`BROTHERS' A DEFINITE HEAD TRIP.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic

The Kinks' Ray and Dave Davies and Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher have nothing on Tom and Barry Howe from the new rock mockumentary ``Brothers of the Head.'' Dave Davies could bash Ray's skull with his guitar and then walk off the stage. The Howes? They're conjoined at the chest. There's no escape, which means their bickering runs on an endless loop.

As we learn in this self-consciously strange and surprisingly haunting movie, the rock 'n' roll lifestyle probably isn't the best line of work for conjoined twins, especially when one of them likes to snort coke for breakfast. ``Brothers,'' directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (best-known for their doc about Terry Gilliam, ``Lost in La Mancha''), establishes its own mythology and cribs from touchstones like ``Gimme Shelter'' and ``Dead Ringers,'' creating a daring and often baffling piece of work.

The movie tracks the rise and inevitable fall of Tom and Barry Howe (played by identical -- but not conjoined -- twins Harry and Luke Treadaway), who were sold by their father to musical impresario Zak Bedderwick (Howard Attfield) when they turned 18. Being that it's the mid-1970s, Bedderwick decides to turn the brothers into a punk-rock freak-show act and sends them to his country estate to hone their music.

We learn the Howes' history through footage ``shot'' by an American documentary filmmaker (a student of D.A. Pennebaker, naturally), as well as after-the-fact interviews with the principal players and a clip or two from an unreleased Ken Russell feature. Given the inclusion of Russell, it's obvious that the movie has a sense of humor, but ``Brothers'' is mostly a dead-serious Gothic mystery about identity, insanity and isolation. The film's fakery is exacting and loving.

While the brothers' career trajectory might ring familiar, as does the intrusion of a Yoko Ono-ish journalist (Tania Emery), the filmmakers are intent on establishing a midnight-movie, weird-science kind of vibe. There's a great many scenes of late-night freak-outs with grainy footage of strange insects and dead birds and a whispering ``third twin'' who seems to have awakened inside Barry's head after a 20-year slumber.

That or Barry's powdery breakfast regimen is getting the better of him. The movie leaves some mysteries for the audience to solve themselves. One thing is certain: ``Brothers of the Head'' has cult classic written all over it.

Glenn Whipp, [phone].

glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com

BROTHERS OF THE HEAD - Three stars

(R: sex, drugs, language.)

Starring: Harry and Luke Treadway.

Directors: Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton.

Running time: 1 hr. 30 min.

Playing: Landmark Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles.

In a nutshell: Dead-serious mockumentary destined for a long run on the midnight-movie circuit.

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