Reefer Madness (1936)

 

Today is 4/20. National Weed Day for those who are hip and cool like me. So today I wanted to talk about a movie that is as equally ridiculous and beloved by bad movie fans as Plan 9. Plan 9: Weed Edition if you will. 1936 Reefer Madness. This movie is absurd for every reason imaginable. Everywhere from the random assembly scenes of a presenter talking to an audience that feels like they're from a different movie (more on that later) to the acting, to the acting, to the acting, have I mentioned the acting in this movie is out of this world? 

Reefer Madness is not your typical movie, it starts off with an assembly of parents being preached to by a guy who definitely knows what an 8-ball is. He goes on to tell a story about a couple who sells pot named Mae Coleman and Jack Perry (Thelma White and Carlton Young). Jack, against the wishes of Mae and with the help of Ralph Wiley (Dave O'Brien) and Blanche (Lillian Miles), throw a party where high schooler Bill Harper (Kenneth Craig), and college student Jimmy Lane (Warren McCollum). At said party Jack runs out of weed and Jimmy and Bill offer to pick up more. When they pick up the drugs, Jack gets Jimmy high without consent and Jimmy commits a hit and run. Jack threatens Jimmy to keep his mouth shut and forget he was at the party after they learn the man they hit died of his injuries. Things get even wilder as Bill has an affaire with Blanche, and Jimmy's sister Mary (Dorothy Short) goes to Mae's apartment to look for Bill and gets accidentally shot by Jack who tries to frame Bill for the murder. Things spiral more as Bill and Ralph get even higher and nearly go to prison for the murder. The movie ends with the presenter from the beginning telling the audience to "Tell Your Children."

Reefer Madness was released in 1936 as mentioned under the title "Tell Your Children" and was originally directed by Louis J. Gasnier. The film was funded by a church group and was made with the intention to warn parents of the time of the misinformed dangers of weed. But in 1938 exploitation director Dwain Esper purchased the film and recut it to sell it as an exploitation movie under its better known title "Reefer Madness". The film went under the radar until the 1970s where it started gaining an audience who enjoyed laughable movies. And has since grown an even larger audience. In that time the movie has been adapted to the stage as a musical and the movie was remade and combined with elements of the musical called Reefer Madness the Musical Movie (2005). You can easily find this movie on YouTube in several different iterations in both black and white and color as well as being able to watch the movie in full on its own Wikipedia page.

All in all I give this movie 1 skull out of 5. It's a hokey hilarious movie, but please, don't watch it sober. Smoke a joint and enjoy the ride. Steve says; Soda? I never drink the stuff!

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