SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Fuad_Ramses_IV When I want to think about definitive hippie movies, Psych-Out is the first that comes to mind. It's a totally 60s flavored film that explores the psychedelic angle of the 60s history, fusing a complex narrative with trippy visuals and an impressive technical effort. And it even has The Strawberry Alarm Clock.The cast does a great job, but the obvious alluring standout is Jack Nicholson, in the days of his youth. He was involved in what I consider an unofficial drug/counterculture trilogy in 1967's "The Trip" (as writer), this film, and 1969's "Easy Rider", though he has a prominent starring role in this film, playing Stoney, a easy-going hippie in San Fransisco being soured by the illusion of fame and fortune, though this is only one aspect of an interwoven series of colliding events.Coming into this with a childlike innocence is Susan Strasberg's Jenny, a deaf runaway, who gives a solid performance, and with an interesting twist to narrative complexities as it mixes asides in and out of the casual dialogues, causing you to re-analyze how some of the dialogue is being interpreted. But that's just one little facet in a film that has a lot going on in it.Obviously, it was a time of change, and you can't have a film condoning drugs, but you don't want to be too conservative if your audience is in that culture. Psych-Out blends the balance perfectly. It has a lot of ideology for a high and hungry mind, but enough of a compelling story to go along with for sober realistic minds too. It seems so definitive because it really does have everything in it. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Primarily it's a drama of a distressed romance, but there's also scenes of suspense, further influenced by funny, creepy, and tense drug tripping that all, in one form or another, delves into the psychology of the era, and what really matters. Like any good movie, it's a clash of perspectives, looking to find the right balance, and this movie finds it.

ShadeGrenade I was not sure whether I would like this. I was possibly expecting another 'Zabriskie Point' - loud, long, pretentious - but instead came away pleasantly surprised.It was one of several '60's films to depict ordinary people losing faith with the materialistic world and joining the counter-culture, others include Peter Sellers in 'I Love You Alice B.Toklas', Bob Hope in 'How To Commit Marriage', and a fair portion of 'The President's Analyst' with James Coburn. But those were comedies, whereas 'Psych-Out' is ( depending on your point of view, anyway ) not.The late Susan Strasberg plays 'Jenny Davis', a repressed young deaf woman who runs away from home to join up with her brother Steve ( Bruce Dern ), who lives somewhere in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, calls himself 'The Seeker' and annoys locals by making anti-Vietnam war speeches. Jenny throws in her lot with a struggling rock band, led by the aptly-named 'Stoney' ( Jack Nicholson ). They indoctrinate her into their way of life. "Money?", says Stoney, "You don't need too much of it around here!". Jenny is soon wearing colourful clothes and sharing Stoney's bed. Their relationship is platonic at first, but she eventually gives in.In an amusing scene in a scrapyard, Jenny finds her brother's car, but then she and the others are ambushed by local men, who try to rape her. One of the hippies has taken L.S.D. and seeing the thugs as medieval dragons, beats the life out of them.I do not know how accurate a portrayal of 1968 this was. The only hippies I encountered that year were those student teachers from the local tech who came to school once a month to teach art. My friends and I liked them because they looked nice, were more cheerful than the regular teachers, and if our work was not up to standard, did not yell at us.'Psych-Out''s hippies are altogether in a different league, of course. But I liked the fact that they were not patronised. Indeed the non-hippies are the 'villains'. Drugs are on show, with at least two major characters experiencing bad trips; a man in an art gallery sees his friends as hideous monsters, and almost cuts off one of his hands with a power saw. The other is Jenny, given drugs without her knowledge by Dave ( Dean Stockwell ). Alone in the street at night when the hallucinations start, she sees the whole world erupting into flame.The film is well made, with good performances, particularly by Nicholson. Even here you could tell he was a star waiting to happen. Bruce Dern's 'Steve' is really creepy, his bad home life has driven him to drugs. You expect him to do something insane and sure enough, he does, committing suicide in front of his sister.The main flaw is the climax. Just how did Jenny get into the centre of a busy freeway whilst high on drugs? The film ends so quickly you wonder if the final scene was lost.Music by 'The Seeds' and 'The Strawberry Alarm Clock'. The latter's 'Incense & Peppermints' was re-used in the first 'Austin Powers' movie.An interesting film, overall. Certainly not a commercial for recreational drugs use, the opposite in fact!

rosscinema Dick Clark produced this film and I think the problem is it's not edgy enough as far as the drug taking and being hippies. Jack Nicholson seems to just act like a hippie while he really just wants to get laid and play in his band. The real locations of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco are terrific as you really get to see what that part of the city looked like. In some scenes the onlookers across the street are looking at the camera and waving. Dean Stockwell lives in a box on a roof and spouts all sort of hippie lingo and tries to get laid. Henry Jaglom and Garry Marshall show up in small roles. Bruce Dern as The Seeker is rather confusing. I guess he's just a drug addict and the end of the film has me thinking that Dick Clark wanted to make an anti-drug film after all. Susan Strasberg was always excellent and even in a silly film like this she stands out. Nicholson's hands don't move when he's playing the guitar! Groovy!

preppy-3 A 17 year old deaf mute (Susan Stasberg!?!) tries to find her brother (Bruce Dern) in 1968 San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury area. A musician (Jack Nicholson) and his friends try to help her.The plot is unbelievable from the word "go" and, despite location shooting in Haight-Ashbury, this is a very Hollywoodized look at hippies. Everybody is so healthy, friendly, helpful and they live in colorful, spotlessly clean huge houses happily. That was NOT the way it was--any documentary on the 60s could tell you that. Realism aside, this is one of AIP's best pictures.The dialogue is VERY dated (and hysterically funny) as are the situations, but the film never stops moving, is shot in deep rich color, has good acting (considering) and is never once dull. Check out a most interesting "funeral" in the film and a very funny sex sequence. However, at the end, it gets VERY serious and has a depressing ending. Too bad--it's totally at odds with the rest of the film. Still--well worth seeing.It also stars Dean Stockwell (who has the best lines) and Garry Marshall (!!!) in a bit as a cop! Produced by Dick Clark!