Movie: Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place

Top 5 Billed Cast

Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey

Self

Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia

Self (archive footage)

Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady

Self

Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh

Self (archive footage)

Bob Weir
Bob Weir

Self (archive footage)

  • HomePage

    Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place

  • Overview

    A freewheeling portrait of Ken Kesey and the Merry Prankster’s fabled road trip across America in the legendary Magic Bus. In 1964, Ken Kesey, the famed author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” set off on a legendary, LSD-fuelled cross-country road trip to the New York World’s Fair. He was joined by “The Merry Band of Pranksters,” a renegade group of counterculture truth-seekers, including Neal Cassady, the American icon immortalized in Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and the driver and painter of the psychedelic Magic Bus.

  • Release Date

    2011-08-05

  • Average

    6.9

  • Rating:

    3.5 starts
  • Tagline

    A drug-fuelled road trip in the 60s

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Maps to the Stars
62%

Maps to the Stars(en)

2014-05-21

Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family are chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.

Che: Part One
68%

Che: Part One(en)

2008-09-05

The Argentine, begins as Che and a band of Cuban exiles (led by Fidel Castro) reach the Cuban shore from Mexico in 1956. Within two years, they mobilized popular support and an army and toppled the U.S.-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
64%

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue(it)

1974-11-28

When a series of murders hit the remote English countryside, a detective suspects a pair of travelers when it is actually the work of the undead, jarred back to life by an experimental ultra-sonic radiation machine used by the Ministry of Agriculture to kill insects.

2001: A Space Odyssey
81%

2001: A Space Odyssey(en)

1968-04-02

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

Interstellar
85%

Interstellar(en)

2014-11-05

The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

Barbie
70%

Barbie(en)

2023-06-18

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
84%

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(en)

2001-12-18

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

Pulp Fiction
85%

Pulp Fiction(en)

1994-09-10

A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.

The Shawshank Redemption
87%

The Shawshank Redemption(en)

1994-09-23

Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

GoodFellas
85%

GoodFellas(en)

1990-09-12

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.

Split
73%

Split(en)

2017-01-19

Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Knives Out
78%

Knives Out(en)

2019-11-27

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

Shutter Island
82%

Shutter Island(en)

2010-02-14

World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.

Forrest Gump
85%

Forrest Gump(en)

1994-06-23

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

Parasite
85%

Parasite(ko)

2019-05-30

All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.

Dead Poets Society
83%

Dead Poets Society(en)

1989-06-02

At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.

La La Land
79%

La La Land(en)

2016-12-01

Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
76%

The Super Mario Bros. Movie(en)

2023-04-05

While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers—and brothers—Mario and Luigi are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.

A Quiet Place
74%

A Quiet Place(en)

2018-04-03

A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Joker
81%

Joker(en)

2019-10-01

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

Similar Movies

Almost Famous
75%

Almost Famous(en)

2000-09-15

In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration to become a rock journalist lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band, Stillwater.

Night and Fog
82%

Night and Fog(fr)

1959-04-27

Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.

Who Is Arthur Chu?
65%

Who Is Arthur Chu?(en)

2017-01-20

Documentary feature about 11-time Jeopardy! champion and Internet iconoclast, Arthur Chu.

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
68%

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids(en)

2004-12-08

Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives.

La Vie en Rose
74%

La Vie en Rose(fr)

2007-02-14

From the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most famous concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Raised in her grandmother's brothel, Piaf was discovered in 1935 by nightclub owner Louis Leplee, who persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness. Piaf became one of France's immortal icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th century.

Full Metal Village
67%

Full Metal Village(de)

2007-04-19

The film describes the microcosmos of the small village Wacken and shows the clash of the cultures, before and during the biggest heavy metal festival in Europe.

The Story of the Weeping Camel
71%

The Story of the Weeping Camel(mn)

2003-06-29

When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.

Dogtown and Z-Boys
70%

Dogtown and Z-Boys(en)

2002-05-10

This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.

A Brief History of Time
72%

A Brief History of Time(en)

1991-10-01

This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.

Blink
81%

Blink(en)

2024-10-04

The Pelletier family sets out on an epic journey to see the beauty of the world when three of their four children are diagnosed with an incurable eye condition.

The Phantom of the Operator
48%

The Phantom of the Operator(en)

2004-09-12

The Phantom of the Operator is a poetic film collage that documents the construction and rise of female telephone operators and their eventual replacement with computerized communications systems.

School of Babel
66%

School of Babel(fr)

2014-03-12

They just arrived in France. They are Irish, Serbs, Brazilians Tunisians, Chinese and Senegalese ... For a year, Julie Bertuccelli filmed talks, conflicts and joys of this group of students aged 11 to 15 years, together in the same class to learn French.

Riotsville, USA
62%

Riotsville, USA(en)

2022-09-16

An archival documentary about the U.S. military’s response to the political and racial injustices of the late 1960s: take a military base, build a mock inner-city set, cast soldiers to play rioters, burn the place down, and film it all.

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen
59%

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen(en)

2022-05-29

The story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words, featuring never-before-seen home movies.

Approaching the Elephant
70%

Approaching the Elephant(en)

2015-02-20

APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT is a feature-length documentary about The Teddy McArdle Free School, where classes are optional and rules are made by democratic vote. Summerhill, founded 90 years ago by A. S. Neill, was the first free school - now there are more than 200 worldwide. Approaching the Elephant chronicles a free school in the making - spanning two years, from Teddy McArdle's first day when there were no rules or classes, through the changing of the school's director and the expulsion of a student by democratic vote, to the last day of the second year, APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT is an intimate portrait of a small group of people from a range of educational backgrounds, come together to forge a place where children are treated as equals, at liberty to spend their days however they please.

Listen Before You Sing
82%

Listen Before You Sing(zh)

2021-04-16

An elementary school in the mountains is to be abolished due to the decreasing population. The PE teacher is assigned to form a choir and to win the national choir contest to solve the crisis. With limited resource and absolutely no music background, the PE teacher and a group of tone-deaf students start to prepare for the contest. The choir and their community eventually find their own voice and identity.

Brigitte Bardot, rebel with a cause
77%

Brigitte Bardot, rebel with a cause(fr)

2019-04-12

In 1973, at age 39, Brigitte Bardot decides to stop her acting career at the height of her fame to dedicate herself to Animal welfare and protection. Her rebellious nature finds in this cause a genuine expression of who she really is. This intimate portrait including exclusive interviews provides a unique account of her journey as a movie icon turning into a radical advocate for wildlife protection ahead of her time.

Katharine Hepburn: All About Me
72%

Katharine Hepburn: All About Me(en)

1993-01-18

In a rare interview, Katharine Hepburn shares her memories and memorabilia.

Jesus Camp
70%

Jesus Camp(en)

2006-09-15

Jesus Camp is a Christian summer camp where children hone their "prophetic gifts" and are schooled in how to "take back America for Christ". The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

God's Ways
100%

God's Ways(uk)

2006-11-06

A dual portrait of young drifters on the streets of Odessa, where every day seems the same and the future keeps getting further away.