Rating: 
Summary: Urban Legend
Review: This movie is a great source of camp, and one of the only movies out there that unintentionally serves as its own satire.I heard an urban legend that perhaps someone more knowledgeable could clarify for me. It goes something like this: Prior to this film, marijuana was legal (or, at least, not illegal). A chemical company (that still exists today, so I will refrain from using its name) made a chemical used in the process of making paper from wood pulp. Paper made from hemp (marijuana), however, did not need this chemical and was thus cheaper to produce. The chemical company, therefore had a great financial stake in demonizing (and eventually outlawing) the marijuana plant so that it could sell its chemical to paper manufacturers. It was this company that financed and distributed Reefer Madness, which was part of a propaganda campaign to make marijuana (and thus hemp) illegal. Does anyone out there know if this is even partially true?
Rating:
Summary: Reiteration of Historical Points.
Review: For the record, I'll reiterate that REEFER MADNESS was an exploitation film produced for the "grindhouses", not a propaganda film.As such,It was exempt from the Hays/Breen production code , though all films were subject to local obscenity laws.But for such an exploitation item, It was very handsomly produced, probably the only such film with such a professional look.
Rating:
Summary: Madness indeed...
Review: "Reefer Madness" initially smacks of good intentions. It can be argued that there is a reasonable belief that those who made "Reefer Madness" were doing so simply to warn the public about the dangers in the use of Marijuana. But after watching it and rewatching it and watching it again, the question that comes to my head and crowds out all others is whether the makers of "Reefer Madness" were driven mad by smoking reefer before they made this movie. Simply put, were these people high??? What is supposed to have shock value comes off as camp and it is indeed ironic that Amazon.com packages this movie together with "Plan Nine from Outer Space" in that Ed Wood had every intention of being campy and succeeded and the makes of "Reefer Madness" had no intention of being campy and failed miserably. So why the four stars? Well, we do learn much from "Reefer Madness." For one, we can see how overacting can be the downfall of a movie. We also see parallels between the campy techniques in "Reefer Madness" and modern day "news magazine" television shows that try to scare the viewer. Finally, we learn that it is okay to like something for what it is and not for what it was meant to be. "Reefer Madness" was supposed to educate the public on the dangers of marijuana. What it turn out to be was a fascinating character study of the insecurities of Americans during the 1930's played out on stage by rejects from the commmunity theatre.
Rating: 
Summary: Reefer Madness
Review: To set the proper mood for writing some old jazz will do the trick. I am speaking of Jethro Tull when they first began and an album of theirs called 'This Was'. Now playing: "My Sunday Feeling"... As the norm for the era that was represented and time this was filmed, every one is clean cut, including the dealers and pushers. The kids being led astray are innocent to the pushers' intentions who offer joints as cigarettes. They get immediately hooked, laugh a lot and want to have sex. Drugs aren't really necessary for this. Anyway, as the storyline goes... Innocent youth is invited to parties non-suspect that they are being offered joints instead of cigarettes to smoke. As the wildness carries on a youth gets killed and his best friend is set up by the dealer as the perpetrator. The scene changes to the courts where jury-moms are more than willing to make an example of the young man for all youth to take note, who becomes suitable to be hung by the neck until dead. The girlfriend of the dealer has a fit of conscience to the chagrin of her boyfriend and confesses all to the police. Thanks to her confession, a gross miscarriage of justice is prevented and all the bad guys get arrested in the end. Appropriately in black and white, besides being the way films were made then, this film is an hilarious documentary depicting the sanctimonious, narrow mindedness of the establishment, law courts and parents, as the parents of the victim youths are as trapped as the youths are by the judgement of society. Originally made in 1936, the film is very 50's in flavor and may well be giving a futuristic conception of society, similar to HG Wells' Time Machine. The wild piano playing throughout, that might accompany a silent film now moves with more modern times and the talkie. In any case, its a 'B' rated cult classic, and if your a collector, this film is for you. Show it at your next rave. This Tull is real smooth...
Rating:
Summary: A must see
Review: The aspect of this old flicker that is the most interesting is the very thing that is so boring and that is the longwinded preamble that opens the movie. But this one reel wonder is absolutely fascinating. In the censored days of the Hays Code you could not depict people getting stoned, or a woman being raped unless it was prefaced with a speech villifying wantoness and deviance. If you wanted to tell a racy tale on film in that era, the way to do it was make it a P.S.A and then practically no holds were barred. In Cocaine Fiend, Sex Madness, Traffic in Souls, By You A Drink Sailor? and others, drug use, debauchery even mild nudity, (by N.Y.P.D Blue standards) was permissible, just so long as you made sure to to open with a warning that declared that these acts were intollerable. These films come the closest to giving us a realistic look at the way things were in that era, as opposed to the censored movies of the day and the watered down versions told by the people who lived it. The Ozzie & Harriet types that grew up in that era and went onto become the parents of the 50s Rock N Rollers, were a lot hipper than they get credit for. They had been around and knew the score. It's a great flick to show the youth of today who think that cutting class to get get high and laid started in the 60s. The next time you see some ancient person, remember that you have more in common with them than you may realize.
