Zotz!

1962

Action / Comedy / Fantasy

8
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 23% · 2 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 23% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 5.9/10 10 1002 1K

based on novel or book espionage spying magic professor coin

Plot summary

Jonathan Jones, a professor of ancient languages, comes into possession of an ancient coin. He translates its inscription, which gives him three powers: to inflict pain, slow down time or kill. Soon, he's pursued by enemy spies who have learned about the magic coin.

Director

William Castle Photo
William Castle

Top cast

Mike Mazurki Photo
Mike Mazurki as Igor
Zeme North Photo
Zeme North as Cynthia Jones
Tom Poston Photo
Tom Poston as Prof. Jonathan Jones
George DeNormand Photo
George DeNormand as Country Club Member
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
705.21 MB
1280*694
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 27 min
Seeds ...
1.35 GB
1920*1040
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 27 min
Seeds 1

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Hey_Sweden 7 / 10

It's not polite to point.

Filmmaker William Castle has great fun with one of his silliest stories, based on a novel by Walter Karig. The ever-likeable Tom Poston plays Jonathan Jones, a professor of ancient languages who comes into possession of a mystical coin. It gives him highly amusing powers: by pointing at a living thing or object, and uttering the word "ZOTZ!", he can cause A) sudden pain, B) VERY slow movement, and......C) silent death. He's not above using said powers for self-gain, but must do some quick thinking when enemy agents "Josh Bates" (Carl Don) and Igor (notable tough-guy actor Mike Mazurki) want to get their hands on this valuable object."Zotz!" is good, light-hearted, and slapstick-heavy entertainment, a purely comedic change of pace for a director who'd made his name with gimmicky horror movies and thrillers. While "Zotz" does seem like a pure nonsense word, apparently it IS an actual surname used in foreign locations. There are some real laughs to be had here; the good thing is that for a movie that recycles the same gags over and over, they're a hoot every time. When "sudden pain" is dealt out, people bend over and clutch themselves. And when "slow movement" occurs, the actors involved do a priceless job of acting in slow motion. One of the highlights happens when Jones finds a way of embarrassing his professional rival, Horatio Kellgore (the always great Jim Backus).Poston, who reteamed with Castle the following year for the Hammer film "The Old Dark House", is as endearing and funny as he's ever been. He's very well supported by Backus, Cecil Kellaway as the amiable dean at the college, Fred Clark as a military general who doesn't take Jones seriously, the lovely Julia Meade as the colleges' new languages professor (and requisite love interest), the enchanting Zeme North as Jones' nubile niece, old Marx Brothers foil Margaret Dumont as Kellaways' wife, James Millhollin as a disbelieving psychiatrist, a hilarious Jimmy Hawkins as Kellgores' jargon-spewing son, and Louis Nye as a man peddling a homemade weapon to the Pentagon. Don and Mazurki are classic comedy villains."Zotz!" really hits the spot if one is looking for good, goofy comedy. This viewer had a fine time with it.Seven out of 10.
Reviewed by regrunion 5 / 10

About what one would expect

Ya gotta admit it's a great title and Tom Poston is rather watchable for the nine-year-olds who are the target audience. It's just a silly chase over a coin with silly magical powers, and if one can overlook the Cold War propaganda was a fun fantasy for playacting with my little friends afterwards.Watching it again as an adult I found it rather charmless but not a total bore.
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