All the performers either overact laughably or underact to the point of just standing in place and speaking lines in a monotone.
Reefer Madness (1937)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:11
Rotten:13
Average Rating:4.8/10
Synopsis: Considered by many to be the most famous exploitation film ever, REEFER MADNESS is a hilariously campy cult-classic about the dangers of the devil's weed. You know, marijuana. The story stems from... Considered by many to be the most famous exploitation film ever, REEFER MADNESS is a hilariously campy cult-classic about the dangers of the devil's weed. You know, marijuana. The story stems from a high school principle's lecture to parents during a PTA meeting about the dangers of smoking pot, which apparently leaves the teens in a state of mental lunacy! Originally titled: "Tell Your Children." [More]
Starring: Dorothy Short, Kenneth Craig, Lillian Miles, Dave O'Brien
Starring: Dorothy Short, Kenneth Craig, Lillian Miles, Dave O'Brien, Thelma White
Director: Louis Gasnier
Director: Louis Gasnier
Screenwriter: Arthur Hoerl, Paul Franklin
Story: Lawrence Meade
Producer: George A. Hirliman
Reviews for Reefer Madness
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, along with a little bit of dumb fun.
"Reefer Madness" is so outrageously over the top that it's tough to imagine it was taken seriously even in the 1930s.
One of the most absurdly earnest exercises in paranoia you'll ever have the good fortune to see.
The film is so idiotic that it almost demands being seen to confirm how bad it is.
As the evidence mounts before us, it becomes clear that the general purpose of Reefer Madness was not pedantry, but vicarious lasciviousness.
The most famous of all the vintage "message" movies from the 30s and 40s only gets, uh, better with age.
...probably the granddaddy of all so-bad-it's-good cult films. I'm not sure it started a welcome trend.
A laughable and ignorant indictment of marijuana culture. Even the camp appeal isn't worthwhile.
This is neither the best nor the worst of this sort of thing -- nor even the most salacious. It may, however, be the silliest.
The film is more interesting as a video time capsule reflecting what some saw as a threat to America's moral fiber.
Latest News for Reefer Madness
March 13, 2008:
Top Ten Death Proof Exploitation Films: the films that wouldn’t die.
Exploitation films are B-grade gold for those who like it rough, sleazy and thrill-packed. More...
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