The likes of Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong were first acquainted to one another in the late 1960s. The two unexpected stars started working together to build a brand that would eventually bring them both enormous success and international fame. They bonded over a shared passion of improvisational comedy. Cheech and Chong would go on to create a sensation in the underground comedy scene, releasing albums and performing stand-up for an expanding audience. Their comedy focused on parodying stoner and Latino culture. An audience that would only increase tenfold after the debut of their first major motion picture.
The pair’s cinematic career would extend decades after Up In Smoke’s 1978 release, during which time they would write, direct, and star in a variety of sequels of different calibre. Cheech and Chong’s film career is unquestionably their most illustrious achievement, having attained legendary status today and being adored by many for not only having great comedy but for sparking a cultural movement around their subject matter. With so many options, it’s time to determine which of their scripted, made-for-theaters endeavours outperforms the competition.
Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie
Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, the first sequel to their debut feature, finds the two marijuana enthusiasts looking for a new employment after getting into trouble once more, only to find that their search takes them to even more drug-induced absurdity. Ideas for the movie seemed to be abundant, leading to yet another insane journey that saw the two moving between bawdy, chaotic situations.
Fans and critics alike found the 1980 comedy to be a fun continuation of their first journey, and it proved that Cheech and Chong knew how to make a comeback in this irreverent story that could only have originated from their heads.
Cheech and Chong’s The Corsican Brothers
Cheech and Chong’s The Corsican Brothers, released in 1984, finds the two comedians playing more conventional acting roles in a parody of classic swashbuckler stories, a change from their normal brand of stoner humour. The titular couple plays two separated-at-birth twins who can feel each other’s delight and grief and whose incessant reckless abandon leads to constant disasters to the point they unintentionally start the French Revolution. The film is based on the Alexandre Dumas novel of the same name.
While not the usual performance the two are known for, there is something wrong about their take on a well-known story that may have signalled the beginning of the end for the stoner combo in general following differences over the course of their comedy.
Nice Dreams
In the movie Nice Dreams by Columbia Pictures, Cheech and Chong perform a guitar outside a food truck.
The two are back at it, this time posing as ice cream salesmen, and find themselves on a series of adventures while evading the police after their operation was linked to a marijuana strain that turns users into lizards. 1981’s Nice Dreams is a superb classic example of the stoner comedy adventure sub-genre because it doesn’t hold back with where it takes its leads and since a large portion of its language and many parts are truly improvised. This lets the natural personalities of the well-known couple shine. There is no better choice for those seeking a more surreal adventure, even though it isn’t as as grounded or tightly focused as the other well-known movies in the franchise.
Still Smokin
Even ardent admirers of the duo noted that they weren’t at their peak in Still Smokin, which has the sad distinction of being one of their lowest rated films. After being mistaken for celebrities, the two stoner friends travel to Amsterdam for a film festival, where they end up saving the event when the genuine acts don’t show up. Even while it appeared the two were having a good time otherwise, 1983’s Still Smokin came across as haphazard and thrown together, with little humour or meaningful content to appreciate within the disorganised script.
Things Are Tough All Over
Cheech and Chong, sporting double rolls, take on the roles of two wealthy Arabian businessmen who hire them to drive a limousine from Chicago to Las Vegas, unaware that they are transferring millions of dollars. Things Are Tough All Over, a 1982 comedy that was widely praised by both audiences and critics for its entertaining story and variety of settings, stands out within the group of comedies in a favourable way. A road trip movie with constant Cheech and Chong raunchiness, giving fans another enjoyable journey through the booze-fueled world of the duo.
Up In Smoke
Up in Smoke, the film that started it all and the father of all contemporary stoner comedy, not only launched the duo’s on-screen career but also provided the counterculture with a brand-new voice. Cheech and Chong were at the height of their creative powers; they had just released stand-up and comedy albums, and they seamlessly transferred their unique brand of humour to the big screen. The 1978 movie can be considered more as a compilation of situations that the title characters are put into for the purpose of making the audience laugh with catchy jokes and lines that are typical of their delivery.
Cheech and Chong are to be credited for introducing stoner comedy while also serving as a love letter to marijuana culture in general. They have made many followers giggle for centuries. The world was made a lot more amusing by the two pothead comedians, as culturally influential as they may have ever been. Viewers who replay the hits in the future will remember the wonderful moments they left.
Cheech and Chong’s The Corsican Brothers, released in 1984, finds the two comedians playing more conventional acting roles in a parody of classic swashbuckler stories, a change from their normal brand of stoner humour. The titular couple plays two separated-at-birth twins who can feel each other’s delight and grief and whose incessant reckless abandon leads to constant disasters to the point they unintentionally start the French Revolution. The film is based on the Alexandre Dumas novel of the same name.
