Our friend Gary Crutcher (THE NAME OF THE GAME IS KILL) is offering a $5,000 reward for the negative and/or a print of HOUSE OF ZODIAC, the unreleased, long-lost psychedelic nudie that Jack Starrett directed in 1969 based on Gary's original screenplay. "HOUSE OF ZODIAC was the biggest cinematic disaster next to THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE that ever occurred," Gary says with a laugh. "It was based on a five-day bum acid trip I had taken, about the same time Nicholson wrote THE TRIP. We had thirteen beautiful girls in it, including Rita Murray (RUNAWAY RUNAWAY) and Lavelle Roby (FINDERS KEEPERS, LOVERS WEEPERS), each one representing a sign of the zodiac. Craig Rumar, Jack Starrett, Richard Compton and I were all involved as producers. We shot it on weekends for very little money and we were stoned out of our heads, but we did get the film made. There was an answer print and I saw it at a screening room on the Sunset Strip with Paul Koslo, who was the lead, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, who were going to do the music. But we ran out of money before we could finish it, and the story goes on and on and on from there. If anyone can find a print of it for me, they got $5,000. I really would love to see it again, and I could probably get it out on DVD."
Hear that, film hunters? Five thousand bucks! Get searching!
3 comments:
No info on HOUSE OF ZODIAC...but! I am currently seeking a film called NAKED ZODIAC, which was directed by underground San Francisco filmmaker Benjamin Van Meter for Lou Sher. He was glad it "died a miserable death" at the box office, but naturally it looks interesting to me.
Only a few of the segments of Naked Zodiac survive. Ben trashed all but three of them.
Is that the only page of script that you have? I would love to read the entire thing is possible. If you have more, please email me at ophion1031@gmail.com
Thanks
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