Munkey Movies: Cheech & Chong Up In Smoke

What’s Up Munkey Fam, it’s James representing Baltimore. Hope everyone is doing well, staying high and keeping safe. Now that the Presidential election is over for this movie review I’ll be watching a film that I’ve never seen. I know some of our OG readers will hate me for saying that because these guys are the TRUE OG’s of the stoner comedy subgenre. These two men have been a part of both cannabis and pop culture since the 1970s. Of course, I’m talking about the duo of Cheech and Chong. My first unknown introduction to them was hearing their names in rap songs as a kid. Over time I started seeing them in TV shows and movies making cameos here and there. One, in particular, was Chong on That 70’s Show. But I decided to watch their debut feature film from 1978. This film is older than me and maybe a good portion of the reading audience but for those who were teenagers/young adults when this came out, I hope this gives you some good flashbacks to a different time in history by reviewing this stoner cult classic.

The duo first met in Vancouver Canada in the 1960s. Chong was from Canada while Cheech Marin is originally from Southern California. Throughout the 1970s and 80’s they gained fans for portraying the hippie movement at the time and focused on their love for cannabis. In 1978 their premier feature film was released, directed by Jude Adler who had directed The Rocky Horror Picture Show a few years early. Though it should be noted that Tommy Chong is an uncredited director for this film as well.

The film begins with Pedro played by Cheech being awakened by younger siblings watching cartoons. In the next scene, Man played by Chong is being yelled at by his dad for not having a job while he’s making a smoothie, not paying attention at all. He leaves and hitches a ride with Man dressed as a woman. While driving Pedro offers him a joint but it’s a toothpick. Man then pulls out a comically large joint which is made of Maui Mowie and literal dog shit because his dog ate his stash. The two hotbox Pedro’s car and they somehow park in the median. Pedro is freaking out so Chong gives him something to calm him down which turns out to be several tabs of acid. The two, unfortunately, get arrested and are taken to court. By some miracle, Chong asks for / takes a glass of water from the judge and finds out the judge is drinking vodka instead. They are freed and Chong stays with Pedro and Pedro wants Chong to join his band. When they wake up they go to Pedro’s cousin Strawberry’s house to get some weed. While Cheech and Strawberry go to get weed Chong accidentally swallows a roach and spills Ajax powder. One of Strawberry’s clients snorts the Ajax thinking it’s cocaine. Unknown by the group, Strawberry’s house is being watched by a group of narcs being led by sergeant Stedenko. Cheech tries to warn Chong of

the raid but by some miracle, both of them don’t get taken away. While Pedro and Chong are hanging at Pedro’s family’s house they are raided by immigration because his cousin called them on himself to go to Tijuana for a wedding for free. To get back into the US Pedro does a favor for his uncle which entails the two driving a van into the United States. Unbeknownst to them, the van is made entirely from marijuana and they are being tailed by the same group of cops from earlier in the film. While they are crossing the border, Chong throws a roach into a car full of nuns. Our two stoners go free while the nuns get searched by the cops.

While the cops are in pursuit the guys pick up two female hitchhikers that are going to The Roxy in LA for a battle of the bands. Before they go there, they ask the two if they know where they can buy some weed. The two girls lead them to the police station where they meet up with Gloria, an employee that sells to these two women. While they are in the bathroom presumably doing coke, Pedro and Chong mess around on the police dispatch radio. Somehow throughout this journey, the van is beginning to slowly burn and release the weed smoke out in the air. After leaving the police station they are pulled over by policemen on a motorcycle but the cop is high because of the fumes. Instead of arresting them, the cop lets them go after asking to eat Chong’s hotdog he had gotten to eat. Once they get to the Roxy the number of bands there is crazy. The cops show up and take control of the van and can have it towed to the station but unfortunately, some fuel is spilling from the back of the van, and a cigarette lights the fuel and weed itself. Not only do the cops get high as a kite, but the smoke also fills the Roxy while Pedro’s band is playing and subsequently win the battle of the bands. Watching this movie is like looking in a time capsule during the crazy times known as the 1970s. Seeing how drug culture back then was portrayed it doesn’t seem like much has changed. Being a cannabis user you’ll most likely run into people who love Cannabis but you might also encounter people on drugs that may be a bit harder. I heard terms such as lid that my parents use and now I understand what the hell they’re talking about now. It’s crazy to see the stoner movie tropes I’ve come to love and expect when a movie like this comes out. No question without this movie, there probably wouldn’t be a Pineapple Express, How High, Friday, or any film a part of the stoner subgenre.

-James Wyche