SYNOPSICS
Narcotics: Pit of Despair (1967) is a English movie. Mel Marshall has directed this movie. Kevin Tighe,Gerald LeRoy,Julie Conners,Patrick Miller are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1967. Narcotics: Pit of Despair (1967) is considered one of the best Short,Drama movie in India and around the world.
This educational film presents the hidden dangers to especially young people in what they may initially deem a harmless activity, namely the use of drugs, most specifically narcotics. The every boy in this case is student John Scott, who is your average young man in that he is a good person, but is facing what he sees as some struggles in his day-to-day life, such as failing some classes which could kick him off the school track team, and feeling misunderstood by his often neglectful parents. In preparing for exams, he has in the past taken some bennies, which has caused him no long term harm. But in running into a former classmate named Pete, John's life could be forever changed. Pete dropped out of school and unknown to John is a drug pusher. Pete sees the signs in John as a potential customer, which Pete needs to feed his own livelihood. Pete knows that if he can get John to the stage of trying the hard drugs, such as heroin, he's got a customer for life in that John will be ...
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Narcotics: Pit of Despair (1967) Reviews
The quintessential anti-drug "scare-tactic" film of all time
The grainy 16-mm print only adds to the raw starkness of this powerful narrated educational film that was shown to schoolkids from 1967 through about 1970. Considered "dated" by contemporary standards, although some very graphic and disturbing scenes can still make one grimace even today. One especially stomach-turning scene of the young heroin addict played by Kevin Tighe rolling in withdrawal agony on a dirty bed in a squalid room. This extremely obscure movie, although dated, should still be shown in schools today, in this author's opinion. Four Stars.
Kevin Tighe
Mental hygiene Classroom Films 1945-1970 "Benefits of looking ahead--Habit patterns--Shy guy--Live and learn--What about juvenile delinquency--Molly grows up--Dating: do's and don't--Narcotics: pit of despair." This is a compilation of America's social guidance films, 10-minute celluloid treatises on proper dating, good table manners, the evils of dope, and what happens to teens who drive too fast on prom night. Thousands of classroom films were made between 1945 and 1970 and seen by millions of American baby boomers." The nice kid who turns junkie in "Narcotics: pit of despair." is Kevin Tighe from EMERGENCY! (Paramedic Roy DeSoto)
Good message, sub-par execution
"Narcotics: Pit of Despair" is an American half-hour short film from almost 50 years ago. It is fairly obvious that director Marshall and especially writer Brennan had not made any films before this anti-drug educational work from 1967. The acting is occasionally really bad and the writing is as well for the most part. Neither of the 2 aspects is on par with how seriously this film takes itself. Yes it is about a very serious issue and I fully support the anti-drug message, but it's just too low in production values to make a really lasting impact, even if it tries so hard. Thumbs up though for showing the parts that may be painful to watch for some. Drug addiction is ugly and so a movie on this well should not be mitigating either. Overall I recommend the watch, even if I believe this could have been much better overall. Some severe weaknesses included in here.
Anti-Drug films: The Evils of Marijuana, a nasty gateway drug.
Narcotics: Pit of Despair (1967) is a laughable excuse for a anti-drug film. This short stars future Hollywood role player Kevin Tighe as a clean cut middle class kid who starts to hang around a group of crazy beatniks. One night whilst his parents are away, he heads off to his beatnik friend's crash pad. He finds a wild party and takes a puff from his first joint. After a couple of tokes, he becomes strung out on the stuff. But being high on reefer is not enough for his shady friend who gives him a shot of medicinal heroin. Soon the clean cut kid has become addicted to heroin and becomes junk sick. Tried of the square, the freaky beatniks dumps him somewhere near a hospital. See kiddies, that nasty old weed is an evil gateway drug. Smoking it can get you strung out on the white horse. Remember kids, reefer is bad for you. Drink like a fish and smoke up!! Recommended for comic relief.
Not bad
Fairly good educational short showing the evils of drug addiction. It's all narrated--you never hear the actors peak. It deals with high school student John Scott who's failing academically and is worried that his low marks will have him kicked off the track team. Then he meets former schoolmate Pete who (unknown to John) has spent some time in jail for pushing drugs. Pete sees a new victim in John. He invites him to party and gets him started on the path of addiction. He buys the drugs for him and soon John is an addict. Then Pete stops buying the drugs for John and John must do anything to pay for them. It's fairly tame by today's standards and a little dated but still works. There's a genuinely harrowing sequence where we see John going through withdrawal and we see another addict shooting up. Surprisingly the happy ending you expect doesn't happen. It's a realistic ending but a downer. Well-made and interesting.