Reefer Madness, Alice in Acidland, and Smoke & Flesh

I’ve already blogged on Thanksgiving, so I’ll go for something “completely different”: In other words, a horrendous trio of anti-drug films.  

“Reefer Madness”.  This is the original, from 1936, when marijuana was still called “reefer” and not yet (1937) illegal.  The characters look like typical characters from a contemporary film but generally tend to smoke pot and then everything goes downhill from there.   Apparently they all get addicted, go insane, and commit all sorts of crimes.  At the most benign, they laugh hysterically, play piano fast, and jump in bed with each other.  It’s so sensational as to be unbelievable.   Stoners seem to enjoy it precisely for that reason.  I find it more annoying than entertaining, but it has some inherent charm due to its age and unique implausibility.

Incidentally, they remade the film more recently (2005), with the remake being a full parody.  I watched it once and immediately erased it from my memory.  It’s in full color with fairly mainstream actors, follows the original plot loosely, but isn’t all that entertaining. 

“Alice in Acidland” and “Smoke & Flesh”.   Fast forward to the late 60s and LSD makes its debut.   If the first movie is any indication, it’s a powerful aphrodisiac which will make everyone have sex with everyone else – male and female.  More likely they would vegetate and watch the wallpaper scroll, or venture out in public to see what happens with the visuals.  Some might freak out – paranoid and overstimulated - and stay at home.  But chilling at home with lava lamps and music doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s LSD agenda in this film. 

            The second movie features marijuana but remains just as implausible.  Bikers and orgies.  Both have lots of skin – but if I wanted that, I’d watch something else.

The sad part about this is that as of 2015, very few people take these seriously, and the only people who watch them are looking to be entertained rather than warned.   As “warnings” they are too ridiculous to be credible.  As entertainment?  Scarcely even that, as the novelty wears thin almost immediately and they lose whatever entertainment value they might have.  They wind up as simply annoying.  Of them all, I’d say “Reefer Madness” is strange enough to be somewhat entertaining, while the other two have some nudity which may arouse some people.  None need to be permanent additions to your movie collection.  

Listening to idiots like Chris Christie – dude, NO ONE wants Fat Jerk from New Jersey as President – champion the drug war even now, it’s clear that some people are still stuck in the backwards mindset which produced these films.