Jane fonda biography barbarella pictures

Written By: Ben Cosgrove

The list of movies that were dismissed by critics or that simply bombed at the box office when first released, only to enjoy a renaissance and renewed appreciation after years of neglect, is as long as it is distinguished.

The Wizard of Oz, Blade Runner and It’s a Wonderful Life are just a few of the now-celebrated films that looked, on their first go ’round, like they were doomed to eternal obscurity.

And then there are movies like Barbarella.

While the 1968 psychedelic-sci-fi-meets-soft-porn marvel doesn’t quite warrant the accolades accorded to genuine classics, it still has aged rather well for such a bizarre creation. No one in his or her right mind would ever call it great; but decades after it was unleashed on a head-scratching public, Barbarella feels like a movie that, if released today, might well garner raves for its garish retro stylings, or its warm evocation of late Sixties camp.

Or something.

Love it or like it—v