The Day the Earth Got Stoned (1979) User Reviews

A Power Hit of Entertainment!

[DoctorPhibes · 8/10 · 10 April 2002]

J-Men Forever is the epic tale of the Secret World War waged by the J-men against their alien nemesis, the Lightning Bug. Armed with trance inducing rock music and a nebula of hash smoke, the Lightning bug seeks to change the world's lifestyle before our very eyes.

The J-Men field a constellation of our nation's greatest heroes. Under the inspired leadership of Admiral Ballsey they struggle to thwart this menace.

The film features some fine stunt and model work.It's a real power hit of entertainment.

If you ever get an all too rare chance to view J-men, and you're not Mrs Grundy, grab it.

(It's so good i have to ration viewings for fear of wearing out the tape!)

A Revolutionary Homage To Republic!

[dungeonstudio · 7/10 · 14 November 2021]

With Woody Allen's brilliantly silly re-dubbing of a Japanese action movie for What's Up Tiger Lily? Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor went the extra mile combing through countless old Republic serials to piece together the silly story of J Men Forever. With the evil narcissist The Lightning Bug hidden on the moon, he plans to conquer Earth by beaming down and hi-jacking all bland radio stations with this new hideous 'rock n' roll' he's devised. Bergman and Proctor nicely interject themselves as lead J-Men in a office assigning super agents to thwart this Lightning Bug and his henchmen. Despite the inconsistencies and outright silliness of the dialog and all, it still is a very creative and cohesive movie for it's time. Later to be embellished upon with the likes of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, and even Woody's return with Zelig. But J Men Forever deserves more credit and respect for it's meagre reworking and budget to pull it off like they did so independently and with a true passion for all the old serials.

J-Men Forever

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 28 December 2023]

The Lightning Bug - voice by DJ Machine Gun Kelly, not the Cleveland waste of time rapper but the host of seven weekly programs who also shows up in The Fifth Floor, Roller Boogie and Voyage of the Rock Aliens - is taking over the world with sex, drugs, rock 'n roll and five different costumes. Five costumes? That's because this movie uses footage from Undersea Kingdom, The Fighting Devil Dogs, Mysterious Doctor Satan, Adventures of Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher, Captain America, The Masked Marvel, The Crimson Ghost - someone alert Glenn - as well as The Black Widow and Zombies of the Stratosphere.

Also known as The Day the Earth Got Stoned and The Second World War, this has Firesign Theater members Peter Bergman as The Chief and Philip Proctor as Agent Barton. They explain what's going on as the J-Men battle evil. Yes, thrill to the adventures of Yank Smellfinger, James Armhole, Buzz Cufflink, Agents Spike, Claire and Lance, Rocket Jock (Commando Cody from Radar Men from the Moon), the Lone Star (Captain America), the Caped Madman (Captain Marvel), Spy Swatter (Spy Smasher), Sleeve Coat, Juicy Withers and Admiral Balzy, who work with the FCC (Federal Culture Control) to battle the evil army of MUSAC (Military Underground Sugared Airwaves Command).

Even if it seems like the J-Men have died, don't worry. They get out of everything by the end of the movie.

Using music by Budgie, The Tubes, Head East, Billy Preston and Badazz, this movie became a cult favorite thanks to how many times it was shown on USA's Night Flight. It was directed by Richard Patterson, who made a Western film like this in 1976 titled Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch. He also made documentaries on Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers. It was written by Bergman and Proctor.

Without a doubt, one of the funniest films ever made.

[skycamjlk · 28 January 2002]

To say this movie is a laugh-riot is an understatement. Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman of Firesign Theater fame re-cut many of the Saturday afternoon movie serials and government propaganda films from the 1940's and 50's such as Captain America (The Lone Star), Radar Men from the Moon (Rocket Jock - look for Leonard Nimoy), Flash Gordon, Shazzam (The Caped Madman), and Spy Smasher (Spy-Swatter) to name a few (plus a very short clip of John Wayne from Flying Tigers) and re-voiced, and re-scored it all creating a uniquely absurd chronicle of Good vs. Evil.

During the course the film Proctor and Bergman, shot in black and white in the J-Men's office, bridge the various scenes. The result is without hyperbole, one of the funniest films ever made. It is essentially, line after line, line within line, moment by moment non-stop hilarity. Often the comedy is in the writing but the real magic is how the lines being spoken or in some cases not spoken are meshed with what's on screen. The humor can be as sophmoric as a person being apparently executed by a firing squad and noisily farting as he collapses to sharp and witty as several obviously square, stone-faced individuals (in matching suits) nervously glancing at each other as they listen to a particularly lurid Rock n' Roll song.

