In 1964 ken kesey and the merry band of pranksters take a drugfueled road trip to new york. More than 45 years after the fact, filmmakers alex gibney and alison ellwood were granted access to kesey s archival materials, and their documentary magic trip. While its clear no one on the bus was a professional cinematographer, the images are remarkably crisp and colorful, and seeing the faces that go with the names. Magic trip is by turns a fascinating time capsule, positioning kesey as a figure on the crossroads between the beat movement and what would become the hippie movement of the late 1960s, and yet is something of a reality check about the mythologising of kesey and his merry band who by his own admission were too young to be beatniks and too old. Ken kesey s search for a kool place, released in america last friday, filmmakers alison ellwood and alex gibney have constructed a coherent film from it.
Magic trip follows keseys adventures, including leading a band of lsdtaking merry pranksters across the country in a converted school bus, staging aciddrenched happenings with the grateful dead. Kenneth elton kesey september 17, 1935 november 10, 2001 was an american novelist, essayist, and countercultural figure. With magic trip, oscarwinning director alex gibney and alison ellwood were given unprecedented access to this raw footage to create a documentary of this extraordinary piece of american history. Magic trip uses film footage shot on keseys famous 1964 crosscountry bus trip as the centerpiece of a story about the birth of the 60s.
This is the real event of the electric cool aid acid test. He was joined by the merry band of pranksters, including neal cassady, the american icon immortalized in kerouacs on the road. Aug 04, 2011 in 1964, ken kesey, author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, and thirteen merry pranksters painted a bus in frenzied dayglo, named it furthur and took off on an lsdfueled road trip. Years later, keseys trip comes full circle variety. How ken keseys lsdfuelled bus trip created the psychedelic. Kesey and the pranksters intended to make a documentary about their trip, but the film was never finished and the footage has remained virtually unseen. Magic trip is a 2011 documentary film directed by alison ellwood and alex gibney, about ken kesey, neal cassady, and the merry pranksters. Aug 12, 2011 a new documentary contends that author ken kesey s legendary crosscountry road trip kicked off the psychedelic 1960s. With stanley tucci, ken kesey, timothy leary, jim meskimen. Now ten years after keseys death, filmmakers alison ellwood and alex gibney have captured the fourdecadesago excursion in a new movie, magic. In 1964, ken kesey, the famed author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, set off on a legendary, lsdfuelled crosscountry road trip to the new york wor. He was joined by the merry band of pranksters, a renegade group of counterculture. In 1964, ken kesey, the famed author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, set off on a legendary, lsdfuelled crosscountry road trip. Magic trip streaming full movie online 2011 english.
Seeing the young mcmurtry, doss, leary, the grateful dead were all a great surprise. The hyperkinetic cassady is frequently seen driving the bus, jabbering, and sitting next to a sign that boasts. Theres a revealing moment in magic trip where the pranksters sit down to watch the footage at home and all promptly. Magic trip is overall unenlightening, though theres an inherent novelty and joy in seeing the unearthed footage of ken kesey and his band of merry pranksters. September 17, 1935 november 10, 2001 was an american novelist, essayist, and countercultural figure. Magic trip 2011 directed by alex gibney, alison ellwood. Ken kesey s magic bus and the tour of the merry pranksters public radio. Magic trip putlocker movie free online putlockers movies. In 1964, ken kesey, the famed author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, set off on a legendary, lsdfuelled crosscountry.
At the same time, kesey also had a strong bohemian streak and in the late 50s had been a volunteer in a research experiment sponsored by the united states military on the effects of an unusual new drug called lsd. Magic trip official movie site starring ken kesey, neal. Ken kesey s search for a kool place doc is like a hipsters king tuts tomb, and history films involvement assures cable exposure. In 1964, ken kesey, the famed author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, set off on a legendary, lsdfuelled crosscountry road trip to the new york worlds fair. Netflix is dropping these movies from streaming on december 1st.
