Gold
(1968/MVD Visual DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C
After the
Summer of Love in 1967, one of the lesser-discussed aspects are the many
independent films made to appeal to this new and even possibly, expectedly
permanent audience of counterculture films that filmmakers made. Bill Desloge and Bob Lewis made a film called
Gold, now known under its 1972
release title Gold: Before Woodstock, Beyond Reality. Originally shot in 1968, the film never found
a U.S. distributor, so it actually
opened in England and never
made it to the U.S.
theatrical film market until 1996!
The
formula tale with plenty of surreal and non-narrative sequences pad out the
tale of hippies versus authority as a local police captain (Garry Goodrow of
the underrated Glen & Randa,
plus Dirty Dancing, Linda Lovelace For President, Loose Shoes) is sick of the hippies
running around naked, ignoring conformity and hanging at their happy commune,
so he intends to ruin their lifestyle party for good. Of course, the hippies are not going to
tolerate that and the gang including Hawk (Del Close of De Palma’s The Untouchables and American Graffiti) intend to stop him.
Not
exactly Smokie & The Bandit, nor
should it be, this is one of those head trip films with plenty of nudity to go
around in an abundance you would never see today. It is not a great film either, but when all
is said and done, an awkward and unusual time capsule of the time. The politically minded Professor Orville
Schell makes his only acting appearance and that anyone would make such a film
reflects its time well. An
interesting-at-best curio, it is finally on DVD and you can see for yourself
what they came up with.
The 1.33
X 1 image is not bad for a film with this history, but the color goes from being
good and standard to very colorful at its best.
Detail is not bad for DVD, but could be better, though the age of the
film and its low-budget beginnings are a factor. Newer prints would be standard color, but the
1972 U.K. prints were three-strip, dye-transfer Technicolor and would not only
look better (if the condition held up; these prints almost always retain their
color) but be valuable as all such prints are.
This was shot in 16mm, so blow-up prints were made, but this is from the
16mm and has been cleaned up nicely. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also fine for a low budget film of its age, sounding
as good as can be expected for such lossy sound. The MC5 (Motor City 5) were among those who
cut music specifically for the film.
Extras include
trailers, retro lobby cards, an hour-long vintage NYC cable interview with
co-director Lewis, feature length commentary by Lewis and Goodrow and special
commentary by Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts from the Upright Citizens Brigade.
- Nicholas Sheffo
