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Head (film)
Encyclopedia
Head is a 1968 psychedelic comedy
-adventure
major motion picture, starring TV group
The Monkees
(in credit order: Peter Tork
, Davy Jones
, Micky Dolenz
and Michael Nesmith
), and distributed by Columbia Pictures
. It was written and produced by Bob Rafelson
and Jack Nicholson
, and directed by Rafelson.
During production, the working title for the film was "Changes", which was later the name of an unrelated album by the Monkees. A rough cut of the film was previewed for audiences in Los Angeles in the summer of '68 under the name of "Movee Untitled".
The film featured Victor Mature
as "The Big Victor" and other cameo appearance
s by Nicholson, Teri Garr
, Carol Doda
, Annette Funicello
, Frank Zappa
, Sonny Liston
, Timothy Carey
and Ray Nitschke
. Also appearing on screen in brief non-speaking parts are Dennis Hopper
and Toni Basil
. Video Watchdog
responded to a letter asking about their diligent reporting of actual violence against animals in non US/UK/Canada film product saying that Head is the only feature film that they know of that contains footage of an actual human murder, news footage of a Khmer Rouge
killing.
. After a politician struggles with constant feedback with his microphone as he tries to give a speech, the Monkees suddenly interrupt the ceremony by running through the assembled officials, to the sound of various horns and sirens. The rest of the film has no overriding plot. There are several short vignettes that consist of a conflict and resolution, but the film is essentially plotless (as the opening song relates: "We hope you like our story/Although there isn't one/That is to say, there's many/That way, there is more fun!"). It is, rather, a seemingly stream of consciousness stringing-together of musical numbers, satire
of various film genres, elements of psychedelia, and references to topical issues such as the Vietnam War
. The distorted consciousness and psychedelia elements resemble that of an LSD
trip, a widespread recreational drug at the time, made illegal in 1967. Recurring images include a black box that the group are trapped in, a desert
location, and a gigantic Victor Mature
.
, where the Monkees, Rafelson and Nicholson brainstormed
into a tape recorder, reportedly with the aid of a quantity of marijuana
. Jack Nicholson then took the tapes away and used them as the basis for his screenplay which (according to Rafelson) he structured while under the influence of LSD. When the band learned that they would not be allowed to direct themselves or to receive screenwriting credit (since they didn't write the actual shooting script), Dolenz, Jones, and Nesmith staged a one-day walkout
, leaving Tork the only Monkee on the set the first day. The strike ended after the first day when, to mollify the Monkees, the studio agreed to a larger percentage share of the film's net for the group. But the incident damaged the Monkees' relationship with Rafelson and Bert Schneider
, and would effectively draw a curtain on their professional relationship together.
Filmed at Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems Studios in Culver City and at the Columbia Ranch in Burbank, as well as on various locations in California (the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Gerald Desmond Bridge, Long Beach; the "WAR!" chant cheerleader sequence at Pasadena Rose Bowl, Pasadena; the factory sequence at the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant, Playa Del Rey; the war sequence at Bronson Canyon; some sequences at San Francisco; the desert sequence at Palm Springs), Utah (the concert sequence at Valley Music Hall, Salt Lake City) and The Bahamas (Micky's underwater sequence) between February 15 and May 17, 1968, the movie makes fun of the band's image and the bandmembers' persona
e. The song "Ditty Diego - War Chant" was written by Jack Nicholson & is a parody
of the band's original Boyce and Hart
written TV theme song
; its lyrics illustrate the tone of self-parody evident in parts of the film:
The final "We're here to give you..." is interrupted by a gunshot, with footage of the execution of Viet Cong operative (q.v.) Nguyen Van Lem
, by Brigadier General & then Chief of National Police Nguyễn Ngọc Loan
.
Elements of the movie were based in fact, including the stampede leaving the studio canteen when the Monkees break for lunch, and the "big black box"* the band repeatedly becomes trapped in. (*During the first season, veteran performers would regularly complain about the Monkees' presence – and walk out of the cafeteria whenever they came in – while members would sometimes wander off-set when they weren't needed on camera. The studio responded by building a break area on-set for the Monkees, with a meat-locker door and the walls painted black.)
