Purple Haze (film)

Purple Haze is a 1983 dramedy about Matt Caulfield, a college student who is expelled for smoking cannabis, and subsequently drafted to Vietnam in the summer of 1968.

Plot Summary

The film opens in Princeton University, 1968, where Matt Caulfield and his friends are watching television. There, they witness President Lyndon B. Johnson inform us of his plans not to rerun in the upcoming election. Upon hearing of his plans, Matt and the rest of the students celebrate by smoking marijuana. An uncool student from next door is disturbed by the boys' racket, and upon being pelted with junkfood by the boys for telling them to be quiet, he calls the police. Within minutes, Matt and his roommates are caught smoking, and are banned from college campus. Matt returns home to his family, where he is faced with various issues before being shipped off to Vietnam.

Reception

Despite receiving positive reviews in some mainstream publishings, Purple Haze was a huge flop, and faded into obscurity shortly after its release. The director, David Burton Morris, offers DVD copies of the film from his e-mail address, DGA123@AOL.com.

Soundtrack

Purple Haze is perhaps best remembered for its soundtrack, that consists mainly of period rock from the mid to late 60's. Whether or not the songs were licensed with the filmmakers remains unknown, leading many to believe that this is the reason that an official DVD release has yet to come. The 1981 animated film Heavy Metal faced similar issues. Issues that were resolved in the late 1990's when the film finally received a proper DVD released.

References