Groovy Times

 

 (imdb)

THE LOVE-INS-1967-When 2 university students, Larry (James MacArthur) and Patricia (Susan Oliver), are expelled because they published an “underground” newspaper, “The Tomorrow Times”, Prof. Barnett (Richard Todd) resigns in protest. All the students congratulate him and he goes on The Joe Pyne Show to explain his reasons. Later he visits Haight-Ashbury and a hippie “love-in”. He gets an apartment there and lectures the hippies about not conforming. His motto: “Be More, Sense More, Love More”. Then a motorcycle gang starts a riot. He also says LSD “widens your scope and makes you love more'. At a psychedelic party, Patricia freaks out on acid and images she's Alice in Wonderland, dances wildly and strips. Larry voices his doubts about the professor's theories on drugs and becomes disenchanted with Barnett's “teachings”. The professor kind of becomes a “messiah” figure. Another student Elliot (Mark Goddard) helps promote him. 

Meanwhile, Larry publishes articles about Barnett's phoniness. Then some football players beat up the hippies and trash their stores and hangouts. Later Barnett really becomes infatuated with himself and gets a shock when he finds out Patricia is carrying his baby. He decides she needs an abortion to save his image. She finally sees through him for the phony he is. While he gives a speech at a packed stadium, Patricia falls down the stairs and loses her baby. Enraged, Larry shoots and kills Barnett but fears he has created a martyr. Gary Busey has an uncredited role as a hippie and The Chocolate Wristband, The U.F.O.'s and The New Age are heard. 

This psychedelic acid trip of a movie time capsule was directed and co-written by Arthur Dreifuss (he made MYSTERY IN SWING in 1940) who directed the equally out of date RIOT ON THE SUNSET STRIP the same year. Though now just a relic of the '60's THE LOVE-INS is still kind of fun. To top it all off Sam Katzman was the producer!

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