“UP PILL DOWN PILL” 1970 ANTI-DRUG USE & ABUSE AMPHETAMINES & BARBITURATE SCARE FILM XD45614

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This short narrative film from 1970 is both an anti-drug PSA and as a quiet character study about two men and how they deal with the setbacks and disappointments of life. One of these men is Roger (Ron Fisher), a homeless dropout who takes “uppers and downers” (amphetamines and barbiturates.) While squatting on in abandoned boat, Roger is discovered by Charlie (Paul Backensten), an old man forced into retirement and left without a purpose in life. After Charlie buys the boat, he lets Roger live there while he restores it, and the two men slowly develop a friendship. At a doctors appointment, Charlie gets the low down on the pills Roger has been taking and the seriousness of pill addiction. Charlie then convinces Roger to stay onboard and help finish the boat project, giving both men something to live for, and Roger is able to kick his pill habit. Though they get the boat all fixed up, Charlie dies suddenly, leaving Roger heartbroken and once again unmoored. But not all is lost; in the last scene, as Roger boards a Greyhound bus, we see that he’s literally left his pills behind as he rides off to begin a new chapter in life. Starring Ron Fisher, Fred Ostero, Paul Backensten, Ben Freedman, and Pat McCallister. Written by Phillip W. Hoffman, produced and directed by J. Gary Mitchell. Distributed by Bailey Film Associates.
00:07 TITLE CARD; on a fishing wharf, Roger (Ron Fisher) empties trash and looks despondent 00:40 In a diner kitchen, a man cooks burgers on a griddle, Roger stacks clean plates 00:59 Woody (Fred Ostero) and Roger take pills 01:52 Woody and Roger sit on a bus stop bench and take pills, a Rexall Pharmacy in the background 03:22 Charlie (Paul Backensten) and Zoe (Ben Freedman) discuss a derelict boat on the beach 04:02 Charlie inspects the boat and discovers Roger 06:29 Roger and Woody party on the boat, take pills; Roger takes downers and passes out 10:07 Charlie wakes Roger as he works on the boat 10:37 Roger reluctantly helps Charlie, fixes a sliding door 12:13 Roger takes pills, Charlie talks about being forced into retirement 14:04 Charlie see his doctor (Pat McCallister) and shows him the pills Roger has been taking; doctor explains amphetamines and barbiturates, addiction 15:42 Roger and Woody walk on the beach 16:28 Roger tells Charlie he’s leaving 17:13 Wooden braces supporting the boat start to fail, the two men rush to secure it 18:02 Charlie offers to pay Roger to work on his boat 18:44 Roger, no longer taking pills, paints the boat and horses around 20:06 Roger prepares a brass plaque commemorating the boat’s completed restoration; “This Vessel Rebuilt and Refitted by Charles C. Wilkins & Roger M. Barlow, June 13, 1970” 20:28 Station wagon approaches, Zoe in the passenger seat 20:53 Zoe informs Roger that Charlie died the previous night but that he died happy thanks to Roger 21:26 Heartbroken, Roger throws the plaque into the ocean 22:09 Roger and Woody sit at the same bus stop from earlier; a Greyhound Bus pulls up and Roger boards 22:44 Woody, alone on the bench, notices the pill box Roger left behind, and takes a pill from it 23:05 CREDITS
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[@LTPottenger]

I was worried about drugs but now that I know there is both an up pill AND a down pill that gives me a good safety net

[@diablo666541]

The title sounds like a Bob Dylan song I can just hear his voice singing up pill down pill.

[@countdown2xstacy]

“So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I's lucky for to be employed Working for a while on a fishing boat Right outside of Delacroix”

[@user-mi9rx2yt5h]

I wish America was still like this

[@unassistedsuicide2243]

Good luck finding barbiturates anymore

[@fetus2280]

Just have to see a Doctor these days. I was curious and looked into whats "Common" these days for abuse and theres at least half a dozen of them, slightly different names but still B's . And the list of what its used to treat apply to just about every human . I guess you just have to say the right things and youre set .

