Dr. Timothy Leary Movies
For a self-styled countercultural guru, Dr. Timothy Leary led a highly disciplined and scrupulously conformist early life. After being asked to leave West Point and then being expelled from the University of Alabama, Leary returned to the armed services, then committed himself to diligent study in the field of psychology, earning his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. During the 1950s, he gained a nationwide reputation for his books on personality disorders, and was a widely respected teacher/lecturer at Harvard University. Then, in the early 1960s, he developed a fascination for mind-expanding drugs; it was he who popularized the phrase "psychedelic." During the Youth Revolution of the 1960s, Leary was at the forefront with his advocacy of recreational use of LSD. His catchphrase was "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out," which also served as the title of a short film he produced and wrote in 1966. His much-publicized testing and flaunting of marijuana laws led to several arrests, which he welcomed with unbounded delight. Oddly, throughout his experimentation with and advocacy for drug use, he remained a prolific writer and lecturer and was worshipped by a large percentage of those under 30. As the '60s faded from view, so did Dr. Leary. In 1981, he made his formal film debut in Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams then went on to essentially play himself in such independently-produced efforts as Roadside Prophet (1982) and Shocker (1988). To the very last, the puckish Leary remained good copy. Upon learning that he had inoperable cancer, he publicly declared how excited he was at the prospect of experiencing the "ultimate trip." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1988
Director Morley Markson interviews political radicals of the 1960s in this informative social documentary. Twenty years after riots were sparked by anti-war protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, the same activists take a retrospective look at the turbulent times. Newsreel clips are inserted in between interviews with Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, John Sinclair, Fred Hampton Jr., poet Allan Ginsberg, and LSD guru Timothy Leary. Also interviewed are Chicago Seven defense attorney William Kunstler, John Cox, and Deborah Russell. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, (more)
- 1987
In the U.S., in the 1950s, contemporary jazz was becoming more and more esoteric, and a small group of writers, poets and musicians who were hip to that beat were exploring the cracks in the American dream. Meanwhile, the Cold War and insistently cheerful and upbeat attitudes were being promoted by Dale Carnegie and his many imitators. America was never so prosperous, so virtuous, or so happy, and the writers and artists of the Beat generation were among the first to see the worm in that particular apple. Because so many of them couldn't get enthusiastic about the Cold War, they were derisively called "beatniks," the "nik" being an imitation Russian diminutive. In this 1980s documentary, surviving eminences from that period discuss the times and their experiences. Among those appearing are Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac's daughter and wife, William S. Burroughs, Amiri Baraka (a.k.a. LeRoi Jones) and others, while archival footage gives viewers a taste of other greats of the period. The former Tonight Show host and author Steve Allen narrates. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Amram, Amiri Baraka, (more)
- 1983
Alan Rudolph's Return Engagement cannot by any stretch of the imagination be labelled "pure cinema." It is essentially a staged confrontation between two aging cultural icons. For nearly 90 minutes, LSD guru Timothy Leary trades insults and profundities with Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. Despite all the fuss-and-feathers recriminations, Leary and Liddy find that they have a lot in common. Both are "outsiders" whose behavior radically changed many an American's outlook on life, for better or worse. Even though audience interest may flag during the more dogmatic portions of Return Engagement, it is clear throughout that director Rudolph loves both his subjects. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- G. Gordon Liddy, Dr. Timothy Leary, (more)
- 1982
After World War II there was a group of young men -- writers primarily -- who were disillusioned by the pursuit of the American dream. These men and other artists, associated through mutual friendships, were looking for new ways and means to express themselves and their ideals. Soon their writings found an audience and the American media took notice of their bohemian lifestyles, dubbing them the Beat Generation. Members of this group included writers Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs and poet Allen Ginsberg. essentially forming the Trinity of the Beats, and influencing the works of others during that era, including the "hippie" movement of the '60s. In this 55-minute video narrated by Allen Ginsberg, members of the Beat Generation are reunited to share their works and recollections. ~ Forrest Spencer, Rovi
- 1981
- R
- Add Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams to Queue Add Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams to top of Queue
Here, the dope-smoking duo are working on an ice-cream truck, and their specially treated confections are more than just a hit for the kids. Nice Dreams is the third in the series. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, (more)
Underground filmmaker Jonas Mekas presents a collection of home movies, outtakes and unfinished projects. A picnic in Central Park with friends is shown, as are Allen Ginsberg and Norman Mailer in an anti-war protest march. John Lennon and Yoko Ono are shown in their celebrated honeymoon where they answer questions from the media in a Toronto hotel room to promote peace. Timothy Leary, Andy Warhol and Nico also appear. Color process is not credited. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dr. Timothy Leary
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