Rating:
Summary: Kids! Be forewarned! Don't let this happen to YOU!
Review: I went to a John Denver concert when I was a high school senior and actually had to ask my girl friend, Patti Decker, what was that strange smoky smell that wafted through the auditorium after the lights went down and the concert began. My education regarding marijuana was continued at a midnight campus screening of "Reefer Madness," the 1939 anti-marijuana propaganda film that became a cult classic. Watching Ralph (Dave O'Brien), a twitchy, eye-rolling lunatic hooked on killer week certainly convinced me that I must not know anyone who smoked marijuana, because I have never seen anybody act like this outside of movies like this one. Ironically, "Refer Madness" does not warn you away from the dangers of marijuana, because apparently if a beautiful young girl takes only one toke, she (how to put this delicately) becomes sexually uninhibited (sorry, best I can do). Still, this is a film for hooting at the screen, not for becoming a more informed citizen. Directed by Louis J. Gasnier, this 65-minute movie also features Dorothy Short as Mary, Kenneth Craig as Bill, and Lillian Miles as Blanche, all part of a group of crazy hopped up kids. The print they used to make these copies is pretty bad, but actually that becomes part of the charm, as it were, of watching "Reefer Madness." You should probably check out "Assassin of Youth," the other classic anti-marijuana film of that time as the obvious other half of a thematic double-bill. Just be sure to have lots of popcorn around in case you get the munchies. That happens a lot when you watch movies like this one...
Rating: 
Summary: booooring
Review: ... I watched this. I was bored. It's a stupid movie, but not in a good way. Also, not to be overlooked is the terrible quality of the picture and sound -- this is, after all, 50+ years old. Nothing redeeming about it, except the way it illustrates how long anti-drug, knee-jerk reactions have been a part of the popular consciousness.
Rating:
Summary: Reefer Madness was a commercial film,NOT a propaganda film
Review: The only propaganda about the film Reefer Madness was pushed by the Marijuana lobby groups who used it for propaganda purposes.
They falsely claimed that it was a Government commisioned film.
In actual fact,it was simply a commercial exploitation film.
Incidently,Marijuana has 70% more toxins and poisons in it than tobacco.Smoke it every day and look forward to a short life.
As for the film? Don't buy it,for it is simply a B-grade film designed to make money.
Rating:
Summary: pure vintage cult classic
Review: This truely vintage (and very hilarious) trashy cult classic surely has to stand up alongside PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE as the most crappy film ever made! REEFER MADNESS tells the totally-hilarious tale of a pair of bootleggers (Dorothy Short and Kenneth Craig) who lure innocent young teens into their apartment and give them a puff of the wacky weed. There are some truly outrageous scenes here; one where a girl rips off her blouse and lindy-hops all around the loungeroom, and the just-plain bizarre piano player is enough to give anyone the shudders! If you are into this kind of crappy crap (like my good self), I recommend this totally-freaky movie, along with the similarly-themed MARIHUANA and ASASSIN OF YOUTH. Also starring Lillian Miles, Dave O'Brien, Thelma White, Carleton Young and Warren McCollum.
Rating: 
Summary: Viva La MST 3K!!!!
Review: I havn't seen this kind of ... since the last Tony Danza Marathon. This movie is chocked full of propoganda against the "Evil Drug". Not that I think smoking "The Reefer" is a good thing by any means but I don't think it will make you go crazy and go on a killing spree. Through out this movie we follow Bill, Jimmy and Mary. All fine upstanding young children until they get wraped up in the wrong crowd (stop me if you heard this one). Jimmy introduces Bill to the wonders and horrors of sweet, sweet cheeba. Inevitably Bill becomes a "Reefer head" and starts to sluff off in school. Jimmy meets a worse fate when driving under the influence of "The drug". This movie shows all of the terrible things that can happen to you when you indulge in the weed ranging from sex, murder and PERMENENT INSANITY! I thought it would be more funny but it was a good laugh all the way around. Worthy for the likes of Crow and Tom Servo.
| 
