If you're a fan of the Italo spy-fi film genre you may be familiar with the long-shifting whispers about low budget cult-flick The Code Zodiac Tapes. Made in 1969 it received just a handful of European screenings before being shelved due to international wrangles over distribution rights.
Zodiac dropped out of circulation and with no sightings, leaked footage or dodgy copies filtering into the public domain since, it's been widely accepted that the film had become lost, wiped or stolen. However, canisters containing the original broadcast masters were recently discovered in the basement of an abandoned Riviera mansion. Damp, dust and neglect have left the film stock, shooting notes and script damaged beyond recovery or repair..
Thankfully a handful of production details, storyboards and publicity shots survived - along with some concept art for set designs (pleasure units, undersea casinos, moonbased pods and modules ) and some costume credits....
Hair by Laurence of Park Lane
Wardrobe by Mr Hipster
M.O.N.D.O Mobile by George Barris
Concept art by uncredited artist
More significantly the 16 track Ampex analogue master tapes of the Zodiac soundtrack were found to be salvageable. These tapes - and any scraps and snatches of dubbed dialogue - were taken to Shabby Road studios for digital restoration. Today the freshly mastered, previously unreleased Code Zodiac soundtrack receives it's international debut. A teaser trailer is available here along with an OST stream - but the full 19 track album is available as a limited-edition free download over at Budd Schifrin's site..
Keith Mansfield's composition Soul Confusion was originally used to score a deleted scene (scripted as - Scene 34: How does that grab you?) and has been included here as a bonus track
Keith Mansfield - Soul Confusion
Original storyboard panels
10 comments:
Fantastic Artwork & Mix Mondo, I can just imagine what the film would’ve been like?
What a shame that the film was too far-gone to be restored...
groovy, Mond.
Cheers both I'll let you if I find any more info on the film or ~ strangely no mention of it IMDB though *does theatrical wink*
Wonderfully romantic tale Mondo, I love it when a story transports me to another time, and place; It was very believable too, I watched a BBC series a few months ago where all sorts of old film turned up... (Hope they make another series?)
you can read about it here:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/nationalarchive/news/homemovies/
Free limited download??! Gotta get me some of that. How frustrating for the film to finaly be found only to be unsalvageable.... One of Homers 'wohoo... Doh' moments.
The M.O.N.D.O mobile's the give-away isn't Lil, and Laurence of Park Lane can actually be found on the London Road, Westcliff - opposite the BP Garage nr the old Classic cinema..And George Barris is the chap who designed the sixties Batmobile
PS - Can't get that link to work.
Classic irony P, perhaps they should have taken the blokes who restord your Essex Brothers recordings
Oh no, my link corrupted; try this?
here
& this was interesting too?
here
(I’ll email them to you Mondo if it doesn’t work this time?)
I have barely had this off the ipod. Excellent find. I really wish the movie could be seen. Lush lush life
All good now Lil, love the look of the home movies one - that's where the magic is..
Glad it's rocking your boots John, there's another one here soundtrack for a film that only ever got to script and soundtrack stage Fur Den Untergang
This is great Mondo - what a treat!!
Post a Comment