[@diablo666541]

I always stick to benzos

[@diablo666541]

@@fetus2280 I doubt they could anything like old schools barbs .we use call m barbs.. yrs back

[@womb2thetomb617]

I was prescribed phenobarbital when I was in a detox facility getting off absolutely stupid amounts of benzos, and heroin. Been to detox three times only got it once, there was a doc there that must’ve thought it worked well *which it did!* because basically everyone in my unit coming off any benzos was on it too. It got me absolutely wrecked but I was also on suboxone and Ativan at first along with a few other meds. U can still buy some barbs as collectors items if ur rich cuz it’s so expensive

[@unassistedsuicide2243]

@@womb2thetomb617 Far out man

[@user-yt3rb9cg4x]

My dad, Paul Backensten plays Charlie!

[@Aspiring-Hobo]

You're serious? that's cool af

[@The1trueking1966]

Bullshit

[@jeffross761]

Do you know where it was filmed looks like the new england coast

[@jimkon5767]

Great post PF! Drugs seem secondary here. I think the kid with the daddy issues may be a deeper, masked problem.

[@joshuamoore8560]

I like how, at about the 3:20 mark, the film suddenly turns into Waiting for Godot for about a minute.

[@flyer3455]

Minus the drugs, this seems like a pretty good life.

[@diablo666541]

It one harbor towns seasonal work for fishing boats yeah they make good money but rough dangerous bein out at sea . You get killed easily if not paying attention.

[@uncleal6095]

I thought they were taking really good stuff talking so fast then I realized I had playback speed at 2X!😂

[@diablo666541]

I was surprised how readily available they were. Amphetamines were used for lot thing or various symptoms. From asthma to diet issues .

[@russellforsyth8416]

From depression to diet, high anxiety to loss of focus, the good ol doc gonna set you up with something better than benzedrine cotton hocus-pocus!

[@diablo666541]

​@@russellforsyth8416 I'd liked the downers😅

[@junkettarp8942]

Up in the morning and down in the evening.

[@collegeman1988]

This story takes place 30 years before The Matrix.

[@diablo666541]

Only it wasn't a blue or red pill .

[@DavidMueller666]

Grant each of us liberty to learn of the benefits and risks of stimulants, depressants, opiates, psychedelics, cannabis, and so forth. Grant us opportunity to, if desired, utilize these substances and experiment with any or all of them wisely and freely. Let each of us discover what balance of these may be helpful in realizing our full potential and happiness. Repeal the Controlled Substances Act and all similar legislation in all jurisdictions.

[@mnmountainman9343]

Yes🤔👍

[@AlexandriaMorgan]

is this The Bear?

[@terrencealexander5084]

Morro bay, CA. Morro Rock in the distance during film

[@diablo666541]

Was this California? I was thinking northeastern Maine or Connecticut

[@acemobb2k222]

​@@diablo666541San Luis Obispo brotha!

[@thebutcher1865]

That was a good story.

[@Reggie-The-Dog]

It was.

[@diablo666541]

I like what the old man's friend said at the end after he died he wasn't trying to salvage the ship he was trying to salvage the kid

[@edwardrodriguez430]

Very funny 🤣

[@Trabajoprogresoyconocimiento]

I believe substance just be only used for safe medical use.

[@mnmountainman9343]

Hey thanks for the video it's Thanksgiving 😎😉🍄💨👍 I'm thankful for drugs and alcohol....and always family ....cool people as well

[@johndutton7915]

Mountain Man you seem like a pretty cool person at least you're thankful for all those things have a good one my brother

[@The1trueking1966]

You're stoopid for being thankful over drugs

[@tmoss89]

Yo living on the boat is awesome

[@steveb9151]

0:41 Drug abuse issues aside...anybody eating in that dump has some kind of deathwish.

[@diablo666541]

Looks like a place John taffer would have a field day on.

[@joagate3259]

😄😂

[@The1trueking1966]

Better cooking than your slop ever will be

[@diablo666541]

Sleeping in a boat that beached on shore that got be uncomfortable. N stuffy . I was on one on the water .and I had trouble sleeping with all rocking .

