''Hallucination Generation'' is a 1967 film by Edward Mann. Purportedly intended as a warning against the dangers of pill-popping Sixties hedonism along the lines of 1936's ''

Reefer Madness ''Reefer Madness'' (originally made as ''Tell Your Children'' and sometimes titled ''The Burning Question'', ''Dope Addict'', ''Doped Youth'', and ''Love Madness'') is a 1938/1939 American exploitation film about drugs, revolving around the me ...

'', the film's primary purpose appears to have been titillation, thus landing it in the genre of

exploitation cinema An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...

. The film is a drama set in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

where a small group of American young adults is living. The leader of the group is a

drug dealer A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestio ...

. The others are there living carefree lives as

beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...

s. The leader has more nefarious aims in mind, and uses drugs to lure the others into lives of crime. Most of the film is in black and white, but there is a psychedelic sequence depicting the purported effects of the group using

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...

which was filmed in color. It is often cited as an example of

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...

cinema. George Montgomery is the psychedelic advisor to a circle of young expatriates living on the Isle of Ibiza. Visitor Danny Stone, who avoids taking part in the fun until his mother cuts off his allowance, seeks help in a monastery after an LSD-induced crime spree results in the murder of a Barcelona antiques dealer. The real world is black-and-white, the LSD trips are in color. Featuring

Renate Kasché Renate Kasché (also credited as Renate Cash) is a German actress known for such films as ''A Black Veil for Lisa'', ''Josefine Mutzenbacher'', ''Lady Frankenstein'' and ''Venus in Furs (1969 Dallamano film), Devil in the Flesh''. Filmography ...

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

, Marianne Kanter, and Steve Rowland. Filmed in Spain.

In popular culture

The film inspired a 1989 song, "Hallucination Generation" by the

new beat New beat is a Belgian electronic dance music genre that fuses elements of new wave, hi-NRG,Simon Reynolds: ''Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.'' Routledge 1999, , p. 124. EBM and hip hop (e.g. scratching).Timor ...

band The Gruesome Twosome.

References

External links

* 1967 films American documentary films 1960s exploitation films Films about hallucinogens Lysergic acid diethylamide 1960s educational films Psychedelic films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films American educational films English-language documentary films {{exploitation-film-stub

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading

External links