I just watched this movie yesturday and WOW... I don't know what to say, it's just so weird but it was good I liked the part near the starting when he killed the Colonel guy and his "dogs" but it was nasty that his nuts get cut off. any thoughts on this movie?
Yeah, I didn't know it was on DVD. Gotta go get it. I saw the movie in the '70s. Thanx for reminding me. Hope it can be located by my vid store.
The sequal called "The Sons of El Topo", but then later changed to "Abelcain", was never released. Since the early 90's Jodorowsky has been trying to make the sequal but it has been put on hold since then due to lack of funds I think. Also, I loved El Topo, Everyone should watch it at least once ! John Lennon said that El Topo was his favourite movie for anyone who cares lol.
"John Lennon said that El Topo was his favourite movie" That must be why he provided the funding for Holy Mountain. I liked Holy Mountain better, by the way. I dunno what it is about El Topo - I guess the desert setting in which the entire movie took place got old after awhile. Holy Mountain has some of the most interesting quotes from anything anywhere as well, such as: "Your sacrifice completes my sanctuary of a thousand testicles," or "Quickly, rub your clitoris against the mountain!"
Well, I think that El topo was just too weird... I did not find anything but just weird scenes from it... But I think, that Holy Mountain was just soooooo amazing... Holy Mountain is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It has great and really hard subject, and the director makes it so big masterpiece. It is just something so wonderful... And the plot! Wow, it was one of the strangest movies, and at the end of the movie, it was making a perfect sense. It was just so great...
I couldn't follow the Holy Mountain... I keep trying to get into it, but I just can't make it through. To tell the truth, I think it goes a little too far, and ends up being too random. Without a coherent narrative, it just ends up being silly... even if there are some really striking images. El Topo on the other hand, is thoroughly enjoyable. It's a little goofy and its wit is often painful, but at the same time there's this great surrealistic weirdness to it that catches me off guard every time I see it... like I'm not sure if it's supposed to be funny or just insane. Also, I think the idea of an epic surrealist spaghetti western with mystical overtones is fantastic-- the genre always has had that mystical element to it and it's really exhilerating to see it fleshed out a little more, even if it does sometimes get a little pretentious. Great film!
The end kinda wraps it all up, in a way. I liked Holy Mountain, but I dont think I got it. Its one of those things you need to watch a few times before it sinks in. There was some really cutting imagery. I think my favorite scene was when the old man turns his poo into gold, oh and the crucifix gun. Those made me laugh.
Head-trip western brilliance. Although the film is drawn out at times, El Topo is beautifully shot and unflinchingly bizarre. Fans of David Lynch will enjoy this film thoroughly. I myself watched the movie twice All hail El Topo ____________________________________________________________ Cult Film DVD Store Magazine Subscription Store
i love this movie dearly and, own it on dvd. hands down, el topo is the best cult western ever made todate!
were both wrong. it is a south of the border eastern/western. wtf! man,i've got to cut back on smoking that loco weed!
I just got my DVD today and watched it for the first time since early '70s (can't remember exactly when but it was in New Orleans). It was really a commentary on the money-driven, hypocritical culture of the time which we were rebelling against, and our search for some spiritual focus that the established churches were failing to provide. So it had special meaning to some of us back then. You know, I don't think those dead rabbits and disemboweled donkeys were props. It would have been much cheaper in Mexico of the late '60s to just use the real things. I remember at the time we joked that Alejandro Jodorowsky was selling the popcorn in the concession stand. He did everything else; wrote it, directed it, starred in it, did production design, costume design, original music and provided the little naked boy, his son Brontis.
Thread is kind of old but I feel the need to comment, such an amazing film. Artsy movie that can mean so much to different people. The commentary on the DVD is great and gives you a little insight into what it's supposed to mean. As I have always suspected the movie is about mysticism (no duh) and how it relates to different religions. Thought the current interview with Jodorowsky is kind of disappointing in that what he believes now is more shallow and materialistic than the eastern beliefs of his youth.
