Review of Up in Smoke (1978) by Luke H — 20 Apr 2009

Before the family friendly Bill and Ted, the hammy Spinal Tap-merging Wayne and Garth, the neo-nostalgic and crude Jay and Silent Bob, or the grounded yet unlucky Harold and Kumar, there were the proud-of-his-Hispanic-heritage Cheech Marin and the epitome of a stereotypical hippie, Tommy Chong, first introduced to American cinema with Up in Smoke.

Yesterday, on the unspoken holiday known as "420," I cooked up a bowl of ramen noodles and popped Cheech and Chong's first film into my DVD player for the first time since I don't know how long. My take? Up in Smoke is a hastily put-together thinly-linked-by-plot showcase of mostly funny skits performed by two rebellious young clowns that inadvertently started (or maybe just claimed) their own genre of comedy.

Following the journey of the slackers can be an outrage to the viewers. The two writer/stars meet each other when Pedro (Marin) picks up the hitchhiking "Man" (Chong), and they partake in a couple of sight-gag blunts. After an intended-to-be-hysterical scene where Pedro accidentally drops acid,... a LOT of acid, for the first time ever (From a perspective of fictional character awareness, we know he'll be fine, but his flipping out about dying is actually pretty rational) and then is busted by the fuzz, we're shown the duo stumbling and tripping (That wasn't redundant) through a courtroom while a Yankovic-like "style parody" sung by Marin blares throughout the montage. The film then cuts to the dark interior of a house at night with Pedro quietly telling "The Man" that he doesn't have to sleep on the hallway floor because of an extra room... I guess that whole "acid/police/trial" thing was a dream, but there are no other clues to suggest this as correct other than the film moving along.

Just about any toker would probably agree with me when I say that the mantra of getting high is to "just go with it" - in fact, this very phrase pops up near the end when a newbie gets irate about his condition under the influence. I'm sure this is the golden rule to follow while watching this comedy. When you do, it can be very entertaining (in a juvenile way, of course), but its odd editing and weak storytelling (Director Lou Adler had previously worked primarily in radio) can make it challenging.

Also, with my attention to detail, I have to point out the prejudicial undertones throughout. There's a news reporter of Asian dissent named "Toyota Kawasaki," a butch-haircut female judge with a desk plaque that reads "Judge Gladys Dykes," and after the bumbling narc squad (led by Stacey Keach as the film's other memorable role, Sgt. Stedenko) unsuccessfully tries to barge into a concert dressed undercover as Krishnah spokesmen, one bouncer says to the other, "No wonder Anita Bryant's so pissed off." I know it's a film that's meant to be offensive in the first place, but I can't imagine such asides by those involved being anything other than embarrassing in 2009. I guess kids will be kids.

From what I remember about the more recent Cheech & Chong films (such as Nice Dreams, Still Smokin', and The Corsican Brothers), the comedic material sadly became sillier and more desperate, thus making Up in Smoke debated as the best of the bunch. It's by no means a tremendous work of art, but clearly the film remains (my apologies for the pun) a tree to pick from by other filmmakers and comedians who also want to touch the reliable demographic, as proven by films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, television like Showtime's "Weeds," music like Afroman, and so forth. This is why I own Up in Smoke: the film is a milestone for wherever it is that film is going, and though it has its fair share of imperfections, it will bring out the laughs with some allowance.