kmoh-1 A British attempt to do mysterious, unexplained and surreal. Whereas a French equivalent, like, say, Last Year In Marienbad, is aristocratic, eerie, dark and allusive, this is a white collar effort, following a strange bureaucratic process, filmed in clear daylight, with dialogue that, though straightforward on the surface, seems to refer to some reality known to the participants but not the viewer. Unusually for such a film, certain events - including the early beheading - are actually given explanations, undercutting the post-modernism with a very unexperimental model of a character acting in character. Paul Jones, lead singer of Manfred Mann and just beginning a parallel acting career, does surprisingly well, though his part (as "central figure") is a mere cipher. There is of course interest with the Pink Floyd soundtrack, though they hardly stretched themselves. Arthur Brown is very good value, with a lively cameo complete with burning headgear (would never get past health and safety nowadays). Very much of its time, but without the courage of its surreal convictions. The ultra-realistic portrayal of the bizarre events can be hypnotic, but ultimately deprives the film of a real artistic punch. Nevertheless at 58 minutes it hardly outstays its welcome.

Jon Noel Shelton **warning: spoilers contained herein *** THE COMMITTEE has many fine moments from its cool opening title sequence, Pink Floyd score, to its philosophical ending. It all starts with a hitchhiker, played by Paul Jones, cutting off his driver's head and sewing it back on. He does this for a lark. Initially there are no consequences for this act, as the driver drives on as if nothing unusual has happened. However, a committee is soon formed to decide what the punishment for Jones should be. Jones is sent on holiday from work to attend the committee. No one in Jones' circle seems to know why they are sent there, until Jones starts putting two and two together. He then becomes somewhat paranoid that the committee is out to get him. Great story, silly as it is. Monty Python could have had a field day with a premise such as this. This could have also been suspenseful, but it's not. It's all told in a very laid back manner with typically dry British humor. There is much witty dialog sprinkled throughout the film. The best moment of all has to be the performance by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. A.B. was the Marilyn Manson of his day. So, if you are in the right frame of mind, are a Pink Floyd or Paul Jones fan, or just dig 60's nostalgia, THE COMMITTEE is well worth seeing.

matlock-6 The Committee captures the essence of artistic film school movie making. While strange, sometimes confusing, and certainly disturbing, it is nonetheless a brilliant film and one that certainly deserves to be seen more than it is.It appears from time to time at British film retreats and small art movie houses, but is not available on video as it has never been officially released. It is, nevertheless, somewhat of a "white whale" to fans of Pink Floyd (who contributed much original, unreleased material to the soundtrack). There are apparently bootlegs of it floating around, although in miniscule numbers. None have been seen in public.If you ever have the chance to see this, and are a fan of art school films, then The Committee is for you!It should be noted that Pink Floyd also contributed to the soundtrack for "Tonight Lets All Make Love In London", a Peter Whitehead film. (In addition to those mentioned by Phantom Moonhead).

mcpunkin This British film recently played at the Hollywood Cinematheque. I don't think that it's available on tape, but obviously a print still exists. It was in pretty good shape, too.It's a great film, combining magical realism and psychological absurdism. It's short == 60 minutes or so. There's a really great party scene with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown that equals or excels any MTV music video that could have ever been made of this unique musician.The story divides into two parts, the first being an unusual Hitchcockian thriller. The second part involves a team of market researchers who assemble groups of people, or "committees" for a variety of absurd reasons. The central character is present in both parts, tying them together in a weird blend of paranoia and consumerism.The mod costumes and sets make for a satisfying black and white experience. If it comes to your local film museum, it's worth the trip and the 7-8 bucks admission, especially if there's another good sixties British psychological mind-bending film on the bill.