Wavering on the very border of artistic and vulgar, Richard Elfman’s cult classic Forbidden Zone strives to be in the same realm as The Rocky Horror Picture Show. If there is such a genre as “atypic psychosexual horror musical,” both films would fall into that category. Forbidden Zone is a collection of shocking oddities, catchy tunes, and eccentric characters all dumped into patchwork sets and spontaneous musical song and dance sequences. Needless to say, you have to know what you’re getting into before giving this film a shot.

Huckleberry Jones, a local pimp, narcotics dealer and slum lord stumbles upon a door in his basement that leads to the sixth dimension – the Forbidden Zone – where King Fausto (Hervé Villechaize) and his jealous queen Doris (Susan Tyrrell) rule over an assortment of lunatic minions.

The Hercules family buys the uncanny house and soon curious daughter Frenchy (Marie Pascale-Elfman) wanders into the Forbidden Zone, only to become a prisoner and fancy for the disloyal king. The queen learns of his infatuation with the new concubine and arranges her death – so it’s up to Frenchy’s family to rescue her. Her brother Flash is a reasoning yet easily sidetracked man-child, Gramps is a speechless, overweight clog that has to be tied down to the dinner table, and Pa is a tar pit worker who no longer values life. Aside from Frenchy’s doltish family, abused chicken boy Squeezit also decides to come to her aid.

Forbidden Zone is a movie that must be watched with an open mind, or a hankering for the most bizarre characters and events fused with song and dance ever to jolt the big screen. A frog-headed servant (literally), excessive use of bright colored makeup, drugs, machineguns, blood, transvestites, blackface, talking chickens, constant nudity, a human chandelier, and random aberrant sexual activities comprise this outrageous film. Prisoners in Cell 63 are forced to wear Mickey Mouse hats, composer Danny Elfman makes an appearance as Satan, heads are lopped off, ears are sliced off in Reservoir Dogs fashion, and the Princess is always half-naked. “Weird” can’t possibly cover all of the peculiarities that frequent the sixth dimension.

Spontaneous dance routines, unruly sound effects, lip-synching, stop motion animation with live action characters, superimposition, fast paced music, traditional animation and painted backgrounds are standard methods of storytelling in Forbidden Zone. Oftentimes the film is so abnormal that it’s hilarious, but most of the time it's just plain crass. If you can make it through the opening scene, in which Gramps unexpectedly vomits into the lap of Flash, it’s safe to say you’ll be prepared for the appalling singularities that follow.

- Mike Massie