* AcclaimedFlop: It was badly received upon release, partially because nobody expected Franchise/TheMonkees to star in such a MindScrew of a film, but is now a respected work. Not only have people have come to appreciate its weirdness, but the subsequent fame of Creator/BobRafelson and Creator/JackNicholson certainly helped. And of course, the Monkees have been VindicatedByHistory.
* ActingForTwo: June Fairchild is one of the belly dancers in the "Can You Dig It?" segment and also the bikini-clad woman who threatens to jump from the building.
* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $750,000. Box office, unknown but almost certainly under $100,000 [[note]]The often-quoted $16,111 was actually [[http://sotcaa.org/head/head_hype01.html the combined gross after its first five days]] in two New York theaters[[/note]]. The combination of a "TV rock band" considered past its prime, plus the bizarre MindScrew of a film that director Bob Rafelson and co-writer Creator/JackNicholson put together led to Creator/ColumbiaPictures burying the movie. It played in a handful of big city theaters at the end of 1968, went on the DriveInTheater circuit after that, and was forgotten afterwards, but became a CultClassic in TheEighties when The Monkees experienced a resurgence in popularity.
* CreatorBacklash: Of a minor sort. Peter Tork stated his main complaint with the film is the ending and message "seemed to indicate you can't get out of the box."
* CreatorCouple: Lady Pleasure, who kisses all of The Monkees, was played by Mimi Machu (under her StageName of I.J. Jefferson), who was the girlfriend of screenwriter Creator/JackNicholson at the time.
* CreatorKiller: The film was the beginning of the end for Music/TheMonkees. It's been speculated by some (including the band) that Creator/BobRafelson and Bert Schneider made the film purely to TorchTheFranchiseAndRun.
* DeletedScene: The shooting script had a lengthy JidaiGeki parody scene where the Monkees battle a Samurai warlord named Franchise/{{Godzilla}} (sometimes misreported as them actually battling '''the''' Godzilla). It was slated to be shot on-location in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, but never got filmed for budgetary reasons. See more [[http://sotcaa.org/head/head_changes06.html here]] and [[http://sotcaa.org/head/head_changes07.html here]].
* DuelingWorks: To a certain extent with ''Film/MagicalMysteryTour'', both being plotless surreal musical comedies starring a popular rock band. ''Head'''s initial screenplay draft (back when it was still called ''Changes'') was submitted in mid-December of 1967, just before ''MMT'' debuted. Davy Jones actually saw the original broadcast of ''MMT'' while visiting his family in England for Christmas.
* FakeNationality: The Swami is presumably supposed to be from UsefulNotes/{{India}}, but he's played by Abraham Sofaer, who was born and raised in British-controlled Burma in a family of Iraqi Jewish descent.
* HeAlsoDid:
** Not only did Nicholson write the screenplay (during the brief pre-''Film/EasyRider'' period when he was trying to transition away from acting to writing and directing), he also assembled the soundtrack album.
** That chiming electric guitar part on "As We Go Along"? Played by Music/NeilYoung.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes[=/=]VindicatedByCable: After its brief run in theaters ''Head'' was almost impossible to see. For a long time a couple late night airings on Creator/{{CBS}} in TheSeventies were the only exposure it got in the US. Around the time of the 1986 Monkees comeback it was released on VHS and had a run in specialty movie theaters. Numerous airings on Creator/{{TBS}} and Creator/{{TNT}} in TheNineties finally gave it a wide audience.
* MissingTrailerScene: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCmYjaj3wnk This trailer]], titled "NY Action", consisted entirely of shots that didn't make it to the finished product, including glimpses of offcuts and clapperboards.
* RealitySubtext: The "box", shown in several scenes, was inspired by the lounge area built for Music/TheMonkees during the filming of [[Series/TheMonkees their television show]]. Between takes, they grew bored and wandered around the studio, often getting lost, so Screen Gems brass added a special room next to the soundstage. They would spend time there studying their scripts, composing, and playing music, and smoking (which they were forbidden to do on the set). Colored lights were added to the room to page whomever was needed on the set.
* StillbornFranchise: Had the film been a hit, it would have received a follow-up, if not a direct sequel, which would have used the tag line "[[DoubleEntendre From the producers who gave you Head.]]"
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The part of Lord High 'n' Low was written for Creator/BruceDern. In fact, the character was originally called Dernsie. However, having a classic LargeHam like Timothy Carey in the role probably fit the film's oddball tone better.
** Music/MichaelNesmith was slated to write the score at one point.
** Michael was also originally supposed to do the song-and-dance number, with his song "Magnolia Simms" (from ''The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees'') actually mentioned by name in the first draft of the script for the scene. Then Michael later recommended Music/HarryNilsson's "Daddy's Song" for the scene to Bob Rafelson, and even recorded a vocal for it, but Rafelson ultimately decided to make the scene a Davy showcase (while keeping the song).
* WorkingTitle: It was originally going to be called ''Changes'', but right after filming began they found out there was another movie with that title already in production. After that it was variously called ''Untitled'', ''[[InheritedIlliteracyTitle Movee]] Untitled'', and ''[[InheritedIlliteracyTitle [=DASturb=]]]'', with ''Head'' being chosen almost at the last minute. ''Changes'' eventually became the title of the last Monkees album before their 1970 breakup (after being reduced to a Davy-Micky duo).
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants:
** The initial stage of the film's script was just Music/TheMonkees, Creator/JackNicholson and Creator/BobRafelson spending a weekend at a resort in Ojai, California, getting stoned and spouting ideas into a tape recorder. Nicholson then shaped all the ramblings into a surprisingly-organized screenplay, though a bunch of changes happened during filming, including whole sequences that got dropped.
** Ken Thorne (who'd scored ''Film/{{Help}}'') was brought in very late in post-production to write the score.
* YouLookFamiliar: Several performers who appeared in the TV series have roles here. Creator/VitoScotti (the Italian officer who surrenders his tank to Micky in the desert) played Dr. Marcovich in the episode "The Case of the Missing Monkee". William Bagdad (the black sheik in the desert scene) played another Middle Eastern character in "Everywhere a Sheik, Sheik". June Fairchild (the woman who threatens to jump off the building) was the girl who asked Mr. Schneider about teenagers necking in "The Chaperone".
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