Amos Sefer's An American Hippie in Israel (1972)
September 26, 2013
International House Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA, US
New restored 35mm print! Introduction by Herb Shellenberger.
"Murderous mimes, bloodthirsty sharks, free-loving debauchery, robots and poignant anti-war monologues by raving mad hippies—far fricking out! All this and more is provided in writer/director/prophet Amos Sefer’s previously lost early-’70s exploitationer—which, if you haven’t already surmised, is an epic blast. Clad in his dirty jeans, beads and a crude, handmade rabbit-fur vest, Israeli actor Asher Tzarfati plays the American “hippie” Mike, who, after thumbing a ride, connects with vivacious vixen Elizabeth. Fleeing from the aforementioned whacko mime patrol, the sun-baked duo gather a clutch of like-minded dropouts to set off together as a newly-minted “family” in search of a desert island utopia—but, of course, inevitable human chaos lurks in the journey ahead. Vacillating between Lord of the Flies and a zonked, unpredictable brand of Dennis Hopper-ian burnout psychedelia, An American Hippie In Israel will set your ass aflame with its collision of jarring edits, loose-lipped dubbing and pervasive total madness." —Grindhouse Releasing
An American Hippie in Israel, Amos Sefer, 1972, Israel, 35mm, 95'