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Zotz!
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TV actor Tom Poston stars as Prof. Jonathan Jones in this early feature-film appearance, a standard comedy-fantasy oriented to the youngsters. The good professor has come into possession of "zotz," a coin that has three magical properties. It can either cause intense pain if its bearer points an accusing finger at an intended victim or it can make things move in slow-motion, with the right command. If the accusatory finger and the command are used simultaneously, the victim dies. Naturally, just about everyone wants this coin. The hapless professor is soon involved in problems at school, at the Pentagon, and worse yet, with a group of commie agents who have their own designs on the coin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
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QFLWQFLW Re:Movies we loved as children
by QFLW in I Love Childrens Movies
"Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread; just joined the group. :-) Most of the movies listed I saw (and loved) when I was in my twenties or later, so my most-loved movies as a kid are primarily from the Sixties: Mary Poppins (of course) The Sound of Music Gay Purr-ee [More]
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Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
Zotz!, William Castle's adaptation of Walter Karig's satirical allegory, comes across as Castle's version of a live-action Disney film of the period. It's family-friendly; has a naïve hero thrust in the middle of chaotic action; and features silly professors, too-professional government agents, and even wily foreign evildoers (although these are very definitely Russian, rather than undefined, as was frequently the case with Disney). It's also silly and meaningless, and takes pains to bowdlerize a great deal of Karig's original story and significantly alter the ending. As a result, what could have been an interesting and unusual comedy for adults is, instead, a fairly routine, if amusing, comedy for kids. Still, Zotz! is entertaining, and it benefits from a sweet central performance from Tom Poston and some enjoyable supporting turns from Jim Backus and Cecil Kellaway. Castle and Ray Russell's direction is a little too broad; Castle was always better when letting humor be a minor undercurrent, rather the main goal of the film. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

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