10 Films That Were Blatant Propaganda

10. Reefer Madness

Everything you've heard so far about Reefer Madness' reputation, particularly in an age when the drug is well on its way to legalization, is well-earned and worth seeing. Every absurd D.A.R.E. officer story, everything Nancy Reagan preached is on full, campy display. And it's made all the better that there is no running joke commentary through the film, though you could easily purchase or download a Rifftrax of your choice. The film, on its own, is played completely straight.

It started when a church group began funding a film they intended to call Tell Your Children, warning parents about the dangers of cannabis. Said dangers include a hit and run accident, manslaughter and attempted rape, according to Reefer Madness, which the producer titled it after he re-cut it and sent it around the exploitation market.

Of course, anyone who had ever tried the drug knew its effects were not at all as depicted. The film's popularity only grew and by the 1970s it was a regular on the Midnight Movie Circuit.

In a roundabout way, Reefer Madness gave birth to A Nightmare on Elm Street, as it was the film producer Bob Shaye used to sell around campuses to fund New Line Cinema.

But if the question is whether or not Reefer Madness accomplished its goal of sending parents into a frenzy, the answer is resounding no.