Cheech and Chong's ‘Up in Smoke’ Added to National Film Registry

 The Library of Congress National Film Registry has unveiled their 25 movie title additions for the year, a quarter of them being films from the 1980s.

The National Film Registry recognizes those movies of cultural, historic or aesthetic importance which preserves the nation’s film heritage.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the 2024 selection this morning. The selections bring the number of feature titles in the registry to 900. Some films are among the 2 million moving image collection items held in the Library of Congress.

More than 6,700 titles were considered to join the registry but a surmountable 25 will be cemented on the list, which has long honored classics like "When Harry Met Sally," "The Lion King," "Ghostbusters" and "The Godfather." Films are selected based on their "cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage," according to Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

TV special honoring films to air Dec. 18

A television special honoring the 25 additions to the National Film Registry will be hosted by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.

"The wealth of American film history is sometimes rather overwhelming, and people often wonder: how do you recommend this film or that film?” National Film Preservation Board Chair Jacqueline Stewart said in a news release. "It's through a lot of research, conversation and discussion, and it's through a commitment to showing the true diversity of filmmaking."

Here are the 25 films joining the National Film Registry:

Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)

KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Invaders from Mars (1953)

The Miracle Worker (1962)

The Chelsea Girls (1966)

Ganja and Hess (1973)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Uptown Saturday Night (1974)

Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)

Up in Smoke (1978)

Will (1981)

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)

Powwow Highway (1989)

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

American Me (1992)

Mi Familia (1995)

Compensation (1999)

Spy Kids (2001)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

The Social Network (2010)

Steve-O Interviews Cheech and Chong

 Steve-O had the opportunity to interview Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong on his podcast, Wild Ride.  During episode #240, they discuss Cheech and Chong's THC water, Tommy getting kicked out of Disney Land, getting hired by Disney to do voiceovers, Tommy's health and his prison time.

Surprisingly, Tommy talks extensively and favorably about Josh Gilbert and his documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong.  The reason I say "surprisingly" is Tommy Chong and his wife Shelby kept fighting Josh Gilbert for control of the documentary.  They made Josh's life a living hell.  They got the film's investors to sue him.

Eventually, Josh Gilbert, had to turn over ownership to a company that makes fake pee.

In this interview, Tommy says he learned that if he doesn't have control of something, to not sweat it.  He said Josh Gilbert is a genius.  Josh found out the restaurant where the warden of Taft prison eats breakfast. He befriended the warden and consequently allowed Josh to interview Tommy Chong in the prison.  Generally, you can't film inmates in California prisons.

Fun Fact: a/k/a Tommy Chong isn't the only interview Tommy had in the prison.  Kevin Booth of Sacred Cow Productions interviewed Tommy for his film American Drug War.

Fun Fact: Tommy Chong knew Josh Gilbert because he dated Tommy's daughter, Rae Dawn Chong.

The documentary is very good.  Big part of the reason it went over budget is Josh licensed a lot of old tv clips of Cheech and Chong.  

We have a few DVDs remaining, from the original production and it's sealed in smokable cellophane.  Yes, you can roll and smoke a joint with it.

a/k/a Tommy Chong

Cheech and Chong Appear on Club Random with Bill Maher

 Cheech and Chong were on Bill Maher's podcast, Club Random.  They smoked pot and told some old stories we've already heard.

Some highlights:

• Tommy's son removed him from Twitter/X because people were heckling him at shows for the stupid anti-Trump tweets his son would post on Tommy's account.
• Cheech has a PR person that posts on his social media accounts.
• Tommy Chong said that Taft prison was built for the Watergate prisoners.  It has its own water tower so they could take unlimited showers.
• Cheech and Chong would have a folk singer open for them.  The crowd would hate the folk singer so much, they'd love watching them perform.
• Tommy Chong says his arrest was orchestrated by George W Bush to distract from Iraq war.
• When Cheech and Tommy were arrested in Tampa, Cheech would crack jokes at the prison guard, making the other people in the jail laugh.  They had to move Cheech to a different cell.
• Chong compared him performing with his wife, Shelby, to Lucy and Desi.
• Tom Hanks was walking his dog by Chong's house.  Hanks yells "Tom, I see you doing dishes at night."
• Cheech appeared to disbelieve that Covid came from a Chinese lab.
• Chong bashing Trump.
• Cheech says he doesn't like drinking.  Note: I'm sure his ex-wives don't like his drinking either.
• Cheech couldn't remember the name of My Pillow.
• Chong called Studio 54, Club 54.
• Mostly Trump bashing.

Watch Here

Kevin Booth Reposted his Exclusive Prison Interview with Tommy Chong

Executive Producer, Kevin Booth, reposted his exclusive prison interview with Tommy Chong.  It was shot at Taft Correctional in 2005 and was featured in Kevin's 2008 documentary, American Drug War.  

Tommy Chong served nine months because his son shipped bongs to Pennsylvania.

