Starring Kristin Bell, Christian Campbell, Ana Gasteyer, and Alan Cumming
Directed by Andy Fickman
Music and Lyrics by Dan Studney and David Manning
If a musical about a snooker-playing vampire is bizarre, what do we call a musical based on a notorious exploitation film? And one that goes much further into its horrific concept than the original film ever did. The original Reefer Madness dates from 1936, when it was presented as an educational morality tale created by a church group to teach young people about the dangers of drug use.
Somewhere around 1938 or '39, exploitation filmmaker Dwain Esper purchased it and added more salacious scenes, screening it throughout the 40's. Neither he nor the original creator bothered correcting the copyright, so the movie fell in the public domain...which made it popular in the 70's on the midnight movie circuit and with groups looking to legalize cannabis. The songwriters saw the film in 1998 and thought it would make a great musical. It was a hit in LA and later turned up off-Broadway before it turned up in this film version. Is it just as enjoyably weird as the 1936 film, or should it be sent down with the devil? Let's begin in black and white 1936, as The Lecturer (Cummings) introduces our story to a group of PTA parents, and find out...
The Story: Jimmy Harper (Campbell) loves Mary Lane (Bell), but he has two left feet when it comes to swing dancing. He wants to impress her, so he lets slick Jack Stone (Steven Webber) take him across town to give him lessons. Turns out he's really a drug pusher whose home is a Reefer Den, where he lives with his girlfriend Mae (Gasteyer), drug-crazed college drop-out Ralph (John Kassir), and addled prostitute and out-of-wedlock mother Sally (Amy Spangler).
Jack gets Jimmy quickly hooked on drugs after a wild sexual hallucination. No one can figure out the sudden change in him, not even Mary. Jimmy's so far gone, he even ignores a vision from Heaven. Jimmy tries to drop the drugs after he and Sally run over an old man, claiming to Mary he'll return to her. He's lured back to the den by Jack, who plies him with brownies. Mary follows, too...but when Jimmy sees Mary gone on drugs and Ralph pawing her, he attacks Ralph. Jack's shot ends up killing Mary, and Jack frames Jimmy for her death. Now Jimmy may end up taking the rap, if Mae doesn't come forward and admit what "the Stuff" has done to her life and the lives of so many others.
The Song and Dance: As you can guess from the plot description, this is seriously weird. It's supposed to be spoofing the drug culture, other musicals, and cheapie exploitation films, but the dark subject matter and heavy blood and violence definitely push it into black comedy territory. Campbell and especially Bell are hilarious as the clean-cut kids who are suddenly turned into murderers and sex fiends due to the drug culture, and Gastmeyer is excellent as abused, pushed-around Mae. Cummings is appropriately sinister, yet oddly friendly as the Lecturer who seems to be everywhere at once. Surprisingly attractive production for a TV musical too, with stunning costumes recreating sweet 30's suburbia and kinky drug-fueled fantasies and gorgeous bright-hued sets.
Favorite Number: We open in the black-and-white schoolroom, as the Lecturer explains to his audience what we're about to see and what is so horrible about "Reefer Madness." Mary and Jimmy imagine they'll be just like "Romeo and Juliet" in their first duet, not realizing just how close to those doomed lovers their romance will get. Mae laments how she's so hooked on "The Stuff," she can't escape her abusive relationship with Jack. The teens in town and soda shoppe owner Miss Poppy (Neve Campbell) get some wild swing dancing in "Down at the Ol' Five and Dime." Jack grabs Miss Poppy to show Jimmy and the teens how dancing is really done, in a tango that's far more passionate than almost anything that would have been shown onscreen in 1936.
Jimmy's first drug hit turns into "The Orgy," a wild sexual fantasy of nearly-naked dancers strutting around waving marijuana branches. Mary counters with "Lonely Pew" as she prays at a local church that Jimmy will remember how much she loves him. "Listen to Jesus, Jimmy," begs the angels from Heaven as he himself tries to point out to the young man that he's following a very dark path. Jimmy repents and briefly returns to his "Mary Jane/Mary Lane," in a ballad so joyous, everyone in the entire film - even the old man who got run over and the people in the PTA audience - sing along with it.
"The Brownie Song" takes us into animation as Jimmy's rhapsody about his first drug pastry becomes another wild fantasy number. Ralph accuses Mary of being "Little Miss Sunshine," until she takes the drug and suddenly turns into a black leather-clad dominatrix in his imagination. Jimmy realizes how much like Romeo and Juliet they are during "Mary's Death." It's "Murder!" when Mae wonders if pulling back from telling the truth and letting Jimmy take the rap is a good idea. She's still covered in blood when she runs to the President and turns her admittance of Jimmy's innocence into the grand finale "Tell 'Em the Truth," complete with Sally as Lady Liberty, Ralph as Uncle Sam, Jack as George Washington, and prisoners strutting all around the electric chair.
Trivia: Look for Neve Campbell in a cameo as Miss Poppy.
"Mary Jane/Mary Lane" won the Best Song Emmy in 2005.
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, the violence, blood, and heavy subject matter makes this absolutely not for children. It's also not for those looking for a lighter musical. Despite the big fancy chorus numbers, this is as toasty-dark of a comedy as you can get. It's not for those looking for subtlety, either. This is as in-your-face as the notorious anti-drug film it's making fun of.
And speaking of, it does make some changes from the original film and the stage show. In the original movie, Jimmy was two characters. Bill was Mary's boyfriend who got involved with drugs, Jimmy was her brother. Mae's name was Blanche, and she jumped out a window rather than state evidence against Jack. Jack had a boss he answered to, and Ralph tried to attack Mary. Ralph kills Jack, not Blanche. It also drops several songs from the stage show, but does add "Mary Jane/Mary Lane" and "The Brownies Song."
The Big Finale: If you're an adult who loves black comedy, have seen the original exploitation film, or are looking for a truly dark and bizarre musical, this one is highly recommended.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming. Tubi currently has it for free with ads.
No comments:
Post a Comment