This is the story: The Lightning Bug (all the bad guys from the movie serials-same guy, different costumes voiced wonderfully by Machine Gun Kelly) has decided to conquer the Earth from his hideout on the Moon thru the insidious power of Rock n' Roll music. Facing the Bug are the J-Men (all the good guys and gals from the movie serials plus Proctor and Bergman) who counter the evil Rock n' Roll menace with their own brand of government sponsored MUSAC such as "Mister Prissy-Faye & His Orchestra." The Bug initiates the war by blowing up Laurence Milk's warehouse full of square records in Polkawaltz, New Jersey. As the story progresses and the war escalates, the Bug introduces drugs (Marijuana and Hashish) into the fray thus bringing the J-Men to ultimately counter with all out war and destruction. The Lightning Bug responds by turning up the music to unsafe levels which results in the destruction the Moon and himself. The J-Men, most of whom were apparently killed in cliffhangar-like fashions throughout the course of the movie, are discovered to actually be alive. With the war won, Proctor and Bergman of the J-Men decide to "Go with it!" and share a joint.

This is one of those films where just watching it once will not be enough. There are so many jokes, quips, and asides thrown in one after another, and you will be laughing at it all so hard, you will miss some of them until you view it again...and later again.

Don't miss this!

[RodMorgan · 9/10 · 25 September 2002]

This is insanely, oxygen-depleting laughter-inducing FUNNY stuff. Using public-domain serial footage and dubbing it into a faux noir story with occasional new B&W material, this is laugh-out-loud, fall over funny. Loads of cliches stand on their heads and dance, and the title isn't explained until the v-e-r-y last moment. Help destroy wimpy music - catch this however you can!

The Lightning Bug Strikes

[Mike-764 · 9/10 · 24 January 2003]

A bizarre villain, as well as a master of disguise, known as the Lightning Bug is planning to eliminate all easy listening and classical music to be replaced by whining banal rock. Its up to the J-Men and stock footage from Republic serials to save the day. The movie is hilarious, even if you never seen a serial in your life. The footage is intercut in the story flawlessly. The only setbacks are the actual filmed scenes and the fact that the film wasn't any longer. If your a serial fan though, this DVD is for you. Rating- 9.

PS- The extra includes an interview by Philip Proctor with George Wallace, lead in the 1952 serial Radar Men from the moon. Judging from the way the interview went, Proctor didn't have all of his facts straight entering the query.

Firesign Theatre's precursor to MST3K!

[Scot-6 · 10/10 · 15 October 1998]

Indescribably hilarious! Firesign alum perfectly spliced into clips from old serials, adding new dialogue. Learn about the evils of Drugs and Rock & Roll!

It's criminal that this movie isn't available on video!!!

WHY ISN'T THIS OUT ON VIDEO

[donsxton · 10/10 · 28 January 2001]

I first saw this gem on the USA network about 15 years ago. Although I haven't seen it since I still remember it. I never laughed so hard in my life. It uses the "Fractured Flickers" concept of redubbing over old films. And the Firesign Theatre does it with masterfull effect. Unfortunately it is not available on video or DVD, which to me is incomprehensible.

Drugs are bad...but not in this film

[Unno · 10 September 1999]

Note: No spoilers included. There's not enough of a plot to be spoiled!

"Now, ah, Drugs are bad, m'kay?" That's what the J-Men think, and Rock and Roll is just as evil. That's pretty much the plot of the movie. Doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it's more than the movie needs.

In this movie, a group of geniuses have taken a bunch of different old movies and serials, (Mystery Science Theater 3000 material) and spliced them to form one gigantic laugh. You see the original footage, but you hear a completely re-dubbed (and much funnier) dialog.

hard to find but worth looking for

[dlhdonn · 10/10 · 30 August 2004]

This movie is not for every taste...but if you're a fan of Firesign Theatre and Mystery Science Theatre...this may be right up your alley. It has some of the most brilliant puns and plays-on-words ever assembled. It can be compared to Woody Allen's "What's Up Tiger Lily?" The difference is "J-Men" was crafted from a number of scenes from different '40's era serials and tied together with several contemporary scenes shot in period looking b/w. I've found 2 reactions to this film. People either love it..or they don't get it. There is so much broad humor in this one...you might miss some of the sly subtle lines..of which there are a ton. It's a hard one to find...but well worth the search (if you're one of those that love it). There's another film called "Hot Shorts" which Proctor & Bergman made utilizing most of the same clips but with different story lines that I believe predates "J-Men". It is also worth seeing...but "J-Men" is the funnier one for my money.

