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The buzzon stoner comedies
( | t arold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,'r opening Friday, may be the
fl rare pot-smoking cornedy to tackle political issues, but it's only the latest in
I I a long line of comedies that mine marijuana use for humor.
From the unintentional campiness of 1936's "Reefel Madness,n' to the casubl
toking in 1993's "Dazed and Confused" to Gheech and Ghong's string of hits in the
1970s and u 8Os, cannabls comedy has a long, noble history,
What better day than 4-20 - the unofficial slang for shar-
ing a ioint and the even more unofficial holi-
day celebrating said usage - to list some
of the seminal moments in stoner cinema?
None, dude.
FRTDAY (199s) >
WHATS Iil THE PIPE: Enough with the tales of
urban woe! lce Cube's woozy comedy showed
that a day in the life of a young man in the
'hood could be goofy and funny enough
to spawn not one but two sequels, "Next
Friday" and "Friday After Next." They would
have made another sequel but no one could
figure out what to call it.
THE BUZ: Then-unknown Chris Tucker lit it up
playing Smokey, a brother who loves marijuana
so much he makes Cheech and Chong look like
straight apples.Michael GiltzFAST TIMES AT
RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) >
WHAIS N THE PIPE: This comedy-drama,
written by Cameron Crowe, boasted a cast
of up-and-comers, including Jennifer Jason
Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Nicolas
Cage and Forest Whitaker. lt was praised
for its brutally honest look at a girl losing
her virginity in the most unromantic manner
followed by even harder lessons to cbme.
THE BlfiZ: Though admired for its frank
treatment of teenage sexual hijinks, it was
loved for the pizza-ordering Jeff Spicoli, a
hilariously absurd stoner student played to
dazzling perfection by a young Sean Penn.
THE BfG LEBOWSKT(1998) V SMtLEy FACE (2OO7)
WHArS N THE P|PE: At the center of this
Coen brothers lark combining weed wlth
bowling is the Dude, a pot-smoking, White
Russian-gulping, wisdom-spouting, laid-back
hero played by a thoroughly mellow Jeft
Bridges.
THE BI|ZZ: The Dude abides. Bridges is so iconic
that he assays similar daffy spiritual guidance in
the animated mockumentary "Surf's Up."WHAfS N THE PlpE: Don't ask us why, but '
stoner comedies love to focus on one day in the
life. This time it's an actress (Anna Faris) who
eats some sweet-tasting cupcakes on her way
to completing typical errands - like paying off a
dealer and auditioning for a iole..
THE BUZZ: Faris gets the rare chance to play
a female stoner (a most underrepresented
community, which is bogus) and makes the most
of it with her zonked-out blissfulness.::
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@< EASY RIDER (1969)
WHArS IN THE PIPE The ultimate road
movie (funded by a drug deal, naturally)
directed by and co-starring Dennis
Hopper mixed in pot with LSD, alcohol
and other drugs for good measure. A
counterculture lED"
THE BUZZ: The drunken and hopelessly
unhip ACLU lawyer played by Jack
Nicholson took a hit, smiled devilishly
and launched a Iegendary career.
( | t arold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,'r opening Friday, may be the
fl rare pot-smoking cornedy to tackle political issues, but it's only the latest in
I I a long line of comedies that mine marijuana use for humor.
From the unintentional campiness of 1936's "Reefel Madness,n' to the casubl
toking in 1993's "Dazed and Confused" to Gheech and Ghong's string of hits in the
1970s and u 8Os, cannabls comedy has a long, noble history,
What better day than 4-20 - the unofficial slang for shar-
ing a ioint and the even more unofficial holi-
day celebrating said usage - to list some
of the seminal moments in stoner cinema?
None, dude.
FRTDAY (199s) >
WHATS Iil THE PIPE: Enough with the tales of
urban woe! lce Cube's woozy comedy showed
that a day in the life of a young man in the
'hood could be goofy and funny enough
to spawn not one but two sequels, "Next
Friday" and "Friday After Next." They would
have made another sequel but no one could
figure out what to call it.
THE BUZ: Then-unknown Chris Tucker lit it up
playing Smokey, a brother who loves marijuana
so much he makes Cheech and Chong look like
straight apples.Michael GiltzFAST TIMES AT
RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) >
WHAIS N THE PIPE: This comedy-drama,
written by Cameron Crowe, boasted a cast
of up-and-comers, including Jennifer Jason
Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Nicolas
Cage and Forest Whitaker. lt was praised
for its brutally honest look at a girl losing
her virginity in the most unromantic manner
followed by even harder lessons to cbme.
THE BlfiZ: Though admired for its frank
treatment of teenage sexual hijinks, it was
loved for the pizza-ordering Jeff Spicoli, a
hilariously absurd stoner student played to
dazzling perfection by a young Sean Penn.
THE BfG LEBOWSKT(1998) V SMtLEy FACE (2OO7)
WHArS N THE P|PE: At the center of this
Coen brothers lark combining weed wlth
bowling is the Dude, a pot-smoking, White
Russian-gulping, wisdom-spouting, laid-back
hero played by a thoroughly mellow Jeft
Bridges.
THE BI|ZZ: The Dude abides. Bridges is so iconic
that he assays similar daffy spiritual guidance in
the animated mockumentary "Surf's Up."WHAfS N THE PlpE: Don't ask us why, but '
stoner comedies love to focus on one day in the
life. This time it's an actress (Anna Faris) who
eats some sweet-tasting cupcakes on her way
to completing typical errands - like paying off a
dealer and auditioning for a iole..
THE BUZZ: Faris gets the rare chance to play
a female stoner (a most underrepresented
community, which is bogus) and makes the most
of it with her zonked-out blissfulness.::
(D€
?
o3
IPE
zm
€o
g)
f
o-
o)
N)
N'
o
@< EASY RIDER (1969)
WHArS IN THE PIPE The ultimate road
movie (funded by a drug deal, naturally)
directed by and co-starring Dennis
Hopper mixed in pot with LSD, alcohol
and other drugs for good measure. A
counterculture lED"
THE BUZZ: The drunken and hopelessly
unhip ACLU lawyer played by Jack
Nicholson took a hit, smiled devilishly
and launched a Iegendary career.