Richard "Cheech Marin" Turns 78

 Comedian/actor/art aficionado, Richard 'Cheech' Marin, turns 78 today. He was born July 13th, 1946 in Los Angeles California.

Happy Birthday! Tommy Chong is 86 Years Old

The dopemaster, Tommy Chong, turned 86 today. Tommy was born May 24th, 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

‘That ’90s Show’ Sets Premiere Dates for Parts 2 and 3 at Netflix; Laura Prepon, Seth Green Among Guest Stars

“That ’90s Show” has revealed the complete lineup of guest stars for Parts 2 and 3, including Will Forte, Seth Green, Lisa Loeb, Carmen Electra, Wayne Knight, Kevin Smith, Tommy Chong, Jason Mewes, Matt Rife and Kadeem Hardison. Andrea Anders and “That ’70s Show” stars Laura Prepon and Don Stark are also returning as guest stars.

“That ’90s Show” Part 2 drops June 27 on Netflix, while Part 3 premieres Oct. 24. 

Happy 4/20!

  Toke it out, man.

Cheech and Chong on Lopez vs Lopez

 Last night, both Cheech and Chong were on the NBC George Lopez sitcom, Lopez vs Lopez.  Cheech portrayed a spiritualist, Tommy portrayed a stoner (shocker).

At the end of the episode, the entire cast sang Mexican Americans.

You can stream it here. 

SXSW Cheech and Chong's Last Movie Q&A

 SXSW posted video of the Q&A session after the premiere of Cheech and Chong's Last Movie.

Tommy Chong mentions that there's a biopic in the works.

Reviews of Cheech and Chong's Last Movie

 Today, Cheech and Chong's Last Movie premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas.  Here's a collection of reviews.

Hollywood Reporter

Exhaustive account of the comic pair's career while doubling as a road-trip comedy.

The filmmaker has uncovered a wealth of vintage clips and archival footage, including priceless scenes of the pair being interviewed at the Playboy Mansion, complete with nude women swimming in the grotto behind them

They bitterly recount how Adler screwed them over and that they made only $2,000 and a tape recorder for the film. Despite that, they’re still on cordial terms with Adler, who briefly shows up in the film when they amusingly spot him walking in the desert and give him a ride.

Their low-key chemistry and obvious affection for each other despite their past issues are still very much on display, delivering a nostalgic kick that you don’t even have to be high to enjoy.

Indiewire

The two remember different versions of the same events, and depending on who’s telling the story, the other half is inevitably portrayed as the malefactor. 

“Last Movie” spends most of its runtime recounting in painstaking detail the entire Cheech and Chong history

Some of the footage feels redundant or unnecessary.

Tommy betrays plenty of egotism on his part when he insists he needed full creative control with every successive film and Cheech never quite got over being marginalized in the act.

Grade: B-

Daily Texan

Though they don’t come to a concrete agreement on what happened that led to their professional separation, they ultimately agree to not focus on the unimportant issue, and that their friendship prevails.

5 out of 5, man

Austin Chronicle

Clocking in around 2 hours, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie is a tad lengthy with its very detailed timeline, but it held the audience’s attention anyway.

I wish the film spent less runtime on a goofy script and more on creativity and external sources explaining their lasting impact on film and cannabis culture.

Roger Ebert

I wished that “Last Movie” simply had more comedy material in it—the balance is sometimes off between how Cheech & Chong got famous when the film could have used a little more why.  They were ahead of their time in SO many ways, comedically and culturally, which makes the fact that “Last Movie” feels stuck in the ‘70s and ‘80s all the more disappointing.

From the editors:

After all these years C&C won't fess up and tell the whole truth regarding the breakup and how their wives were involved.

Watch Cheech and Chong's Last Movie Red Carpet

Today, KSAT broadcast live from the SXSW premiere of Cheech and Chong's Last Movie.  They interviewed the director David Bushell, daughter Robbi Chong...and of course, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong.

Cheech and Chong arrived in a car pulling a monstrous smoking joint.  The joint was built by Robbi Chong's ex-husband, Toby Cane.

Cheech and Chong make Surprise Appearance at Austin Club

Yesterday, Cheech and Chong made a surprise appearance at Austin's C-Boy's Heart and Soul club.  They are promoting Cheech and Chong's Last Movie 

With Chong on guitar, Cheech sang Mexican Americans.

They were at the club for five minutes.

The club gave a tease that Cheech and Chong would be there last night.