Don't Bogart That Blunt....Hand Me The Remote

[Seamus2829 · 10/10 · 15 September 2008]

The first time I had the opportunity to see this goofy assed film was some years back,on an all night cult films program called 'Night Flight', that was carried by the USA Network. The plot seemed to be something of a Science Fiction satire about an alien invasion of the Earth by a character called 'The Lightning Bug',who planned on destroying Earth with Rock & Roll, and later drugs. Okay...a premise for a cheap.low budget cheese ball of a late night film, I thought. What really got me was the fact that it was (mostly)made up of clips from various movie serials of the late 1930's, to the early 1950's,with new overdubbed dialog (which also included some new footage,also shot in black & white). What makes this film even better is that the script is written by two ex-Firesign Theater members (Phil Proctor & Peter Bergman,who also appear in the film). This seems to be the kind of film that would have benefited from being screened at cinemas that specialized in midnight movies (especially with an audience that is baked to the nines). I'm not 100% sure if this has been released on DVD as of yet, but maybe you can dredge up a used VHS video copy either at a used video outlet (if you can still find one that's still in business---curse you,Netflix!),or maybe even on E-Bay. Happy hunting. Rated PG by the MPAA, this film contains some rude language,drug humour & mature subject matter

This movie is hilarious. I'm fortunate to have a copy.

[Hoss-8 · 10/10 · 14 October 1999]

Anyone who is familiar with the old serials would be familiar with the characters used in this film. Commando Cody becomes Bullethead. Captain America is known as lone star. Captain Marvel and other heroes also appear. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes odd humor.

Very clever

[w0aq · 10/10 · 12 August 2003]

I first saw this when broadcast on USA Network's "Night Flight" program in the early 1980's. I was so struck by it at that time that I wrote a letter to the USA Network trying to find out how to procure a copy. They never answered.

I recently discovered it for sale and although my humor has changed a bit in the last 20 years and I had forgotten most of it, it is still a riot and I am glad to have it in my DVD collection.

The idea of stringing together various black and white footage and changing the dialogue is great. This was all done with analog equipment obviously, but it would be a great project to do now with the digital stuff.

Some folks, whose humor would run counter to this, would be put off by it but if you like something funny and different, this is really unique.

It's one of the best satires ever!!!

[gnomesrus · 11 June 2000]

Will someone who knows Firesign Theatre please tell them that if this video is not released on VHS (even better DVD), I'll throw myself off that cliff in the movie. I have such great memories of this from the 70's when no one knew what the USA network was. Only FS could come up with such great plot lines and take the time to edit this film. I have a copy...but it's getting old...like me.

Rock and Roll Radio; how it really happened!

[alexanderpiela · 10/10 · 4 November 2004]

It was back in my college years, back in the magic days of cable television.

Home after another Friday night of holding up the bar, I came home looking forward to USA Network's "Night Flight", counter culture at its best. In my 3rd year as a Communication Arts Major, I was chasing that,until then, elusive career in radio. I saw the previews for J-Men 4 Ever, and decided to stay tuned in. What happened to me was an education about the origins of Rock and Roll, and radio on this planet! I learned how The Lightning Bug, the Boss Jock of the Moon, came to Earth to conquer the square-nut blue-nose culture that had us in its grip. He went head to head with the J-Men, using the Sugared Airwave Command to fight back with schmaltz-ey music. All this done by redubbing the 1930's B&W serial films to tell the story. Of course the Lightning Bug is the master of disguise; all the cheesy villains of these movies were in disguise. Tons of 1 liners; you've probably heard some stolen and used in Rock Radio promos.

a hilarious movie

[alltare2 · 9/10 · 3 February 2006]

I grabbed the DVD as soon as it was released. Until then, I only had a well worn VHS copy of an old Night Flight broadcast, so the disc was a welcomed addition to my library.

There are a few extras on the disk, one of which is an interesting interview with Commando Cody (George Wallace), who interviewer Proctor insists on calling "Commander".

