FREE LSD – A Review by Jenn Rohm
What happens when someone who grew up watching band films like Tommy and The Wall and always searched for oddball/weird movies is in a punk band and decides to make a movie? You get Free LSD. Director, writer, guitarist, and songwriter Dimitri Coats has delivered a film that took the turns I didn’t expect it to take and included so many film genres it has something for almost everyone.
The film begins with Keith (Keith Morris) opening his sex/adult entertainment store and a young woman named Cici (Chelsea Debo) comes in to buy a gift for a friend. After a few well-placed ads, billboards, etc., of a local erectile dysfunction doctor along with other plot moments, Cici is attempting to give Keith some pleasure, only he is not rising to the occasion. He decides to go see the doctor, and after being given a dose of medicine he enters an alternate universe where he is a musical legend. With the assistance of The Boner Doctor, David Yow, they find the other band members. They all work together to overcome an advanced AI species that is trying to prevent OFF! from coming together and awakening human consciousness.
The band is mostly portrayed by themselves, Keith Morris, Dimitri Coats, and Autry Fulbright II. Their drummer, Justin Brown, was not available at the time of filming, so Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro took on the role. (D.H. passed not long after the film was completed in October 2022.) When you factor in that a large part of the cast are not actors, the acting in the film is better than I expected it would be. With the under one million dollar budget, this does remind me of the lower budget films of the 80s, adding in areas that would be expected in porn, some violent action, a dash of gore, well-timed comedy, and of course, alien sci-fi. Bringing all of it together is the music.
If you are familiar with OFF!’s final album of the same name, there are little hidden gems throughout the film, kind of like a free gift for being a fan. If you are unfamiliar with the band’s catalog, you won’t know what you didn’t catch. This one is worth the watch for open-minded fans of concept album/film combinations and/or the fans of oddball weird and late-night movies. It could easily become a cult classic if the fans back it.
Director: Dimitri Coats
Written By: Dimitri Coats
Cast: Keith Morris, Dimitri Coats, Autry Fulbright II
Genres: Comedy, Music, Sci-Fi
Selig Rating: 3 stars
Runtime: 1h 37m
Stream Release Date: August 9, 2024
Stream Channel: Apple TV
Trailer: Free LSD trailer
Website: Free LSD website
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
