To coincide with the release on DVD of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s first film in 22 years, The Dance Of Reality, Uncut thought of us when they posted the full transcript of the interview they conducted with the filmmaker for their issue.
Are you pleased that the soundtrack for The Holy Mountain is finally coming out?
Yes. I had problems with the producer [Allen Klein] for thirty years. Later, with his son, we make peace and I remastered the picture, and the public can see it now. But the music in the picture is not the complete music we composed. On the record, you have all the music not in the picture. So I am very happy.
What was the problem with Allen Klein?
We have a little…. He wanted me to make a picture, so I escaped, I didn’t want to do it. Evidently, he hated me. And then we fought.
How did you first meet John Lennon?
[Hendrix producer] Alan Douglas had a little company. They had El Topo because no one wanted to buy it. He was a friend of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and said to them, ‘See the picture? If you like the picture, show your public the picture.’ And they did. Then they recommended Allen Klein buy El Topo, and he did it.
Wasn’t George Harrison meant to be in The Holy Mountain?
He was staying in the Plaza Hotel [in New York], in a big suite. He was dressed all in white. Very, very spiritual. He said, ‘I like the script, I want to do the picture. But there is one little part I cannot do.’ I said, ‘What little part?’ He said, ‘In a swimming pool, with a hippopotamus, I must clean my asshole in front of the camera. I don’t want to do that.’ I said to him, ‘I am very happy that you like my picture. But this moment is very important for the picture and you are the biggest star and if you show your anus it will be the most fantastic illustration of how humble your ego is.’ And then he said, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ So I said, ‘Well, I can’t work with you.’ I lost millions of dollars! I lost another picture!
Via Uncut
