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MENTAL HYGIENE: THE FESTIVAL OF CLASSROOM GUIDANCE FILMS 1941-1961 brings the road tour of corny classics to Toronto. Archivist and ironist Ken Smith has collected the post-war cautionary tales that unspooled in North American classrooms. How to fit in, how to date, how to menstruate, how to avoid the fate of a hopped-up marijuana fiend. These movies betray adult fears about teenagers in hilarious fashion, but they also offer some insight into how hard a culture has to work to enforce normality. It’s all relative, though. Anyone who enjoys a smug chuckle at the advice on offer in these flicks should spend a few hours watching daytime talk shows. Smith introduces the films. (May 26-28, Bloor) NNN
