Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1967
High (film)
Buy High (film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'High' is a film released in 1967, directed by Larry Kent and starring Lanny Beckman, Astri Thorvik, Peter Mathews, Joyce Cay, and Denis Payne. Filmed in Montreal, it is likely most-remembered for being banned by the censors of Quebec immediately before its scheduled premiere at the Montreal International Film Festival for its use of drugs, nudity, and explicit sex scenes.Eric H. Wilson, "Larry's At It Again: Movie-maker Kent reels opinions and talks about High, his new banned film". 'Vancouver Sun', August 11, 1967.
In defense, celebrities such as Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, and even Warren Beatty came to 'High' 's defense as a film of art, rather than gratuity.
Plot
'High' is the story of a dope-dealing university dropout (Lanning Beckman) and his strait-laced girlfriend (Astri Thorvik) whom he corrupts and leads down a path of petty crime and uninhibited sex. Considered Larry Kent's best film, 'High' is a tough-minded vision of the anarchic and violent underside of the 1960s culture of free love and do-your-own-thing. The frank love making scenes and dope smoking led to a wide theatrical release in the U.S. and a ban by the censor boards in Ontario and British Columbia.
Cast
* Lanny Beckman as Tom (as Lanning Beckman)
* Astri Thorvik as Vicky (as Astri Torvik)
* Peter Mathews
* Joyce Cay
* Denis Payne
* Laurie Wynn Kent
* Doris Cowan
* Mortie Golub
* Carol Epstein
* Al Mayoff
* Melinda McCracken
* Gary Eisenkraft
* Jack Esbein
Legacy
The film was screened at the 18th Berlin Film Festival in 1968 as part of Young Canadian Film, a lineup of films by emerging Canadian filmmakers.Gerald Pratley, "In and Out of Cinema". 'Cinema Canada', September 1968.
It was part of a retrospective screening of Kent's films, alongside 'The Bitter Ash', 'Sweet Substitute' and 'When Tomorrow Dies', which screened at a number of venues in 2002 and 2003, including Cinematheque Ontario in Toronto, the Pacific Cinmathque in Vancouver and the Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa.Matthew Hays, "Catch up on your Kent". 'The Globe and Mail', February 1, 2003.
References
Buy High (film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1967