I'm Tripping Out Man! - Psychedelic CGI in Modern Blockbusters

From Marvel Studios to Christopher Nolan and David Lynch, psychedelic imagery is expanding across the cinema screen more than ever thanks to CGI. Here, I explore what effect this is having, how filmmakers are taking advantage of it and what this means for the future of the medium.
Films used in intro (chronologically, omitting repetition):
2001: A Space Odyssey
Performance
Easy Rider
Blow-Up
The Holy Mountain
Altered States
Fantasia
The King and the Mockingbird
Alice in Wonderland
Dumbo
Pink Floyd's The Wall
Fantastic Planet
The Aristocats
Lucy
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Doctor Strange
Annihilation
Films used in the rest of the Essay (chronologically, omitting repetitions)
Enter the Void
Inception
The Cell
The Matrix
Limitless
The Lego Movie
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Doctor Strange
Ant-Man
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Twin Peaks Season 3, Episode 8
Annihilation
Films used in Conclusion (chronologically, omitting repetitions)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Dunkirk
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Twin Peaks Season 3, Episode 8
2001: A Space Odyssey
Holy Motors

[@ruthbennett7563]

It’s such a shame this channel is defunct. These video essays are first rate. I’m grateful they’re still available to see so many years later.

[@AdiusOmega]

Great piece, I definitely have noticed a bigger trend towards injecting psychedlic infused scenes into movies. I particularly enjoyed Annihilation and The Fountain to name two. Also I looove that you used The Mark towards the end of the video, what an excellent piece of sound to use.

[@JeanLINDAM]

Quality content right here!

[@penbucket]

Very well done essay, about a sub-genre that has been completely overlooked in the film channels I have watched. Very pleased you ended with Holy Motors... That movie was quite bonkers.

[@rudolf895]

Underrated af!! Get this man some attention someone!!

[@brilligfilms]

Your videos are very insightful, your emphasis on comparing films to other art forms or experiences is distinctly unique on youtube and is deeply appreciated. Despite the essentially unending ability of cgi to create any sort of vision or hallucinatory sequence I find it distinctly lacking with the current mindset in film being photo realism. Older techniques and 2d animation tend to really have a presence to them, and ultimately more impressionistic. It’s so strange in film how methods are left behind so quickly when new technology is invented. Koyaanisquatsi is perhaps the most trippy film I’ve seen in its ability to create the same headspace as a psychedelic.

[@SpeedOfThought1111]

There's a really obscure/underrated film called Renegade a.k.a. Blueberry that has two super psychedelic scenes that depict ayahuasca style dmt trips

[@dinoatcharterdotnet]

the nuke in twin peaks was beautifully scary

[@styleissubstance]

Please do one on cyberdellic imagery. This is a really good video and you are already shaping to be one of the more interesting film KZbinrs. I would like to see you get more specific and cover more niche subjects like you did for the Czech New Wave.

[@FilmQualia]

Thanks dude! That's a lovely thing to say. I totally will, been looking into it but it is a surprisingly dense area! I've gonna put one out on the weekend about Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, if that's of any interest. p.s. Big fan of your work too!

[@styleissubstance]

@@FilmQualia Glad you enjoy my content. I will be dropping some constructive criticism here and there. Check out the obscure film WAX, OR THE DISCOVERY OF TELEVISION AMONG THE BEES on KZbin as it sorta plays with cyberdellic imagery. SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN is also a miniseries to see that uses this.

[@daviddaviscrawford3669]

You're awesome! Thanks for the entertainment and knowledge! I have seen all of the movies depicted in the videos! Last night I saw for the first time The Holy Mountain! What a sexual psychedelic trip! Make love with the Mountain! The ending blew my mind! Again thank you for your time and entertainment

[@skogy5511]

Big fan of your work, thanks for being you!! Do you stream twitch too?

[@TrapLoreRoss]

Trippy man, love it!

[@8.3.4.N]

trap lore ross

[@mbe102]

Liked, Subbed, Belled, Favourited. Keep this way the heck up dude! Its fantastic!!!!!!

[@davidgrossman5741]

Pink Floyd Obscured by Clouds has Dr. Strange art on the cover.

[@Nathanxl6]

Come back you KZbin bro, quality shit here

[@whautadam1745]

Using that track in the end . Damn

[@Gnoberr]

Great video. Have you seen Mandy? It has a really great psychedelic scene. It uses some fairly subtle effects, but it really works well

[@gabriellemyoung]

this is so great! more people should see your videos

[@Cmapll]

Nice work really enjoyed it

[@DS-gg1pb]

The Electric Prunes: Rewired concert film DVD.

[@NicklausDeyring]

Excellent work, Film Qualia. Thank you. Keep it up.

