As a life-long fan of big-screen science fiction, I’ve seen my fill of heady topics, but never have I seen one connecting erectile dysfunction and the fate of the known world, but here we are. I mean, there’s dire straits… and then there’s dire straits!
If ever there was a punk rock supergroup that was up to the challenge of releasing a great awakening among the masses, it would be OFF! Free LSD is one last psychedelic trip for the band that celebrates its 14-year existence via a feature film and a concept album release.
Our story opens with a grizzled adult toy store-strip club owner, played by Keith Morris as himself, who’s living his life, but it’s not quite his best one. Keith is a believer and a conspiracy theorist who hosts his own paranormal podcast. Along comes young Cici (Chelsea Debo), who opens his eyes to all-new possibilities, but then quickly goes missing. Hints are given and her eventual return is diminished, as she appears under the control of sinister forces, which is enough of a reason for Keith to undertake a leap of faith in order to save our damsel in distress.
Along the way, advertisements for BDA Labs pop up everywhere and the true nature of the shadowy company is unsheathed. Apparently, the secret to unlocking your manhood is actually unlocking your mind, and its “highly effective experimental study” is definitely a game changer, but death will come quickly unless four total strangers form a legendary band, which is easier said than done.
“It’s time to step into the shoes of who you should be and alter that outcome…”
E.D. is no joke; it’s a sexual symptom that affects males of a variety of ages globally, but writer-director-actor Dimitri Coats does his best to blend comedic timing into a storyline that’s based on the punk-rock manifestations of the real-life band. There’s more than one path to enlightenment for Morris (former member of Black Flag and Circle Jerks), Coats (former member of Burning Brides), the late DH Peligro (former member of Dead Kennedys and Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Autry Fulbright II. Paranormal elements and hallucinatory nightmare sequences prove that the truth is out there, somewhere.
There’s some cool looking special-effects explosions and some inexplicable shouting by Jack Black in a cameo that really doesn’t offer anything of substance for the ongoing storyline. In fact, his headlining cameo almost feels like a detriment here.
I’m guessing he’s a big fan of multiple punk rock bands. Cool. Black’s not a producer for this film. Maybe he likes the actors involved. As an audience member, I took a timeout from the story in trying to figure out the reason for Black’s presence. To have a couple of throwaway lines of dialogue that didn’t really enhance our heroes’ chances at saving the world was a big whiff. I’ll blame the screenwriter (who’s also the director). And with Black’s recent announcement to disband Tenacious D and bail on an ongoing tour, it seems the actor/musician just can’t do a whole lot right now to manifest some good news.
Black’s presence felt like a missed opportunity, but the biggest question I still have unanswered is this: Just who are the two warring extraterrestrial factions and what, exactly, are their powers? It’s still unknown, even after the end credits roll. I get why they desire our erstwhile characters to never get the band together (so they can rule the world), but the finer details are never proclaimed. That’s another missed opportunity. Sci-fi fans really like to climb into the head(s) of the given antagonist(s) and understand their motivation(s). Those are never quite clear here.
Apparently, I live within one of the few major cities that did not receive a special screening for Free LSD or host a concert appearance by the band. That made me sad. But at least I got to watch this film, which I did enjoy.
With strange visions, masked characters, a strobing power source and bees foreshadowing a dark, predictable future, morphing extraterrestrial creatures and a wall of sound as performance art, this movie has Bill and Ted meets Ancient Aliens and The X-Files vibes written all over it, and I’m absolutely here for it!
In the grand scheme of things, Free LSD feels familiar, but with a punk rock twist. That’s what made it fun. For more movie information, please visit freelsdmovie.com. To purchase the film’s soundtrack, click on the link. Long live punk rock music!