Proctor and Bergman also discuss their making of JMF. One disappointment was Bergman's completely unnecessary comments about the war in Afghanistan and the war on drugs. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a guy who has made a living with his counterculture humor would have such a reflex attitude toward "the establishment", but I wish he had kept his ill conceived beliefs to himself. Funny and creative he is. Intelligent and astute he is not. To make matters worse, the entirety of the Proctor/Bergman dialog is plagued by oft-occurring audio dropouts (the rest of the disk is OK).

That said, it's still well worth buying. J-Men Forever is a hilarious movie and is one of my favorites.

I think this is an alternate title for "J-Men Forever"

[alltare2 · 9/10 · 3 February 2006]

I think this is an alternate title for "J-Men Forever". See the IMDb listing for that title. It seems to have the same writer and the description of the films is identical to J-Men Forever.

It has got to be one of the most hilarious comedies I've seen. "What's Up Tiger Lily" was a similar movie, in the sense that a new dialogue was given to an old film, but that's where the similarity ends: This movie is actually funny. If commenter 'wahmuk' actually saw J-Men forever, I certainly don't understand why the entire audience left the theater.

If TDTEGS and JMF are not the same film, then I hope someone will point out the differences.

Helloooooooo LA and make way, 'cause this am The Lightning Bug, your pirate deejay!

[RalphNumbers · 10/10 · 2 March 2007]

How many WTF moments have you experienced with your teevee? One of mine occurred on a Sunday morning the spring of '92, accidentally intercepted a "Ren & Stimpy" episode. My other WTF moment was well after midnight ten years earlier, sneaked some cable behind my parents' backs and caught one of Night Flight's "J-Men Forever" broadcasts. My prank phone calls never were the same, baby.

"J-Men" is the trippy '70s drug comedy supreme. Prior to "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" and "MST3K," decades before Spike dubbed Japanese game shows, the Firesign Theatre guys went berserk with a pile of Republic serials. The result inexplicably works far better than it should, hilarity ensues and you don't even need to be stoned.

Especially amazing is the legendary MGK's performance as The Bug. WARNING: You'll begin talking like him after your second viewing.

The movie's now available on DVD, so toss your ratty VHS copies in the trash. Invite delinquent friends, have a "J-Men" party. Just remember to dial *67 before you begin the prank calls. Lots of WTFs to go around.

it actually works

[sswenson · 24 August 2000]

A group of superheroes battle an evil warlord who is trying to enslave the world. Imaginative spoof of superhero films consists of original footage from 1930's, 40's and 50's RKO cinematic shorts spliced together and overdubbed with new script and sound track. (Rating: B+)

A very funny satire.

[hsvbama · 31 January 2002]

I know `J-Men Forever' was at one time available on video back in the mid-80's because I remember seeing it for rent in a video store. (The video store has long since gone out of business.)

The movie is a hoot. It is one of my fond memories of my early 30's. Sadly, now that the hipsters of the '70's have turned into their parents, a movie like `J-Men Forever' is probably now lost forever. You can bet your bottom dollar you won't see it on the USA cable network, or any other conglomerate-owned media outlet. Not that it's the least bit risqué, but it sends out the `wrong message' in our now more conservative times, if you know what I mean. It is all really unfortunate.

I actually sat through this!

[wahmuk · 28 July 2003]

It made fun of superheroes, it made fun of science fiction, it made fun of movie making in general. It was even funny at times, but overall it was very unfunny. I saw this at a "midnight movie" sponsored by a rock radio station in the late 70s, early 80s. People kept making loud comments about how bad the movie was, getting up and walking out. By the time it was over, I was alone in the theater. Whether this is testament to my poor taste or just to my patience, I'm not sure. The best line? "Is that Leonard Nimoy?" (it was; a scene from "Plan 9 From Outer Space") "I dunno, I don't recognize him without the ears".

good concept, so-so jokes

[CatTales · 4 January 2003]

Not only redubbing a film but combining many different serial films into one is a great idea but is hampered by an overabundance of unclever fart and sex jokes. Also with little background sound added it just sounds like someone sitting in a soundproof room, and seems unconvincing. At lease on MST3K there's the original soundtrack going along with the comedic robots(& the jokes are clever). Woody Allen did it better in 1966 with "What's up tiger lily?" and really took advantage of how absurd new dialogue could change a film. FYI Firesign's Hot Shorts video uses the same movie serials but overdubs them individually.