Drugs Are Like That (1979)

Anita Bryant (famous Florida orange juice and anti-gay spokeswoman) narrates this film that tries to simplify its drug abuse message with an analogy of kids putting together a contraption out of Lego blocks. Although the metaphors often don't make sense, the visual impact of the film is stunning and could easily be quite popular with individuals consuming illicit drugs. Also, like most anti-drug films, this could be a tempting introduction to drugs for some youths yearning to escape their "boring" lives or to rebel against their parents.

This item is part of the collection: A/V Geeks

Production Company: WPBT-TV
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: drugs
Contact Information: This film comes from the A/V Geeks archive. For more information regarding this film and the archive, visit http://www.avgeeks.com

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: bestpbx - - March 20, 2008
Subject: This film is a drug!

It killed 50,000,000 brain cells and made me want to beat up a bunny rabbit. This film is worse than CRACK! Do not watch it. You will be sorry! Anita Bryant will come to your house with a photographer and they will make a film of you when you drop your pacifier and no matter how hard you cry they will not let you have it. Oh, they HUMANITY! Somebody save me!!!!!!!!

Reviewer: your dog - - February 13, 2008
Subject: Salome Lego Playset

there is this italian band that is basically what this movie is all about.
you can find their music on archive.org
slp
salome lego playset
or
myspace.com/salomelp

i liked the movie.

Reviewer: kingcole - - February 3, 2008
Subject: Oh my god.

lmfao This video is so inaccurate in it's metaphors and although it is hilarious, it's so intolerant.

And since when does a Lego machine smoke? XD That piece had no place in the entire machines mechanic system and the whole thing blew up.

I really hope that the person below me is joking. Anyone who's scared from this needs a reality check.

Drugs are sort of like some of the things. But I must say that other than to laugh at (and I mean get a kick out of) this video is pointless! Shoot it just makes me want to go do some drugs and watch again so I can laugh my ass off at how ridiculous it really is.

Reviewer: Hank Chinaski - - November 18, 2007
Subject: about this, dear lord.

this scared shit out of me, literally. now i'll be having nightmares about this, dear lord.

Reviewer: jspivack - - November 1, 2007
Subject: Nostalgia trip!

This was made way before '79. It had to have been made in 1970 or before, because I remember VIVIDLY seeing the film at a Miami Dade Public School when I was in the second grade (in 1970). Specifically, the film was shown during a local Cub Scouts meeting at the school. Coincidentally, my brother was a classmate and fellow scout of David Blood, son of Robert J. Blood who is credited as "production coordinator" for the film. Mr. Blood made documentary films for a living, and I still remember the editing equipment in his home (he used primarily 16mm film), and being fascinated by it.

Miami was a great place to be a kid in those days, but not without its problems, including a nascent drug trade. It probably seemed like all fun and games at the time (except for worried parents), until the first public salvo in the cocaine wars of Miami when Griselda Blanco (the Godmother of Cocaine) had her boys shoot up two rival cocaine cowboys (plus innocent bystanders) from an armored van at a Dadeland liquor store on July 11, 1979. A few years later, there was crack...

Those reviewers who find the pace plodding, the dialog stilted, and the metaphors mixed may have a point, but remember that attention spans were longer then (even for children), before the days of information overload and home pc based non-linear editing availability to the masses. I'm not saying those times were better, just different, and it helps to view something like this in context.

Reviewer: BloodyL - - July 25, 2007
Subject: Drugs are like that.....like what?

A pretty dull film whose only saving grace is the lego machine.

As has already been noted, the dialogue between the kids is awful beyond belief, almost every other word is "What?", so much so that I begun to consider that the film was sponsored by the American Council of What?.

Reviewer: The Chimp - - May 10, 2007
Subject: Drugs are like What?

I was subjected to such films in the late seventies by well meaning (or bored) teachers. Rather than having the desired effect these films mostly encouraged children to take drugs. This film is best viewed and understood if you are *on* drugs...

A boy named Shannon? Gotta love that song!

