Fanfare Films, 1971

starring: Andrew Prine

directed by: Bruce Kessler

the plot: The titular Simon (Prine) is a vagrant who lives in a storm drain. He’s also an actual magician—a really powerful one, at that. When he does a little time in the clink for vagrancy, he meets hustler Hercules Van Zandt, who introduces him to a local counterculture rainmaker, and together they make beautiful music at high society parties. When Simon realizes he’s been exploited as a hippie geek for the amusement of the squares, he turns the tables on those who mock him, forces his way into the astral plane and makes a lot of good things go horribly wrong with magic.

why it’s good: “Simon” was originally supposed to be a horror movie, but director Bruce Kessler turned it into something far more psychedelic, groovy and funny. The hippie dream ostensibly ended with the murder of the Tates and the LaBiancas at the hands of the Manson Family, and “Simon” was intended to capitalize on those cultural anxieties à la 1970’s “I Drink Your Blood.” But the film manages to hang on to all the weirdness of ’60s counterculture, coming off like a back issue of “Doctor Strange” and “Tales From The Crypt” slammed together with none of the misinformed killer hippie hysteria. Led by Andrew Prine in a deeply outlandish performance as Simon, the picture lurches through numerous subplots and gets lost on its way to the point of it all. But while the movie never really seems to know where it’s going, there are worse rides you could be on. “Simon” is massively enjoyable thanks to goofy mystic hokum, a general hippie head shop vibe and a thick cloud of pungent smoke. Warhol honey Ultra Violet also shows up in a small part with even more ridiculous showcasing, heading up a coven of witches who worship an actual goat. Every scene seems to be a vehicle for Prine to throw himself wildly around the set, waving his arms and shouting at everyone.

why you should own it: “Simon, King of the Witches,” now available on DVD from Dark Sky Films, is a rare gem on the exploitation movie landscape. Ridiculous and fun performances from most of the cast beg for repeat viewings, and you may find yourself trying to sync its numerous effects-heavy set pieces to a Pink Floyd album just to see what happens. Dark Sky is also known for its outstanding DVD presentations, giving you far more information about a fairly obscure piece of cinema than you probably care to know. But hey, you get even more Andrew Prine!