The Devils Lettuce is a short independent film that parodies classic 1950’s propaganda films. Directed by Adam York and written by Dave Harlequin, the film focuses on a dangerous drug called JX-375 or more commonly known on the streets as “The Devil’s Lettuce.” It appears to be a highly addictive hallucinogen that makes you see all kinds of wacky stuff. In the film we follow the Jeffery, a straight edge fellow who is corrupted by the terrible drug and must find more and more.
The film takes a lot of inspiration from the 1939 film “Tell Your Children” or, as most know it today, “Reefer Madness”. It pulls on various tropes from these kinds of films by including a manly narrator, corruption of the innocent, fears of communism, and, most importantly, the dangers of smoking marijuana. The film is hilarious and trippy and all around silly. It takes its self seriously for most of the film, which adds to the hilarity. The film also mixes in some modern music to give us a contrast between how we dealt with these issues in the past and how we deal with them now. The film’s protagonist Jeffery is really put through a lot in the short time we see him, but every bit of it is hilarious.
Everything about this short is on point, from the hilarious dialogue the characters are given, to the direction of the actors portraying these silly characters, to the precise editing and jump cuts that lets us the audience know what it feels like to be taking JX-375. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the film, I feel like maybe too much was taken from “Reefer Madness” and added to the script. I think it could have been more clever than just ripping off certain lines.
Satanic Communists, trippy bunnies and a cheesy narrator; The Devil’s Lettuce has all of this and more. Never has lettuce been more frightening than in this hilarious send up of old 1950’s anti-drug PSAs. And while it borrows heavily from its predecessors, it’s still a well crafted homage to the days when drugs were thought of as tools of Satan.
I give The Devils Lettuce 9/10 Fluffy Happy Bunnies.
—Coty
The Nerdicon 