I found this title listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, but I also recall seeing it once in the Wikipedia list of films considered the worst, but I always going to watch it, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse, Blowup). Basically set in the late 1960s, rebellious student Mark (Mark Frechette) is arrested after trying to bail out his roommate, following a mass arrest at the campus during a protest, after he is released he and friend buy firearms from a Los Angeles gun shop, claiming it is for "self-defence". In a downtown Los Angeles office building, successful real estate executive Lee Allen (The Birds' Rod Taylor) is reviewing a commercial for Sunny Dunes, a new resort-like real estate development in the desert. After getting away from a bloody campus confrontation between students and police, Mark walks to Hawthorne Municipal Airport, steals a small Cessna 210 aircraft and flies into the desert. Meanwhile, pot-smoking secretary Daria (Daria Halprin) is driving across the desert towards Phoenix in a 1950s-era Buick automobile to meet her boss Lee, he may or may not also be her lover. Daria is spied from the air by Mark, he flies inches above her car, before she gets out and he wizzes over her lying in the sand, he throws his T-shirt out the window for her to pick up, Daria goes from upset to curious. The meet later, Mark asks Daria for a lift so he can buy fuel for the plane, the two wander to Zabriskie Point, the lowest point of the United States, there they make love, and the site's geological formations seem to have a dusty orgy. Later, a suspicious California patrolman questions Daria, Mark hides behind a portable toilet holding a gun, he aims his weapon, but Daria blocks him, allowing the policeman to drive away. Daria asks Mark if he killed a policeman who was killed in Los Angeles, he admits he wanted to kill him, but someone else shot the officer. Mark and Daria return to the stolen aircraft, painting it with politically-charged slogans and psychedelic colours, Daria begs him to come with her and leave the plane, but Mark is intent on returning it and taking the risks that it involves. Mark flies back to Los Angeles and lands the plane at the airport in Hawthorne, police and radio and television reporters are waiting there for him, he tries to turn the aircraft around across the grass, but Mark is shot to death by one of the policemen. Daria learns about Mark's death on the car radio, she sees three affluent women sunning themselves and chatting around the swimming pool at Lee's desert home, Daria grieves for Mark drenching herself in the house's architectural waterfall. Lee is deeply immersed in the business meeting about the Sunny Dunes development, he spots Daria when taking a break and happily greets her, she finds there is a guest room ready for her, but briefly opening the door, she shuts it again. Daria leaves the house silently and drives away but stops to get out of the car and look back at the house, in her own imagination Daria sees the house repeatedly being blown apart in billows of flames with household items going up with it, she then continues her journey. Also starring Paul Fix as Roadhouse owner, G. D. Spradlin as Lee's associate, Bill Garaway as Morty and Kathleen Cleaver as Kathleen, and an uncredited Harrison Ford as an arrested student. This film has been described as "the worst film ever made by a director of genius", it was an overwhelming commercial failure, and has been panned by critics, no wonder it has gained a cult audience. I don't think it is that bad of a movie, it shows radical activism, rebellion against society, and the breakthrough of modern youth during this significant era, there are certainly a few memorable moments, from the plane flying to the carefree sandy sex scenes, from the road movie vibe to the psychedelic painting of a plane, overall it is a relatively interesting drama. Worth watching!

Mark is bored with the continuing student strike on campus. His friends get arrested and he goes to bail them out of jail. Instead, he is arrested. He is released and buys guns with his friend. During a campus protest, a policeman is shot. Mark flees the scene and steals a small plane. He's flying over the desert and Daria driving her car. He lands and joins her.It's a little too free form and amateurish especially considering Michelangelo Antonioni as its director. It could trim some of the first half. Sometimes, it looks like a student film. It's almost halfway before Mark and Daria get together. The leads do more or less student level acting. They are hippie-rama and the embodiment of that newfound free-spirit. It's fine to have a road trip through the desert and suddenly, there is a hippie sex orgy in the dusty landscape. As a narrative film, it is a meandering slow jog. It's not surreal enough to be a hippie psychedelic fantasy. I wouldn't say it's beautifully filmed but the desert setting is compelling. At least, that's better than the real estate office. The explosions montage as a finale only serves to punctuate how lackluster most of the movie is. The box office was an unmitigated financial disaster. It's a little better than that.

They must worked hard to promote this production, it's still available. Apparently, minds behind this project tried to tell us something but the fruit falls far from the tree.If they wanted to create an anti-system (i think "capitalism" in this case) message and influence people, they sure managed to do exact opposite.But what can you do? There are billions of human around the world and being a pretentious, self-righteous hippi director is always free of charge. Speaking of this movie, it seems that they even awarded him with enough money and production opportunity.Don't even have a thought about watching this hippi crap with lame messages.Shame to everybody , who especially have role to produce that earth-orgy scene.

Plot and story line straight of the late sixties: It didn't make any sense. Interesting story about the "Youth Revolution", with the lens of 47 years makes the film all that more interesting. Great photography, nice shots of the USC Campus of the 1960s and I think UCLA. Most unbelievable part of the story was the lovemaking in the gypsum sands. Been to this part of the Mojave/Death Valley and got to say the skin of the hippies must have been monumentally dry. Just watch in this movie my skin dried out. Really on a good day that place is drier than you can imagine. Barefeet on that gypsum stuff, they must have had to moisturize for decades to get over coming in contact with it.Best part was the music, which has tracks by Pink Floyd I bet you never hear.The lead make actor Mark Frechette was killed in prison when a 150 pound weight fell on him. This was his only acting job of importance.Scenes have people that suddenly appear and disappear, which was a bit odd. Worth the watch.