The Ski Bum (1971)
rare hippie classic
13 September 2003
A colleague of mine lent me this movie. Apparently he bought it for 99 cents (or something). Based on the cover (hot-tub, two girls in bikinis, guy with mullet haircut) I was somewhat hesitant to watch it. But, it's raining today, so...

First of all, the cover has NOTHING to do with the movie. It is NOT an action movie, despite what the synopsis says. There is NO action, no violence... there is NO GUY WITH A MULLET!

What we DO have, however, is what appears to be a UCLA film student's project (check the end credits). The opening credits were obviously chopped off to make way for the random title "Point Zero" which isn't the title of the movie at all.

If you enjoy late-60's thrown-together stoned-out flicks, you'll probably love this (especially the scene in Aspen where we meet some funny hippie dudes just... hanging loose).

It's no use to tell you what the movie is about in detail, so I'll make it quick: Ski "bum" gets job teaching rich dude's family how to ski and gets wrapped up in shady business transactions. He struggles to maintain his hippie ideals and not sell-out to the man, dig?

Three things: 1) be prepared for some great "echoplex" tape echo effects on the audio while our hero freaks out constantly. 2) check out a very young Jackson Browne playing guitar at the steam-bath party 3) the music in the movie is by Joseph Byrd (of the band "United States of America" which is classic late 60's acid-drenched psyche music - Beatles meets Charles Ives with many electronic gadgets. worth checking out.)

Peace- DJE
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