Psych-Out [DVD]

A runway teen named Jenny (Strasberg) is searching for her hippie brother (Dern) amid all the madness of the acid soaked reality that was the Haight in the 1960s. Jenny falls in with a rock band and begins a relationship with Stoney (cynically played by a phony-tail wearing Jack Nicholson). As Jenny continues to search for her brother she gets more and more wrapped up on the vices of the day. Soon things get heavy. Will Jenny split the scene or ride it out? The story is punctuated by bursts of trippy sequences that do not serve the plot but are high on camp value. And of course, the music, like a fine wine, is perfectly dated. Bands like the Seeds and the Strawberry Alarm Clock sing their psychedelic ear candy like "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", "Incense and Peppermints" and "Two Fingers Pointing At You". Also of note is Jack Nicholson and his band (called Mumblin' Jim) faking their way through a bastard version of "Purple Haze". If you missed the Sixties or (like me) you don't remember very much, then check out this gem. Hear phrases like "It's all one big plastic hassle", "Warren's freaking out at the Gallery" and "You sound better on acid". With the right kind of eyes you can see a certain bleakness that the film takes. There are lots of subtle digs at the hippies and the straights. Dig it.

Psych-Out is hard to judge. It is something of a critical enigma - definitely a film of its time, yet remaining eminently watchable for those of us who are too young to look at it from a nostalgia bent. On one hand it reeks of cheese, lots of camp then-supposedly-trendy slang dialogue, crazy groovy dated fashions and a San Francisco rock band that drive around in a psychedelic van that recalls the Scooby Doo cartoons. We are also expected to believe that this band are going to "make it" which is fine until we get to hear them, although their "Purple Haze" cover has its moments. It is not an art film like other psychedelic pieces of the period are such as "The Trip" or "Performance", and much of the trippy-folky pop music featured is rather average. On the other hand, it is easy to overlook what the film does very well, it transports the viewer effortlessly into the 1968 San Francisco world right from the opening shot, the story is well-paced and quite absorbing, and ultimately, quite moving. The characters are well defined and there are some spectacular set-pieces like a tripped-out character thinking his mates are zombies (good make-up here!) and another thinks he is a a warrior fighting soldiers and monsters when he is in fact fighting a nasty bunch of redneck-types in a scrap yard. And the final trip scene has some breathtaking special effects which still look good. So this is a film that is both tacky and impressive. It deserves to be better known, and is reminiscent of films like "Human Traffic" taking a balanced look at drug culture and the nature of the youth movement. Looking at this, one can see why the San Fran hippy movement was so popular and joyful, as well as revealing the reasons for its ultimate extinction. For those interested in the history, music and culture of that time, or for those out to watch some good stoner film entertainment, this is highly recommended.

This film may not have done much for Jack Nicolson's career but its unparalelled for real street footage of the Haight. This film,although undeniably cheesy, really captures an era when Tim Leary's Millbrook posse(east coast) and Ken Keseys Merry Pranksters(west coast) had more effect on the youth culture of America than the government. With music by the Strawberry Alarmclock (incense & peppermint) and the Seeds the story follows a young runaway deaf girl who falls for the romantic myth of the hippie lifestyle. All is fun and laughter until she finds out there is a darker side to the free love and drugs of the era.

This film captures the essence of the 60's in San Francisco.What started of as harmless exploration and free expression spawned a monster in the form of drug hysteria which the media whipped into a sensation..