i first this during it theatrical release day . i be 14 at the time and have read the book by terry southern and mason heffenberg from which this movie be adapt by buck henry . i saw this when it be make the drive in circuit and since there be nudity in this movie it must have be rat r but 14 year old have no problem get into drive in feature . i have mostly forget much about this and then a few year ago when dvd start replace video i find a video of this in a nice hard shell case on wide screen format at less than half price so i buy it and watch half of it and forget about it again . a few day ago i decide to watch it in it entirety for the first time in 38 year . one of the most amazing film ever make in the fact that so many talented people could get together and turn out such waste of money and film and time and talent . marlon brando and richard burton and charles aznavour and james coburn and walter matthau and john huston and ringo starr and john austin and elsa martinelli and anita pallenberg and sugar ray robinson be among the cast with ewa aluin in her first film role a candy . haley mill be offer but turn down the role a candy . actor christian marquand somehow get the nod to direct this mess . he have act in european film and have be in several english language film like the flight of the pheonix and the long day and lord jim but only direct this and another forgettable film in his brief directorial career before he return to act . respect cinematographer giuseppe rotunno bring a lot of credential to this film . he have do cinematography for several fellini film as well a for director stanlry kramer and john huston and arthur hiller and edward dmytryk . he must have have a mental lapse of the skill he have acquire while film this or he just sell the filmmaker his name to put on the credit but one of the two must have happen . i can not believe he would want to sully his resume with this product . douglas trumball and who a a special effect artist would do 2001 a space odysessy and close encounter of the third kind and silent running and star trek the motion picture and bladerunner produce what can be pass off a special effect here . it be interest see burton and brando in comedic role . burton in the film begin a the poet have some good line and it funny hear him talk about a fearsome poetry love tribe in africa . brando a the guru who travel the country in a specially equip semi trailer give a pretty good performance with what he get to work with . coburn be in his in like flint character . starr be over the top in his mexican gardener role with the pigeon english speak and english accent and his natural comedic talent be misuse . walter huston make a cameo . anita pallenberg be good . sugar ray robinson be way out of place here but actually isn not too bad at his role . john austin be typical john austin in his dual role a daady and uncle . elsa martinelli be forgettable . charles aznavour be in a fellini type character and be unfunny . matthau look lose and out of place and be unfunny . buck henry have a pathetically unfunny cameo role . aulin be awful . the dave crusin score soundtrack be horrible . the two steppenwolf song could have be utilized well or leave out altogether . the original byrd crusin closing song be forgettable . this movie be like a film school project go wrong . if you saw this film while you be high it still wouldn not be funny and would probably scare you instead . the overall ineptitude of this film and the monumental waste of talent do warrant some kind of perverse redeem value to it however .