Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Kingkitsch At long last, we can all witness the greatest cinematic WTF moment of 1968, which is "Skidoo". Now finally available on DVD, you can sit in slack- jawed amazement at this notorious slice of psychedelic weirdness from director Otto Preminger. Is this movie as bad as you've heard? Yes, it is. Is it better than you imagined? Yes, it is. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely. Probably a few viewings, to fully appreciate everything that's going on, while you're wondering how in the hell did this movie ever get made? "Skidoo" is a moment captured from the most turbulent period in American history, the Sixties. The generation gap, drugs, and the re-evaluation of social behaviors had finally reached the old guard in Hollywood, who didn't have a clue how to keep seats filled with younger audiences. Director Otto Preminger takes the "Laugh-In" route here, filling the screen with familiar faces getting a crash course in hipness via LSD. The plot here is fairly easy to follow, but the images can be difficult to process. Jackie Gleason tripping his brains out. Carol Channing doing her best Captain Crunch impersonation at the movie's climax belting out the theme song. Three villains from TV's "Batman" being directed by a fourth. Nude football players. Dancing garbage cans. Groucho Marx's head twirling around on top of a giant wood screw. Body painting. Groovy everything being thrown at you while acid- induced dialog prattles along, set to a soundtrack by Harry Nilsson (who really does sing all the credits at the film's end).It's really up to the viewer to decide if this is a very sly comment on the emergence of the drug culture, or just a gimmick to trot out older fading "stars" and paint them in the glamor of counter- culture. Many taboos are skewered here: Stash the Hippie greets his friend Geronimo by kissing him on the mouth (real life brothers, John Phillip Law and Thomas Law), prison romances are hinted at in the freakout scenes, racially mixed romance is seen, geriatric sex, free love, and some very strange metaphysical speeches about hipness and nothingness. Also, smoking pumpkins. "Skidoo" undoubtedly plays better now, nearly fifty years after a stunned public got a dose of it. Now, it looks like a harmless experiment in psychedelic foolishness. It's mindbending, but for all the wrong reasons. Seek it out and find yourself.

mobia-1 A self conscious attempt to be "hip" and "wacky," the film is unfortunately wed to an unfunny mobster story and shot stiffly with no momentum. There are a few worthy bits of oddness however. Jackie Gleason's LSD trip and Carol Channing whole heartedly belting out the title song during an exceedingly dumb ending scene where a flotilla of hippies and a hot air balloon converge on Groucho Marx's yacht, where despite all the bullets being fired by Groucho's bodyguards, no one gets shot. Skidoo probably wouldn't be viewed at all if it weren't for the classic Hollywood stars involved. The trailer, hosted by Otto Preminger's LSD guru Tim Leary, is actually more funny and interesting as it blatantly panders to the youth market. You wonder if Leary actually liked the movie, just did it out of friendship for Preminger, or for a good pay off.

surfink The conventional wisdom on this movie (amply supported by both positive and negative reviews here on IMDb) is that it's either an awful, embarrassing, train-wreck of a movie that wastes it's star-laden cast, or that it's hugely entertaining, but only because of how terrible it is. I beg to differ on both counts.For starters, people, it's a satire! It's not supposed to be taken at face value, although I believe it has a serious message underneath all the silliness. Satirized at various points throughout are gangsters, television, the judicial system, consumerism, playboys, technology, government, and (very gently) hippies. I think some people probably have trouble following the movie because the plot is fairly intricate; if you're not paying close attention you will miss plot points that make later events more comprehensible. The first time I saw this I was mildly amused, but each time I watch it, it gets better and I get more out of it.There are even scattered moments of brilliance, dare I say it. The opening scene of Jackie Gleason and Carol Channing dueling with their TV remotes, flipping between the sadly too-realistic senate hearing and amusingly insipid commercials is priceless and spot on. Gleason's assessment of Law's hippie character also brought a smile to my face ("How come you're driving a beat-up Rolls instead of a beat-up Ford? How does that fit with your beliefs?") The acid-trip sequences are actually quite well done, more closely resembling an actual trip, and especially the behavior of those on a trip, than many expressly drug-oriented movies of the time (except maybe for the dancing garbage cans), perhaps because Otto Preminger actually experimented with LSD before making the movie. And everyone from the big names to the bit players are excellent in their roles and play everything straight—with no mugging or winking at the camera—all the way. Austin Pendleton, in particular, as "Fred the Professor," is in top form and nearly steals the show. (And is that Corbett Monica dancing on top of Slim Pickens's switchboard?)I see this more as a critique of dog-eat-dog capitalism (as represented by the gangsters) than just a meaningless farce. I think the most telling scene is where Gleason ("the best torpedo in the business") drops acid, "loses his ego," and realizes just how morally/spiritually bankrupt the violent, money-obsessed gangster life is. And while the hippies are occasionally gently mocked ("If you can't dig nothing, you can't dig anything") I really feel that the film's heart is on their side, making Skidoo essentially a 98-minute commercial for peace, love, and understanding, and really one of the best countercultural movies of the '60s (especially since it was made by a 62-year-old "member of the establishment"). Compare this to other '60s "youth oriented" cheese fests (which I love) such as Riot on Sunset Strip, The Big Cube, The Love-Ins, etc., and you'll find that Skidoo's depiction of the hippies is actually more realistic (and sympathetic) and that it carries a more serious message (!!).Try to clear your head of all the "train wreck" and "so-bad-it's-good" propaganda before watching this and I think you'll find a rather sly, sophisticated, and quite funny comedy. I think Preminger was light-years ahead of both audiences and critics in 1968 (and apparently still is), accounting for its failure at the box office more than the quality of the movie itself. That, and the fact that it's so hard to pigeonhole: is it a gangster movie, a comedy, or a youth-market drug flick? The recently released Olive Films DVD is bare-bones, with no extras other than chapter stops, but is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and the print is in overall great shape, with good color and contrast and virtually no blemishes or other damage. If you're a fan of this film, pick it up and support the release of obscure gems like this. You will not be disappointed."It's only my opinion, but it's one that I value highly." —Henry Fool

wes-connors The one film for which "Jackie Gleason on Acid" serves as both a literal and figurative description...Director Otto Preminger's tasteless, insulting, offensive, embarrassing, and (most significantly) humorless exercise in 1960s psychedelic, "Skidoo" is even more notable for its tireless waste of resources. Mr. Preminger's direction aside, star Jackie Gleason (as "Tough" Tony Banks) appears as if he needs a drink. Obviously, Mr. Gleason's knack for comedy ("The Honeymooners") and drama ("The Hustler") doesn't translate into satire... The film is a colossally misdirected Acid Bomb...Despite delivering a colorless performance, Gleason is in possession of the film's highlight: it's the "acid trip" he has while in jail; in isolation, it accidentally succeeds. The later Fred Clark and Harry Nilsson "acid trip" is a runner-up; and, Mr. Nilsson's musical interludes are pleasant. Stoned-looking Groucho Marx and Frank Gorshin are painful to watch. Michael Constantine matches Gleason's level of wit. Troupers Carol Channing and Mickey Rooney give it their best shot, at least...Frankie Avalon (as Angie) should be proud, as his characterization stands out amongst such disappointing mediocrity. A star for Mr. Avalon, and a star for Nilsson. Everyone should receive light to heavy paddling, with a well-worn copy of Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test".** Skidoo (1968) Otto Preminger ~ Jackie Gleason, Frankie Avalon, Carol Channing