Reefer Madness and Night of the Living Dead
[Multimodal reading/multimedia piece followed by questions (on the same page):]
What follows are two film clips from classic B movies.
Released in 1938, Reefer Madness is one of the best-known examples of propaganda films. The film is meant to alert viewers to the consequences of marijuana use, which during the course of the 68-minute film leads to vehicular manslaughter, murder, rape, insanity, and suicide. Though financed by a church group, the film was bought and distributed by Dwaine Esper, an exploitation filmmaker who played up the sex and violence in the film. Consequently, the film developed a cult following and was a staple of the midnight movie circuit. As you watch this brief clip, keep in mind that the film was intended as a serious morality tale, but marketed as anything but. How are both of these facts present in what you see here? (You can watch the complete film online here.)
The other film clip presented here is from George A. Romero’s original 1968 B movie zombie classic Night of the Living Dead. In the film, Barbara (Judith O’Dea) and Ben (Duane Jones) are both fleeing the reanimated dead and decide to hide in a farmhouse that is also shelter to a family and a teenage couple. As is typical of the zombie genre, the group works together to figure out how to escape the zombie threat, but also endure infighting as they struggle to agree on the best plan. The film has come to be interpreted by critics as a critique of 1960s America for a number of reasons: the zombies are sometimes considered as manifestations of American fear of nuclear or chemical weapons, the social upheaval has been thought to reflect tensions over the Vietnam War, and the aggressive character Harry Cooper reflects disillusionment with the traditional 1950s nuclear family. In particular, the casting of a black actor as the lead in the film (and the voice of reason) is considered by many critics to be a subversive challenge to racial order in the Civil Rights era. (You can watch the complete film online here.)
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Reefer Madness
Louis J. Gasnier and Arthur Hoerl
Download the transcript.
[film clip]
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero and John A. Russo
Download the transcript.
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Reading the Signs
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After watching the clips, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
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