Up in Smoke (1978)

Absolutely the worst movie.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The first must-see film of the year.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Quite honestly, I don't see how even fans of this film can give it a '10' rating. It's funny in parts, but personally, I found the movie a chore to get through. There's not much of a story going on, and it's principal appeal seems to be in catering to the stoner crowd that gets it's kicks in the kind of moronic behavior exhibited by Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Veteran character actors like Stacy Keach,Tom Skerritt and Strother Martin lower their personal standards to appear in this flick and not necessarily for the good, as they all present caricatures of the type of characters they're supposed to represent. For me, this couldn't be over and done with quick enough, but if you're a Cheech and Chong fan, have at it. Who am I to deny a meaningless hour and a half in your life?

Legendary comedy duo Cheech & Chong's first and best cinematic outing is a hoot the entire time, just what this reviewer would recommend for those people who just want to turn off their brain for about an hour and a half and relax. One certainly doesn't have to be a stoner themselves in order to appreciate it. There's not much of a story here, mostly a series of easygoing, sometimes hysterical vignettes as Pedro (Cheech) and Anthony (Chong) go on the hunt for "good grass", although Pedro's main ambition is for his band to achieve some fame and fortune, and, recruiting Anthony as a drummer, he and his bandmates get their chance in a battle of the bands for the movie's finish. Great sight gags abound; the fact that Pedro and Anthony end up driving a van that's actually made out of marijuana is priceless. Hot on their trail is flustered narc Stedenko (Stacy Keach), who's stuck with a bunch of incredibly inept detectives. Cheech & Chong are hilarious as always, and incidentally, one can see how Chong's Anthony would get the nickname that he has, MAN. A spirited supporting cast adds to the fun, although I personally would have liked to have seen at least a little more of Strother Martin as Anthony's fed-up father. But Tom Skerritt is great as Pedro's Nam flashback plagued cousin Strawberry (I'd advise you not to look at his neck), Louisa Moritz is in fine bubbly form as luscious cop Gloria, and Zane Buzby is fun as stoner babe Jade East. The cast features such familiar character players and celebrities as Arthur Roberts, Donald Hotton, Ray Vitte, Gary Mule Deer, Mills Watson, Val Avery, and Rodney Bingenheimer, with lovely ladies Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith and Wally Ann Wharton adding to the entertainment value. It's just too funny to see, among other things, a group of nuns get detained by the cops, and the cops getting the munchies as they get stoned. The cool soundtrack (including the classic "Low Rider") and the bright, sunny look of the film are big bonuses, and the laughs keep coming at a consistent pace. "Up in Smoke" is good natured in spirit, and is definitely too hard to resist. Eight out of 10.

Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong debuted their Mary-Jane fueled humor with Up In Smoke. While Reefer Madness was the first notable film to promote weed, it's this film that set the template for stoner films.Not really much of a plot here: Pedro De Pacas (Marin) meets up with rich-kid Anthony "Man" Stoner (Chong) and find out they both like getting high. Their search for pot takes them all over Los Angeles and Tijuana in a wacky road-trip in a car unknowingly made out of grass.On their trip, they have to deal with Sgt. Sedenko (Stacy Keach), an over-zealous police officer trying to clean L.A. of druggies.The movie is filled with crazy situations: drug-filled parties, performances at a punk rock contest and a trip through a upholstery factory that is just a front for drug trafficking. Crazy people, the kind you would expect in a film like this, are everywhere.Both Marin and Chong are very good in the film but Keach steals the show. He is an absolute hoot in this film and he comes off as the most interesting character in the film.It's still very entertaining to this day as a curiosity piece. Check it out.BTW, one of the ladies Pedro and Man picks up looks remarkably like Sharon Snow of NTV.

I added to my collection the Double Feature DVD with Up in Smoke and Still Smokin like two months ago but just last night I finally saw the first one so also last night was my very first "encounter" with Cheech and Chong and for sure won't be the last. So here Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are Pedro and Anthony (his father call him Anthony yet in the credits Tommy Chong is just "man") respectively and basically they will meet just by pure causality. We have the sort of introduction and we see a moment with each one, we see the first funny moment with Pedro pissing and on the other hand we have the classic situation of a guy who at the age of what 30 or something still lives with his parents, certainly the father is just tired of having his lazy son doing about nothing during the entire day. Both Pedro and Anthony are out with cars yet only Pedro will be able to continue driving, to continue looking for a lost babe or maybe babes but he will have only kind of a really big disappointment but after all there he meets who will be his best friend. Certainly these two have a lot in common but mainly two things will keep them together: drugs and rock and roll. Is just amazing and hilarious the first joint they smoke together, Pedro was like "I been smoking since always, I can smoke anything" but the Led Zeppelin is something else, heavy s***, dog s***! And that s*** will give them some troubles and certainly we will laugh and laugh. Up in Smoke is one of those movies that are just so damn enjoyable since the very first second till the very last, essentially Pedro and Anthony are just looking out for some s*** but of course things will happen. The police play here a big role, they will be close to Pedro, Anthony and company and they deliver also a lot of fun. We have the police chief and three of his "sons" (is also a great "show" with this guys, of course the one who will suffer most is the chief, he even loses his dog that was the best cop he ever saw!), they are after those who are transporting a really big quantity of drug from Mexico to the US, they will be after "two hippies with a van". And certainly we know who those hippies are, we know that the van they are driving would be a damn treasure for them but they don't know, actually they don't know a damn thing. Is really funny what Pedro's cousin (not sure is his cousin but sure is a relative) do to get a free ride to Tijuana, very funny and Pedro and Anthony will be in Mexico also and in THE van they will return to the US. At one point we know what will happen with the van if the police finds it, actually is not that different to what will happen with the van if Pedro and Anthony realize about the truth. By this time our dudes have company, finally the company of women and now they have another thing in mind: the battle of the bands at the Roxy. And will be for a moment like a little Monterey or Woodstock, every single soul in the place was connected! Those like me who saw first the great Coen brothers film The Big Lebowski (that is my second favourite Coen bros film) certainly will remember it. Terrific fun with these two DUDES!