The cable adaptation of “Reefer Madness,” a popular 1999 musical based on the 1930s film premieres 8 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
The musical became a cult classic with college kids lighting up to watch it, often at midnight showings at cinemas.
The comedy spins a tale of two all-American kids who fall into a downward spiral of sex and mayhem after one puff of a joint.
But this isn’t a cautionary tale about pot, says Kevin Murphy, who co-wrote the musical and teleplay.
“It’s about the lengths people will go to convince you to think the way they want you to think,” he said. “`Reefer Madness’ is a prime example of people using scare tactics to convince people to enact laws against drugs, gays in the military or whatever.”
The film is directed by Andy Fickman, who also directed the stage musical, “Reefer Madness.”
It stars Christian Campbell who plays young Jimmy, with ‘Veronica Mars’ star Kristen Bell playing his girlfriend Mary.
A black-and-white movie frames the story. It also features Tony winner Alan Cumming (“Cabaret”) as the smooth-talking huckster who shows a film, “Tell Your Children” (the actual title of the original anti-marijuana film), to parents in a small town, warning them of the “unspeakable scourge turning all your children into hooligans and whores.”
The musical originally opened in 1999 in Los Angeles. It soon became a hit and moved to off-Broadway.
Credit: Yahoo/AP
