Plot: What’s it about?
Were you born too late to soak up all the mod, hippie, and greaser culture of the 1960s? Or maybe you were too much of a square to partake of such antics, but these days, find yourself wishing you did? Or perhaps you engaged in the narcotics and sex a little much, leaving your memory devoid of what you experienced? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, or simply want to know more about the subjects involved, then be prepared to drop some tabs, tighten your headband, and dust off the Woodstock soundtrack, as Something Weird (via Image Entertainment) has issued Mondo Mod & The Hippie Revolt, in a trippy double feature. Both films are documentaries of sorts, as they feature a lot of real footage, but all the hokey stats, narration, and much of the context is off balance, to be sure. So don’t expect historical accuracy, but if you want to watch moronic people make asses of themselves, or just spook your kids on how stupid drugs can make some people, this double feature will more than turn the trick.
This is one far out double feature from the happenin’ folks at Something Weird, who provide two swingin’ retro-flicks in one ultra-hip package. I have loved Something Weird’s releases and this one proves to be no exception, as both movies are very dated and low rent, but provide endless laughs and enjoyment. You have to be the kind of viewer who likes this sort of release, but fans of other Something Weird titles should be safe here, I think. Of course, anyone who finds hippies, mods, and greasers amusing will love this double feature, as you’ll see more of those types here than the human eye can absorb. Mondo Mod is a wild look at teen life in 1966, which means tons of outlandish kids doing stupid stuff. It covers a lot of ground and proves to be entertaining, although not to the same degree as The Hippie Revolt, the second film in this double feature. This film is much more hilarious and is loaded with free love, rampant drug use, and more idiots than you possibly stand to see in one feature. So if you’re primed for some outrageous cinema and ready to take the wildest trip of your life, just drop this disc (into your player) and enjoy the high.
Video: How does it look?
Mondo Mod is presented in a full frame transfer and so is The Hippie Revolt, while both seem to be acceptable in terms of aspect ratio. I was kind of surprised to find that both films look pretty good here, as far as the material is concerned. The print have signs of wear and defects, but nothing too serious and if there is an issue, it is brief and vanishes after a bit, so need to be worried about the prints here. The image on both films seems to be a little dark, but colors still look good and detail is solid at all times. In other words, these look better than expected, but still have some flaws, though nothing to be up in arms over.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio for both films is presented via mono tracks, which have some age related issues, but that’s to be expected. I found both tracks to be worn, but acceptable for what the material is, which is low rent films that haven’t been stored away in proper fashion, as judged by the conditions of the materials here. You’ll know these aren’t recent blockbusters, but all things considered, the audio could be much, much worse on these. A few spots seem to be rougher than others, but on the whole, the audio is clear enough, though not even close to normal standards, but we can’t judge this on the same scale, if you ask me. So don’t expect much beyond an acceptable, basic presentation, because that’s what we’re given here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary track is included for each movie, both with Johnny Legend and Eric Caidin. These men might not be household names or filmmakers involved on these pictures, but they do know the era covered in the movies, to be sure. I found these sessions to be brisk, talkative, and often off topic, though I mean the latter in a good sense. If you want to learn more about this time period, these tracks have a lot of good tidbits. This disc also houses a total of four bonus short films (Pot Party Playgirls, Hot Hippy Hips, Beyond LSD, and Psychedelic Hippie Love-In), a selection of exploitation artwork, and a bunch of bonus trailers.
