Two stoners become friends, and go on a search for pot; they wind up driving a van made of marijuana from Tijuana to the United States, though they are oblivious that they are doing so,

CRITIQUE

Up In Smoke was comedy team Cheech & Chong’s first movie; like a lot of their films, it’s a fairly-plotless tale that consists of a lot of scenes of them getting high.  The result has some amusing moments, though there is always the sense that it could be funnier: there just isn’t much to the characters at all, and a lot of sequences peter out before they really get going.  Still, as one for the time capsule, there are things to like here, though this is definitely a movie that likely would be a lot more enjoyable if one’s mind was altered which watching it.

The film’s major assets are the title performers, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, who manage some stoned chemistry here, while never trying to do much with the material; the film has a laid-back, relaxed vibe, which makes it all more palatable, if only sporadically entertaining.  What little story there is involves Cheech’s character meeting Chong’s one day, on the Pacific Coast Highway, while Chong is hitchhiking disguised as a woman; they get high, try to find some more drugs, and have minor adventures that wind up getting them deported to Tijuana, and then accidentally in possession of an upholstery van that has secretly been made out of pot, which they drive back to Los Angeles in time to perform in a punk band competition.

This is really the only plot here, and a lot of it doesn’t go anywhere; the characters never do learn that the van was made of pot, while some early character moments (Cheech apparently lives with his extended family; Chong is kicked out by his rich father) aren’t developed any further.  The ending at LA’s Roxy Theater, in which some punk bands randomly play, and then Cheech & Chong’s band does a forgettable song (while Cheech is inexplicably wearing a pink tutu) isn’t overly solid either.  But there are enough amiable-stoner moments here to make this work on a certain level, and though this definitely isn’t for all audiences, fans might find enough to like here to merit this a revisit as the movie’s 30-year anniversary approaches.

THE VIDEO

Up In Smoke is presented in widescreen, enhanced for 16:9 TVs.  Though the look isn’t very crisp, this might just be a flaw of the original movie; it definitely has that washed-out ‘70s look to it.

THE AUDIO

Up In Smoke is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, as well as English 2.0 Surround and French Mono.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear, though there are no real demands on them.  There are English and French subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

There is an Audio Commentary by Cheech Marin and director Lou Adler.  It’s entertaining and somewhat informative, though they also tend to watch the movie and laugh a lot.

There are 11 minutes of Deleted Scenes (called “Roach Clips) with optional commentary.  The scenes are sometimes amusing (including some bits with Harry Dean Stanton as a jail guard), and were largely just cut to get the film down to 86 minutes.  The commentary is barely there, aside from the revelation that Stanton, contacted to clear the use of his clips, didn’t even remember having been in the movie.

There’s an 11-minute Featurette that has a present-day Cheech and Chong (filmed separately) talking about their early career and the filming of the movie; it has some good stuff in it.

There’s a rather dull Animated Video for “Earache My Heart”, the song that Cheech & Chong’s punk band plays in the film, as well as a Video for Cheech & Chong’s “The Man Song”, which only consists of clips of them saying “man” in the movie over a jazz riff.

There are two vintage Radio Spots as well as the original Theatrical Trailer.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is the kind of thing that likely works a lot better as a late-night movie in a theater, with an appreciative audience and a haze in the rafters.  Still, fans may want to rent it, particularly since some of the extras are solid