You know who I really love? Like, a LOT? Robert Z’Dar. No Joke, I have a framed picture of him on my bedroom wall! It hangs right below the framed picture of Joe Estevez everyone is legally required to have in their house. Anyways, I wanna talk about him and this is kind of my website, so let’s do that, shall we!?
Born in June of 1950 as Robert Zdarsky in Chicago, Z’Dar had a few odd jobs before becoming an actor. A Music Major, he was also a Chippendale Dancer AND a Cop. A regular one, not a Maniac one, though it could be said all Chicago PD are Maniacs. Nay, All cops. ACAM! Anyways, He minored in acting, and that’s where he got the bug.
Z’Dar comes off as one of the few people in this world who love acting for the craft. Just like his best friend Joe Estevez, Z’Dar made it a mission to be in as many films as possible. If he liked the script and there could be a little money to be had, Z’Dar was one board. And, honestly, he wasn’t very picky about his scripts in general. Dude worked for both Amir Shervan AND Donald G. Jackson MULTIPLE times. Because of that, Z’Dar shines in the films he’s in. Let’s see if I can use the magic of Youtube to show off some of our favorite moments.
Pocket Ninjas is TERRIBLE, So bad that it USED to be in the IMDB bottom 100. I think that status in general has softened people on the film a bit. That and the BATSHIT INSANE SCENES LIKE THE ONE Enclosed. I am not going to give ANY real context here, just, check that shit out.
The Final Sanction is a piece of AIP sleaze (Action International, not the one you’re thinking. We’ll talk about them a LOT in the future) that see’s Ted Prior face off against Robert Z’Dar, who happens to throw tiny shovels REALLY well. Like, that’s his thing. He is a killing machine with shovels.
Zen Films are a crazy concept in general. Essentially Donald G. Jackson and later torch barer Scott Shaw drive people into the desert and they just do stuff. There’s no real script, to speak of. Sure, sometimes there is a content outline, but, everything is pretty much ad-libbed. It gets as bad as you expect. I’ll also talk a LOT about these in the future. Shotgun Boulevard is a non-notable example of that. I just like this clip because this is EXACTLY the way I respond to my dog when I’m trying to do something and he’s demanding attention.
A Gnome named Gnorm is a movie that I don’t want to talk much about. I don’t like the creature’s melty face, but, it is what it is. Z’Dar being the name of the Big Bad despite not being played by Robert, when Robert is in the film, was a nice touch.
The Galactic Video Review Adventure Magazine was one of the entries in the late 80s concept of the “Video Magazine”. Some of which caught on, most of which didn’t. This, well, it falls into the latter. I REALLY wish this series would have continued, because I have NO IDEA how they would have continued this story line. It’s about video games, it’s made for kids, and it’s super enjoyable.
Robert Z’Dar passed away on March 30th 2015 due to heart failure. The man had beaten throat cancer and cardiac arrest once already. He had his hips replaced, among other main surgeries just because he preferred to do his own stunts. Z’Dar was an American treasure we don’t see much of now days. A real work horse of an actor who brightened every single film he was in. Rest in Peace Robert, you were one of the greatest to ever live. I don’t want to leave us on a negative, so here’s a video of Robert ACTUALLY Playing piano in a movie, and you get a bit of a smile as well.
