# Any good "Educational" Films out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725 "2002-09-20T03:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/1 "2002-09-20T03:57:21Z")
Wandering around Half Priced Books today, I gathered up a few select items (about five more than I planned on getting), I was making one last little check, when I saw the DVD for **Reefer Madness**. Being a big friend of schlock, I of course grabbed it right away, and BOY HOWDY!! Am I one happy camper. The DVD also comes with **Cocaine Fiends** which I have yet to watch, but in the meantime, I’m wondering…does anyone have any other recommendations for some other equally lovely and “insightful” old films like **Reefer Madness** out there? I’m taking this DVD to be the start of a very extensive collection. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/2 "2002-09-20T04:24:24Z")
I have no recommendations, but I do suggest a movie night. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/3 "2002-09-20T11:34:54Z")
Atomic Cafe. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/4 "2002-09-20T11:53:03Z")
I second Atomic Cafe, though IIRC it’s a parody of “scare” films, not an actual scare film. There were a couple of really funny ones about Communists made in the 50’s, at the moment I can’t come up with titles. I’ll try and think on it today. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/5 "2002-09-20T12:51:36Z")
If you’re looking for actually good rather than “campy”, the entire Schoolhouse Rock series was just released on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/6 "2002-09-20T14:08:36Z")
I’ve never seen it but a friend of mine who was in the Navy said he watched a training film about the fire on the USS Forrestal called **Trial by Fire**. He says it the best movie he has ever seen. If your are looking for camp look for VD films. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/7 "2002-09-20T14:51:00Z")
Just to clarrify, I am indeed looking for camp. For an example of the kind of shit I’m looking for, there’s a bit in **Reefer Madness** where the professor and a police officer are discussing Marihuana cases. They talk about one instance where a 16 year old boy “so hopped up on the narcotic…murdered his entire family with an axe.” You know, movies filled with that type of important and factual information 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/8 "2002-09-20T15:08:48Z")
Go for the Bell Science Series. (RIP, Bell Labs!) [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/09.23.99/bellscience-9938.html](http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/09.23.99/bellscience-9938.html) Campy? Yes. Well-written and directed? Yes. (By Frank Capra and Jack Warner!) The one called “About Time” stands out as the best educational film I’ve ever seen. Saw it when I was 7. Have seen it a dozen times since. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-educational-films-out-there/128725/9 "2002-09-20T16:06:49Z")
Try [The Educational Archives series](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/series/-/776/ref=pd_sr_ec_ser_d/002-9190473-1655220). They are up to 4 volumes so far: Sex & Drugs, Social Engineering 101 (I can vouch for the both of these) Driver’s Ed and Get a Job. These are mostly short films, designed for captive audiences (classroom, job training) vs a longer film intended for general audiences (i.e. **Reefer Madness** ) Mystery Science Theater 3000 (RIP) also used similar films as a part of their show. They have their own collections [MST Shorts Tape Vols 1 2 & 3](http://www.mst3kinfo.com/satnews/catalog/Catalog3.htm) available for sale.