Contacting theater distributors directly, he managed to debut the film at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco last month, where it opened to positive reviews.

The San Francisco Examiner praised the film’s depiction of the lead character’s acid trip as “the most brutal and convincing acid trip ever filmed,” and the San Franciso Chronicle said Toback’s recent movies “are automatically interesting because he made them.”

Toback also secured a theatrical release for the film at the Brattle and the Cinema Village in New York City before its release on video.

Then, five weeks ago, Cowboy Pictures—a “small but smart” company, according to Toback—agreed to release the film without video rights. Cowboy Pictures took over the deals Toback had negotiated with Brattle and Cinema Village and now plans to expand the film’s release to more than 75 cities.

Ned Hinkle, director of the Brattle Theater, said he is delighted that the film is finally making its debut in Cambridge.

He said the film is the “most entertaining philosophy lesson I’ve seen.”

“It’s over the top, but at the same, because it’s made by James Toback, it’s also very intellectual,” he said. “How often do you get a crime movie with grandiose ideas woven into the story?”

In light of recent films How High and Legally Blonde, which deal with Harvard but were shot elsewhere, he said it’s “great to see a move about Harvard shot at Harvard.”

Harvard Man plays at the Brattle Theater tonight through Sunday.

—Staff writer Michelle F. Kung can be reached at mkung@fas.harvard.edu.