Ken kesey s search for a kool place stars stanley tucci the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 30 min, and received a score of 59 out of 100 on. Ken keseys search for a kool place ken kesey in magic trip. Magic trip tells ken kesey story from the inside the. Long before peter fonda and dennis hopper headed off on their motorbikes to find america in the ground breaking cult classic easy rider, author ken kesey one flew over the cuckoos nest, etc and a group of friends set out on their own epic journey across america in a psychedelic coloured school bus. It contains original color footage of counterculture icon ken kesey and his personal band of friends and followers, aka the merry pranksters, the key people who started the hippie movement in the 1960s. Mar 28, 2019 in 1964, author ken kesey and the merry pranksters set off on a road trip in a modified school bus they dubbed furthur and laid the foundation for the counterculture, the summer of love, and the woodstock phenomenon.
A similar realisation dawned when it came to what kesey called the movie. Dec 01, 2015 in 1964, author ken kesey took off on an lsdfuelled crosscountry road trip to the new york worlds fair. Created a lofi, analog aesthetic to portray original and. A freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across america in the legendary magic bus. In 1964 ken kesey set off on an lsdfuelled road trip to new yorks worlds fair. Years later, kese ys trip comes full circle fortyseven years after his crosscountry odyssey with neal cassady and the merry pranksters in a psychedelically painted school bus, and 10 years. In 1964, ken kesey, the famed author of one flew over the cuckoos nest, set off on a legendary crosscountry road trip to the new york worlds fair. Listen movie revisits ken keseys trip to see america. Main titles for alex gibneys documentary film about the movement of the 60s where ken kesey and his merry band of pranksters decided to go on an lsdinfused roadtrip. There is a shadow of a tragic comedy portrayed which gave the movie poignancy.
The film uses formerly unseen footage that was found. Watch magic trip 2011 full movie free online streaming tubi. Magic trip full movie online, watch free 4k hd, magic trip watch movie full movie 2011 a freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across america in the legendary magic bus. Ken keseys legendary crosscountry road trip finally comes to life in this documentary by. Theres a revealing moment in magic trip where the pranksters sit down to. Ken kesey was generally a genial fellow, but when he packed an old school bus full of friends and lsd and drove across. The magic trip is a movie made with all the old footage of ken ceseys and the merry pranksters footage from the 60s i do not own the rights to. The harsh reality behind the merry pranksters magic trip. Now ten years after keseys death, filmmakers alison ellwood and alex gibney have captured the fourdecadesago excursion in a new movie, magic trip, opening in theaters august 12 it was the time of mad menish executives in suits, who sipped martinis and saved for houses in the suburbs.
Watch magic trip 2011 full movie free online streaming. In 1964, ken kesey was an author who had published two popular and critically acclaimed novels, one flew over the cuckoos nest and sometimes a great notion. Aug 05, 2011 alex gibney and alison ellwoods documentary magic trip chronicles the 1964 acidfueled crosscountry bus journey of the author ken kesey and his friends. He was joined by the merry band of pranksters, including neal cassady, the american icon immortalized in kerouacs. Ken keseys search for a cool place explores the history behind kesey and his group, offers a look at their experiences on the road, and includes footage of some of the friends they encountered en route, including allen ginsberg, jack kerouac, and a rock band called the warlocks who would later change their name to the grateful dead. Ken keseys search for a kool place doc is like a hipsters king tuts tomb, and history films involvement assures cable exposure. Directors gibney and ellwood were part of an effort to restore and preserve keseys rare footage, and for anyone with any familiarity with the legend of the merry pranksters, watching magic trip is both fascinating and surprising.
Revelatory, recently discovered home movie footage of a 1964 crosscountry bus trip undertaken by author ken kesey and his merry band of pranksters provide a vivid portrait of the journey. Aug 05, 2011 directed by alison ellwood, alex gibney. Ken kesey and the merry pranksters in a movie dorri olds. A portrait of author ken keseys freewheeling road trip across america with his merry pranksters, immortalized in jack. Sep 02, 2011 listen movie revisits ken keseys trip to see america. Alex gibney and alison ellwoods magic trip is a freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across. Alex gibney and alison ellwoods magic trip is a freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across america in the legendary magic bus. Magic trip streaming full movie online 2011 english subtitles. He considered himself a link between the beat generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. He was joined by a group of counterculture truth seekers called the pranksters, including neal cassady. In 1964, author ken kesey took off on an lsdfuelled crosscountry road trip to the new york worlds fair.
