Head (1968)

Director:

Bob Rafelson

Writers:

Bob Rafelson (written by) and
Jack Nicholson (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

20 November 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Fantasy

Tagline:

What is HEAD all about? Only John Brockman's shrink knows for sure!

Plot:

The Monkees are tossed about in a psychedelic, surrealist, plotless, circular bit of fun fluff.

Plot Keywords:

The Monkees | Box | Desert | Psychedelic | Bridge

Cast

Peter Tork	...	Peter
Davy Jones	...	Davy (as David Jones)
Micky Dolenz	...	Micky
Michael Nesmith	...	Mike
Victor Mature	...	The Big Victor
Annette Funicello	...	Minnie
Timothy Carey	...	Lord High 'n Low
Logan Ramsey	...	Off. Faye Lapid
Abraham Sofaer	...	Swami
Vito Scotti	...	I. Vitteloni
Charles Macaulay	...	Inspector Shrink
T.C. Jones	...	Mr. and Mrs. Ace
Charles Irving	...	Mayor Feedback
William Bagdad	...	Black Sheik
Percy Helton	...	Heraldic Messenger
Sonny Liston	...	Extra
Ray Nitschke	...	Private One
Carol Doda	...	Sally Silicone
Frank Zappa	...	The Critic
June Fairchild	...	The Jumper
Teri Garr	...	Testy True (as Terry Garr)
Mireille Machu	...	Lady Pleasure (as I.J. Jefferson)
Terry Chambers	...	Oreh (as Srebmahc Yrret)
Mike Burns	...	Gnihton (as Snrub Ekim)
Esther Shepard	...	Rehtom (as Drapehs Rehtse)
Kristine Helstoski	...	Dneirf Lrig (as Iksotsleh Enitsirk)
John Hoffman	...	Dneifxes Eht (as Namffoh Nhoj)
Linda Weaver	...	Yraterces Revol (as Revaew Adnil)
Jim Hanley	...	Frodis (as Yelnah Mij)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jon C. Andersen	...	Himself (uncredited)
Rona Barrett	...	Herself (uncredited)
Toni Basil	...	Daddy's Song Dancer (uncredited)
John Brockman	...	Himself - The Face (uncredited)
Chelsea Brown	...	Belly Dancer (uncredited)
John Dennis	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Linda Haines	...	Surprise Party Guest (uncredited)
Dennis Hopper	...	Long haired guy at filmshoot in restaurant - extra (uncredited)
Tor Johnson	...	Guard (uncredited)
Valerie Kairys	...	Spectator - Jumping Girl Scene (uncredited)
Helena Kallianiotes	...	Belly Dancer (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	On-Looker (uncredited)
Jacqui Landrum	...	Belly Dancer (uncredited)
Tiger Joe Marsh	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Phyllis Barbour Nesmith	...	Surprise Party Guest (uncredited)
Ngoc Loan Nguyen	...	Himself - Executioner (archive footage) (uncredited)
Van Lem Nguyen	...	Himself - Executed Viet Cong soldier (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jack Nicholson	...	Movie director at filmshoot in restaurant (uncredited)
The Radio City Rockettes	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Bob Rafelson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	On-Looker (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Rafelson

Writing credits
Bob Rafelson		(written by) and
Jack Nicholson		(written by)
Micky Dolenz		uncredited
Davy Jones		uncredited
Michael Nesmith		uncredited
Peter Tork		uncredited

Produced by
Jack Nicholson	....	producer
Bob Rafelson	....	producer
Bert Schneider	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Michel Hugo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Pozen		(as Mike Pozen)
Monte Hellman		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Sydney Z. Litwack

Set Decoration by
Ned Parsons

Production Management
Harold Schneider	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jon C. Andersen	....	assistant director (as Jon Andersen)

Art Department
Jack H. Williams	....	property master (as Jack Williams)

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound recordist
James Nelson	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects
Burton Gershfield	....	special color effects
Bruce Lane	....	special color effects

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gene Ashman	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gerald Shepard	....	editor: musical numbers (uncredited)

Music Department
Igo Kantor	....	music coordinator
Ken Thorne	....	composer: incidental music
Ken Thorne	....	conductor: incidental music
Keith Allison	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Toni Basil	....	choreographer
Marilyn Schlossberg	....	assistant to producers

Production Companies

• Raybert Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Rhino Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Butler-Glouner (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• Edit-Rite  sound effects
• Producers' Sound Service  re-recording (as Producers Sound Services, Inc.)
• Synchrofilm Inc.  music editing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

86 min | USA:110 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1990) | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | New Zealand:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bahamas

Company:

Raybert Productions

Trivia:

The Monkees wanted to be involved in this project from start to finish. When they learned they would be denied screenwriting credit, all but Peter Tork decided to rebel by failing to show up on the first day of shooting, 11 February 1968.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Micky jumps from the bridge at the start of the film, the replacement dummy enters the water head first. In the next shot, when we see the real Micky entering the water as seen from below, he enters feet first.

Quotes:

Interviewee:Are you telling me that you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sodankylä ikuisesti: Valon draama (#1.4)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

As We Go Along

May be plot less, but it is certainly not without meaning and is very intelligently put together

The cinema of the 60s was as much as time of revolution as the politics and the music. Filmmakers were daring to make avant-garde films discussing taboo subjects only permitted before in exploitation films. Starting with both "Breathless" and underground American cinema (such as Kenneth Anger), films became more and more experimental. All of this accumulated when Hollywood realized they had mass commercial appeal with "Easy Rider". One of the best (and most surprising) outputs of this era was also one of the least successful initially. "Head" was made when The Monkees career was seriously waning, which is what damned one of the best psychedelic films ever made.

The plot? Well, there really isn't one, as many have said. It involves The Monkees going from one surreal scenario to the next one. However, these sequences are all obviously LSD-tinged and basically mock how The Monkees were sick of being confined to their light pre-fab reputation. Its a shame that the film found no audience. The teeny boppers who loved them had moved onto a new fad as they always do. The psychedelic / Haight-Ashbury crowd to whom the film was garnered would never be caught dead at a Monkees movie. Its all their loss. This film may be plot less, but it is certainly not without meaning and is very intelligently put together. The crew later made both "Easy Rider" and "Five Easy Pieces". The film was later revived at a 1973 Raybert retrospective and it gained a very positive response, which granted it the cult following it had deserved for a long time. Ironically, The Monkees would fall victim to the same commercialism they protested in this film with their later 80s reunion. (10/10)