Psych-Out: Actor Dean Stockwell Tries To Remember What He Was Doing In This Cheesy Cinematic Wonder

Originally published in Rave-Up #11 (1986)
By Devorah Ostrov

Promo poster for Psych-Out (which oddly features the Voxmobile)

Released in 1968, Psych-Out was an unapologetic cash-in on SF’s already over-hyped (not to mention extinct) “hippieville” (as the press kit called it).

The flick’s convoluted plotline was ridiculous, and none of the adult Hollywood cast (which included Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, and Susan Strasberg) made convincing hippies.

However, after a rare viewing of the film, I had the opportunity for a quick exchange with famous actor Dean Stockwell who played Dave (a “truth-seeking hippie” according to the press kit, who lived in an air-conditioning unit).

It turns out, Dean barely remembers Psych-Out. Although, he does recall not liking the film or his character very much. “It was one of the exploitive teenage movies of the time,” he says. “It didn’t represent what was going on in the scene. I thought my character was an idiot.”

Jack Nicholson, Susan Strasberg & Dean Stockwell

While the film’s producers (Dick Clark Productions) weren’t concerned with improving the script or characters, Dean took it upon himself to give Dave a bit more dimension, even wearing a wig so he’d look cooler.

“I wanted my character to do more than just sit and contemplate his navel,” Dean remarks. (Although his dialog still runs along the lines of: “Reality is a bum trip.”)

He also reveals that (in some cases) the drugs used in the film weren’t props. “There was a big party scene with me and Jack Nicholson,” Dean comments. “We were walking around smoking pot. It was real! We couldn’t function for the rest of the day.”

Love AMERICAN HEARTBREAK Style

American Heartbreak's assault on the SF music scene perfectly coincided with our publishing schedule, and we featured this introduction to the band in Teenage Kicks #1. 

Originally published in Teenage Kicks #1 (Summer 1997)

By Devorah Ostrov

Billy Rowe & Lance Boone - American Heartbreak
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

"We're ready to conquer the world!" Lance Boone, lead singer for American Heartbreak, has no reason to doubt his enthusiastic proclamation.

American Heartbreak is:

Lance Boone
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Lance Boone: Dark-haired, good-looking, charismatic frontman. From New England. Used to be in Diamond Star Halo. Worries (unnecessarily) about sounding stupid in interviews.

Billy Rowe: Guitarist with superstar potential. Goes from blonde to redhead in the blink of an eye. Formerly with Mindzone and Jetboy. Credentials include two sadly overlooked albums on MCA. Can boast about a member of Hanoi Rocks joining his band!

Erik Lannon: Drummer par excellence. Curly hair and a mischievous smile. His résumé involves just about everybody from Mordred to House of Wheels to the Bay City Rollers. Big fan of the Sweet and thinks Phil Lynott is God!

Mike Butler: Dynamic bassist. Sports waist-length hair and a shy demeanor. Hails from Florida. Played in Exodus and Mindzone.

Curtis Grant: Tattooed and muscular. Plays guitar with a vengeance. Like Billy and Erik, he's a San Francisco native (the three have known each other since childhood). Spent some time with LA's Black Cherry.

* * *

Curtis Grant and Mike Butler
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

Formed a little less than a year ago from the ashes of Mindzone and Diamond Star Halo, American Heartbreak have been gigging constantly, with the intention of "turning the City upside down," says Lance. They also want to "bring back the element of FUN, which is desperately missing in a lot of the bands on the local scene."

Billy Rowe
Photo: Devorah Ostrov

The group took its name from the Girl song "Heartbreak America," and collective influences include D-Generation, the Wildhearts ("I can't say enough about the Wildhearts," remarks Lance), the Dictators, the New York Dolls, and Blondie.

Lance describes American Heartbreak's sound as "very heavy, dark pop. It's rooted in punk, although it has an underlying pop beat."

Currently, the guys have three demo tapes in circulation, featuring such originals as "Methadone Baby," "Another Wasted Day" and "Nobody Likes Me," as well as "Richey James" — their tribute to the Manic Street Preachers' guitarist.

Lance's semi-autobiographical tune "Dead at Seventeen" is also included on the demos. Discussing the inspiration behind the lyrics, he reflects: "I remember not having any money, being bored on Saturday afternoons. And feeling like, shit, if this is all there is at 17, I might as well be dead."

They're already packing San Francisco clubs with an ever-growing following. And as one of their press releases points out: "A lot of people are about to pay attention to American Heartbreak." Be one of the first!