Tripping 1999 ken kesey merry pranksters documentary. Using found footage captured by author ken kesey one flew over the cuckoos nest, filmmakers alison ellwood and alex gibney recreate the writers infamous 1964 road trip to new yorks tomorrowland. A portrait of author ken keseys freewheeling road trip across america with his merry pranksters, immortalized in jack kerouacs on the road. As documented in tom wolfes electric koolaid acid test, kesey and his crew experimented with lsd all over the country and thumbed their noses at convention. A freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across america.
Kesey and the pranksters intended to make a documentary about their trip, but the film was. Ken keseys search for a kool place stars stanley tucci the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 30 min, and received a score of 59 out of 100 on. Imaginary forces keeps it analogue for magic trip one a beautiful day in 2009, karin fong received a phone call from alex gibney, an academyaward nominated documentary filmmaker, who told her he had the perfect project for her designing the main titles and special sequences for a movie about a great american road trip. Magic trip is a 2011 documentary film directed by alison ellwood and alex gibney, about ken kesey, neal cassady, and the merry pranksters the documentary uses the 16 mm color footage shot by kesey and the merry pranksters during their 1964 crosscountry bus trip in the further bus. A new documentary contends that author ken keseys legendary crosscountry road trip kicked off the psychedelic 1960s. Ted streshinskycorbisken keseys handpainted bus in san francisco, in 1966. Ken keseys magic bus and the tour of the merry pranksters. He was joined by the merry band of pranksters, a renegade group of counterculture truth. Ken keseys search for a kool place, released in america last friday, filmmakers alison ellwood and alex gibney have constructed a coherent film from it. Oct 24, 2011 alex gibney and alison ellwoods magic trip is a freewheeling portrait of ken kesey and the merry pranksters fabled road trip across america in the legendary magic bus. Ken kesey, flush from the success of his novel one flew over the cuckoos nest, organised the trip miss ellwood said. Credited with launching the hippie counterculture movement, kesey and the merry pranksters were also the focus of the 2011 documentary magic trip. In 1964, author ken kesey and the merry pranksters set off on a road trip in a modified school bus they dubbed furthur and laid the foundation for the counterculture, the summer of love, and the woodstock phenomenon.
How ken kesey, merry pranksters, and lsd invented the 60s. As a young child i can remember when my cousin paula aka gretchen fetchin was on this trip. This pre beatles magical mystery tour shows ken kesey paving the way with his merry pranksters by starting out in 1964 on a real psychedelic trip in a painted bus. This 1934 international harvester school bus, named further became an international icon of. Broadcast by channel 4 in august 1999 in anticipation of ken kesey s trip to the uk for the total eclipse, this is a well constructed documentary look at kesey, the merry pranksters, the bus trip.
Nov 24, 2011 a similar realisation dawned when it came to what kesey called the movie. The magic trip ken keseys search for a kool place movie. Ken kesey s search for a kool place is a fascinating and often surprising examination of a geographic and psychological journey in a nation in the midst of massive change. Magic trip is a documentary that was directed by alex gibney and alison ellwood, produced by alex gibney and gareth wiley, the film features ken kesey, neal cassady, the grateful dead, jack kerouac, allen ginsberg and the merry band of pranksters. It was a way to get on the bus and stay on the bus. Long before peter fonda and dennis hopper headed off on their motorbikes to find america in the ground breaking cult classic easy rider, author ken kesey one flew over the cuckoos nest, etc and a group of friends set out on their own epic journey across america in. Rent magic trip 2011 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Alex gibney and alison ellwoods documentary magic trip chronicles the 1964 acidfueled crosscountry bus journey of the author ken kesey and his friends. Then along came kesey and his pranksters, tripping on acid, speeding through america and.