The Trip Reviews

A bad trip

Roger Corman, King of the B-Movie, directed this dated slice of sixties psychedelia from a Jack Nicholson screenplay. Peter Fonda stars as Paul, a director of TV commercials, who decides that he wants to experience LSD for the first time. Bruce Dern plays Fonda's sidekick, a psychiatrist who doubles as Fonda's 'guide.' There is little guidance here beyond the first few moments of the trip because Paul starts to 'freak out,' and wanders into downtown LA, experiencing all the groovy colors, sights and sounds of the era and meets plenty of ladies ready for some sixties-style free loving.

As Corman pictures go this isn't that bad, boasting a decent script, imaginative cinematography and good performances from Fonda, Dern and Dennis Hopper. Unfortunately things fail to develop once Fonda leaves the apartment and we have to sit through endless scenes of him looking wide-eyed at his surroundings. There is one very funny scene where he's fascinated by a washing machine but the film soon becomes repetetive.

'The Trip' is very much a film of it's time, everyone says groovy at least five times and Dennis Hopper's entire dialogue seems to consist of the word 'man'. It's entertaining as a slice of nostalgia but is mostly trivial and rambling and isn't really a trip worth taking.

heady sixties trash

peter fonda and dennis hopper came a long way between 67 and 69, as their style and approach is considerably more mature in the later 'Easy Rider', where the treatment of dropping acid and being stoned is much more realistic and demystified, where 'The Trip' paints a laughable, patchy story about one mans trip in the supposedly controlled environment of a trip house.

a sober man in a suit hanging around you trying to make sure you go with the LSD flow is surely not condusive to having a particularly 'far out' time.

the crystal clear visions fonda experiences in his flashbacks are a little ridiculous, particularly the death riding on horse back beach scenes. if you seek 1960's counter culture movies, there is nothing better than the original footage and music of the bands who permeated the entire scene. see the remastered woodstock documentary for example.

however, i am the type to prefer velvet underground's rock n roll over psychadelia any road up.

Far Out , Man

Yes its dated. Yes its cheesy. Yes its a wonderful document of the beginings of so much which was to shape the end of the 20th century and the modern popular culture. The inventive use of cuts, jerky camera and psychedelic colours point the way to what has become the norm on MTV and most advertising TV. LSD broke down many wallls and opened up new vistas. This film is also notable for pairing Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper prior to the seminal underground success of 'Easy Rider'.

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the trip

This film was banned in the UK until a couple years ago. A written by Jack Nicholson , yes that Jack Nicholson and directed by Roger Corman. The cinema photography and color really deep and bright. As a document of the time, it stands. I particularly like all the interior shoots and the costumes.

Peter Fonda, plays what looks like a fairly straight laced chap called Paul Groves, who works as a director. He guided on his 1st acid trip by Bruce Dern. As the drug takes hold, we see his happiness and paranoia through his dialogue and optical effects. There are scenes of his hallucinations fantasies’ set in a sort of mock medieval period, as he is sacrificed and chased by hooded cloaked people on horses. Also there is a scene best described as a psychedelic funfair. The best scenes that explain what it is like to be on LSD, are in the launderette (which made me laugh) and the optical effects used when Peter Fonda is walking along the Sunset Strip. Lots of groovy hippies and naked painted ladies, get down to the music of Mike Bloomfield, The American Music Band, when Paul Groves walks into a bar. Women are called ‘chicks’ and the wonderful Dennis Hopper say’s “man” a lot.

It is a useful tell about taking drugs and was advertised that it explores the dangers of taking LSD and hallucinations drugs. But was seen by the BBFC as more of an incitement to take acid, then a warning not to.

I thought this film was great, “man”.

Where is he?

thought jack nicholson was in this movie - most disappointed. Film was far too dated. J.N would have made up for it.

turned on tuned in dropped out

It was always going to hard to film the subjective experience of an acid trip. In terms of realism this film fails. In terms of groovy 60s freak out this film excels. Much use is made of rapid sometimes subliminal flashing between scenes and psychedellic colour show effects. It is also great as a time shot of the acid hippy scene. A unique soundtrack also adds a garage rock element. Peter Fonda is the day tripper more shakespearian than turned on tuned in dropped out but still engaging enough.

On A Road Too Nowhere

Paul Groves (Fonda) is a commercial director who is on the verge of divorcing his wife. Stressed out and looking to explore his inner-self, he visits a guru (Bruce Dern) who attempts to create a safe heaven for him to take his LSD trip. Of course he escapes and ends up wandering around the neighbourhood in a drugged out haze.

Trying to bring the experiences of a LSD trip to the cinema screens was never going to be an easy feat and whilst Hopper et al were certainly no strangers to illegal substances, they were still cutting their teeth in cinematic terms. With Corman at the helm the film was never going to ooze quality but in the end this is a decent enough low-budget production. The whole spectrum of psychedelic colour schemes, ?way-out? visions and hippie sensibilities are covered here but surprisingly its a rather tame affair, which is disappointing considering the assortment of characters involved.

With the continuing political shift towards the Christian Right in America, those heady days of the 60s sex and drugs revolution seem a million years away now rather than a few decades. In terms of entertainment value this film was always going to date badly but as a cinematic record of the counter-culture movement this film is worth a viewing. Oh and that body paint is pretty groovy. 2 and a half out of 5.