A poor audience response at an August 1968 screening in Los Angeles
eventually forced the producers to edit the picture down from its original 110-minute length. The 86-minute Head premiered in New York City
on November 6, 1968. (The film later debuted in Hollywood on November 20.) It was not a commercial success. This was in part because Head, being an antithesis of The Monkees TV show, comprehensively demolished the group's carefully groomed public image, while the older, hipper audience they'd been reaching for rejected the Monkees' efforts out of hand.
The movie was also delayed in its release (owing partly to the use of solarisation
, a then-new technique both laborious and expensive), and badly under-promoted. The sole television commercial was a confusing, minimalist
close-up shot of a man's head (John Brockman
); after thirty seconds, the man smiled and the name HEAD appeared on his forehead. This ad was a parody of Andy Warhol
's 1963 film Blow Job
, which only showed a close-up of a man's face for an extended period, supposedly receiving 'head'.
Another part of the promotional campaign was placing "Head" stickers in random places. An urban legend has circulated for years that Jack Nicholson was arrested for trying to place one of these stickers onto the helmet of a New York City police officer while he was mounting his horse.
Receiving mixed critical reviews and virtually non-existent box office receipts, the movie only succeeded in alienating the band's teenaged fanbase, while also failing to attract the more adult audience they had been striving for. Heads abysmal reception instantly halted studio plans for any further films with the Monkees. It also corresponded with a steep drop in the group's popularity as recording artists; the film's soundtrack album only peaked at #45 on the American chart, the first time any LP by the Monkees had not risen to the Top 5. The single released from the album, "Porpoise Song", was the first 45 RPM record by the band to fail to crack the Top 40 as well.
The film eventually found a cult following
, although even fans tend to disagree whether the film is a landmark of surreal, innovative filmmaking or simply a fascinating mess. Today, it receives mainly positive reviews from fans and film critics alike. Leonard Maltin
describes it in his comprehensive Movie Guide
as “delightfully plotless” and “well worth seeing,” giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, while Rotten Tomatoes
gives the film a 74% rating. Head premiered on television across-the-board as a CBS Late Movie on December 30, 1974
(Michael Nesmith
's 32nd birthday, and David Jones
' 29th), at 11:30pm (EST); the network rebroadcast the film on July 7, 1975
(the 35th birthday of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr
, who's mentioned in the movie), and once again in January 1981. Cable TV took hold in 1984, when Head began periodical showings on Cinemax
. In the UK, Channel 4 also aired the movie on British TV for the first time in 1986, and then again in 1991. It was later shown regularly on Starz Cinema, and in 2007, Turner Classic Movies
featured the film as part of TCM Underground
, showing the film unedited and in its original aspect ratio. It was released on video and Laserdisc by RCA/Columbia Pictures
Home Video in September 1986 (taking advantage of the group's 20th Anniversary), again on VHS and DVD by Rhino Entertainment
in January 1995
, and a third time on Blu-Ray and DVD in November and December 2010, respectively, by The Criterion Collection, in a box set with other films from Rafelson.
, including songs contributed by Carole King
and Harry Nilsson
. Jack Nicholson compiled the soundtrack album, which approximates the flow of the movie and includes large portions of the dialogue. The film's incidental music was composed and conducted by Ken Thorne
, who also composed and conducted the incidental music to the Beatles'
second film, Help!
Andrew Sandoval
, Rhino Entertainment's archivist who co-produced the company's reissue of the film, commented on the songs in a 1995 article published when the film was first reissued: "It has some of their best songs on it and, as you know, the movie's musical performances are some of the most cohesive moments in the film."
The music of the Monkees often featured rather dark subject matter beneath a superficially bright, happy sound (the song "Last Train to Clarksville
", for instance, is actually about a young man who has been drafted, and is trying to arrange one last date with his girlfriend before he ships out); the music of the film takes the darkness and occasional satirical elements of the Monkees' earlier tunes and makes it far more overt, as in "Ditty Diego-War Chant", or "Daddy's Song," which has Jones singing an upbeat, Broadway-style number about a boy abandoned by his father. (Jones' own father, Harry, died just prior to Heads release.)
