Brief, surreal, enigmatic British film from the late 60's. It opens with a man killing another in a car for seemingly no reason(think Albert Camus existential murder tale "The Stranger"), only to then sew it back on, to find the man is appalled but otherwise fine. The second half of the film involves, people from all over the country being summoned to spend a weekend as part of a "committee", where the man who decapitated his fellow traveler earlier, is also summoned. Everyone wonders, but no one bothers to question the committee, after all it's a free weekend getaway, and they are told they will make very important decisions. Our hero is lead away from the party which features performances by psychedelic wild man Arthur Brown of (The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, seen on cover here), by an even more enigmatic stranger who proceeds to explain to him, in a 20 minute conversation, the nature of individuality and community, freedom and order, impulse and the nature of the committee. The conversation is really the cornerstone of the film (the screen-writer who became an economist after the lack of success with this film, likens it to The Matrix in reverse, and he's not far off. The conversation scene is also parodied in the climax of Grant Morisson's "Animal Man").Anyway it's a mysterious film for fans of mysterious, philosophically dense movies(it's hour time line keeps the movie from treading into boredom). The most disappointing aspect of this film is actually the Pink Floyd soundtrack, which is good, but not nearly as good as fans of the original band(Syd Barret days) will imagine it must be. A good movie, all but lost to the common man before the days of Netflix. If you like political, psychological, and philosophically challenging films, and "wierd tales", than this is not to be missed

I was totally shocked when walking into Virgin Megastore nonchalantly one day, to discover that this film thought long forgotten, had been actually released. It's something many people no doubt for decades have wished to see. This DVD comes with an excellent interview sequence (as long as the 54 minute film) which does explain things if you get a little bit confused! While admitting, that yes, I knew of this film as a hardcore Pink Floyd fan (whom indeed provide some great musical moments) the film is nonetheless an excellent example of the type of "art" films of the period and is well worth investigating. If your into Kafka, Hesse, The Prisoner, Sixties "pop" Psychology, New-Left Politics, Antonioni (spelt right?), Godard, Bergman etc etc then I do recommend this film. It's perhaps more of a period piece now of course, and the director himself admits flaws, but this is still a thoughtful experience and its sad in a way that it seems so fresh amidst all the more intelligent, commercial films of today. This is especially a point worth noting; when thinking that the film is of its time, and was designed for a receptive, cool, hip audience. Today while claims are made that a film is made commercially but in a more intelligent way for a mass audience it still just seems to say "Well there you go, watch the flashing lights, a few nice things to think about - happy now?" Actually it's interesting that the writer in the interview section cites The Matrix as a comparable example, when discussing the themes of the film.The decapitation scene is quite shocking even by todays standards, especially when the head is sewn back on! Also, while admittedly biased there is an excellent, memorable scene with various individuals walking around an office with a wonderful repetitive piece of music by the Floyd. Certainly not for everyone, but if you're in the know and looking for an experience I would certainly give this film a try. I struggled whether to vote it 7 or 8 out of ten, but then, I'm writing this so it must have made an impression!Enjoy.

**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.

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.