Troika is a 1969 American comedy anthology-art film written, directed, and produced by artist-turned-filmmaker Carl Fredric Hobbs. It stars Hobbs, Richard Faun, Morgan Upton, Nate Thurmond, Gloria Rossi, and members of the San Francisco Art Institute. The plot is composed of three separate stories threaded together around a central storyline about a fictional version of director Hobbs attempting to gain financing for a film of the same name.
Troika was first conceived by Hobbs after working with filmmakers Ron Bostwick and Robert Blaisdell on a short film Trojan Horse, showcasing a recent sculpture of the same name. Inspired by the experience, Hobbs began developing the film into what he referred to as a "modern morality play", with its name taken from the Russian word meaning 'a set of three', referencing the three overlapping stories. The film was shot on location in early to mid-1969, utilizing various in and around California. The film's score was composed in collaboration with Hobbs and editor/co-director Gordon Mueller.
Troika initially had a preview screening on October 12, 1969, before officially premiering on November 8 of that same year. It received little attention from mainstream film critics, with select reviews being mixed to positive. The film served as a foundation for Hobbs' continued work in the film industry, developing three additional films until his retirement in the late 1970s. The film has currently not been released on home video, with Hobbs being unsatisfied with the current print of the film, refusing to grant distribution rights up to his death in 2018. A copy of the film was later acquired by Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, who restored the film in collaboration with Hobbs' estate. The newly restored version of the film was screened at the Weird Weekend Cult Film Festival on October 28, 2022.
Plot
Note: Troikas storyline does not follow a conventional narrative, being composed of four stories told in differing narrative styles. This plot synopsis and chapter titles are adapted from an interview of Hobbs in the non-fiction book Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of Exploitation Independents written by Stephen Thrower, and an article for the Daily News.
The film is structured in three segments, with the main story centering around an artistFredric Hobbs portraying a fictional version of himself as he attempts to convince millionaire Gordon Goodloins (Richard Faun) to invest in a proposed art film titled Troika. In a series of increasingly desperate encounters with Goodloins, Hobbs tries to pitch the idea for the film only to be rebuffed and insulted by the producer. The sequence ends with Goodloins driving off in a limousine as Hobbs angrily chases behind him, shouting, "Up yours, Mr. Goodloins!"
Part One: The Chef
A seemingly crazed Chef (Hobbs) in ritualistic face paint appears to be in the process of crafting an alchemical brew within a large vat, with various items such as war medals and emblems thrown into the bubbling brew. Nearby, a homunculus fashioned out of cloths lies still as the Chef uses pieces of it as ingredients for the potion. Still not satisfied with the brew's current state, the Chef introduces a woman (Gloria Rossi), covered in similar ritualistically painted symbols, they both dance to a tango before he tosses her into the vat. Picking up a rose dropped by the woman, the Chef gazes at it for a short while before tossing it into the vat.
Part Two: Alma Mater
Functioning as an "expressionist documentary" of student demonstrations within the late 1960s. The sequence opens in the midst of a sit-in on a college campus while police mounted on horseback amass outside. Within the classroom, students covered in white face paint recline upon toilet seats and chaise longues in place of chairs, various college professors present their lessons to the students, who view them with downcast emotions. After six individual professors complete their lecture to the crowd, the frustrated students boo their dunce-capped teacher out of the classroom as the segment ends.