The soundtrack includes:
On screen these credits actually appeared backwards.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
-adventure
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
major motion picture, starring TV group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
(in credit order: Peter Tork
Peter Tork
Peter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
, Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
, Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
and Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
), and distributed by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. It was written and produced by Bob Rafelson
Bob Rafelson
Robert "Bob" Rafelson is an Emmy Award winning American film director, writer and producer. He was an early member of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s and is most famous for directing and co-writing the film Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson, as well as being one of the creators of...
and Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
, and directed by Rafelson.
During production, the working title for the film was "Changes", which was later the name of an unrelated album by the Monkees. A rough cut of the film was previewed for audiences in Los Angeles in the summer of '68 under the name of "Movee Untitled".
The film featured Victor Mature
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
as "The Big Victor" and other cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by Nicholson, Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
, Carol Doda
Carol Doda
Carol Ann Doda was a topless stripper in San Francisco, California in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era....
, Annette Funicello
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
, Timothy Carey
Timothy Carey
Timothy Agoglia Carey was an American film and television actor....
and Ray Nitschke
Ray Nitschke
Raymond Ernest "Ray" Nitschke was a professional football player who played his entire career as a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Wearing #66, he played fifteen seasons, from 1958-72....
. Also appearing on screen in brief non-speaking parts are Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
and Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
. Video Watchdog
Video Watchdog
Video Watchdog is a bimonthly, digest size film magazine started in 1990 by publisher/editor Tim Lucas and his wife, art director and co-publisher Donna Lucas....
responded to a letter asking about their diligent reporting of actual violence against animals in non US/UK/Canada film product saying that Head is the only feature film that they know of that contains footage of an actual human murder, news footage of a Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
killing.
Plot
Head begins at the dedication of a bridgeGerald Desmond Bridge
The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a through arch bridge that carries four lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Cerritos Channel to Terminal Island...
. After a politician struggles with constant feedback with his microphone as he tries to give a speech, the Monkees suddenly interrupt the ceremony by running through the assembled officials, to the sound of various horns and sirens. The rest of the film has no overriding plot. There are several short vignettes that consist of a conflict and resolution, but the film is essentially plotless (as the opening song relates: "We hope you like our story/Although there isn't one/That is to say, there's many/That way, there is more fun!"). It is, rather, a seemingly stream of consciousness stringing-together of musical numbers, satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of various film genres, elements of psychedelia, and references to topical issues such as the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The distorted consciousness and psychedelia elements resemble that of an LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
trip, a widespread recreational drug at the time, made illegal in 1967. Recurring images include a black box that the group are trapped in, a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
location, and a gigantic Victor Mature
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
.
Promos
Trailers for the film summarized it as a "most extraordinary adventure, western, comedy, love story, mystery, drama, musical, documentary satire ever made (And that's putting it mildly)."Origins and Aftermath
The storylines and peak moments of the movie came from a weekend visit to a resort in Ojai, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where the Monkees, Rafelson and Nicholson brainstormed
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members...
into a tape recorder, reportedly with the aid of a quantity of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. Jack Nicholson then took the tapes away and used them as the basis for his screenplay which (according to Rafelson) he structured while under the influence of LSD. When the band learned that they would not be allowed to direct themselves or to receive screenwriting credit (since they didn't write the actual shooting script), Dolenz, Jones, and Nesmith staged a one-day walkout
Walkout
In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace as an act of protest.A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an organization, especially if meant as an expression of protest or disapproval.A...
, leaving Tork the only Monkee on the set the first day. The strike ended after the first day when, to mollify the Monkees, the studio agreed to a larger percentage share of the film's net for the group. But the incident damaged the Monkees' relationship with Rafelson and Bert Schneider
Bert Schneider
Berton "Bert" Schneider is an American movie producer, who was behind a number of important and topical films of the late-1960s and early-1970s. The son of Abraham Schneider, onetime president of Columbia Pictures, the younger Schneider tended toward the rebellious. He briefly attended Cornell...
, and would effectively draw a curtain on their professional relationship together.
