Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie Might Be Their Best
Last night I went with a lot of our San Diego stoner friends to see Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie at AMC Mission Valley. When a counter cultural movement gets wide film distribution, the theatre is packed with similar minded people and it can be a magical, communal experience.
And last night was just that. On a night when fans of Minecraft the Movie and the Star Wars‘ latest installment dominated the lobby, Theatre 15 hosted 30 enthusiastic fans. Some of us knew each other, but the entire theatre felt like family.
During the trailers, there was a short debate on the merits of firing up joints during the film. (All heads looked northward to look for fire extinguishers on the ceiling.) Cooler heads prevailed but vape pens were passed around. Plus, a pregame sesh in the AMC parking lot had just adjourned, lessening some the need to re-up. (I was late and missed said party and will always regret it. Given the individuals there, it was sure to be a memory maker.)
Ardent Observers of Life
The film itself was a well told celebration of Cheech & Chong’s creative process, and the pitfalls of working so closely with your best friend. It also dispels the myth they were the same off screen as well as on. These two have always been ardent observers of life, and intellectually curious enough to transform those observations into absurdist comedy.
Director David L. Bushell was able to express Cheech & Chong’s revolutionary humor by framing the movie as a road trip, with Cheech Marin driving a Rolls Royce through the desert in search of a giant Joint, having an honest discussion with Tommy Chong riding shotgun.
Cheech & Chong were not “just 2 funny stoners”
The back and forth starts as they did, giving a sense of what their early and young lives propelled them them into a creative force spanning decades. Each came different places (Cheech Marin is from East LA and Tommy Chong was from suburban Calgary.) and had carved their styles before they met in a comedy/sketch troupe.
The magic here is not just the story, but the story telling. While the film is a celebrative documentary, it doesn’t avoid the notable conflict between Marin and Chong that separated them professionally. In fact the film meets it head on. (A wonderful device is utilized in bridging the conversation, but I won’t reveal it here.)
In the end I give the film 4 nuggs out of a possible 5.
Check out the official trailer for Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie
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