Directed in 1969 - by Robert Downey Senior - PS has been an influence on the Coen Brothers, director PT Anderson (Boogie Nights), The Beastie Boys, Stereolab, Jello Biafra, De La Soul and a load of cheeky, sample-stealing hip hop acts.
Note: Robert Downey was a 60s hipster, who was described as the "Lenny Bruce of the new cinema". He had some very liberal ideas about drugtaking.
The music is psychedelic-folky-quirky-groovy-funky (with plenty of sampleable dialogue) and the film is an anarchic, demented satire on 60s consumerism & race relations. It features corrupt midget presidents, Antonio `Huggy Bear` Fargas and more soul sisters than you can shake a stick at.
Music by Charley Cuva (composer of the astoundingly rare soundtrack to Pound, another of Downey’s movies).
Putney Swope is a brilliant, surreal take on 60’s consumerism, race relations and artistic expression. A revolutionary film at the time, and easy to see why
