Groupies

This is a poorly shot and badly edited documentary on male (yes!) and female groupies from the US who spend all their time trying to bed visiting British musicians. Those wanting to see everything, will be disappointed, although there is some occasional nudity, albeit brief. The group are followed from gig to gig, and we get to see the girls putting on their makeup and best clothes, while reminiscing about previous successes. One tells how she started with The Four Tops! The women always seem to be drunk, or stoned, or both. As an Australian I found the male groupies bizarre, beyond belief. If nothing else it's a great time capsule of a bygone era. The musicians featured are Ten Years After, Joe Cocker, Terry Reid and Spooky Tooth. Their inclusion has earned an extra star. Frankly I'd rather have had more music and less of the groupies.

As a huge Rock and Roll fan, I found this to be an interesting look into a transitional period of Rock and Roll music. I say transitional because in the late 60's music tastes seemed to be moving in more of a "hard rock" or "acid rock" as it was called, direction. This was before the explosion of arena rock and many of the groups shown here were still playing small clubs on either coast. But then some of these groups would go on to play at Wood Stock the same year that this was being filmed.

This documentary is a look at both men and women often called, "hangers on", or groupies that followed this music scene and trying to gain access to the performers at any cost. The drug scene was certainly in full swing by this time and plays heavily into the lives of the people depicted here. This is a story of damaged individuals, runaways, drug addition and psychosis. The film could very well have been titled, " Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. It would be interesting to know what became of some of these people later in life. One in particular I know had a very tragic end.

This film is an un-put-downable train wreck of 1970s excess. Tragic inclusions include a young homosexual teenager, abused, bleeding and out of his gourd, being relentlessly mocked by those around him, a woman who makes it her business to preserve plaster trophies of the male member, and two young girls in a hypersexualized bit of exhibitionism for the benefit of the camera and anyone else who happens to be around.

Up there with the G.G. Allin documentary for the title of 'most disturbing slice of human existence'. It deserves to be seen (in my opinion), because people deserve to know that these types of people were (and are) out there. Great documentaries shed light in dark places. And the attitude of these people toward their lives and each other can certainly be described as dark.

I saw Groupies in LA during winter of 1970/71, and have very fond memories of it. Cynthia Plaster Caster was a riot, and some of the actual casts she owned are shown (including JimiH). It's been 30 years now and Groupies is not on tape, DVD, laser, cable, or anywhere. I suspect music rights have tied it in knots. And, if I remember correctly, the movie uses complete songs. Too bad it's in limbo!