy Tim. Unknown to both, Nora is a sleepwalker; during her nocturnal forays, the less-inhibited side of her personality takes over.

<i>Tammy Tell Me True</i> 1961 film by Harry Keller

Tammy Tell Me True is a 1961 American Eastmancolor comedy film directed by Harry Keller and starring Sandra Dee and John Gavin, Beulah Bondi, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Julia Meade.

<i>Professor Beware</i> 1938 film by Elliott Nugent

Professor Beware is a 1938 comedy film starring Harold Lloyd and directed by Elliott Nugent. It was Phyllis Welch MacDonald's first and only film.

Robot Chicken DC Comics Special 2: Villains in Paradise is an episode of the television comedy series Robot Chicken and it was aired as a half-hour special during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on April 6, 2014. It serves as the sequel to the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special that focuses more on the Legion of Doom and is followed by Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship.

<i>The Young, the Evil and the Savage</i> 1968 Italian film

The Young, the Evil and the Savage, also known as Schoolgirl Killer, is a 1968 Italian giallo film directed by Antonio Margheriti.

<i>Johnny Trouble</i> 1957 film

Johnny Trouble is a 1957 American drama film directed by John H. Auer and written by Charles O'Neil and David Lord. The film stars Ethel Barrymore in her final film, Cecil Kellaway, Stuart Whitman, Carolyn Jones, Jesse White and Rand Harper. The film was released by Warner Bros. on September 24, 1957.

Jennifer Rubell is an American conceptual artist known for her participatory sculpture, video, and food performances. Rubell has held performances and exhibitions at Foundation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Performa, Dallas Contemporary, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto, Saatchi Gallery in London, and the Brooklyn Museum. Rubell lives and works in New York City.

Leave it to Psmith, subtitled "A comedy of youth, love and misadventure", is a 1930 comedy play by Ian Hay and P. G. Wodehouse, based on the latter's 1923 novel of the same title. It premiered in London's West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 29 September 1930.

References

  1. ↑ Huff, Charlotte. "This Is What Happens When You Get Struck by Lightning". Reader’s Digest Canada. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ "The William Castle Film Collection". Amazon. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.