[@Invading-Specious]

thank you

[@Nachesko]

Subbed because of this video, really good, congrats man

[@RoelofH]

Amazing compilation of movies I adore. I love how you give underrated movies such as The Cell and Valerian an honorable mention. I would like to give such notion to the CGI used in the movie Horns (2014). There is a drug induced CGI scene towards the end I'm quite fond of. Also, what's the name of the movie shown at 12:31?

[@FilmQualia]

ooh, I've not heard of Horns. Will check it out! And the film at 12:31 is Holy Motors (which is genuinely a masterpiece, could not recommend highly enough if you like surrealism by the bucketload).

[@RoelofH]

Thank you! I will definitely try to see it soon!

[@theawesomer]

Great video. Sharing on The Awesomer.

[@FilmQualia]

thank you! and you're a hero

[@thelocalfortuneteller]

Some more for you. Gandalf's rebirth into white (Lord of the Rings). Sink into the floor (get out). The rowboat scene (Willy Wonka). I especially get triggered during the hologram scene of Bladerunner 2049 when she points at him.

[@jeanpaulcsuka]

Great video! Inception being constantly discussed and debated; I'd be curious where Nolan's other scifi works land as far as the Psychedlic is concerned: particularly the teserract sequence in Interstellar, or the integration (blue/red room) in Tenet (or even the diptic sequences at the freeport). I understand that the particular sequences in Tenet are not CGI related, but they do border on something approximating the disorientation of an out of control drug trip.

[@BurmaniaTV]

Thank you for this excellent video.

[@mjohnson5108]

How in the hell did you manage to make this, WITH natalie portman in it, and not talk about The Fountain ?!?!?!

[@FilmQualia]

Well, good point! Did occur to me. But I'd argue The Fountain is more playing on religious symbolism than it is with explicitly psychedelic imagery. And, larger point, nearly none of the effects in The Fountain were achieved with CGI. Which you can read about here (super interesting!): nofilmschool.com/2013/05/microscopic-cosmic-organic-vfx-fountain-tree-life

[@mjohnson5108]

@@FilmQualia At risk of seeming argumentative, I'd still consider it an oversight, especially considering a. how much traction this video is likely to get and b. how relatively little-known The Fountain is. Psychedelia and religion can hardly be separated; much of the appeal of psychedelics lies in the promise of actually experiencing the kinds of transcendental visions described by the most prevalent religious traditions, and part of the reason Aronofsky and Parks chose not to use CGI was to try to achieve that feeling of "staring into infinity." Not to mention, 2001 didn't use any CGI for its sequence either, and you included it. But I'm being nitpicky, I loved The Fountain and I love this video, and thank you for helping expose more people to psychedelic exploration! *But seriously if you're reading this and you liked the video go watch The Fountain

[@FilmQualia]

@@mjohnson5108 Fair, I think that's totally valid. For me though, symbolism and psychedelia are related but ultimately separate. Adore The Fountain though, great film. Thanks for enjoying!

[@alienboy1322]

Interesting video, my man.

[@IET135]

love it

[@Misanola]

Great video but odd that you didn't include Mandy and/or Beyond the Black Rainbow.

[@_CoasterNinja]

Awesome!

[@bryanchu5379]

Hot damn this is some quality shit

[@isgriggsfilms]

It would be nice to see a list of the films you mentioned/clips shown. What is the scene in the theater at the very end from?

[@FilmQualia]

I shall add it soon. But for now the clip in the movie theatre is from few minutes of Holy Motors

[@isgriggsfilms]

@@FilmQualia Thank you! I had a hunch but have never seen it. Really enjoyed your video too!

[@LateralThinkerer]

@@FilmQualia Thank you - looking forward to the list as well. Very well done!!

[@DS-gg1pb]

Yellow Submarine.

[@flyingteapot2561]

Great video dude! Which film is the last clip of the dog and the people watching the film from?

[@FilmQualia]

thanks! It's from Holy Motors (highly recommended)

[@flyingteapot2561]

Aha, I haven't seen that in years, thanks for getting back to me. I too share your hopes for more psychedelic cinema in the future, subbing now!

[@FilmQualia]

@@flyingteapot2561 hero 😀

[@ever0818]

I seen dr strange and inception on acid and boy was it satisfying. The movie did its thang and mind fucked me lol awesome experience

[@Spectalys]

Sub number 999 :) , nice channel

[@mercurialhypersprite9556]

That's actually a microverse.

[@PrickSlickfield]

The most rewarding trips were to the cinema... but mostly it was the drugs.

[@SwithinFeely]

Interstellar

[@saminsum]

No mention of Legion???

[@TeddyAteDynamite]

Legion was more biblical imagery, not open-minded psychedelic. Narrow-minded Psychedelic?

[@SwithinFeely]

Interstellar