MONDO MOD (1967)/THE HIPPIE REVOLT (1967)
Directors: Peter Perry, Edgar Beatty
Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment

"It's a mod mod world!" And so begins our journey into the psychedelic dementia of the 60s. A decade that saw amazing changes in pop culture over the small period of 10 years. But the best-known moments of the 60s are those where "groovy" was the word of choice. 1966-1970 were radically different from the preceding years, and this DVD double feature from Something Weird chronicles the best and the worst of the era.

Cruising into MONDO MOD to the strains of its cheesy title tune, one would expect a fabulous time capsule of outta sight fashions, far-out hairdos, and all the hip dialogue you can stand. But instead, MONDO MOD is rather a documentary not aimed at the Mods it documents, but the outsiders who want to be hip and would like a 10-step program narrated by L.A. DJ Harve Humble in the process. Sure, there's footage of the Whiskey a Go Go and its terrible house bands, a kooky boutique called "Belinda's," and some drugged-out footage of a stripper and a love-in, but the Mod comparisons stop there. What does go-kart racing, karate, bikers, and protests have to do with the Mod scene?? While protests later became a staple of the Hippie scene, which evolved from the Mods, it doesn't fall into place in MONDO MOD. Yet the surfing footage is expertly shot, and is pretty exciting viewing. Considering that riding the waves with a wooden board is usually as much fun to watch as watching grass grow, this is a major feat. Both Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond were cinematographers on the documentary, adding a lot more depth and visual flair to otherwise pedestrian sequences. The print used looks quite good, with only dirt and scratches apparent during reel changes.

For what is passed off as the most exciting and cool period of the 60s, THE HIPPIE REVOLT is pretty tepid. Lots of time is spent discussing drugs, optical effects displaying their influence on the mind and some pretty stoned narration accompanying them. There's some interesting footage of a commune and a moonfire funeral, and maybe the best sequence revolves around the Diggers and their participation in the Haight-Ashbury scene. It should also be noted that the narration by "The Hippies Themselves" is a much better option than listening to an opinionated disembodied narrator, even if the dialogue does tend to drone after a while. The body painting sequence is pretty ridiculous, as is the love-in, complete with bongo drums and thrashing youths. Ugh. There is some prime time capsule material here, but not enough to sustain an entire feature-length film. The print used for HIPPIE REVOLT is a tad muddy and nowhere near as bright as the MONDO MOD print, but is decent enough. The audio on both features is adequate.

Of course Something Weird Video has packed this disc with enough special features to warrant keeping it even if the movies themselves aren't all that great. Trailers for the two features are here, along with some interesting previews for other hippie features. THE ACID EATERS looks like an exciting psychedelic adventure from the preview, but it's really a pretty boring swingers' odyssey. THE CAT ATE THE PARAKEET is better known on video as POT, PARENTS AND POLICE and stars Johnny Legend as a bearded hippie, much like the real-life Legend. MANTIS IN LACE is a whacked-out drug/murder/sex flick also available on DVD, and MUSICAL MUTINY & WEEKEND REBELLION is a double feature of two rock films of Iron Butterfly and Grand Funk Railroad, respectively. Also see LOVE IS A CAROUSEL, SMOKE AND FLESH, and THE TALE OF THE DEAN'S WIFE. The token Gallery of Exploitation Art is priceless, to be expected in this stage of the game. Collectors will enjoy seeing the original unaltered shorts POT PARTY PLAYGIRLS and HOT HIPPY HIPS, which were later cut down and sanitized (i.e., shorn of all nudity) for inclusion in MONDO MOD. BEYOND LSD and PSYCHEDELIC HIPPIE LOVE-IN are mildly entertaining time capsule pieces worth a look.

But the highlight of the disc is the audio commentary by Johnny Legend and Eric Caidin of Hollywood Book & Poster Co. The two are genuine survivors of the Mod/Hippie scene(s) and on both commentaries contribute brilliant stories of their time in L.A. and Haight-Ashbury. While Legend is a great guy and offers some fascinating tales, he tends to drown out Caidin, who delivers even more tantalizing time-travel stories when he gets a chance. While the casual viewer will be bored by the feature films the second time around, the commentaries, while not scene-specific (or even film-specific), do not wear out their welcome upon repeated listens.

MONDO MOD/THE HIPPIE REVOLT is a real time capsule piece, not for casual fans looking for some cheap laughs at the dated pop culture, but for those looking for historical finds, this is a treasure worth digging into. (Casey Scott)

BACK TO REVIEWS

HOME