blue_lotus13 | (no subject)

It's probably a good thing that the Oscar project is on hiatus this month. Last week I actually thought, "It would be so nice and classy if I had a string of pearls." I'm convinced this comes from watching too many old movies.

Today I watched the fascinating documentary Grass . I watched this because Tommy Chong is in it**. At present, it looks like I won't get to interview Chong, but hey, what can I do?

Anyway, back to Grass. It's a film about the war on marijuana in the States and how the government has tried to manipulate the drug war. In the early years, marijuana was seen to be something that was brought in by the Mexicans and racist arguments were used against it. Then it was seen as something that made you a criminal and go insane. The idea changed every decade, costing the government billions of dollars. The movie details the ideas that were spread each decade, by showing archival footage from government news reports, propaganda and anti-drug and pro-drug films. In 1926, one of the first anti-marijuana films was made. It was called "High on the Range", and it was a silent film in which a cowboy smokes up and then shoots people. It's so over the top that it's hilarious. The film also includes clips from "Reefer Madness", which was filmed in the 1930s. If you ever get a chance to see this film, grab the opportunity! It's a hilarious look at how people "supposedly" go insane when they smoke pot. The people smoke and then wander around with huge eyes. I can't quite describe it, but it's very funny.

This film is a must-see. It's informative, interesting, entertaining, and really gives a comprehensive history of the criminalization of marijuana.

**Tommy Chong appears in a piece of archival footage from "Up in Smoke", which I watched thanks to [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]'s recommendation.