Dr. Timothy Leary Movies

Inevitably recalling the shenanigans of Tom Green and Sasha Baron Cohen's Ali G, Canadian comedian Nardwuar the Human Serviette is essentially a provocateur who built his career out of shocking and offending politicians, actors, musicians, and other noteworthy public figures by pummeling them with outrageous and bizarre questions. Nardwuar particularly specializes in skewering anyone with an aura of self-righteous dignity or importance. Like Green, he rose to celebrity through the tunnels of public access television; the release Nardwuar the Human Serviette: Welcome to My Castle presents a "best of" compilation of interview footage from Nardwuar's 1990s local access series, in which he does Q&A with such guests as Pierre Eliot Trudeau, Ron Jeremy, Timothy Leary, Gerald Ford, Nirvana, Tony Robbins and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Jonathan Blank (Sex, Drugs, & Democracy) directed this satirical slap at the media, centered around a reverend (Alan Thicke) who objects to public-access station Channel 69, where his daughter (Jessica Hecht) and other young radicals program such shows as Conspiracy of the Week. The reverend's solution is to buy the station and kick everyone out. They retaliate with protests and a fake bomb threat, barricading themselves in the studio to stage telecasts minus clothing. This film features one of the last film appearances of the late Timothy Leary. Shown at the 1998 Cinequest San Jose Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Author, educator, and philosopher Dr. Timothy Leary was wildly controversial throughout his life, so it came as no surprise he would also choose a controversial way to die. Timothy Leary's Last Trip documents Leary's life and career, from his days at West Point through his years as an LSD guru (he coined the phrase "Tune in, turn on, drop out") to his final days as he prepared for his death by broadcasting his last days over the internet. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this high-tech world, people have many different ways to add pleasure or change their lives for the better. This lightning-paced documentary offers a montage of such technology that ranges from new drugs to enhanced natural environments. The film is divided into three sections. The first looks at natural environments and takes the viewer to such places as Treasure Island in Las Vegas and Japan's Ocean Dome. The second section looks at genetic engineering, plastic surgery and at both patients and practitioners. The final segment goes into the world of mood and mind-altering drugs. It also looks into the shadowy world of virtual sex via Internet, and CD-ROMs. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Set on the outskirts of Hollywood, this gritty comedy spends a day with eccentric groups of aspiring writers and actors as they attempt to cope with life on the edge of their dreams and with each other. Written and produced by Michael Becker and Robert Montalbano, the film features an impressive cast that includes Max Perlich,Ione Sky, Donovan Leitch, David Arquette, Pauly Shore and Timothy Leary. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Though this film is billed as a comedy, it does contain some violent moments as it follows a young man's journey across the U.S. in search of himself. Our hero is vegetarian Charles Thundertrunk whose father owns the fabulously successful fast-food chain Burger World. At his father's request Charlie reluctantly goes on a tour to promote the restaurants. His journey turns inward after he witnesses a violent shootout at a Burger World outlet. Upon his new journey he re-encounters his childhood hero, Glosser. Glosser is a spaced New Ager who believes everything happens for the best. He bases his philosophy upon a near-death experience. Glosser's journal was stolen by an evil arsonist. Charlie and Glosser decide to search for it together which leads them to the films fiery climax. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In 1955, poet Allen Ginsberg summed up the greatest fears of his generation in a landmark poem appropriately titled "Howl." As a result of that defining piece of prose, Ginsberg would become an icon of the Beat Generation. Inspired by Ginsberg's powerful personality and captivating charisma as a performer, filmmaker Jerry Aronson procured every film clip of the poet that he could find and compiled it into a comprehensive documentary tracing the life and times of the man who never backed down from his beliefs. From Ginsberg's early experiences alongside such American icons as Jack Kerouac, Timothy Leary, and William Burroughs to his historical clash with William F. Buckley, and his tense confrontation with police during the 1968 Democratic Convention, Aronson's film doesn't miss a beat. Back to back readings of "Howl" from 1955 and 1992 show precisely how the poem continued to resonate decades after it was originally written, and by exploring Ginsberg's political and spiritual beliefs Aronson offers compelling insight into the mind of a counter culture legend. Originally released in 1993, The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg was updated to cover the events surrounding the subject's untimely death in 1997 and to provide a final, fitting epitaph for the controversial author.

The deluxe two-disc DVD release includes over six hours of bonus materials, including a "making-of" documentary, footage of Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac's grave, William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg in a 1994 appearance at Naropa University, selected readings by Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and Ginsberg at a 1965 City Lights Bookstore appearance, the making of the music video for "A Ballad of Skeletons", a guided tour of a Ginsberg photographic exhibition hosted by the writer himself, excerpts from Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit, footage from Ginsberg's New York City memorial, photo galleries, and trailers. Additional interviews with subjects ranging from Joan Baez to Johnny Depp, Yoko Ono, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ken Kesey show just what an expansive influence Ginsberg truly had as an artist. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Screenwriter/electrician Abbe Wool makes her directorial debut with the offbeat road movie Roadside Prophets. Brooding factory worker Joe (X front man John Doe) takes a road trip in order to scatter the ashes of his co-worker Dave Coleman (David Anthony Marshall). Riding his vintage Harley Davidson, Joe leaves Los Angeles and heads for a small Nevada town called El Dorado to fulfill Dave's final wish. His journey is complicated by a small fry named Sam (the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz), a wannabe biker who continually lights off fireworks and nurtures an odd obsession with Motel 9. Joe also has to cope with making daily phone calls to Angie (voice of Sonna Chavez), his co-worker back in L.A. who is giving him sick days in exchange for the promise of a hot date. While traveling through the desert, Joe and Sam meet various eccentric characters played by the likes of David Carradine, John Cusack, Timothy Leary, and Arlo Guthrie. They eventually end up at their destination, which turns out to be a washed-up gambling town called Jackpot. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

This is a collection of Devo's best-known videos from 1976-1982. The Ohio band has also inserted humorous short clips and sketches between each song. Included here are"Whip It", "Jocko Homo", "Satisfaction", "Beautiful World", "Dr. Detroit", "Peek a Boo", and many more. Special guests Laraine Newman and Timothy Leary also appear in this music video tribute. ~ Karla Baker, Rovi

Cheech Marin and Eric Roberts play two draft-dodging hippies who flee to a commune in Central America where they stay for 20 years. When they return in 1989 and seek out some of their old NYC buddies, they find they've turned yuppie and things just aren't what they'd expected. ~ Rovi

Wes Craven's Shocker takes media manipulation to a new level in this story of an evil force emitted from television sets that has the power to kill. The film centers on high school athlete Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg). His estranged father is homicide detective Don Parker (Michael Murphy), who has been working on capturing an elusive serial killer plaguing the town. One night, during a particularly vivid nightmare, Jonathan dreams that while Parker is away on an assignment, his family is murdered by the serial killer. In the dream, Jonathan can identify the killer -- local television repairman Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi). Amazingly, it turns out that Jonathan's nightmare was reality. Using Jonathan's dream as evidence, Pinker is brought to trail, found guilty, and sentenced to death in the electric chair. Before his execution, Pinker makes a pact with the devil so when he is electrocuted, the electricity from the chair will give his spirit powers of evil. At first, Pinker's murderous spirit travels in and out of people's bodies, prompting the host to commit murder. But when it seems more effective to communicate with people by television signals, the spirit is willing and soon people suddenly become possessed by Pinker's spirit through TV screens and engage in murderous atrocities. All this is done by Pinker to exact retribution upon Jonathan, who was responsible for sending him to his death. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi