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About These Films
Gallery
Other Notable Cheech & Chong Appearances
1. Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke (1978)
2. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980)
3. Nice Dreams (1981)
4. Things Are Tough All Over (1982)
5. Still Smokin' (1983)
6. Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984)
7. Get Out of my Room (1985)
8. Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie (?)
9. Up in Smoke 2 (?)
About These Films:
Cheech & Chong had a successful comedy career before the movies,
but EVERYONE knows them best for their movies. "Up in Smoke" was
as strong a debut as anyone could have hoped for. But by the
middle-1980s political correctness raised its ugly head and "the
masses" were turning away from doper humor. The pair made a
number of none-druggie appearances in other films, and even attempted a
none-druggie movie of their own ("Corsican Brothers"), but they had a
hard time splitting from their well-established, drugged-out
image. By 1986, Cheech wanted to concentrate on mainstream acting
and the pair broke up. The two had a less-than-remarkable
friendship for many years after the split.
Cheech was able to merge into mainstream acting roles very well having
a number of successes (and some flops) along the way. Chong was
devastated after the break-up but, in time, started having some
mainstream success of his own as, you guessed it, druggie characters
but, in some instances, non-dopers as well. The pair re-united in
2008 as a stand-up act and a number of projects have been underway.
The Cheech & Chong movies are interesting in a lot of ways. The biggest reason is for the fact that they have all been separate movies, instead of direct sequels with continuity. It's a throwback to the style of Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis, Three Stooges, and other comedy teams from the Golden Era. However, that is about the ONLY thing these films have in common with the before-mentioned. A typical Cheech & Chong movie is about two guys that have wild adventures while getting high, usually on marijuana. Whatever happens, Cheech & Chong usually win out and often without realizing it.
The Cheech & Chong movies are interesting in a lot of ways. The biggest reason is for the fact that they have all been separate movies, instead of direct sequels with continuity. It's a throwback to the style of Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis, Three Stooges, and other comedy teams from the Golden Era. However, that is about the ONLY thing these films have in common with the before-mentioned. A typical Cheech & Chong movie is about two guys that have wild adventures while getting high, usually on marijuana. Whatever happens, Cheech & Chong usually win out and often without realizing it.
1. Cheech
& Chong's Up in Smoke (1978): This is the Cheech &
Chong movie everyone knows. It was a hit, and for good
reason. The pair was able to successfully adapt their comedy act
for a feature film. It's one hilarious hijink after
another. Plus, this film has a lot of things you can remember:
the marijuana van, Cheech as the tutu-wearing Alice Bowie, Stacy Keach
and his rag-tag team of drug-busting detectives, the Ajax Lady, Chong's
parents (Strother Martin and Edie Adams), Tom Skerrit as whacked-out
Vietnam vet Strawberry, Zane Buzby as the hippie chick that never
stopped talking, funny character names, and a lot of other things you
can pick out. It all just seemed to work.
These were non-typical roles for Stacy Keach and Tom Skerrit. They were good in their respective parts. I don't think anyone would expect some of the cast members of this film to be with Cheech & Chong in the same movie. Even David Nelson, of "Ozzie & Harriet" fame, has a part as one of the doormen at the Roxy.