Reviewer: Rotted - - April 28, 2007
Subject: oh come on

If my kids watch this film, they would be really scared of living. Because "drugs are like everything".
It is not a film for all kind of minds. I bet u some other children, besides mine, will understand something different. Fear to live, or maybe "hey, let's take some drugs, anyway we can be swallowed by the lake"
And at the end, if u change a little piece of this master machine, everything will be spoiled.. come on, are we so stupid? that's an insult for human being. our minds and bodies are so flexible, of course not everybody could live taking drugs, there are many machines that are cheap-qualited. haaha.
You guys keep on praying, the lord will come (from nowhere) and save u from the sin.

Reviewer: Larry Gilbert - - April 19, 2007
Subject: The hell with the drugs

...I want those Lego pieces! Those are bad-ass!!

Reviewer: silvertwinz - - September 21, 2006
Subject: this review is like that too...

the pictures of the falling shower of pills is kinda neat. seeing someone making doobies out of rolled toilet paper is not. with all the bright pictures, it makes me think drungs are spiffy,but the analogies are pretty strange. all in all this is what i learned:
drugs are in many pretty colors and look appealing.
lockup the cookie jar from your kids.
even binkies can and are seen as crack for babies.
don't get dizzy and play ball 'cause you'll suck at it.
don't go out into the lake 'cause it will eat you and burp up your bones later.
and finally--don't blow smoke over moving lego parts or they will explode.

enjoyable, but really, really strange.

Reviewer: Woofpop - - August 26, 2006
Subject: Back in elementary school in Ft Lauderdale in 73...

I believe that this was a compilation of PSA's that date back nearly a decade before 1979, with the kids-Lego wraparound from later. I remember the hopscotch, spinning swing and cookie jar spots from when I was in elementary school in the early 70's - shown on a 16mm projector, of course!
This is worth it for the "floating pills and syringes" spot alone! A couple of years ago, I was trying to describe this same segment to some friends who did not recall it - now I have proof that it exists!!!
Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

Reviewer: cyclic - - January 4, 2006
Subject: this is like something else...

Both surreal and comical, I suspect that it was made by people who had taken a lot of hallucinogens (possibly during the making of the film), after being paid by rabid anti-drug/homosexuality/free thought christians to educate kids on the danger of drugs. I especially enjoyed the end where the metaphor of the mechanical lego is explained: "People are like machines, so stay in your place"
Also, great song!

Reviewer: Spuzz - - January 1, 2006
Subject: This is a review. A what?

Extremely bizarre film about what makes drugs.. well.. bad. 2 laughably dressed kids in even a more laughably decorated house talk about drugs. What? You know, drugs! The kids discuss this while putting together this wicked ass contraption from Lego. From what? You know, Lego.What is WRONG with these kids? Why do they have to have everything repeated twice? Anyways, the girl apparently had a lecture about drugs, and why theyÃÂÃÂre bad for you. No real hard evidence, apparently it was the beating around the bush approach they were going for. You know, Swimming is fun, but it can also be dangerous as well! Drugs are like that! DonÃÂÃÂt reach for the cookie jar, you might fall and hurt yourself! Drugs are like that. You can be really good in baseball, but sometimes youÃÂÃÂre not! Drugs are like that. Inane comparision after inane comparison are shown. And oh right, Miss Anita ÃÂÃÂhomosexuals are evilÃÂÃÂ Bryant (love that ÃÂÃÂMissÃÂÃÂ in front of her name!) narrates. So you know itÃÂÃÂs true.

Reviewer: left wing films - - December 2, 2005
Subject: Lego goes wild

hilarious short film selling cheap a bunch a lies to american kids about drugs.
Two kids make analogies of to drug related problems while one of them builts up a lego
The best part is where we see the smoke around the Lego, oh its so true...
drugs are bad?
Well that s not the point but frighting and lying seems to be the normal standard for american education which is sad...
besides that the film is totally fun to watch
5 stars for the amazing irony and nice shots of legos and drugs falling loop.
Its totally worth the download!