Filmed at Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems Studios in Culver City and at the Columbia Ranch in Burbank, as well as on various locations in California (the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Gerald Desmond Bridge, Long Beach; the "WAR!" chant cheerleader sequence at Pasadena Rose Bowl, Pasadena; the factory sequence at the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant, Playa Del Rey; the war sequence at Bronson Canyon; some sequences at San Francisco; the desert sequence at Palm Springs), Utah (the concert sequence at Valley Music Hall, Salt Lake City) and The Bahamas (Micky's underwater sequence) between February 15 and May 17, 1968, the movie makes fun of the band's image and the bandmembers' persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
e. The song "Ditty Diego - War Chant" was written by Jack Nicholson & is a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the band's original Boyce and Hart
Boyce and Hart
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were a prolific songwriting duo, best known for the songs they wrote for The Monkees.-Early years:Hart's father was a church minister and he himself served in the Army after leaving high school, Upon discharge,...
written TV theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
; its lyrics illustrate the tone of self-parody evident in parts of the film:
He, hey, we are The Monkees
You know we love to please
A manufactured image
With no philosophies.
[...]
You say we're manufactured.
To that we all agree.
So make your choice and we'll rejoice
in never being free!
Hey, hey, we are The Monkees
We've said it all before
The money's in, we're made of tin
We're here to give you more!
The money's in, we're made of tin
We're here to give you...
The final "We're here to give you..." is interrupted by a gunshot, with footage of the execution of Viet Cong operative (q.v.) Nguyen Van Lem
Nguyen Van Lem
Nguyễn Văn Lém was a member of the Viet Cong who was summarily executed in Saigon during the Tet Offensive. The execution was captured on film by photojournalist Eddie Adams, and the momentous image became a symbol of the inhumanity of war...
, by Brigadier General & then Chief of National Police Nguyễn Ngọc Loan
Nguyen Ngoc Loan
General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan was the Republic of Vietnam's Chief of National Police. Nguyễn gained international attention when he executed handcuffed prisoner Nguyễn Văn Lém, a Viet Cong soldier, on February 1, 1968 in front of Vo Suu, an NBC cameraman, and Eddie Adams, an Associated Press photographer...
.
Elements of the movie were based in fact, including the stampede leaving the studio canteen when the Monkees break for lunch, and the "big black box"* the band repeatedly becomes trapped in. (*During the first season, veteran performers would regularly complain about the Monkees' presence – and walk out of the cafeteria whenever they came in – while members would sometimes wander off-set when they weren't needed on camera. The studio responded by building a break area on-set for the Monkees, with a meat-locker door and the walls painted black.)
A poor audience response at an August 1968 screening in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
eventually forced the producers to edit the picture down from its original 110-minute length. The 86-minute Head premiered in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on November 6, 1968. (The film later debuted in Hollywood on November 20.) It was not a commercial success. This was in part because Head, being an antithesis of The Monkees TV show, comprehensively demolished the group's carefully groomed public image, while the older, hipper audience they'd been reaching for rejected the Monkees' efforts out of hand.
The movie was also delayed in its release (owing partly to the use of solarisation
Solarisation
Solarisation is a phenomenon in photography in which the image recorded on a negative or on a photographic print is wholly or partially reversed in tone. Dark areas appear light or light areas appear dark...
, a then-new technique both laborious and expensive), and badly under-promoted. The sole television commercial was a confusing, minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
close-up shot of a man's head (John Brockman
John Brockman (literary agent)
John Brockman is a literary agent and author specializing in scientific literature. He founded the Edge Foundation, an organization aimed to bring together people working at the edge of a broad range of scientific and technical fields. Referencing C.P...
); after thirty seconds, the man smiled and the name HEAD appeared on his forehead. This ad was a parody of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
's 1963 film Blow Job
Blow Job (film)
Blow Job is a silent film, directed by Andy Warhol, that was filmed in January 1964. The 35-minute film is an innovative film, considering the time period. It depicts the face of an uncredited DeVeren Bookwalter as he receives fellatio from an unseen homosexual partner...
, which only showed a close-up of a man's face for an extended period, supposedly receiving 'head'.
Another part of the promotional campaign was placing "Head" stickers in random places. An urban legend has circulated for years that Jack Nicholson was arrested for trying to place one of these stickers onto the helmet of a New York City police officer while he was mounting his horse.
Receiving mixed critical reviews and virtually non-existent box office receipts, the movie only succeeded in alienating the band's teenaged fanbase, while also failing to attract the more adult audience they had been striving for. Heads abysmal reception instantly halted studio plans for any further films with the Monkees. It also corresponded with a steep drop in the group's popularity as recording artists; the film's soundtrack album only peaked at #45 on the American chart, the first time any LP by the Monkees had not risen to the Top 5. The single released from the album, "Porpoise Song", was the first 45 RPM record by the band to fail to crack the Top 40 as well.
