Altered States

This unabashed propaganda film (also known by the title Tell Your Children, a dead giveaway) has become a cult classic of comically bad cinema due to its dated, alarmist views on the dangers of "marijuana addiction" and the exaggerated symptoms thereof. After the onscreen prologue that declares "Something must be done to wipe out this ghastly menace," Reefer Madness launches into a case study of clean-cut WASP couple Bill (Kenneth Craig) and Mary (Dorothy Short), high schoolers who play tennis and drink tea on the back porch. Their friend Jimmy (Warren McCollum) introduces them to a pot dealer named Jack (Carleton Young), who invites Bill up to his den of inequity, where stoned ne'er-do-wells laugh fiendishly, dance, and play the piano. After one joint, Bill is hooked, and his life begins to plummet down the tubes -- he starts flunking school and becomes a promiscuous regular in Jack's apartment. When a worried Mary tracks Bill down, she too is given a joint and begins giggling uncontrollably while being aggressively fondled by the bizarre addict Ralph (Dave "Tex" O'Brien). When Bill bursts out of the bedroom to tangle with Ralph, hallucinating and blacking out, Mary is accidentally shot. This prompts a string of guilt and calamitous occurrences, including several more deaths and courtroom sentences to mental institutions, all because of the devil weed. The film ends with the ominous warning, "The dread marijuana may be reaching forth next for your son or daughter...or yours...or YOURS!" ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Critically acclaimed director David Gordon Green takes a break from the brooding drama that defined such early efforts as George Washington and Undertow for this action-flavored buddy comedy concerning two pot-smoking friends (Seth Rogen and James Franco) who unwittingly become involved with a vicious gang of drug dealers. Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson produce a script co-penned by star Rogen and Evan Goldberg. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Welcome back for another round of over-the-top outrageous humor at Paddy's Pub with TV's least wholesome barflies in the third season (2007) of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The FX original comedy chronicles the dysfunctional lives of a group of dive bar owners -- Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and their twisted father figure, Frank (Danny DeVito) -- as they relentlessly scheme to get ahead by leaving no politically incorrect issue unexamined. The gang plows recklessly through such themes as racism, sweatshop labor, dumpster babies, sex offenders, the homeless, serial killers, transgender lifestyles, international terrorism, drug dealers, organized crime, vigilante justice, and the mentally challenged. This 15-episode set comes packed with irreverent bonus features including behind-the-scenes making-of featurette, character profiles, select episode cast commentaries, and TV spots.

After successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, the cannabis-craving twosome returns in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have just finished gorging themselves on savory White Castle hamburgers when they return to their apartment and hatch a plan for Harold to win the heart of his crush, Maria (Paula Garcés). Maria is going to Amsterdam, and if Harold can catch up with her overseas perhaps he can strike up a real love connection. After a close call with airport personnel and a chance encounter with Kumar's ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) -- who hadn't yet told Kumar that she's engaged to be married -- the pot-loving pals finally board their flight for Amsterdam. Unfortunately for Harold, Kumar isn't able to endure the lengthy flight without an innocent puff or two from his smokeless bong. When the plane hits some turbulence and the bong is mistaken for a bomb, the flight is diverted to Guantanamo Bay and our spliff-smoking heroes are detained by overzealous Deputy Chief of Homeland Security Ron Fox (Rob Corddry). Now, if they can just escape from the world's most notorious prison compound, perhaps this hapless duo can succeed in convincing the authorities that they aren't enemy combatants, and that Kumar made the mistake of his life by letting Vanessa go. But before they can prove their innocence and get the girls, Harold and Kumar will have to outsmart the dreaded Ku Klux Klan, contend with a particularly precocious Cyclops baby, and successfully elude everyone's favorite debauched former child star -- Neil Patrick Harris. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Taking inspiration from Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, Michael Blieden's documentary Super High Me charts what happens to comedian Doug Benson as he spends thirty days smoking marijuana. Benson also abstains from the drug for thirty days so that the movie can highlight the various differences between clean-living and waking and baking. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

