This story of 'tea' and 'tomatoes' purports to boast an 'All Star Hollywood Cast', but even if you're a follower of films from the 1930's and '40's, I don't think you'll recognize a single name in the credits. Maybe Lyle Talbot, who's screen credits total nearly three hundred roles, but after that I think you'd be hard pressed to recognize another actor in the picture. Except for Jack Elam in one of his very first screen roles; he actually was a rather good looking guy back then. That might have been the single treat in the film for me.
It's curious how all of these exploitation films wind up with a handful of different titles. I saw this picture under the name "She Shoulda' Said No", and just like the classic cult film "Reefer Madness", it tells the story of youth run wild after falling victim to the evil terrors of marihuna (sometimes spelled marijuana as a closing segment informs us). It's hard to take seriously today of course, and I really wish there were some folks around from the era who could tell us first hand how these flicks were received back in the day.
I have to say, I was really distracted by Alan Baxter's portrayal of the local pusher Markey. He's a dead ringer for a young Jack Nicholson, and if I didn't know better, I would have been checking the credits to see if it was him or not. Another weird thing was the use of that eerie sci-fi/Twilight Zone type music whenever folks on screen were shown puffing on the dreaded weed. You know, I had to laugh when I saw the "I'm gonna die' guy under the influence. It reminded me of the very first and just about only time I tried pot myself. It was in an apartment that lost it's heat in the winter, and my best friend was convinced he was going to freeze to death. I wasn't as hysterical as Rita and her friends, but I thought it was all pretty funny at the time.
I had a curious thought about mid-way through the picture. Wouldn't it be great if the Coen Brothers took the idea of these exploitation flicks and made one of their own? You could really get some mileage out of characters portrayed by John Tuturro, Jon Polito, and Steve Buscemi. Jack Nicholson might be a little too old for this sort of stuff, but I think a cameo would be just the right touch. I think he would be up for it.