Psychedelic film explained

Psychedelic film is a film genre characterized by the influence of psychedelia and the experiences of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic films typically contain visual distortion and experimental narratives, often emphasizing psychedelic imagery. They might reference drugs directly, or merely present a distorted reality resembling the effects of psychedelic drugs. Their experimental narratives often purposefully try to distort the viewers' understanding of reality or normality.^{[1] [2]}

Subgenres

• Acid Western adapts tropes of the Western genre popular in the 1960s and 1970s, augmented with psychedelic imagery or allusions.^[3]
• Psychodrama may complement dramatic elements of the film with psychedelic imagery based on psychological expansion or exploration.
• Stoner film exploits the comic potential of recreational cannabis, often punctuated with exaggerated psychedelia.^[4]

Film examples

• The Red Shoes, 1948^[5]
• Alice in Wonderland, 1951
• Looking for Toxin X, 1962
• , 1963
• Matango, 1963
• Daisies, 1966
• Fantastic Voyage, 1966
• The Mind-Benders: LSD and the Hallucinogens, 1967
• Point Blank, 1967
• Casino Royale, 1967
• Magical Mystery Tour, 1967
• Doctor Faustus, 1967
• Branded to Kill, 1967
• The Trip, 1967
• 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968
• Jigsaw, 1968
• Barbarella, 1968
• Project X, 1968
• Orgasmo, 1969
• Zeta One, 1969
• , 1969
• Savage Intruder, 1970
• Blood Mania, 1970
• The Dunwich Horror, 1970
• Zabriskie Point, 1970
• Performance, 1970
• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971
• Godzilla vs. Hedorah, 1971
• A Clockwork Orange, 1971
• The Devils, 1971
• Behind the Green Door, 1972
• Necromancy, 1972
• The Devil, 1972
• Heavy Traffic, 1973
• The Holy Mountain, 1973
• Fantastic Planet, 1973
• The Wicker Man, 1973
• Zardoz, 1974
• Tommy, 1975
• Allegro Non Troppo, 1976
• The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976
• 3 Women, 1977
• , 1977
• Hausu, 1977
• Suspiria, 1977
• Nosferatu the Vampyre, 1979
• Apocalypse Now, 1979
• The Ninth Configuration, 1980
• Altered States, 1980
• Son of the White Mare, 1981
• Forbidden Zone, 1982
• Pink Floyd – The Wall, 1982
• Brain Damage, 1988
• Natural Born Killers, 1994
• Dead Man, 1995
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998
• Requiem for a Dream, 2000
• Waking Life, 2001
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004
• Paprika, 2006
• Christmas on Mars, 2008
• Enter the Void, 2009
• Beyond the Black Rainbow, 2010
• Generation P, 2011
• A Field in England, 2013
• Under the Skin, 2013
• Upstream Color, 2013
• Embrace the Serpent, 2015
• Doctor Strange, 2016
• The Love Witch, 2016
• Kuso, 2017
• Woodshock, 2017
• Annihilation, 2018
• Climax, 2018
• Mandy, 2018
• Midsommar, 2019
• Color Out of Space, 2019
• Lux Æterna, 2019
• Friend of the World, 2020^[6]
• Last Night in Soho, 2021
• Churuli, 2021
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2022
• Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022
• Infinity Pool, 2023
• Aggro Dr1ft, 2023

Psychedelic counterculture era films include:

• Riot on Sunset Strip, 1967
• LSD Flesh of Devil, 1967
• The Love-Ins, 1967
• The Trip, 1967
• Magical Mystery Tour, 1967
• Something Weird, 1967
• The Acid Eaters, 1967
• Head, 1968
• Psych-Out, 1968
• The Girl on a Motorcycle, 1968
• Candy, 1968
• Revolution, 1968
• Wonderwall, 1968
• Yellow Submarine, 1968^[7]
• Wild in the Streets, 1968
• I Love You, Alice B. Toklas, 1968
• Skidoo, 1968
• Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, 1968
• Les Idoles, 1968
• Easy Rider, 1969
• Angel, Angel, Down We Go, 1969
• The Big Cube, 1969
• Scream Free, 1969
• Eggshells, 1969
• Zabriskie Point, 1970
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, 1970
• Woodstock, 1970
• El Topo, 1970
• Toomorrow, 1970
• Gas-s-s-s, 1970
• 200 Motels, 1971
• Fritz the Cat, 1972
• The Holy Mountain, 1973

Television show examples

• The Banana Splits (1968–1970)
• H.R. Pufnstuf (1969–1970)
• Liquid Television (1991–1995)
• Æon Flux (1991–1995)
• The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991–1996)
• The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997)
• Downtown (1999)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–present)
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000–present)
• The Mighty Boosh (2003–2007)
• 12 oz. Mouse (2005–2020)
• (2007–2009)
• Superjail! (2007–2014)
• Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007–2017)
• Adventure Time (2010–2018)
• Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule (2010–2016)
• Regular Show (2010–2017)
• Off the Air (2011–present)
• The Amazing World of Gumball (2011–present)
• Black Mirror (2011–present)
• The Eric Andre Show (2012–present)
• Uncle Grandpa (2013–2017)
• Rick and Morty (2013–present)
• Animals (2016–2018)
• Love, Death & Robots (2019–present)
• Undone (2019–2022)
• Cake (2019–2021)
• The Midnight Gospel (2020)
• Bee and PuppyCat (2022–present)
• Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (2022)
• Smiling Friends (2022–present)

See also

• Stoner film
• Surrealist cinema
• Psychedelic art
• Psychedelic literature
• Psychedelic music
• List of films featuring hallucinogens

Notes and References

1. Web site: 25 Great Psychedelic Movies That Are Worth Your Time. Taste Of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists. 2 February 2015 .
2. Web site: The 100 best animated movies: the best psychedelic movies. Time Out New York. 8 December 2021 .
3. Web site: Acid Western: Dead Man. Chicago Reader. 1996-06-26. Jonathan. Rosenbaum.
4. Web site: Meltzer . Marisa . 2007-06-26 . The eternal appeal of the stoner movie. . 2022-06-03 . Slate Magazine . en.
5. News: 25 Great Psychedelic Movies That Are Worth Your Time. tasteofcinema. 24 August 2019. tasteofcinema.
6. Web site: Review: 'Friend of the World' (2020) is a Bizarre Apocalyptic Film. Melissa Hannon. 31 July 2021. Horror Geek Life.
7. Web site: What A Trip! The Greatest Psychedelic Movies of All Time. Complex Mag. 5 March 2010. Complex.