The film eventually found a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, although even fans tend to disagree whether the film is a landmark of surreal, innovative filmmaking or simply a fascinating mess. Today, it receives mainly positive reviews from fans and film critics alike. Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
describes it in his comprehensive Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide is a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and has been updated yearly since 1978. It was originally called TV Movies, which became Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide, which then became Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide...
as “delightfully plotless” and “well worth seeing,” giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, while Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a 74% rating. Head premiered on television across-the-board as a CBS Late Movie on December 30, 1974
1974 in television
The year 1974 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1974.For the American TV schedule, see: 1974-75 American network television schedule.-Events:...
(Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
's 32nd birthday, and David Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
' 29th), at 11:30pm (EST); the network rebroadcast the film on July 7, 1975
1975 in television
The year 1975 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1975.For the American TV schedule, see: 1975-76 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
(the 35th birthday of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, who's mentioned in the movie), and once again in January 1981. Cable TV took hold in 1984, when Head began periodical showings on Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
. In the UK, Channel 4 also aired the movie on British TV for the first time in 1986, and then again in 1991. It was later shown regularly on Starz Cinema, and in 2007, Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
featured the film as part of TCM Underground
TCM Underground
TCM Underground is a weekly late-night cult film showcase airing on Turner Classic Movies. Developed by TCM programmers Millie De Chirico and Eric Weber, it was originally hosted by industrial rock/heavy metal musician and independent filmmaker Rob Zombie. TCM Underground began airing Friday the...
, showing the film unedited and in its original aspect ratio. It was released on video and Laserdisc by RCA/Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
Home Video in September 1986 (taking advantage of the group's 20th Anniversary), again on VHS and DVD by Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
in January 1995
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
, and a third time on Blu-Ray and DVD in November and December 2010, respectively, by The Criterion Collection, in a box set with other films from Rafelson.
Music
While the film's music disappointed fans of the band's more traditional pop sound, it features what some critics considered to be some of the best recorded work by The MonkeesThe Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, including songs contributed by Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
. Jack Nicholson compiled the soundtrack album, which approximates the flow of the movie and includes large portions of the dialogue. The film's incidental music was composed and conducted by Ken Thorne
Ken Thorne
Kenneth Thorne is a British-American television and film score composer.- Early life :Thorne was born in East Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands of England during the 1940s, playing at night clubs and the dance halls...
, who also composed and conducted the incidental music to the Beatles'
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
second film, Help!
Help! (film)
Help! is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a...
Andrew Sandoval
Andrew Sandoval
Born in Santa Monica, California Andrew P. Sandoval is a songwriter, musician, author and Grammy nominated producer and engineer. His career in music began in 1986 as the editor and publisher of a fanzine called "New Breed", a project that blossomed into work as a reissue producer for such labels...
, Rhino Entertainment's archivist who co-produced the company's reissue of the film, commented on the songs in a 1995 article published when the film was first reissued: "It has some of their best songs on it and, as you know, the movie's musical performances are some of the most cohesive moments in the film."
The music of the Monkees often featured rather dark subject matter beneath a superficially bright, happy sound (the song "Last Train to Clarksville
Last Train to Clarksville
"Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees, released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, that was released on October 10, 1966. The song was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood, on July 25, 1966...
", for instance, is actually about a young man who has been drafted, and is trying to arrange one last date with his girlfriend before he ships out); the music of the film takes the darkness and occasional satirical elements of the Monkees' earlier tunes and makes it far more overt, as in "Ditty Diego-War Chant", or "Daddy's Song," which has Jones singing an upbeat, Broadway-style number about a boy abandoned by his father. (Jones' own father, Harry, died just prior to Heads release.)
The soundtrack includes:
- "Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)"Porpoise Song " is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and performed by pop/rock quartet The Monkees on their album Head. The song was released as a single in 1968, and reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" (Gerry GoffinGerry GoffinGerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
/ Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
) - "Ditty Diego - War Chant" (Rafelson/Nicholson)
- "Circle SkyCircle SkyCircle Sky is a song written by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees, which appeared on their sixth album, the Head soundtrack, and also in the film Head as a live concert performance....
