In the realms of stoner comedy, there's perhaps no duo more "high-ly" rated than that of Cheech & Chong. These two lovable losers have brought a whiff of reefer madness to the world of comedy for decades now, resulting in numerous well-known stereotypes of that particular scene in L.A., as well as just as many memorable skits. However, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong really hit the big time when they blazed a new trail onto the big screen.
Starting in 1978, Cheech & Chong starred in several films together, bringing their particular strain of jokes to audiences across the country. A few of these dank movies are still regarded as classics, while others are generally seen as full of stems. Here's a rundown on all of the official entries in the Cheech & Chong canon, as well as which ones are a bud above.
The Cheech & Chong movie series began in 1978 with the release of fittingly titled Up In Smoke. The movie reworks some of the duo's pre-existing comedy skits from the previous decade into a rather rambunctious film that's the seminal stoner movie. In the movie, the two are a duo of pot-smoking losers who befriend each other over their mutual love of Mary Jane. After being released from prison, the two engage in a ridiculous adventure that culminates in an iconic song.
It was followed by 1980's Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, in which the two star as themselves in an even more aimlessly baked affair. After losing their jobs for constantly getting too high-minded, the duo engages in mishap after mishap in what may faintly resemble a plot. Next came 1981's Nice Dreams, where Cheech and Chong sell weed out of an ice cream truck. They run afoul of both the authorities and a rival drug kingpin, not to mention a strain of marijuana that turns smokers into lizards!
One year later saw the release of Things Are Tough All Over, where Cheech and Chong become the mules for rich businessmen also played by themselves. Not realizing that the limo they were tasked with driving is stashed with cash, the two lose it all and cause their employers to hunt after them. 1983's Still Smokin was a bit different in that the already loose plotting of the previous films was discarded in favor of wrapping an even looser story around the duo's stand-up routines. The Corsican Brothers in 1984 was an even bigger departure, essentially removing any traces of being a stoner comedy and instead being a parody of swashbuckler stories, namely the Alexandre Dumas book of the same name. This would be the last movie with the duo until they would reunite years later in 2013's Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie!, which was in many ways an animated equivalent to Still Smokin.
Due to the rather crude and ridiculous nature of the series, none of the Cheech & Chong movies have really been darlings among critics. Nevertheless, their best film is still considered to be Up In Smoke, which continues to be hailed as a seminal piece in stoner movie history. Embodying much of what the sometimes comedic genre would be known for, it's also much of what the comedy duo themselves is mostly remembered by.
Next Movie, Nice Dreams and Things Are Tough All Over are also well-regarded by the duo's fans, with Nice Dreams being perhaps the "best" due to just how zany it is. Meanwhile, the other films are generally seen as poor attempts to make the duo's skits into movies. Corsican Brothers is also disliked for disappointing those wanting a Cheech & Chong comedy while failing to attract those who hate the two.
So, for those in the mood for a blazing haze of a film, the best bet would be to light up a copy of Up In Smoke or stream the movie on Hulu, the Roku Channel or with a Starz subscription.
Source: Trendz OH
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