William Castle was well known for horror films with gimmicks. Zotz was a foray into comedy. It did remind me of those silly Disney comedies of the time.
Professor Jonathan Jones (Tom Poston) is a professor of ancient languages at a university and bit of a goofball. When his niece receives an ancient mystical medallion, he is excited by the inscription in an ancient language. Jones discovers that the medallion has special powers. It can cause a sharp stabbing pain or slow people down and even kill.
Unsure what to do with the power of the medallion. Jones goes to the military in Washington DC but they think he is a crank without even seeing his demonstration. His colleagues at the university think he is behaving oddly. Then at a party he is whisked away by some Russians.
The film starts promisingly enough. Jones is an health food obsessed eccentric who enjoys his job. It has the feel of The Absent Minded Professor and then it descends into mediocrity.
As the film was released just as the Vietnam war started, I could overlook Jones thinking the US military would use the medallion for ethical purposes.
However the film fails as a silly knockabout comedy. It even wastes the romantic angle with the new female professor of the university.
When Jones is chased by the Russian bad guys, he fails to use the powers at his disposal. He slows them down and instead of running away, he stands and watches them move in slow motion. He does this repeatedly.
Professor Jonathan Jones (Tom Poston) is a professor of ancient languages at a university and bit of a goofball. When his niece receives an ancient mystical medallion, he is excited by the inscription in an ancient language. Jones discovers that the medallion has special powers. It can cause a sharp stabbing pain or slow people down and even kill.
Unsure what to do with the power of the medallion. Jones goes to the military in Washington DC but they think he is a crank without even seeing his demonstration. His colleagues at the university think he is behaving oddly. Then at a party he is whisked away by some Russians.
The film starts promisingly enough. Jones is an health food obsessed eccentric who enjoys his job. It has the feel of The Absent Minded Professor and then it descends into mediocrity.
As the film was released just as the Vietnam war started, I could overlook Jones thinking the US military would use the medallion for ethical purposes.
However the film fails as a silly knockabout comedy. It even wastes the romantic angle with the new female professor of the university.
When Jones is chased by the Russian bad guys, he fails to use the powers at his disposal. He slows them down and instead of running away, he stands and watches them move in slow motion. He does this repeatedly.