When a skittish crack-head disappears with a ten pack of Kush, the naïve drug dealers who fronted him the buds must scramble to raise $30,000 before word spreads to the higher ups. While their plan to kidnap the thieves' teenage brother at first seems like a stroke of genius, the scheme is complicated when the frightened adolescent unexpectedly dies. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director Lee Abbot takes a satirical look at the stereotypes and mythologies of marijuana in this satirical mockumentary following a father who is forced to speak honestly with his daughter about pot, and a pro-pot advocate who hatches an ingenious plan to change the way America views weed. Thirty-seven year old concerned father Dave Berman was hosting a barbecue for his old college debate team when militant medical marijuana activists kicked in the door and seized his home. Later, after discovering that his teenage daughter Gina Marie has taken to reefer, Dave is forced shed his preconceptions about the drug if he holds out any hope of reconnecting with her. Meanwhile, pro-pot advocate Dr. Willa Peterson has grown so frustrated with her grassroots campaign being sabotaged by prohibition-minded corporations that she ultimately decides to take the battle to the next level. After convincing the makers of Fun-Onion snack foods that their profits would soar following legalization, Dr. Peterson enlists the aid of Public Relations genius Arturo Goldman in changing public opinion about pot. If his firm can successfully counter the government's tactics of using terrorism to frighten people away from pot by convincing the masses that pot can prevent homosexuality, Goldman may achieve the elusive goal of finally decriminalizing a substance that has never been proven either addictive or deadly. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Five American college students experience a particularly bad trip while vacationing in Ireland and partaking of the local hallucinogenic fungi in director Paddy Breathnach's tripped-out tale of sex, drugs, and slashers. Upon arriving in Ireland to go camping with their old college buddy Jake, Americans Tara, Troy, Holly, Bluto, and Lisa and their host eagerly set out into the wilderness in search of some magic mushrooms. As the trip starts to take hold and the group gathers around the campfire, Tara begins to wonder if she took too strong of a dose after Bluto goes missing, and she feels as if she's somehow witnessed his death. When other members of the group go missing as well, it begins to appear that someone is stalking the group and taking murderous advantage of their altered state. Could it be that this is just a simple case of hallucinogenic panic, or is there an element of truth to Jake's troubling stories of mutilated bodies and unsolved murders in the Irish countryside? The only way to be certain is for Tara to fight for her life and try to maintain her sanity until the morning sun rises and the reality returns. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director Ridley Scott spins this yarn concerning a Harlem drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who smuggles heroin into the country by hiding it in the bodies of U.S. soldiers killed during battle in Vietnam. There was a time when no one noticed reserved driver Frank Lucas (Washington), but when the criminal kingpin he was charged with transporting through the city streets suddenly dies, Lucas seizes the opportunity to build his own criminal empire. In the following months, Lucas solidifies his status as Harlem's most innovative drug dealer by delivering a product that is purer than the competitors' and cheaper, as well. When innovative businessman Lukas attempts to go semi-legit by becoming one of the Manhattan borough's biggest civil supporters, however, street-savvy outcast cop Ritchie Roberts (Russell Crowe) begins to sense a sizable shift in the hierarchy of the drug underworld. But Roberts is one of the few honest detectives operating within a corrupt system, and as he sets out to investigate the case, crooked detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) does everything in his power to compromise the integrity of his idealistic counterpart. Upon clearing all of the usual Mafia-connected suspects, Roberts begins to believe that a previously unknown black power player has come out of the woodwork to dominate the local drug trade. While Roberts and Lucas may be operating on opposite sides of the law, the one thing that both men have in common is a strict code of ethics that separates them from their opportunistic colleagues. Now, as a confrontation between the two men becomes inevitable and the fate of each becomes inexorably tied to the other, it gradually becomes apparent that only one of them will emerge from the conflict victorious. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

One woman's day goes all to pot in this resinous comedy from independent filmmaker Gregg Araki. Jane (Anna Faris) is a college dropout and aspiring actress who suffers from a certain lack of ambition, doubtless reinforced by her fondness for marijuana. One morning, Jane wakes with a busy day ahead of her -- she has a big audition, she has to pay the electric bill on her apartment to prevent the power from being shut off, and she needs to pick up some pot after paying her debt to her dealer -- and decides to take the edge off her anxieties by getting a little stoned. Under the influence, the cupcakes her roommate Steve (Danny Masterson) has made for his friends to enjoy at the weekend's Sci-Fi convention look too good to resist, and she gobbles them down. What Jane doesn't realize until it's too late is that the baked goods were laced with some especially strong marijuana, and what starts as a pleasant buzz turns into a world-class high that refuses to go away. As Jane struggles to make her way through the day, fate keeps throwing her into strange and surreal situations involving police officers, Steve's lovesick best friend, and a rare original manuscript of The Communist Manifesto. Smiley Face also stars Adam Brody, John Krasinski, Jane Lynch, Michael Hitchcock, John Cho and Roscoe Lee Browne. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Beijing punk outfit Joyside is well known for their alcohol-fueled excess, and in this documentary filmmaker Kevin Fritz follows the band as they carve a drunken swath through a country that may not be ready for their rowdy brand of rock and roll. Aside from beer, the only things that keep Joyside going are their love of Johnny Thunders and the philosophy of American punk. Strangers in their own country, the apathetic boys of Joyside are captured performing for energetic crowds, discussing the merits of their music in public restrooms, and, yes, drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Featured songs include "I Wanna Piss Around You!" and "I Don't Care About Society". ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This weekly, half-hour "slacker-com" began life as an independent project cooked up by three experienced Hollywood writers who were tired of scrounging around for jobs and decided to create their own opportunity. With little more than a single digital camera and a budget of 200 dollars, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton taped the pilot episode for a series about three overaged slackers, friends since high school, who ran a spectacularly unprofitable Irish bar in Philadelphia. The trio then shopped their pilot around to various networks and cable outlets, finally landing a weekly, half-hour slot on the FX cable service. Most of the humor in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia arose from the inflated egos and low-watt IQs of the three male protagonists, Mac (McElhenney), Charlie (Day), and Dennis (Howerton), as they endeavored to maintain their blue-collar values and machismo in the face of such sociopolitical challenges as racism, homophobia, abortion, and feminism. Added to the cast for the series proper was Kaitlin Olson as Dennis' sister, Dee, the most sensible of the bunch, albeit perennially unlucky in matters of the heart. Originally debuting on FX in tandem with another low-budget sitcom, Starved, on August 4, 2005, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was given a brief "over-the-air" tryout on FX's sister network Fox in June 2006.

Self-made wealthy guy Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) decides he needs a better education -- and also to spend some time away from his cheating new wife. Thornton joins his son, Jason (Keith Gordon) at college. Dad hopes to gain his son's respect (isn't that always Dangerfield's motivation?), while his son tries to fit in with his snobbish and brutish fellow students. English professor Diane Turner (Sally Kellerman) forms a strong bond with Thornton, encouraging both father and son to stick out their first year despite all odds. The finale involves some slapstick at the swimming pool diving board, and the obligatory commencement address delivered by Dangerfield, who proves that he can crack jokes without tugging at his tie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi