Thursday, December 2, 2021

Lockout Theater: The Monkeys in HEAD

 The Monkeys. Sonny Liston. Annette Funicello. Victor Mature. Frank Zappa. Teri Garr. Tor Johnson. 

A sophomorically sexualized title. Can you dig it? 

Here's the trailer for HEAD, the Monkeys' 1968 last gasp attempt at relevance, co-written by Jack Nicholson, described by Psychotronic Magazine as a "pseudo-underground plotless musical." 

Who needs baseball?


15 comments:

Rufus T. Firefly said...

The question is: who's got the blotter?

Carl J. Weitz said...

I did see some window pane in the trailer.

But it does beat the old "Rainout Theater" on WPIX which featured the worst movies ever made or re-runs of Abbott and Costello or Superman.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I liked the giant radioactive spider.

ranger_lp said...

Very underrated film...

MJ said...

PIX's Rain-delay thing (at least as it showed up near Rochester) was always the White Shadow episode where Coach Ken and the team hit Las Vegas. Over and over they showed that. Only detail of the plot I remember is K. Howard's exasperated utterance: "Salami!"
Great (temporarily pssed off) times. And if other bankers say no, I'll say Yes! Thanks for reminding me of all that.

Unknown said...

It's MonKEES, like YanKEES.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

MJ,

You are obviously talking about the King George era. The horrid CBS era, along with some painfully awful teams, had cheesy 50's sci-fi during some of the rain delays. Doesn't get better than that!

HoraceClarke66 said...

Now THAT'S entertainment!

JM said...

Here's a funny thought: "Million Dollar Movie" once meant a big budget film, back in the 20s and 30s.

These days, that covers craft services on a location shoot.

BTR999 said...

Well…at least they tried. Difficult for a modern audience to sit through, though…

Carl J. Weitz said...

JM....I think Million Dollar Movie was on ch 9 WOR
Ch 2 WCBS was The Early Show and The Late Show and the Late Late Show afyer 11:30
Ch 4 WNNNNNNNNBC was Movie 4
Ch 7 WABC was The 4:30 Movie

There was Chiller Theater at Saturday night on WPIX and WNEW had some weekend night horror movie.

Also the late Great Zacherly had a show horror movie show on channel 5 and then channel 9.

Damn...those were the days!

AboveAverage said...

I love HEAD.








To hell with modern audiences I say.
And remember - in the immortal words of Peter Tork (Born 2/13/1942 – Died 2/21/2019) -
"Nobody ever lends money to a man with a sense of humor"


MJ said...

Rufus,

You're right; I was a little later. I know they generally stunk in the CBS years but I kinda wish I'd caught some of the 60s shititude up close; might make the current scene seem funnier. But I now have rain-delay envy. And there's nothing Hal can do about it. Nothing. And I thank you and everyone on here for that. This place, to me, IS the Yankees.

Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside said...

There are two highlights in the movie Head. The first is the Porpoise Song. Carol King knew Mickey’s voice and really wrote songs he could sing. The second is Daddy’s Song, which should have inspired a live performance in some Broadway show somewhere. Image that scene, live, with the stars in while, the understudies in black, and alternating visible to with spot or strobe lights. The music could easily be changed out and bingo guaranteed Tony. There might be a third highlight, but despite two attempts, I never made it all the way through the film.

The Monkees are my favorite band. I don’t give a shit who wrote what or played what. The Monkees BECAME the part they played. The closest thing I’ve heard is Captain Kirk becoming an astronaut.

Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside said...

There are two highlights in the movie Head. The first is the Porpoise Song. Carol King knew Mickey’s voice and really wrote songs he could sing. The second is Daddy’s Song, which should have inspired a live performance in some Broadway show somewhere. Image that scene, live, with the stars in while, the understudies in black, and alternating visible to with spot or strobe lights. The music could easily be changed out and bingo guaranteed Tony. There might be a third highlight, but despite two attempts, I never made it all the way through the film.

The Monkees are my favorite band. I don’t give a shit who wrote what or played what. The Monkees BECAME the part they played. The closest thing I’ve heard is Captain Kirk becoming an astronaut.