Recommend me some psychedelic films

IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Bit of a vague request this but I'm hard for films that are really bonkers and colourful and exciting and stuff and that are fun. I guess I'm thinking of things that are like the Holy Mountain or El Topo - films where although the plot is minimal and often the ideas are verging on preposterous there is still loads of stuff happening and you never get bored. Unfortunately, apart from those I've mentioned, I can hardly think of anything in this category and every time I ask my friends they can't either so any tips would be greatly appreciated - especially if the films are readily available but don't worry about taht too much I guess finding them can be part of the fun.
I guess weird fairy tale type things such as Valerie and Her Week of Wonders are roughly on the right lines as well.
Cheers in advance.
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Would something like Altered States count? It's probably a bit different from the ones you've mentioned (I assume) in that it's more or less straight narrative with bits that veer off into psychedelic weirdness, somewhat a la 2001. Eh, you've probably seen it, anyway.
 
CHAOTROPIC

CHAOTROPIC

on account
Jan Kounen's 'Renegade' (or 'Blueberry' in its original title) is the shit. Vincent Cassell & Michael Madsen as coyboy sorcerors who glug enormous amounts of an unspecified entheogen & battle in some really mesmerising psychedelic dreamscapes, based on the directors own gargantuan consumption of ayahuasca (more than 100 trips in four years). Quintessential trip movie. The making was hilarious ... the director shipped an entire crew into the Mexican desert with the studio's blessing, only to do too much 'research' with local medicine men, returning months later as a barefoot addled flower-bedecked triphead to hand the studio an incomprehensible psychedelic stream-of-consciousness pseudowestern which promptly sank like a stone.

It's brilliant.

(Dobermann is better though.)
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
I've seen that... have to say I found it a bit disappointing actually. The dream/trip sequences are almost alright but they are a little bit close to being obviously computer generated and that takes the edge off them. As for the film in general it did seem slightly lacking somewhere, Madsen was cool as usual but underused and the rest of it just seemed to kind of peter out. Would have been better without Eddie Izzard as well I reckon.
Doberman is the heist thing isn't it - saw that a looooong time ago, seem to remember it being pretty good.
 
CHAOTROPIC

CHAOTROPIC

on account
& let's not forget AKIRA!! Watched that on ketamine once & recorded the experience on a dictaphone. K-holed right before the end when Tetsuo blossoms like a flesh supernova & Akira wipes out the city in a black hole. You can hear me screaming over the church organs. Highly recommended!
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Um, seen that as well, and, er, thought it was ok. Actually was years ago so maybe should give it another go. Don't mean to be negative though, keep 'em coming, these are definitely on the right lines - although they don't have to necessarily psychedelic as such (bad choice of words in the title), I'm thinking things like Head or Satyricon or The Committee which I was on about before.
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
CHAOTROPIC said:
& let's not forget AKIRA!! Watched that on ketamine once & recorded the experience on a dictaphone. K-holed right before the end when Tetsuo blossoms like a flesh supernova & Akira wipes out the city in a black hole. You can hear me screaming over the church organs. Highly recommended!
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Haha, wow, that sounds awesome! That film is enough of a headfuck (cheesy term, but appropriate here, I think) when you're sober, must be something else when you're off your tits...

Can't really say I've watched too many films under the influence of anything other than booze or the odd spliff, though I did come back from a club once while nicely spangled and watched some episodes from the first series of The Mighty Boosh; the line "...and then he set fire to a posh hammer to make it official" caused me an acute brainwrong. :rolleyes:
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Terry Gilliam? I think Fear and loathing was a really underrated film that sort of fits your description. You've probably already seen it though...
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Sweet Movie isn't very good, but it's definitely one of those drug films in a Jodorowsky type way

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072235/

Erm, I presume you done all the Argento and Fulci ones? They kinda trip out but not quite in the same way. Kuchar Brothers always did it for me.

I just watched Saturn 3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079285/

which was really well done, if not good. Kinda TX-lite, but looks great in that 70s space way which will never be bettered, really. Lots of spaaace which is always good to get stoned to. Plus Farrah Fawcett and Harvey Keitel. I thought I'd dreamt it when I saw the cover.
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Oh and actually for stuff 'like' Cremator, Second Run who released it have done loads of good shit, Mehelli Modi who runs it is doing really well I think on digging out unlicensed gems.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
"Sweet Movie isn't very good, but it's definitely one of those drug films in a Jodorowsky type way"
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Got that at home actually - precisely hoping it would be like that (er, except good obviously). How about the Mysteries of the Organism one is that any good?

"Erm, I presume you done all the Argento and Fulci ones?"
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Well, not all but quite a few. Working my way through them very slowly, watch one every now and again.

Saturn 3 noted - sounds interesting anyway.
 
vimothy

vimothy

yurp
CHAOTROPIC said:
& let's not forget AKIRA!! Watched that on ketamine once & recorded the experience on a dictaphone. K-holed right before the end when Tetsuo blossoms like a flesh supernova & Akira wipes out the city in a black hole. You can hear me screaming over the church organs. Highly recommended!
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Er, but anything's psychedelic on ketamine. (That's the point, right)? My personal favourite kenny/film experience (maybe we should start a new thread for this) was The Shining. Absolutely terrifying.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
What about this, Lovefilm have just sent it to me apparently and it sounds as though it ought to be amazing but I've been disappointed by Cox before....

Death and The Compass
Alex Cox (REPO MAN) directed this stylized adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges labyrinthine detective story about a totalitarian city of the future plagued by a rash of bizarre crimes. Peter Boyle stars as Lonnrot, a decidedly even headed detective prone to philosophizing and Christopher Eccleston is his nemesis, Red Scarlach, whom Lonnrot believes could be behind these ritualistic crimes. Set in a surreal landscape that provokes Lonnrot's philosophical musings and leads him through mystical cabals and conspiracies within conspiracies, DEATH AND THE COMPASS is a remarkable adaptation of Borges' story, and a fascinating, often exhilarating film.
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M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
IdleRich said:
What about this, Lovefilm have just sent it to me apparently and it sounds as though it ought to be amazing but I've been disappointed by Cox before....
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Ah haven't seen that yet, I've got a soft spot for old Alex even if he hasn't done anything good since Repo man, that was enough. I'll have to check that out.

WR is, um, it, u, definitely fits in the category of Jodo-type, I can't remember anything about it though due to, um, stuff I was doing when I watched it.

I really, really liked Saint Clara

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115909/

when I saw it, haven't for a while. It's more magical realism though than psychedelia.
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Dune isn't really what I'd call psychedelic per se, but it has that drugged-out paranoia, spacey grandeur and (of course) sheer Lynhcian weirdness.
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
"WR is, um, it, u, definitely fits in the category of Jodo-type, I can't remember anything about it though due to, um, stuff I was doing when I watched it."
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What's WR?

"when I saw it, haven't for a while. It's more magical realism though than psychedelia."
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That's cool, I didn't really mean psychedelia as such, I mean anything that's kinda odd really and that was a sort of lazy shorthand. I mean Marienbad or Lynch films aren't really psychedelic but they would be very much what I'm talking about.
 
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