" (Michael NesmithMichael NesmithRobert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
) - "Can You Dig It" (Peter TorkPeter TorkPeter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
) - "As We Go Along" (Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
/Toni Stern) - "Daddy's Song" (Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
) - "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?" (Peter TorkPeter TorkPeter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
) - Excerpts from the film, spliced in random order that is not consecutive to the movie itself
Cast
- Peter TorkPeter TorkPeter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
as Peter - David JonesDavy Jones (actor)David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
as Davy - Micky DolenzMicky DolenzGeorge Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
as Micky - Michael NesmithMichael NesmithRobert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
as Mike - Annette FunicelloAnnette FunicelloAnnette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
as Teresa/Minnie - Timothy CareyTimothy CareyTimothy Agoglia Carey was an American film and television actor....
as Lord High ‘n Low - Logan RamseyLogan RamseyLogan Carlisle Ramsey, Jr. was an American character actor of television and film for nearly 50 years. Largely a TV actor, he appeared on, among others: The Edge of Night, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, Mork and Mindy, Knight Rider and Night...
as Officer Faye Lapid - Abraham SofaerAbraham SofaerAbraham Sofaer was a stage actor of Burmese-Jewish descent who became a familiar supporting player on film and television in his later years. He was born in Rangoon, Burma...
as Swami - Vito ScottiVito ScottiVito Scotti was a veteran character actor who played many roles, primarily from the late-1940s to the mid-1990s. He was known as a man of a thousand faces, for his ability to assume so many divergent roles in more than 200 screen roles, in a nearly 50 year career. He was known for his resourceful...
as I. Vitteloni - Charles Macaulay as Inspector Shrink
- T. C. JonesT. C. JonesThomas Craig "T. C." Jones was an American female impersonator. He was known for his impersonations of stars such as Tallulah Bankhead, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn and others...
as Mr. & Mrs. Ace - Charles IrvingCharles IrvingSir Charles Graham Irving was a British Conservative Member of Parliament for Cheltenham.Irving's political career started in 1947 when he was elected to Cheltenham Borough Council, the following year he was elected to Gloucestershire County Council. He was Mayor of Cheltenham 1958-1960 and again...
as Mayor Feedback - William Bagdad as Black Sheik
- Percy HeltonPercy HeltonPercy Helton was an American film and television actor.One of his most memorable supporting roles was playing a drunken Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street. He also appeared in small but memorable roles in Criss Cross , The Set-Up , Kiss Me Deadly and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...
as Heraldic Messenger - Sonny ListonSonny ListonCharles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
as Extra - Ray NitschkeRay NitschkeRaymond Ernest "Ray" Nitschke was a professional football player who played his entire career as a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Wearing #66, he played fifteen seasons, from 1958-72....
as Private One - Carol DodaCarol DodaCarol Ann Doda was a topless stripper in San Francisco, California in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era....
as Sally Silicone - Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
as The Critic - June Fairchild as The Jumper
- Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
as Testy True - I.J. Jefferson as Lady Pleasure
- Victor MatureVictor MatureVictor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
as The Big Victor - Toni BasilToni BasilAntonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
as 'Daddy's Song' Dancer
"Reversed" cast
- Srebmahc Yrret as Oreh (Terry Chambers as Hero)
- Snrub Ekim as Gnihton (Mike Burns as Nothing)
- Drapehs Rehtse as Rehtom (Esther Shepard as Mother)
- Iksotsleh Enitsirk as Dneirf Lrig (Kristine Helstoski as Girl Friend)
- Namffoh Nhoj as Dneifxes Eht (John Hoffman as The Sexfiend)
- Revaew Adnil as Yraterces Revol (Linda Weaver as Lover Secretary)
- Yelnah Mij as Frodis (Jim Hanley as 'Frodis' - a slang term for marijuana coined by Micky Dolenz)
On screen these credits actually appeared backwards.
Crew
- Directed by Bob RafelsonBob RafelsonRobert "Bob" Rafelson is an Emmy Award winning American film director, writer and producer. He was an early member of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s and is most famous for directing and co-writing the film Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson, as well as being one of the creators of...
