Skidoo

The final film from masterful director Otto Preminger, Skidoo is a sendup of Hollywood tropes and counterculture clichés so unapologetically zany that it was ignored upon its release by grown-ups and young folks alike. One person who “got it” was rising singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, who was enlisted to write the movie’s soundtrack, and also made a cameo as a prison tower guard. Nilsson’s credentials were that his surrealist sense of humor knew no bounds, as proven by “Garbage Can Ballet,” which posits the trash bin as a hub of social harmony. For those in search of straightforward Nilsson there is “I Will Take You There,” but true fans will appreciate the imaginative glee he shows in the instrumental passages. Without utilizing his formidable verbal skills, Nilsson’s wit and imagination come out in full force on “Tony’s Trip” and “Man Wasn’t Meant to Fly.” Though it’s probably destined to remain a curiosity, the album is revealing in the context of Nilsson’s personality. In any case, if you can’t have fun listening to “The Cast and Crew”— Nilsson’s sung rendition of the film’s life force — then you should probably give up on fun entirely.