A history of exploitation films, 1919 1959 eric schaefer, duke university press, 1999. Thereafter, it was a mainstay on the midnight movie circuit. The films story is told in bracketing sequences at a lecture given at a parent teacher. Reefer madness, a classic in the annals of hemp literature, is the popular social history of marijuana use in america. Though certainly focused on entertainment value, landrys reefer madness is not without intellectual, political and social merit. Undead pothead maniacs, doped youth, love madness, tell your children, dope addict. He claims reefer madness, the classic cult film which the two. Reefer madness was originally titled tell your children directed by louis gasnier 1936 high school students are lured by pushers to try some reefer. The movie musical, you realize you are hearing the best thing to hit the great white way and the showtime cable television since little shop of horrors, only this is far funnier, raunchier, and way more subversive.
The reefer madness film was financed by a religious group and was titled tell your children, however, this group sold the film after production to dwain atkins esper, an exploitation film producer. Beginning with the hemp farming of george washington, author larry ratso sloman traces the fascinating story of our nations lovehate relationship with the resilient weed we know as marijuana. Reefer madness tell your children doped youth 1936 rotten. Dorothy short, kenneth craig, lillian miles, dave obrien, thelma white, warren mccollum, carleton young. In the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s marijuana was the devils harvest, an assassin of youth that would inflict tokers with a new medical condition called refer madness, curable.
Film depicting the downfall of a high school reefer smoker shown during antidrug crusade. Distributing reefer madness to college campuses of the 1970s helped bankroll the burgeoning film company new line cinema, which today is a major player in the hollywood film industry. Reefer madnessoriginally titled more prosaically tell your children when it was released circa 1936attained cultcamp status in the 1960s and 70s for reasons that have nothing to. Based on the stage play, this musical parody of 1936 film reefer madness takes that already overblown criticism of marijuana usage in the source film and ups the ante to humorous effect. About halfway through the soundtrack to reefer madness. It is a film adaptation of the trios musical of the same name, itself based on the 1936 exploitation film also of the same title. Dollman, yankee boy, kerry drake, even abbie and slats preached the evils of a few tokes. The collection includes great episodes and samplings from various old time radio series including dragnet, big town, texas rangers, secret agent k7, the whisperer and much, much more. Unlike most exploitation fare, reefer madness was shot over a period of three weeks, on a relatively large budget by subpoverty row standards. Reefer madness originally released as tell your children and sometimes titled as the burning question, dope addict, doped youth and love madness is a 1936 american propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to. See youthful marijuana victims what actually happens this 1930s cult classic shows in a fun and comical way how marijuana is public enemy no. Like many exploitation films of the time, reefer madness tried to make a quick buck off of a. James franco e jonah hill, attori di questo tesissimo thriller scritto e diretto dal regista rupert goold basato sullagghiacciante storia vera di michael finkel.
With bob buchholz, michael cheselka, connie sue cook, john p. Jerry siegel and joe shuster revealed it in their scarce early federal men. Reefer madness originally made as tell your children and sometimes titled as the burning question, dope addict, doped youth, and love madness is a 1936 american film about drugs revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when highschool students are lured by pushers to try marijuanafrom a hit and run accident, to manslaughter. Reefer madness is a 1936 american film about drugs revolving around the melodramatic. Cautionary tale features a fictionalized and highly exaggerated take on the use of marijuana. We plan to screen cult classic reefer madness in july 2010 in the summer outdoor cinema in tallinn, estonia. Reefer madness is a campy cult favorite first released in 1938 as a propaganda film meant to scare americas youth away from drugs. Tell your children, a deliberate reference to the original title of the. This fine collection is a sampling of tales of reefer madness, drug smuggling, teenage lives gone awry and other exciting stories of narcotics in old time radio.
