A very bizarre flashy musical released the same year as "Xanadu" and "Fame" and two years after "Grease" and "Hair". Lots of flash and glitter, and also thought-provoking: the Biblical symbolism - including the end-of-the-world ideas - was interesting. Around this time (late 70s/early 80s) there was alot of hysteria about the end of the world, and the apocalyptic book "The Late Great Planet Earth" was on the best seller chart; I imagine these themes would have been familiar to people at the time, certainly the filmmakers to some degree. After all, the year before, a movie version of "Earth" was released and featured Orson Welles. The doomsday/mark-of-the-beast themes are all clearly there in the film: the "BIM mark", the "rapture" scene at the end, etc. I saw Mr. Boogalow as Satan "personified", and Mr Topps as the God-like character bringing the resisters of the mark up to heaven. Strangest quotes from the film:
Mr Booglaow (referring to Bibi): "She's already married...to the BIM"
Cop (to Alphie): You're not wearing the BIM mark..you know it's obligatory from now on"
Landlady (referring to Alphie's room): "What happened here last night, a pogrom?"
Landlady (to Alphie): "I need the money, this government's crazy!"
2nd Cop (to Alphie): "You're not wearing the BIM mark; here's a ticket"
Loudspeaker in a public park: "Time to stop ordinary activities and prepare for the national BIM tour...all citizens must participate"
Alphie (to the hippies): " 'Peace'...I haven't heard that word in a long time".
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