Reefer Madness: The Musical

In a high school auditorium, The Lecturer tells the assembly of anxious parents about the evil of marijuana. The Lecturer explains the marijuana is the next big evil to strike America. Marijuana is more addictive then cocaine or heroin. With the help of his assistants, he then launches into the tragic tale of one boy's struggles with the demon weed.

Jimmy Harper is a fine upstanding youth, blessed with the love of the fair Mary Lane. The two are sure they will live happily ever after. However, across town, the weed-pusher Jack and his croonies, Sally and Ralph, are living in the depths of depravity.

Meanwhile, Jack goes out to recruit new addicts at Miss Poppy's soda counter. There, he meets Jimmy, whom he lures back to the house and offers a stick of reefer. After one puff, Jack becomes an addict. He forgets about Mary Lane, who sits alone in church for weeks and weeks. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: This movie is based on a movie from 1936 also called Reefer Madness originally called Tell Your Children was financed by a church group and intended to be shown to parents as a morality tale attempting to teach them about the dangers of cannabis use. Soon after the film was shot, however, it was purchased by notorious exploitation filmmaker Dwain Esper, who took the liberty of cutting in salacious insert shots and slapping on the sexier title of Reefer Madness, before distributing it on the exploitation circuit. The more than 800 costumes for the musical were created by a dedicated team of 12 dyers, sewers and cutters, in addition to a group of seamstresses in Lithuania that worked on costumes for several weeks.

This movie is the best example of camp that I have ever seen. Camp refers to the deliberate and sophisticated use of kitsch, mawkish or corny themes and styles in art, clothing or conversation. The original movie is unintentional camp, they really did mean well, it was just overdone. The musical is purely intentional camp. They make fun of...well, just about everything. This was a very entertaining watch and I highly recommend it. The DVD includes the 1936 movie, so if you rent this, watch the 1936 version first. Anonymous Ken recommended this one to me so Thanks, AK.