EL TOPO. John Lennon and Yoko Ono admired the bizarre 1970 western El Topo--and so do I! The movie has been hard to see in the United States, but a restored print is about to start a run tomorrow at New York City's IFC Center.

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowski--who also stars--El Topo is one of a spate of what might be called "new" Westerns that emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s, pushing the envelope when it came to violence, sexuality, political and social commentary, and even casting and musical scoring.

El Topo is an extreme example of this trend. Following its title character on a long, logic-defying odyssey that might remind you of some martial arts quests, it's violent and carnal...and in many ways an audacious religious or spiritual allegory. Some of the imagery may bring to mind the work of Matthew Barney.

The new HD print of El Topo virtually sparkles with clarity. Wednesday night's 7:20 pm showing features a "Rare In-Person Appearance by a Living Legend and Longtime EL TOPO Fan to Introduce Screening!" I hear from The New York City Arthouse Meetup Group that it's already 75% sold out...so reserve if you're interested in attending.

Over the coming months, El Topo and Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain will roll out in other Jodorowsky-friendly cities before the release of a special DVD collector’s box set scheduled for April. This set will include the newly remastered versions of El Topo and The Holy Mountain as well as Jodorowsky's Fando y Lis.



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