This extremely offbeat and hallucinatory avant-garde oddity has only in the 60's written all over it -- and I mean that comment in the best possible way. Ramrod killjoy cop Captain Harold Jinks (delightfully played to deliciously smarmy perfection by Gary Goodrow) doesn't approve of the local flower children in an Old West-style rural community romping about naked all the time, so he zealously enforces strict laws to ban public nudity. It's up to loopy long-haired rebel Hawk (legendary improvisational comedy guru Del Close in marvelously zany form) to rescue the townspeople from Jinks' oppressive reign. Directors Bob Lewis and Bill DeSloge eschew narrative coherence in favor of pure what-the-hell? experimental trippiness and rambling unpredictability. The results of this bold defiance of cinematic conventions is a tad uneven in spots, but astutely pegs the merry lunacy, blithely irreverent humor, and brash nonconformity of the 60's hippie counterculture as it happily mocks both uptight squares and freaky hipsters alike. Naturally, this thoroughly bawdy and berserk ode to freedom and liberty shows lots of insanely hot hippie chicks cavorting about in their birthday suits (delectably voluptuous blonde bombshell Caroline Parr in particular positively burns up the screen as Miss Gold Nugget). (Ladies will be glad to know that several guys go full monty as well.) Moreover, the amazing period soundtrack which includes songs by such artists as MC5, Barry St. John, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot hits the right-on groovy spot. Zoran Perisic's sunny cinematography gives the picture a sparkling bright look and boasts a few funky psychedelic stylistic flourishes. An inspired and often hysterically heady blast of divinely screwball celluloid weirdness.
3 Reviews
A gloriously nutty one-of-a-kind late 60's underground cinema curio
Woodyanders3 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Sex, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll
JustShutItOff29 February 2008
This is probably one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. On one hand, it looked like a commune of hippies got hold of some film and went to town with a loose script and so many drugs it made me feel high just watching.
The narrative is a trainwreck of allegory, an appeal to the imagination of a restless generation. The fables within not only send up the politics and dirty tricks of an era, but also poke plenty of fun at the supposed change makers and scene shakers themselves.
Loose as a goose, with tons of real sex, drugs and rock and roll, Gold is an unfiltered view into a tumultuous era, and lots of fun to boot.
The narrative is a trainwreck of allegory, an appeal to the imagination of a restless generation. The fables within not only send up the politics and dirty tricks of an era, but also poke plenty of fun at the supposed change makers and scene shakers themselves.
Loose as a goose, with tons of real sex, drugs and rock and roll, Gold is an unfiltered view into a tumultuous era, and lots of fun to boot.
Fool's Gold: Worse than Woodstock. Beyond Watching.
shaunlandry-212 August 2011
I tried to come into this movie with an open mind and an open heart. I wanted to like this movie so much. I wanted to cheer for the counter culture, Northern California where it was shot and the truly inspirational improvisational genius that was Mr. Del Close.
About twenty minutes in I wanted to take my own life. I don't think a pound of weed would have helped that predicament.
There is probably just reasons why this movie was not released in the states until 1996 and has been lost for such a long period of time: It's bad. It's just really bad.
It's not because it was a roof raiser of sociology/political film making that would shake the United States to its core roots if it was shown. It was just bad. From the script, the cinematography, the costuming, the lighting, the sound all the way to its over the top drunken/stoned acting. Even the semi hard/soft sex scenes were so badly done...you would need help from a partner to get excited. A lot of help.
I see the goal: Let's bust open film making to its essential core. Lets deconstruct the idea of making films and screen writing into a possibly slightly improvised attempt. Let's mix era with present day! Let's go after the man! Let's celebrate personal freedom and the counter culture of our generation. Let's get naked! We got the woods, a train, a conductor who doesn't have a western costume wishing he was someplace else...chicks who want to have sex on film, tabs of acid and a camera!
It was done better with Easy Rider. A movie that says "This is what is happening *now*" Not a movie that screams "*How messed up can we get while not getting mud on a camera*"
If you look at any of the people who made it after this movie(without getting gangrenous limbs or an STD filming), they moved on to smarter, political and social material. I have always thought Mr. Close was a genius and I'm happy that he inspired so many great comedians in his day including The Upright Citizens Brigade.
I just can't like crap because I happen to like (as they say in Ed Wood) "Crap with a Star. In the case of Del: "Crap with an Improv Guru"
This poor, sad movie was not an examination of the entire 60's scene. At the very most I can give this movie: It is a full examination of young adults in 1968 who have no idea how to make a movie with the incredible fortune of having a really good music soundtrack. that is half a star. I would buy the music in a heartbeat.
This movie is indeed a cult classic. In the Glen or Glenda realm. It can easily be christened: "The Worst Counter-Culture Film Ever Made". That is the remaining star. People will rent "The Worst Counter-Culture Film Ever Made".
..."Head" is better than this. That is not saying much for "Gold"
About twenty minutes in I wanted to take my own life. I don't think a pound of weed would have helped that predicament.
There is probably just reasons why this movie was not released in the states until 1996 and has been lost for such a long period of time: It's bad. It's just really bad.
It's not because it was a roof raiser of sociology/political film making that would shake the United States to its core roots if it was shown. It was just bad. From the script, the cinematography, the costuming, the lighting, the sound all the way to its over the top drunken/stoned acting. Even the semi hard/soft sex scenes were so badly done...you would need help from a partner to get excited. A lot of help.
I see the goal: Let's bust open film making to its essential core. Lets deconstruct the idea of making films and screen writing into a possibly slightly improvised attempt. Let's mix era with present day! Let's go after the man! Let's celebrate personal freedom and the counter culture of our generation. Let's get naked! We got the woods, a train, a conductor who doesn't have a western costume wishing he was someplace else...chicks who want to have sex on film, tabs of acid and a camera!
It was done better with Easy Rider. A movie that says "This is what is happening *now*" Not a movie that screams "*How messed up can we get while not getting mud on a camera*"
If you look at any of the people who made it after this movie(without getting gangrenous limbs or an STD filming), they moved on to smarter, political and social material. I have always thought Mr. Close was a genius and I'm happy that he inspired so many great comedians in his day including The Upright Citizens Brigade.
I just can't like crap because I happen to like (as they say in Ed Wood) "Crap with a Star. In the case of Del: "Crap with an Improv Guru"
This poor, sad movie was not an examination of the entire 60's scene. At the very most I can give this movie: It is a full examination of young adults in 1968 who have no idea how to make a movie with the incredible fortune of having a really good music soundtrack. that is half a star. I would buy the music in a heartbeat.
This movie is indeed a cult classic. In the Glen or Glenda realm. It can easily be christened: "The Worst Counter-Culture Film Ever Made". That is the remaining star. People will rent "The Worst Counter-Culture Film Ever Made".
..."Head" is better than this. That is not saying much for "Gold"
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