- Written and Produced by Bob RafelsonBob RafelsonRobert "Bob" Rafelson is an Emmy Award winning American film director, writer and producer. He was an early member of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s and is most famous for directing and co-writing the film Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson, as well as being one of the creators of...
and Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the... - Incidental Music Composed and Conducted by Ken ThorneKen ThorneKenneth Thorne is a British-American television and film score composer.- Early life :Thorne was born in East Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands of England during the 1940s, playing at night clubs and the dance halls...
- Director of Photography: Michel HugoMichel HugoMichael Hugo was a French-born American cinematographer and academic. His film and television credits included Dynasty, Melrose Place and Mission: Impossible. In 2001, Hugo became a professor at the film department of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.Hugo was born in Paris on 13 Jan 1930...
- Art Director: Sidney Z. Litwack
- Film Editor: Mike Pozen, A.C.E.
- Set Decorator: Ned Parsons
- Property Master: Jack Williams
- Costumes: Gene Ashman
- Special Effects: Chuck Gaspar
- Photographic Effects: Butler-Glouner
- Color by TechnicolorTechnicolorTechnicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
- Choreography: Toni BasilToni BasilAntonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
- Music Coordinator: Igo Kantor
- Music Editing: Synchrofilm Inc.
- Sound Recorder: Les Fresholtz
- Sound Effects: Edit-Rite, Co.
- Re-Recording: Producers Sound Service
- Unit Production Manager: Harold Schnieder
- Special Color Effects: Burton Gershfield, Bruce Lane
- Assistant Director: Jon Andersen
- Assistant To The Producers: Marilyn Schlossberg
- Executive Producer: Bert SchneiderBert SchneiderBerton "Bert" Schneider is an American movie producer, who was behind a number of important and topical films of the late-1960s and early-1970s. The son of Abraham Schneider, onetime president of Columbia Pictures, the younger Schneider tended toward the rebellious. He briefly attended Cornell...
- A Raybert ProductionRaybert ProductionsRaybert Productions was a 1960s production company, founded by Robert Rafelson and Bert Schneider. Its principal works were the wildly successful situation comedy The Monkees , and the 1969 movie Easy Rider...
of A Columbia PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
Release
Trivia
- The first and final scenes which play the Porpoise Song were the basis for IncubusIncubus (band)Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
' original music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Wish You Were HereWish You Were Here (Incubus song)"Wish You Were Here" is a song by American alternative rock band Incubus and the lead single from their fourth studio album album, Morning View. Released in late summer 2001, it peaked at #2 on the Modern Rock and #4 on the Mainstream Rock Charts that year...
". - The Daddy's Song Black and White flip/flop costume sequence is imitated in Cee-Lo's 2001 "Closet Freak" music video. Starting at approximately 2:37 and used frequently thereafter in the video.
- Clips from old movies appear in Head, such as The Black CatThe Black Cat (1934 film)The Black Cat is a 1934 horror film that became Universal Pictures' biggest box office hit of the year. It was the first of eight movies to pair actors Béla Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Edgar G. Ulmer directed the film; Peter Ruric wrote the screenplay...
(1934), SalomeSalome (1953 film)Salome is a Biblical epic film made in Technicolor by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by William Dieterle and produced by Buddy Adler from a screenplay by Harry Kleiner and Jesse Lasky Jr. The music score was by George Duning, the dance music by Daniele Amfitheatrof and the cinematography by...
(1953), and GildaGildaGilda is a 1946 American black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. It stars Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale. The film was noted for cinematographer Rudolph Mate's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis' wardrobe for Hayworth , and...
(1946).
Home video release history
- September 18, 1986 (VHS1986 in home video-July:*15 July - RCA/Columbia Pictures' Home Video music division, MusicVision, releases 2 volumes containing 2 episodes each of The Monkees TV series, taking advantage of the group's 20th anniversary.-Movie releases:...
, BetaBetamaxBetamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
& LaserdiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
) - January 25, 1995 (VHS1995 in home video-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:...
) - June 12, 2000 (DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
) - November 23, 2010 (CriterionThe Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
Blu-Ray) - December 14, 2010 (CriterionThe Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
).
External links
- Review of the film by a Rhino employee, from the company's website
- The HEAD page, from The Monkees Film & TV Vault
- The Monkees' Head: 'Our fans couldn't even see it' - Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 28 April 2011