The Kaleidoscope Cats of Louis Wain

 

Ayahuasca: Drink the Jungle

 

The Bewitching Art of Laurie Lipton

 

The Extraordinary Self Portraits of Bryan Lewis Saunders

 

The Extraordinary Self Portraits of Bryan Lewis Saunders

 

The Psychedelic Frontier

Being the old freak that I am I have mixed feelings about the "medicalization" of the psychedelics and more than some doubts about all these "clinics", companies, therapists and many self-appointed "shamans" who, in various degrees and modalities, have put the hands on the psychedelics to treat and cure patients but in many cases just to make (a lot of) bucks and get power, in particular in  sight of a possible (near?) legalization of compounds like  psilocybin, ibogaine or MDMA. That said, I firmly believe in the healing properties of the entheogens to successfully cure depression, PTSD, addiction, pre-agonic people or "spiritual emergencies". Hopefully there will be no exploitation or speculations of these sacred molecules. 

Reconnect

The High DMT Dose Experience

In 1990, Dr. Rick Strassman administered high doses of the powerful psychedelic DMT (Dymethyltriptamine) to 60 volunteers at the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine in Albuqerque, then  in 2000 he published "DMT The Spirit Molecule", a book about that  experimental research which included many volunteers' experience reports at various level of dosage. Ten years later, in 2010, Dr. Strassman co-produced a documentary film by the same name, directed by Mitch Schultz (youtube)
See here the extremely detailed and engaging experience report  of the Mexican shaman Patricio Dominguez, one of the volunteers of that historical investigation

Soviet Hippies

While the "hippie" word is immediately associated with California, the youth countercultural 'movement' that flourished in the sixities  was effectively a global phenomenon, to the point that even in the other side of the Iron Curtain, groups of young people, artists, vagabonds, musicians and freaks (the "Sistema") made their best to create, in the most unlikely of all places, a new way of life based on peace, love, higher states of consciousness and yes, a neverending party... Now "Soviet Hippies"  tells that nearly unknown underground history ....
Soviet Hippies   

The Last Man of Mahana

In 1978 a group of young hippies decided to buy some land in the Caramandel Peninsula (New Zealand) to create an utopian community, Mahana. Forty years later, Arthur, one of the founding members, still lives there and tries to mantain the original spirit of peace, love and free sharing in  times of trouble and low level of consciousness...............

The Sunshine Makers

"The Sunshine Makers" documentary by Cosmo Fielding tells the story of Nick Sand and Tim Scully, two intrepid underground chemists who fueled the counterculture and inner self-explorations of the sixties. They were the creators of the legendary Orange Sunshine acid....
"The Sunshine Makers" opens in New York on January 20th and across the U.S. on January 27th (info here)

Orange Sunshine

"Orange Sunshine" is a new doc by director William A. Kirkley dedicated to the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, the legendary Californian hippie/surfer community that tried to spread the 'psychedelic verb' to the world by smuggling massive quantities of  top-quality hash, pot and acid during the sixties.
Read more about the BEL and "Orange Sunshine" here 

Orange Sunshine Trailer from William Kirkley on Vimeo.

The Love Drug

For the series "I Am Rebel", National Geographic presents  The Love Drug, a documentary about Sasha Shulgin, the most iconic and productive psychedelic chemist of all times and the history of  MDMA in therapy, science and culture....

An Underground Cinematheque

BFIPLAYER hosts an impressive collection of documentaries and movies about the music and alternative culture of the 60s and 70s. From hippie communes, legendary free festivals like Glastonbury(UK), rasta philosophy or beatnicks, you can surely find something tasty for your palate.
Some docs are "watch for free", for others there's a little cost and the service in unavailable in some countries....
BFIPLAYER  

We Love Rave Mum

While the British government once again stupidly endorses prohibitionist politics against the so-called "legal highs" and tries to shut down the local rave scene,  someone humbly and happily works for harm reduction and socialization....
(from the VICE doc "Locked Off") 

Wavy Gravy: Saint misbehavin'

Wavy Gravy (b. 1936 as Hugh Romney) is an entertainer, poet, clown, peace and human rights activist, and a legendary free spirit of the psychedelic sixties. He was the blissed out MC at Woodstock peace&love festival who announced breakfat in bed for the immense crowd. Wavy (who ows his nickname to BB King) founded the legendary Hog Farm commune and the non-profit international health organization Seva Foundation.
A fine documentary - Wavy Gravy: Saint Misbehavi' - was released tin 2009 to celebrate the life of this astounding and lovable human being....
Happy 80th birthday brother ! (May 15)

"Don't Blink" - Robert Frank

Laura Israel's "Don't Blink" is a documentary abou the life and work of the American photographer and filmaker  Robert Frank (b. 1924). 
Frank was a friend of Jack Kerouac and other  poets and writers and documented the beat subculture. He is the author of the controversial doc "Cocksucker Blues" about the Rolling Stones behind the scenes. and a Frank's photography appears on the cover of Stones' "Exhile on Main St." album.
Read about the life and career of this legendary visual artist here
(thanks Mauriz)
Trailer: 'Don't Blink — Robert Frank' from The Playlist on Vimeo.

Johnny Too Bad

During the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s I literally consumed the stylus of my stereo listening to John Martin's beautiful albums. He was an outstanding folk-blues(?) guitarist with a voice to die for, a talented composer and a poet. And like many real inspired musicists of those old glory days, he was also a real free spirit who liked to live over the top and have a good time, without thinking of the possible consequences...
If you don't know John Martyn, see "Johnny Too Bad", a nice and moving doc about his life and career, then get some of his best albums ("Bless the Weather", "Sunday's Child", the essential "Solid Air" etc. etc.) and maybe see this doc once again....Seeing the real talent and personality  of the best artists of the past, one can easily realizes how modest and boring are many of the acclaimed meteors of today....

Hoppy: Underground Head

 John “Hoppy” Hopkins (15 August 1937 / 30 January 2015) was one of the most crucial figures of the Sixties in England.

Having begun his career as a successful photographer, Hoppy co-founded International Times - the first underground newspaper in Britain, co-opened the Ufo Club, the first psychedelic nightclub in London and in 1970s and 1980s he pioneered independent video in the UK.

Hoppy: Underground Head is a movie project dedicated to this brave and beloved pioneer of alternative culture. Filmmakers Malcolm Boyle and Carl Stickley are seeking supporters for researching and sourcing Hoppy's archive and completing the shooting and editing of the rough cut of the documentary.

You can help to fulfill this tribute to Hoppy adding your pledge here 

The Trips Fest: 50 Years Ago

Held in San Francisco on June 21, 22 and 23, 1966, the Trips Festival was  an event organized by Stewart Brand, Ken Kesey & The Merry Prankster and others with the musical support of bands like the Grateful Dead and the Big Brother and The Holding Company. More than ten thousand people gathered to dance, 'freak out' together and literally create the happening. With psychedelic lights, great music and strong dosages of LSD, the Trips Fest was one of the seminal gatherings which helped to create the hippie/psychedelic/counterculture movement of those extraordinary times.
Learn more about Trips watching this nice, informative documentary (this is the first segment of 6 but I wasn't able to find part 2.....I guess nothing too strange posting about the sixties and psychedelics....! :-)