The current mpeg2 might remain little lofi for our purposes. Watch reefer madness online stream full movie directv. Lurid propaganda films like reefer madness, devils harvest, and marijuana. The phrase reefer madness, refers to a program of wildly exaggerated claims regarding the dangers of marijuana. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Reefer madness looks at the legal and economic consequences of marijuana use in the united states. With just a little toke, average teenagers become addicted, turning into psycho killers and brazen hussies. The book marked the return of reefer madness, the sensationalistic warning that marijuana use will result in insanity. In reefer madness, the bestselling author of fast food nation investigates americas black market and its farreaching influence on our society through three of its mainstays pot, porn, and illegal immigrants. If ever there was a bad movie with a good message its reefer madness, an insane propaganda pic made to demonstrate the evils of puffing on a joint even.
The ostensible story involves a group of upstanding young high school students who. Reefer madness the movie musical soundtrack and original. Landrys rendition successfully satirizes both reefer madness sordid depiction of marijuana and the sordidness of the film itself. Here is the mother lode of offbroadway shows cum cable cult classics. Hysteria surrounded marijuana as a perceived gateway drug from the 1930s to the 1950s and beyond. Gradually, bill and jimmy are drawn into smoking dope, which affects their family lives and leads to a terrible crime. As such, like cocaine fiends, it misses the charm of the delirious maniac, which hits such a peak of hypnotic badness it uninentionally works as high comedy. From the story of americas first drug czar, to the absurd scare tactics behind propaganda films like reefer madness, and marijuana. Midcentury antimarijuana propaganda in movies and books 1951. In this quintessential classic, innocent teens partake of the demon weed only to find that one puff plunges them into a hilarious web of murder, sex, lunacy, and jazz music. The story of victor licata was widely used to promote the theory of a link between cannabis and. Its all a lie or so screams our hero, detective jack perry. Its all a lie or so screams our hero, detective jack. Reefer madness the movie musical, one of the best cult films ever.
Using an experienced director and a couple of actors who would go on to do respectable work in hollywood, this production is. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to reefer. The movie musical, is a 2005 american madefortelevision musical comedy film directed by andy fickman, written by kevin murphy and dan studney, and produced by the three. Reefer madness originally made as tell your children and sometimes titled as the burning question, dope addict, doped youth, and love madness is a 19361939 american propaganda exploitation drama film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try marijuana from a hit and run accident to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape. If you have encountered tales on the subject, you will have heard, or read, that this program was invented in the 1930s by harry anslinger, first commissioner of the american federal bureau of narcotics, the forerunner to the drug enforcement agency. They still strokin2 stars for the films5 stars for the action here.
The snappy video party disc bluray featuring reefer madness. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to reefer cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music. Searching for a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the andy fickmandirected movie via subscription can be a challenge. The original antimarijuana film, offering the true inside story of the devil weed that drives men to savage lusts and women to unspeakable depravities, along with a little bit of dumb fun. The cult classic reefer madness in 3d for the first time. Fancy watching reefer madness on your tv, phone, or tablet. The original antimarijuana film 1936, offering the true inside story of the devil weed that drives men to savage lusts and women to unspeakable depravities. Like the antidrug propaganda film, these stories range. Pot has become a hugely popular black market commodity, more. Vice narcotics receives a tip from one freddie calhoun, junkie, snitch and all around nohoper. The film was meant to show teenagers and young adults the. Today, the film is a cult phenomenon dwarfed only by the rocky horror picture show, and reefer madness is a bona fide catch phrase.
A propaganda film from 1936 that has become a cult hit because of its dated outlook on marijuana use, reefer madness is the height of camp entertainment. Watch reefer madness movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. Although it was made in 1936, reefer madness didnt become a cult hit until 1972 when the national organization for the reform of marijuana laws norml rescued it from the library of congress film archive. A history of exploitation films, 1919 1959 eric schaefer, duke. As all good satire should, reefer madness successfully makes one question the establishments authority and actual working knowledge. Reefer madness 1936 feature drama video dailymotion. Storyline its all a lie or so screams our hero, detective jack perry.
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