The Trip (1967 film)
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| The Trip | |
|---|---|
| Image:264520.1020.A.jpg | |
| Directed by | Roger Corman |
| Produced by | Roger Corman |
| Written by | Jack Nicholson |
| Starring | Peter Fonda Dennis Hopper Susan Strasberg Bruce Dern |
| Music by | The American Music Band |
| Cinematography | Arch Dalzell |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1967 |
| Running time | 85 min. |
| IMDb profile | |
In this plot-free drama Groves takes his first dose of LSD, while experiencing the heartbreak and ambivalence of divorce from his beautiful but adulterous wife, played by Susan Strasberg. As Groves experiences his trip, he considers the roles played by commercialism, sex, love, the role of women in his life, and materialism in his existence.
The Trip also features Bruce Dern as John, Fonda's "guide", Salli Sachse as Glenn, his pivotal one-night stand, plus Dennis Hopper as dealer Max, who appears here with Fonda in a precursor role to Easy Rider (1969). Contrary to their characters in Easy Rider, though--and for obvious reasons--Fonda's Paul Groves acts paranoid and anxious in The Trip, while Hopper's Max appears calm and collected.
Corman wildly edited some scenes for The Trip, particularly the exterior night scenes on the Sunset Strip, to simulate the LSD user's racing mind. The Trip features photographic effects, body paint on seminude actresses to lend atmosphere, and colorful patterned lighting, during sex scenes and in a club, which imitates LSD-induced hallucinations. Finally, Corman included inscrutable fantasy sequences including one where Fonda is faced with revolving pictures of Che Guevara, Sophia Loren and Kahlil Gibran in a wildly lit room and then yells out "Bay of Pigs!!" in terror. The story plays over a musical backdrop of improvisational jazz, blues rock of the band The Electric Flag, plus an exotic musical score with an organ and horn-drenched theme.
Jack Nicholson wrote the original screenplay. Corman encouraged Nicholson's experimental writing style and gives between 80 and 90 percent credit to Nicholson for the shooting script in the director's commentary appearing on the DVD of this film. Corman slightly modified the story to stay within budget. Nicholson also appears with Susan Strasberg in the Dick Clark-produced Psych-Out (1968), set in San Francisco, California, sporting a prosthetic ponytail.
