Head (1968)

Thanks for the memories!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I finally got Head the other day.The only benefit of watching this was being able to make that joke. It's a movie. Sort of. Featuring The Monkees. (1960s musical group that had a TV show).Now, one would expect that it would have been a fun romp with the boys in the band going on all sorts of crazy adventures, and featuring their popular songs. Nope.This was the worst POS I have ever seen, and I don't say that lightly. Not a single popular song, long stretches where the stars are not even in it, non sequitur segues from one boring scene to another. I got exactly one laugh out of the whole thing, and only found Davy's little dance solo the most mildly interestingly shot bit of the whole thing, for all its cheesiness.I do like some bad movies. I can see why this one has languished in obscurity for decades. Oh, and Jack Nicholson, Annette Funicello, Teri Garr, Frank Zappa, and Victor Mature are in it. For no reason whatsoever. Except that Nicholson wrote it

On viewing this movie again in the Criterion BBS Story, I've gained a new appreciation for it. I'd say it's a flawless commentary on the assembly, execution (in many literal senses) and the desires and integrity (if any?) of some or all of The Monkees in the 'system'. Highly surreal at times, but yet making perfect sense to anyone having strong opinions on 'pop stardom', 'television diffusion', and 'political/moral diversion tactics'. It's all brilliantly and subtlety interwoven in this film. It does more to justify what The Monkees were, and The Beatles weren't. Yet, if given the chance at the time - I think both bands would gladly switch their jackets for mere poops and giggles. Both bands could claim being 'groomed and doomed'. But is so interesting that one endured the 'caverns' for their status, while the other endured the 'casting offices'. And in a way, I think the later created more of a desperate bonding than the former for the two bands. The Monkees were definitely split on 'earning their bread' and 'getting their butter'. And had opinions and awareness of the world outside of their 'bubble' that they wanted to empathize and alert their fans of as well. But were caught in such a mechanism that could jeopardize their career, yet at the same time earn them credibility and expand their fan base. I think 'Head' straddles that hurdle amazingly, not only for The Monkees, but Raffleson, Nicholson, and all others involved. How to stay in a system they're trying to escape from? Take the food from the hand, and say the bite it was given was out of love? Really miraculous considering the shackles, context, period, and all the talent that was involved, and their own personal ideas and beliefs. Art for information sake? Or information with a chrome gallery frame around it? Either way, it stands as both - then and now.

I grew up watching the Monkees on TV, and when I was old enough to own my own stereo, I got both of their Greatest Hits albums. On vinyl. To say that I eagerly awaited the VHS release of their single long lost feature, HEAD, back in the mid-80s is an understatement. I was pestering video clerks for a solid year until it appeared on the shelves. And when I finally watched it... I found myself confused, disappointed and bored. The music was different from the more familiar pop-friendly tunes on the show - darker lyrically and musically - but that was okay. Musical groups evolve and change. The movie lacks a coherent story line and often makes no sense whatsoever, but part of the appeal of their show was its scatter-shot approach to anarchic comedy. The individual vignettes which often spoof classic Hollywood warhorses and which make up most of the movie's length are silly and don't really go anywhere, but then the show was not exactly a story-driven affair either. Ultimately, what made the show irresistible was the individual appeal of the four Monkees themselves and their chemistry as a group, and the movie simply doesn't give us any of that, substituting instead a bizarre parade of unrelated images and events that lacks for any coherent or unifying viewpoint. It's much ado about nothing and when it's over, the viewer finds himself wondering, Is that it? Was that the best they could come up with, given Bob Rafelson as director, Jack Nicholson as head screenwriter and two months of studio time? Ultimately, HEAD's a harmless trifle, but it's one of those late 60s movies like CHE or HIERONYMUS MERKIN that just leave you wondering when the clowns took over the circus. These movies came out while the Hollywood old guard who were still in charge of the studios were green-lighting stuff that they hoped would appeal to a youth audience whose tastes were beyond their understanding. The movie might appeal to Monkey fans or maybe not, but keep your expectations low.

What can I say about this movie that has not been said by all the other comments here, they pretty much sum up everything, the people who love it cherish it, the people who hate it... well, they loathe it. This is the movie equivalent of Marmite.I personally have committed every second of it to memory, it is cyclical, claustrophobic, introspective, magical and stands as being one of the most unique films ever made. Despite what many have stated, I believe this truly is a cult movie, it is a diamond in the rough just waiting to be discovered, once unearthed it's fantastical psychedelic visuals and incredible soundtrack will be unforgettable, which is an achievement in itself. One of my friends who watched it likened it more to a musical, and in many respects to those who do not fully appreciate the context in which this film is made, would probably get more out of it to view Head as such.I was always fond of the Monkees, especially the T.V. show back when it was repeated during the 80's. My mum had recorded Head for me when it was shown on T.V. late night, as she knew I liked them, I watched it a day later and it lodged in my memory until I was able to find a copy on DVD about 2 decades later, what I would love now is a special edition, it would be fascinating to get a greater insight into the making of this masterpiece. We can only hope.