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - October 2, 2005
Subject: What About Weird, Trippy Classroom Films? Drugs Are Like That, Too

This 60s anti-drug film for kids is one weird trip, man. Two kids play with Legos and talk about drugs. This is used as a springboard to make very far-fetched analogies about drug use. Example: The game ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂStep on a Crack, Break Your MotherÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs BackÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ is like drugs because it can get to be a habit if you do it too much. The analogies are all presented in a hippy trippy style that makes you think the director was abusing certain substances, which IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂd say undercuts its message just a bit. It begins and ends with a very bad folkie anti-drug theme song. This description doesnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt begin to convey the weird, disturbing mood of this film. The ending is particularly disturbing and yet kooky as well, featuring as it does the metaphor that growing up is like walking down a dangerous, unknown street. This is definitely a classic of the anti-drug genre, being the closest thing I can think of to a film that could actually drive a kid to abuse substances.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.

Reviewer: DrKnapp - - September 28, 2005
Subject: Drugs - They're not just for breakfast anymore!

This "scare-to-care" film is comprised of a bewildering cornucopia of incompatible styles: campy, serious, patronizing, dream-sequence bits, and Lego advertisement. The plodding pacing, inane dialogue and occasional cartoon sound effects leaves the viewer both bored and confused as to the seriousness of the subject matter. The only thing consistent in this absurd film is the condescending narrative squeal of the famously futile homophobe, Anita Bryant (Oy!). This lame project was probably the only thing she could get hired for in '79. The lesson here is that you can get cheap laughs without getting high - just watch this drowsy film. Goofing value: 9.5, Educational value: 2.

Reviewer: thingfish - - August 25, 2005
Subject: Best Folk Song Ever

The song absolutely does it for me. A mellow, feel-good, James Taylor-ish acoustic piece. First rate absurdity.

Reviewer: noodhoog - - June 29, 2005
Subject: Danger! Not taking drugs may damage memory

If the kids in this movie are anything to go by as examples of drug free living, then we should probably all rush out and pump ourselves full of as many drugs as possible.

Their conversations typically sound like this:
"I saw a lady today"
"A what?"
"A lady"
"What did she say?"
"Who?"
"The lady."
"Which lady?"
"What?"
"The lady you saw. What did she say?"
"She told us about a baby"
"A what?"
"A baby."
"What about a baby..?"
"What baby?"

and so on...
That aside, this is a great little film. A must watch for any afficionados of illicit substances. Many parts are just downright surreal. Very trippy. But then, Drugs Are Like That.

Reviewer: chadwys - - March 26, 2005
Subject: HAHA! Drukqs...

It's worth downloading for the jolly fat man dancing around like a moron. That'll go great in my music vid...

Reviewer: Karma Hawk - - March 23, 2005
Subject: So where can I buy those type of Legos anywyay?

This film attempts to make various comparisons between drugs and various everyday things (IE: Playing Baseball, Swimming). It attempts to do this all the while focusing on a wierd seemingly out of place narative about two kids plating with motorized legos. Aparently the Legos are supposed to represent humans and if one falls out of place we are all doomed aparently, which makes more sense in the context of the movie than of me trying to explain it. But speaking of legos where can I get some of those, the legos they play with have all sorts of wires and wierd circular pieced pieces that I've never seen before, which today make this horribly outdated. It also features a cheesy song called (you guessed it) "Drugs are like that"

Reviewer: martini66 - - March 7, 2005
Subject: Reverse Effect Cult Classic

This movie is too funny, and I wouldn't recommend it for children to watch AT ALL. It makes psychedelia look much too inviting. Kids are too impressionable at that age. Some 30 years later, I still haven't forgotten it. In fact, it had such a compelling impact on my friends & I in the 6th grade, that we just couldn't wait to get our hands on some! All the pretty colored pills cascading down were mesmerizing. "Gee I wonder how the yellow ones make you feel". Well, we found out in a big hurry. Some of my fellow classmates have not been as fortunate as I to joke about it today. In retrospect, the kids in the film are so irritating that they alone might lead one into drug abuse. So great job Anita for making me the proud drug user and homosexual I am today! Thank you!

LESSON: Legos lead directly into heroin addiction

Reviewer: adambarnum - - October 17, 2004
Subject: Cool song

I liked this video. Pretty entertaining.