[@diablo666541]

I bet it is being that it's unleveled no are no light and no heat

[@diablo666541]

Does the movie name kind of sound like a Bob Dylan song ?? I can imagine his voice singing "up pill down pill "

[@countdown2xstacy]

“So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I's lucky for to be employed Working for a while on a fishing boat Right outside of Delacroix”

[@diablo666541]

A bad cough well he not smoking . BTW a cough like that was tell tell sighn of barbiturate n benzo users

[@Reggie-The-Dog]

​@@womb2thetomb617 The telltale sign of a benzo addict is the crashed cars in the driveway. I was always known as a good driver but when I got addicted to benzos I crashed around ten times, not sure exactly, and to top it all off I crashed a custom Harley that took me ten years and around $30k to complete and I destroyed it in the blink of an eye. Not to mention breaking half of the bones in my body. But I didn't get off benzos until a couple of years later. I thought I had been to hell going cold turkey off of opiates (quite a few times) until I finally got off for good but that was nothing compared to benzo withdrawal. Opiate withdrawal was a walk in the park compared to benzo withdrawal. I didn't feel right for at least a year. Benzo withdrawal was the worst thing I ever experienced in my entire life.

[@diablo666541]

Yep that benzo withdrawal as hell I myself never had any kind of accidents I was always cautious if I would take any I would plan on staying hom

[@diablo666541]

Oh man I imagine you were in some pain how do you manage a noun

[@chillydawgg4354]

What the hell was that

[@diablo666541]

Up pill 💊 down pills sounds more like a song.

[@johnny450gf]

Dont do drugs kids.....never do drugs😐

[@mnmountainman9343]

Drugs are both good and bad .....it's how you use them ...that's how I do😎👍 its been working ever since

[@manhoot]

Always approach drugs with caution.

[@Dad-979]

Damn! I wish they’d start selling these over the counter. I bet the 70’s was awesome to live in.

[@fetus2280]

70s were Great, i just wish i was older then so i could have appreciated it more .

[@thunderbird1921]

Eh, not the early 70s from what folks have told me, and my own research. Vietnam protests were boiling over, 1971 is when Civil Rights were finally enforced at the state level in Virginia and a couple other states (yes, they held out longer than even some of the South), and then Watergate nearly blew the already strained country apart. From 1975 on things finally settled down some (and the 1976 bicentennial was good), but there were still some problems until around 1980.

[@fetus2280]

@@thunderbird1921 Was way different here in Canada than it was in the US during that time period . Wasnt such a chaotic environment as it was in the US .. We mostly dealt with Oil / Gas costs and the inflation .

[@thunderbird1921]

@@fetus2280 Interesting to hear how different places had it. Kind of like how America had it more stable in the 1980s while places like Europe had it wild (we had some issues like nasty labor union fights and drug problems, but mainland Europe had all sorts of political shakeup and Britain of course had the Falklands War with Argentina).

[@fetus2280]

@@thunderbird1921 well we did have a problem in Quebec with terrorists for a bit but that was about all, and the usual political nonsense but it wasnt too bad here.

[@archenema6792]

Following this advice would've prevented Glenn Gould from happening.

[@indigohammer5732]

? The pianist? Was he a pillhead?

[@Jordysegs89]

Bring back barbs! Barbiturates were so much better than benzos! They were great for insomnia when used as directed as they had a short duration of action and you’d wake up feeling refreshed and no grogginess! People are going to get addicted to drugs no matter how many drugs you take off the shelf! People should have the right to make the choice for themselves!

[@idiotwind2248]

Ahhh...the 70s on the lower east side, the tuninal capital of nyc

[@hazysativa3045]

6:09 Hector Salamanca

[@leavethelightsonpleasethec7154]

Ding ding

[@dannyhood7433]

Most places in america wouldnt hire guys with long hair especially 60s 70s. I had long lenghth hair in 80s they wouldnt hire me. Looked like 'cousin it'.

[@carsonp.7009]

Holy shit thats morro bay!

[@carlmorgan8452]

Propaganda

[@Nomorewarsforisrael]

What essentially amounts to a public service message from the nineteen seventies is better than any of the “award winning” crap Wokeflix puts out.