Timothy Leary's Dead (1996) User Reviews

A weird film about a wired guy

[rlcsljo · 6/10 · 30 July 2002]

The producers of this film come off as a sleazy defense attorney trying to defend a mob hit man. "Everybody knows its true, but you can't prove anything--not guilty!".

Indeed Timothy Leary himself seems to be adopting the same attitude--protesting his legal innocence, while admitting to everything (with a knowing smirk).

Indeed, he comes off even worse than a country music singer that becomes obscenely rich while singing the virtues of poverty.

This film filled in many gaps in my knowledge between the man an the myth and the ending will leave you with one of the weirdest feelings imaginable--We'll miss you guy!

P.S. For those of you that like your theme songs repeated ad nauseum, this film can not be beat!

Looks at a culture in transition and the influence of one brilliant man.

[goodellaa · 7/10 · 9 May 2009]

My rating of 7 of a possible 10 is for the documentary. The DVD contains some great additional interview material and very good director commentary and rates higher. People wanting to get a quick history lesson on the roots of American drug culture during Leary's life are in for a treat. Also a good glimpse of a few of the social influences that helped change the way we see ourselves today. The focus is narrow but the material is really choice and the story, from a particular point of view, told well. The movie is mostly about Leary's death and why anyone should be sad, happy or interested. There is a striking and controversial bit toward the end: the death on camera and decapitation of Leary. It is a true "what the hell?" moment. They really got me going with this. I work with dead and dying people and Mr. Leary's passing looks quite real. If you are wondering what the transition looks like, this is about it. But... Marshall McLuhan's Ghost!... it was not until listening to the director's commentary that I consciously realized that there might be a reason why that disembodied head looks less dead than it did when in place. There is an earlier scene in which Leary is having a plaster life-cast made of his face and head. Hmmm. That is one of the lessons of the movie. Documentaries are also theater. Leary and his cohorts had a good grasp of theater. Enjoy!

faked

[joey-206 · 13 August 2005]

Just to set the record straight, Timothy Leary's head was not removed and frozen after his death as shown in this movie. The filmmakers faked this with a plaster cast of Dr. Leary's head. I'm not sure why you'd fake something like this. I guess if you don't have a great ending to your movie you make something up. Most people think this is what actually happened but it's not. Dr. Leary contemplated cryogenics (freezing the body after death) but later decided that it was "too creepy" and opted for a natural death. Timothy died peacefully with his friends around him. He was later "barbecued" as he liked to call it, and his ashes were shot into space.

Fantastically entertaining biography...

[phibes012000 · 10/10 · 11 October 2009]

This film is a fascinating biography of Timothy Leary. It chronicles his life without really explaining it, although in interviews Leary tries to do a lot of that himself. He's full of it and actually lies about some of the events, but who cares? (I'm sure if he were still around, he'd clobber me for suggesting that statement as would any of his colleagues and followers.) Factual accuracy isn't important here, as the psychedelic experience will prove. There's also some amusing segments concerning the psychedelic experience in modern times. The only part I didn't care for is the inclusion of the police officer's comments which really didn't add anything to what Leary was about. Who cares about the opposition? I saw this film in the year 2000, and it quickly became my favorite movie of that year.