The Trip (1967/II)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

Jack Nicholson (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A Lovely Sort of Death

Plot:

Paul Groves (Peter Fonda), a television commercial director, is in the midst of a personality crisis...

Plot Keywords:

Acid | Guru | LSD | Director | Sex

Cast

Peter Fonda	...	Paul Groves
Susan Strasberg	...	Sally Groves
Bruce Dern	...	John
Dennis Hopper	...	Max
Salli Sachse	...	Glenn
Barboura Morris	...	Flo
Judy Lang	...	Nadine
Luana Anders	...	Waitress
Beach Dickerson
Dick Miller	...	Cash
Caren Bernsen	...	Alexandra
Katherine Walsh	...	Lulu
Michael Nader
Bárbara Ransom	...	Helena
Michael Blodgett	...	Lover

Also Known As:

A Lovely Sort of Death (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min | West Germany:78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (1968) | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) (1968-1991) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:R (original rating) | UK:R (video rating) (1988) | USA:Not Rated | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The film was rejected for a UK certificate 4 times by the BBFC (in 1967, 1971, 1980 and 1988) as it was considered an advertisement for the use of LSD. The film was shown uncut on the FilmFour satellite channel in 2002 and finally given a fully uncut UK DVD certificate in January 2004, almost 37 years after its first BBFC submission.

Quotes:

Max: I wish there was some hip way of telling you this, baby, but, ah... you're one with and part of an ever-expanding, loving, joyful, glorious, and harmonious universe.
Paul Groves: Funny.
Max: Yeah, in a way. But, you play your personal games.
Paul Groves: Alright, I know. Everybody knows. But nobody lives that way.
Max: Is that your defense, man?
Paul Groves: Yes. I mean, no. I'm guilty. I'm guilty.
Max: Right! But don't wallow, because it's fake and disgusting!

Movie Connections:

References Boy on a Dolphin (1957)

Soundtrack:

Softly and Tenderly

Groovy trip, man

This virtually plotless film is about an advertising executive, going through a divorce, who decides to experiment with LSD.

Most of the film, and obviously the whole reason behind making it, are the psychedelic "trip" sequences. That is the main problem with this film. While the hallucinations initially look impressive and quite enjoyably surreal, they lose their impact quickly and soon become quite dull.

However, the film can be quite enjoyable as a snapshot of late sixties Californian psychedelia (all the weird, colourful paintings on walls, and almost every second sentence ending in "man").

Peter Fonda is quiet bland as the executive, but Dennis Hopper is worth watching in his role as a drug dealer.

It is worth watching if you're interested in late-sixties psychedelia, LSD, Peter Fonda or drug movies, others may want to pass.