Reefer madness: The Musical

Any movie that pretty much opens with Alan Cumming is going to get pretty good marks from me. I have a tremendous respect for him for what he did with Nightcrawler in X2 and also as a stage performer. Add to that Kristen Bell(Veronica Mars) and it is a blast of a movie.


The movie, which is actually a movie within a movie, takes place in a black and white early 1930's. Alan Cumming is a film director who has made a film showing how dangerous "reefer" is. The film he has shot is in color and is about the perfect high school boy and what happens to him when he smokes his first joint. It is a musical and features some truly hilarious songs about Shakespeare and weed. The dancing is also really well done.


The film is ultimately making fun of those people who think of Marijuana as a killer or as a gate way drug. The Script is VERY tongue in cheek and making fun of how films were made in the '30s. To be honest, it does get fairly annoying at times, although I think that is mostly the fault of the script and not of the talent on the screen. I was pleasantly surprised with Anna Gastyer because she was horribly obnoxious on SNL but not at all here. Also, Steven Webber of Wings fame, was borderline Brilliant as the Gangster/drug dealer.


I enjoyed it a lot more than I had expected, but to be honest some of that could be due to the fact that I am quickly falling in love with Kristen Bell. She can act, sing, dance and is about the most adorable thing on the planet. In addition, Neve Campbell gives a nice little cameo as the soda pop shop clerk which I am sure was due to her brother being the lead guy. If you are a fan of musicals, or smoking weed while watching musicals. I say catch the madness!