Release, Response and Legacy
The film was given limited distribution during its initial theatrical release, and not well received by critics. Some of the film's sequences and characters led to director Richard Elfman being accused of racism (because of its satirically surreal use of blackface), and even anti-Semitism. According to Elfman, "I was attacked on every level. We were kicked out of theaters; there were arson threats." However, the film has since been rediscovered, and has gained new life as a cult film.
The film's soundtrack has also become popular, and its theme song was eventually reused by Danny Elfman, who rearranged it as The Dilbert Zone for use as the theme for the television series Dilbert.
The film was released on VHS in the late 1980s and on DVD by Fantoma in 2004 for Region 1 viewers, and in 2006 for Region 2 by Arrow Film Distributors Ltd. with a region-free Blu-ray release by Arrow in 2012
In 2008, the film was colorized by Legend Films. This version of the film is being sold as a download and on DVD from RiffTrax.
In June 2009 it was revealed that a sequel was in pre-production.
In 2010, Forbidden Zone was performed as a live stage show with the support of Richard Elfman. It is a production of the Sacred Fools Theater Company, and premiered there in Los Angeles on Friday, May 21, 2010.
In the SyFy reality series, Monster Man, Elfman requested the aid of Cleve Hall and Sota F/X to create one of his characters for Forbidden Zone 2.
Read more about this topic: Forbidden Zone
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