The Psychedelic Priest

Director - William Grefe (Death Curse of Tartu, The Hooked Generation) and Terry Merrill (Beach Boy Rebels)

Starring - John Darrell (The Wars of the Roses, Whoops Apocalypse), Carolyn Hall, and Joe Crane

Release Date - 1971/2001

Genre - Drama

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I heard that Arrow Video was releasing He Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefe I was curious about the release for several reasons.  I was looking forward to revisiting Death Curse of Tartu and Sting of Death but I was also interested in checking out two other films for the first time.  One of those films was The Psychedelic Priest.  This one really caught my eye because it was originally filmed in 1971 but wasn't released until 30 years later.  I've seen it mentioned in different movie groups over the years but never had the chance to actually see it until now.

     The film follows a priest who is drugged by some teenagers when he shares a drink with them.  This moment opens him up and he realizes that he is meant for more than just preaching sermons.  He still believes in his faith but wants to explore his mind and the world more.  On his adventure he tries many different mind altering drugs and meets different people from varying backgrounds before he goes too far down the rabbit hole.  After an accidental overdose, he finds himself back in religion.  

     The Psychedelic Priest is the highlight of this box set so far and I fucking loved it.  It's not a complicated film but it is a story that has a few layers that you may not pick up on as the film progresses.  This is the kind of film you can watch several times and still find something new to appreciate.  The acting in this one is great.  The cast is rather small and unexperienced but John Darrell carries the film.  His performance was fantastic and I fucking loved his spin on a religious character that finds recreational drugs.  The supporting cast is solid but it's Darrell and his character of the priest that makes the film as enjoyable as it is.  The story for this one is follows a priest who explores his own faith while opening his mind to psychedelics.  Controversial, especially for the early 70s, but it works on several ways.  It not only works as a drama about religion and counter culture but it also works as a film handling political and social topics of the time.  I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can see myself revisiting several more times before I get tired of it.  Finally, the film does have a little blood but this is not one with a body count.  It's a character driven piece that focuses more on story than gore.  Overall, The Psychedelic Priest is one of the highlights of the He Came from the Swamp box set.  It's a fantastic film that fully embodies the counter culture cinema of the time.  I highly recommend this one.