Hair

One night at home I had nothing to do, and I saw that Hair was on t.v. later. I was curious about it, I mean I had no idea what to expect. I had heard people make fun of it, and I had heard people praise it. So I had to watch, I had to have an opinion.

At the beginning of the film, I enjoyed The Age of Aquarius number, and was intrigued. However, when the number Hair came on, I didn't know how to react. I wanted to laugh at it and change the channel, I didn't want my siblings to make fun of me. Yet the song, though a little stupid, was also catchy. I kept watching. After I was finished watching the entire film, I had no idea what had just happened. I didn't know if I liked it or not, I did know that I wanted to see it again.

This is a strangely addicting film. I watched it three more times in the days following, and my final verdict is, I love it! I can't help it. It's just so fun! The fist time I watched it I was mocking it, but by the third time viewing it I was in anticipation over when the number Hair would come on so I could sing along. I especially loved the song, How Can People Be So Hard, it's a different pace from the majority of the film. What can I say, when it was over I was singing the songs in my head for weeks. I just have to buy it. I highly recommend this film to musical lovers (especially if you love musicals like The Who's Tommy). And although I know I would never be a hippie, this film makes me want to say "Heck with work, I'm going to grow out my hair so fleas can live in it!" Watch it, but beware, I think it just might do the same for you!!!

With an almost non-existent plot, I watched this film to see/hear the music. After seeing it on stage and buying the album, I know just about every word to every song. There is an energy to this movie and I enjoyed that very much. The title tune sets it off. Then, we have "Easy to Be Hard" and on and on. Each is placed in a kind of contrived setting to make it work. If there is a weakness, the movie is somewhat disjointed and lacking a kind of flow. Still, there is that whole tribal thing going on. The kids of the counterculture strut their stuff. See it as a sort of latter day period piece. Sometimes song and dance give us the jot sensual connection to a bygone era.

I saw "Hair" in the theater (Bellerose, NY) when I was fifteen years old. There are parts of this movie that have never left my consciousness. That's not an exaggeration. However, I don't find myself watching all of "Hair" all that often. I usually bail out about half way through. Tonight, I watched the whole movie. The first hour is excellent. One great song after another. The cast is very good, especially Treat Williams. "Hair" is also a beautiful looking movie. The second half, however, is not nearly as good. It has one clunker after another. It becomes a burden to watch. The LSD wedding scene is brutal. After the boot camp scene I felt like I went through boot camp. Then it picks up and the last fifteen minutes are great. Overall, "Hair" is a mixed bag. Dishonorable mention: Treat Williams' wig.

Yes, HAIR came out in the late 70's. But please don't call it a "disco-era" musical; there isn't a single thing in it that would suggest any detraction from its 1968 period. Judge it on its own merit; too often, a movie is compared to its stage roots and is inevitably crucified. As it is, the film plays out like one long, fantasy trip (whether that trip is substance-enhanced or not is your call)- starting with the "Aquarius" sequence and continuing on to the marvelous set pieces for "Manchester England," "Ain't Got No," "I Got Life," and best of all, the "Electric Blues"/"Hare Krishna" fantasy which shows lovers John Savage and Beverly D'Angelo literally flying through their own wedding ceremony. (BTW, the woman singing "Aquarius" in the film's opening is not Melba Moore, but Ren Woods- a wonderful singer-actress seen a lot on TV in the 70's, and star of the Los Angeles production of "The Wiz.") The opening Twyla Tharp corps-de-ballet shot right on the Central Park grounds- with Woods' solo in a dizzying 360 camera pan- is an awesome start to a rock-infested musical. Ms. Moore (who performed in the original Broadway HAIR) appears later in the film singing "3-5-0-0" with Ronnie Dyson in the war protest scene shot in Washington, DC. And there are moments- like the "Walking In Space" basic training sequence or the simple close-up on Cheryl Barnes's torch solo "Easy To Be Hard-" which are just plain astonishing.

I was fortunate to have seen the revival of the Broadway show three times. Prices were a bit cheaper then. This movie is vastly different from the show. The similarities are; the music, the characters, the setting. That's it.

The plot is entirely different. The characters may be the same but it's like they stepped into another story. The songs are interspersed where they seemed to fit, but to me they feel wrong. Most of the movie is wrong - in my humble opinion. This seems like Hollywood's attempt to remake Hair with the same music. I wish the show was available online.

At least I have my memories.