Cast:
Cheech Marin as Pedro de Pacas
Tommy Chong as Anthony "Man" Stoner
Stacy Keach as Sgt. Stedenko
Tom Skerritt as Strawberry
Christopher Joy as Curtis
Mills Watson as Harry the Narc
Karl Johnson as Clyde the Narc
Rick Beckner as Murphy the Narc
Zane Buzby as Jade East
Wally Ann Worton as Debbie
June Fairchild as The Ajax Lady
Louisa Moritz as Officer Gloria Whitey
Strother Martin as Arnold Stoner
Edie Adams as Tempest Stoner
Marian Beeler as Judge Gladys Dykes
Akemi Kikumura as Toyota Kawasaki
David Nelson as Roxy Doorman
Ellen Barkin as Woman Playing Guitar [Uncredited]
Harry Dean Stanton as Police Officer [Scenes deleted]
Alternate Titles:
Fun Facts:
2. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980):
Cast:
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3. Nice Dreams (1981):
Cast:
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4. Things are Tough all Over (1982):
Cast:
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Fun Facts:
5. Still Smokin' (1983):
Cast:
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6. Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984):
Cast:
Alternate Titles:
Fun Facts:
7. Get Out of my Room (1985):
Cast:
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Fun Facts:
These were non-typical roles for Stacy Keach and Tom Skerrit. They were good in their respective parts. I don't think anyone would expect some of the cast members of this film to be with Cheech & Chong in the same movie. Even David Nelson, of "Ozzie & Harriet" fame, has a part as one of the doormen at the Roxy.
Cast:
Cheech Marin as Pedro de Pacas
Tommy Chong as Anthony "Man" Stoner
Stacy Keach as Sgt. Stedenko
Tom Skerritt as Strawberry
Christopher Joy as Curtis
Mills Watson as Harry the Narc
Karl Johnson as Clyde the Narc
Rick Beckner as Murphy the Narc
Zane Buzby as Jade East
Wally Ann Worton as Debbie
June Fairchild as The Ajax Lady
Louisa Moritz as Officer Gloria Whitey
Strother Martin as Arnold Stoner
Edie Adams as Tempest Stoner
Marian Beeler as Judge Gladys Dykes
Akemi Kikumura as Toyota Kawasaki
David Nelson as Roxy Doorman
Ellen Barkin as Woman Playing Guitar [Uncredited]
Harry Dean Stanton as Police Officer [Scenes deleted]
Alternate Titles:
Fun Facts:
- Strother Martin and Edie Adams were allowed to improvise most of their hilarious routine ("The Finkelstein Sh** Kid!").
- According to Tommy Chong, he named Sgt. Stedenko after a real-life cop in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- The film uses the word "man" 295 times. 212 of these are before Cheech & Chong reach the border.
- This was Ellen Barkin's film debut.
- Actor Jack Nicholson actually owned the car Chong drives at the beginning of the movie.
- The license plate on Pedro's car (MUF DVR) was owned by an LAPD officer at the time.
2. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980):
Cast:
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3. Nice Dreams (1981):
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4. Things are Tough all Over (1982):
Cast:
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5. Still Smokin' (1983):
Cast:
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Fun Facts:
6. Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984):
Cast:
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Fun Facts:
7. Get Out of my Room (1985):
Cast:
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Fun Facts:
"It Came From Hollywood"
(1982): This is a weird kind of movie; a
clip movie comprised of footage from old B-movies and hosted by several
of then-popular comic actors.
"Yellowbeard" (1983): This was a different kind of movie as well; a comedy pirate spoof for Monty Python alumni Graham Chapman. It's a lot like a Monty Python movie, but a bit more mild to suit most audiences. It was a critical and commercial flop. I liked it enough, but it's not one of my favorites. I thought Cheech & Chong's characters of Spanish Conquistadors was neat to see. It's something you wouldn't expect to see, and they played their parts well.
"After Hours" (1985): Cheech and Chong had bit parts as burglars in this dark comedy from Martin Scorcese. This film flopped at the time, but has become a cult classic due largely to the great success of its director in other films before and since.
"Yellowbeard" (1983): This was a different kind of movie as well; a comedy pirate spoof for Monty Python alumni Graham Chapman. It's a lot like a Monty Python movie, but a bit more mild to suit most audiences. It was a critical and commercial flop. I liked it enough, but it's not one of my favorites. I thought Cheech & Chong's characters of Spanish Conquistadors was neat to see. It's something you wouldn't expect to see, and they played their parts well.
"After Hours" (1985): Cheech and Chong had bit parts as burglars in this dark comedy from Martin Scorcese. This film flopped at the time, but has become a cult classic due largely to the great success of its director in other films before and since.