Category: Counterculture
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LA CHINOISE
“La Chinoise” is a radical political film directed by Jean-Luc Godard in 1967, during one of the most turbulent and intellectually vibrant periods of his career. Filmed in the summer of 1967—almost a year before the May 1968 student uprisings that would shake France—the movie is strikingly prophetic. It captures the mood, rhetoric, and internal…
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PERMISSIVE (NSFW)
“Permissive” is a gritty and downbeat British drama from 1970, directed by Lindsay Shonteff and written by Suzanne Mercer, one of the few female screenwriters active in the late 1960s counterculture film scene. Set against the backdrop of London’s early 1970s rock culture, the film offers an unflinching, melancholic look at groupie culture, moral disillusionment,…
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JOE
“Joe” is a dark, satirical drama from 1970, directed by John G. Avildsen, who would later go on to direct “Rocky.” The film, written by Norman Wexler, highlights the deep class tensions and cultural divisions in America during the height of the Vietnam War. It contrasts the affluent liberal elite with the resentful working-class conservatives.…
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DIE SPALTE aka MAKING OF A PROSTITUTE (NSFW)
“Die Spalte,” also known as “Making of a Prostitute,” is a film from 1971, written by Gustav Ehmck and Christian Rolf, and directed by Ehmck himself. This film is a notable example of the German New Wave, a movement known for portraying raw and controversial subjects, and “Die Spalte” certainly exemplifies this genre. The film…
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MASCULIN FÉMININ
“Masculin Féminin,” directed in 1966 by Jean-Luc Godard, is a seminal work of the French New Wave—a playful yet probing exploration of youth, politics, pop culture, and sexual relationships in 1960s Paris. Subtitled “15 faits précis” (“15 precise facts”), the film unfolds as a loose mosaic of vignettes rather than a conventional narrative, capturing the…
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AMERICAN GRAFFITI
“American Graffiti” is a 1973 film directed and co-written by George Lucas, along with Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. This nostalgic coming-of-age story is set in Modesto, California, in the summer of 1962. It follows a group of teenagers over a single night, filled with cruising, parties, and personal reflection, as they prepare to transition…
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LE COUPLE TÉMOIN aka THE MODEL COUPLE (NSFW)
“Le Couple témoin,” also known as “The Model Couple,” is a satirical French comedy directed by William Klein in 1977. The film presents a unique blend of social experiment and absurdist critique, following an ordinary couple selected by the French government to live under constant surveillance in a “model apartment,” which is a prototype of…
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JAG ÄR NYFIKEN – EN FILM GULT aka I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW) NSFW
“I Am Curious (Yellow)” (Jag är nyfiken—en film i gult) is a groundbreaking 1967 Swedish film directed by Vilgot Sjöman. It is known for its bold blend of political commentary, experimental storytelling, and explicit sexuality. The film became a lightning rod for controversy upon its international release, particularly in the United States, where it was…
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ACID: DELIRIO DEI SENSI aka ACID: DELIRIUM OF THE SENSES
“Acid: Delirio dei Sensi” aka “Acid: Delirium of the Senses” is a 1968 Italian film directed by Giuseppe Maria Scotese. Set in New York City, it blends elements of drama and pseudo-documentary to explore the counterculture and drug scene of the late 1960s. The film is presented in a series of vignettes depicting the experiences…
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MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life is a 1983 sketch-based satirical comedy that attempts—with tongue firmly in cheek—to answer one of the most profound philosophical questions of all time: What is the meaning of life? Directed by Terry Jones with the animated sequences directed by Terry Gilliam, who also directed the opening short film “The…
