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I am interested in watching this, but because time really has lost most of its relevant meaning I flaked out. As an assistant in a special ed class, I’m very lucky to still be getting paid by the district right now but am in the very head-fucky space of (a) being on call for possibly working with students online (b) knowing that most of the students are not capable of working online because they have significant impairments or no internet connection (c) not knowing what the hell I would do what them if I got them online (d) no one else seems to know how to handle being online with them if it were to happen (e) pretty infrequent communication about what any expectations are (except for a weekly staff meetings on Microsoft Teams and occasional special ed meetings). Honestly, I would rather someone just literally said “we don’t have shit for you to do. If there is, we’ll tell you a week in advance so you can mentally prepare yourself.” also, I’ve been in the district for thirteen years, so I will PROBABLY have a job next year (again, I know I’m very lucky) but I don’t know that for sure or at what school or when school is going to even happen and what that’s going to look like. Basically things are so up in the air right now I feel like I’m tethered to a space station while floating in outer space. Although I guess there wouldn’t be air there so scratch that. Sorry, I know this is all off topic but this is what happens when I wake up a little before 3am, try to go back to sleep for half an hour, then say “fuck it,” pick up my phone, go to this forum and spew whatever’s flying through my head. To quote Lloyd Bridges from Airplane:

If anyone is interested, Rian Johnson just did a write-up for Letterboxd on 1970s musicals, including some we have covered! 'Hair,' however, is not included... https://letterboxd.com/rcjohnso/list/70s-musical-extravaganza/detail/

Just want to add that the school I work for is doing all it can in every way. This is not a critique of my co-workers and admin—who are all awesome and working very hard—it’s just a portrait of my headspace at this point during rona.

... Sodomy?

4/23 - Yankee Doodle Dandy 4/30 - Intolerance 5/7 - GoodFellas 5/14 - Bridge Over The River Kwai 5/21 - A Streetcar Named Desire

The subtitle of the stage musical is "An American Tribal-Love Rock Musical". That is somewhat more descriptive since it focused on the Hippie tribe but doesn't help much for the movie.

But are you proud of not having a haircut?

Speaking of hair, I haven’t had a haircut in forever. OK, I will stop now.

I don’t mind the title so much. I think the Berger voluntarily cutting off his hair for Claude, especially when he was so adamant he would never cut his hair earlier in the film, is effective—if facile— narrative shorthand. I don’t, however, like that he’s proud of the fleas in his hair.

If you’re lucky, it’s streaming on your library’s streaming service for free. I enjoyed it very much but IT IS BONKERS!!!

Three weeks ago, I was Covid-canned from my J-O-B of nearly five years, so I decided to drown my sorrows in some shoegaze-y noise-pop. In the interest of trying to stay creative and motivated, and made this mix and I am sharing it with anyone on this board with a ear towards static gossamer noise-pop: Enjoy!

Painful

Ah, I did not realize it was streaming free. Awesome!

Yea, that narrative part is fine, but to be the actual point they elevate to title status? Seems very minor to me.

I felt like adding, I hate that it's called Hair. It has nothing to do with anything. I know the relation between hippies and hair, let it flow, but it's such a stupid reference point for the film. Also it's just another aspect that makes me assume they're mocking the hippies. How many of the songs could have been more interesting titles? Age of Aquarius?

The buddy-stands-in-for-his-dead-friend is a pretty standard war movie trope dating back to the 40s if not earlier, and as someone pointed out spoilerly, it's a major plot point in TV's Mad Men. I watched a lot of war movies and had a particular interest in Viet Nam growing up, because it was winding down and America was starting to cope with the aftermath, cinematically and otherwise, in the late 70s with films like Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter (and even, a bit later, First Blood). I see the film of Hair as a bit of a cynical cash-in on both the respectability of the Viet Nam films so far and the sudden popularity of retro movie musicals, especially Grease. That said, the film itself is OK, not aging terribly well like many musicals. Watching it now feels the way it feels to watch Rent. Like you've found your old View-Master and some forgotten reels.

That’s right! He does, doesn’t he?

IMDB has a mention of the tombstone in the Goofs section. That says the Army discovered Berger's real name at some point. They kept him since he was supposed to be drafted anyway. (He burns his draft card when we first meet the hippies.)

I feel that way about most movies. I thought that was done on purpose. It made me think of his poor mom, who just wanted to clean his pants...

Although it might be triggering for people who don’t like horror/feel trapped at home right now.