I know what you're thinking. You didn't know this movie even existed. Neither did I, until a recent date with destiny at the Hollywood Video in Rochester, Minnesota, where I stumbled upon it in the New Releases Section. It actually came out in 2005, according to the box, and was produced by Showtime, if that tells you anything. Anyway, for those of you who don't know, it's based on a precautionary film from the 1936 warning people about the so-called dangers of marijuana. Now, I'm not saying I have much of an opinion one way or the other, but the film's argument would have more convincing had it not been painfully over-blown and factually incorrect. Anyway, the guys behind this crazy machine (Kevin Murphy and David Studney: Stage Play, Andy Fickman, Director) cleary recognized its silliness and lo, the Movie Musical parody was born.

Straight away I recognized Alan Cumming as the narrator and, let's face it, ever-present star of the film. Ana Gasteyer and Neve Cambell were also in it, as well as a few actors I wasn't previously familiar with (Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Amy Spanger, and Steven Weber). Before you get excited, if that's your thing, Neve Cambell is actually only in it for about 10 minutes as the waitress at a malt shop. Thank God for small favours. Ana Gasteyer was, apparently, a hopelessly addicted pot-fiend prone to breaking out in song and walking around in sexy nightgowns. Amy Spanger is particularly notable -- she steals the show right along with Alan Cumming, as an absent-minded, sex-addicted pot head who eventually meets her fate when pot alone drives her housemate to cannibalism (which, I guess, happens all the time...).

I won't spoil the plot for you, but I will tell you tha the score was brilliant, the dancing was extremely energetic and not unlike Grease on Speed, and the central warning of the real dangers surrounding pot (fanatical fear of it driving people to the criminalisation of youth and the dangerous, widespread misunderstanding of drug use which follows, not to mention dodgy old men blaming it for madness and crime because it is convenient and keeps them from dealing with the darker reasons that lie at the heart of the matter, etc.) was hard to miss. All in all, it was a crazy, camp great time, and not unlike another cult musical I could mention (Blessed Be Tim Curry's glittery red platforms). Could Reefer Madness be the Next Rocky Horror? The Next Hedwig? Decide for yourself, but, comparisons aside, it was a lot of fun... if hallucinations, singing Jesus, Catholics girls weilding whips and ball gags, and hilarious melodramatic death sequences are your sort of thing. And yes, M: there were totally Zombies.

A+