What's the fascination with Barbarella? It was badly scripted, badly acted and extreeeeeemly cheesy. How is it possible that Hollywood is doing a big budget remake? Why are we still talking about this odd little movie based on an obscure French comic?
To genre fans, afficianados of cult movies, the answer is simple. Popular entertainment can provide enjoyment on numerous different levels - it doesn't have to be cerebral to be a good movie. A Lucio Fulci zombie movie can be just as enjoyable as the most critically acclaimed Oscar winner if you have the right mindset. You can't compare The Brothers Karamazov to a fairy tale, but they both have merit in their ability to capture the imagination and entertain the mind - both have value.
Put another way, the acting and storyline in Barbarella sucked big time; however, it still has great entertainment value: it's sexy, fun, imaginative, original and has cool space-age lounge music. Critics have hated it from day one and Jane Fonda has expressed shame over it, but it just won't leave our collective consciousness no matter how much they want it to.
So, before I ramble on any further defending crap movies, here's a recording from the soundtrack called "Pygar's Persecution/Chamber of Dreams" by Bob Crewe. Enjoy.
