Way ahead of its time, Head stars The Monkees (as the height of their fame) as themselves in a psychedelic pastiche for the ages – an anti-war spoof-fest that may have cost the greatest-band-ever-made-for-TV their careers. Inspired by A Hard Day’s Night, a young Bob Rafelson put together an insane TV special idea (with the help of Jack Nicholson) that evolved into this feature-length deconstruction of celebrity, politics, America, commercials, the military, and more. A dud on arrival, this experimental pop curio was soon eclipsed by Rafelson and Nicholson’s success with Easy Rider the following year, but its initial failure only seeded a cult estimation that has blossomed ever since.
“A film to see if you have been smoking grass, or if you like to scream at The Monkees, or if you are interested in what interests drifting heads and hysterical high-school girls.” – Renata Adler, The New York Times
“The film is still remarkably vital and entertaining. Rafelson (who helped to create the group), together with Jack Nicholson (co-writer and co-producer), increased the TV show’s picaresque tempo while also adding more adult, sardonic touches.” – Time Out