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Update: Interview with Cheech and Chong at SXSW

 Today, The Hollywood Reporter ran a piece on Cheech and Chong's Last Movie, a documentary on Cheech and Chong premiering this week at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Here are some highlights:

• Director David Bushell, whose producing credits include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Dallas Buyers Club, initially approached Marin and Chong with an idea for a narrative feature. When that reunion film didn’t pan out, Bushell has a realization: “No one had made the definitive documentary.”
• Bushell counts 9,000 high-res images collected for the doc. He remembers, “We found stuff in someone’s storage locker that was [an interview] from the late 70s on 16-millimeter film all in garbage bags.” There are other revealing longform interviews with Playboy in the ’80s and one with a pre-Fox News but equally mustached Geraldo Rivera.
• Production filmed Marin and Chong driving through the desert in a vintage car two hours outside of Los Angeles near Joshua Tree National Park.  Idea was “to poke them with a fork, together, and get something that is funny, or get something that’s emotional, or gets something that’s real.”
• Cheech and Tommy discuss their break-ups in great detail. “The most important thing for me, that I got out of this process, is that everybody got to say their piece, and nobody died.”
• Tommy didn't want an advanced screening of the doc because he knew he would want to make changes.

From the staff:  Looking forward to seeing it.  Also highly recommend watching a/k/a Tommy Chong which touches on many these topics.

Behind the Cheech and Chong Last Movie Premiere at SXSW

 Today, The Hollywood Reporter ran a piece on Cheech and Chong's Last Movie, a documentary on Cheech and Chong premiering this week at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Here are some highlights:

• Director David Bushell, whose producing credits include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Dallas Buyers Club, initially approached Marin and Chong with an idea for a narrative feature. When that reunion film didn’t pan out, Bushell has a realization: “No one had made the definitive documentary.”
• Bushell counts 9,000 high-res images collected for the doc. He remembers, “We found stuff in someone’s storage locker that was [an interview] from the late 70s on 16-millimeter film all in garbage bags.” There are other revealing longform interviews with Playboy in the ’80s and one with a pre-Fox News but equally mustached Geraldo Rivera.
• Production filmed Marin and Chong driving through the desert in a vintage car two hours outside of Los Angeles near Joshua Tree National Park.  Idea was “to poke them with a fork, together, and get something that is funny, or get something that’s emotional, or gets something that’s real.”
• Cheech and Tommy discuss their break-ups in great detail. “The most important thing for me, that I got out of this process, is that everybody got to say their piece, and nobody died.”
• Tommy didn't want an advanced screening of the doc because he knew he would want to make changes.

From the staff:  Looking forward to seeing it.  Also highly recommend watching a/k/a Tommy Chong which touches on many these topics.

Tommy Chong Joins Cast of 'Lopez vs Lopez'

Tommy Chong has joined Cheech Marin for Season 2 of NBC's Lopez vs Lopez.   

The show stars George Lopez and his real-life daughter. It's about working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection, and all the pain and joy in between.

Tommy will play Bryan, “a guy who’s been waking and baking since 1978. Rosie is horrified when Bryan decides to move next door, becomes best buds with Oscar, and crashes her meditation session with Carlos. Together, Carlos (Marin) and Bryan (Chong) get high…on mindfulness.”

The show is more corny, than funny.

Fun Fact:

George Lopez' publicist asked us for Cheech and Chong merchandise to be featured on The George Lopez Show.  It never appeared on the show and when confronted, his publicist denied he promised this...even though it's in writing.  His publicist then threatened to not supply us with press info for Cheech Marin, who the agency also represented.

Tommy Chong doesn't remember Jackie Martling

 Tommy's mind must be shot (well, he is 85).  Halfway through Jackie Martling's podcast, Chong asks Jackie's stage name. In other words, the name he uses when he does stand-up.  Jackie tells him he and Chong were in the film, Pot Luck, together (no recollection). Jackie tells him he was the writer on the Stern show when Cheech and Chong did the Jesus sketch (no recollection). 

Cheech and Chong Documentary to have World Premiere at SXSW

The 2024 SXSW festival in Austin will be world premiering Cheech and Chong's Last Movie.

Director: David Bushell, Producers: David Bushell, Robbi Chong

Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie explores the legacy of pioneering comics Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong with a mix of archival madness and cinematic road trip. The result is a true-life tale of fame and friendship stranger (and funnier) than fiction. (World Premiere)

The documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong by the brilliant Josh Gilbert did a great job detailing Cheech and Chong's history.  We recommend checking that out first.

Cheech & Chong Roll Into the Empire State With NorthEast Extracts

 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2024 / Cheech & Chong™, the iconic cannabis trailblazers, proudly announce the expansion of Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Company products into New York through a partnership with NorthEast Extracts, LLC.

This strategic collaboration signifies a groundbreaking shift in the cannabis experience for New Yorkers. Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co., together with NorthEast Extracts, is bringing their pioneering product philosophy and focus on terpene-modulated experiences to the Empire State. This innovative approach allows Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co. to offer users a precisely tailored experience with their products, simplifying the product selection process for consumers at all levels of cannabis knowledge.

Joey Marin, Chief Product Officer of Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co., explained: "In the cannabis consumer's mind, there is a lot of focus on the indica or sativa classifications, which are becoming obsolete with increased product education. We try to go deeper than that when it comes to our products. We focus on expressing the importance of terpenes, the aromatic compounds in cannabis that contribute to the flavors, scents, and more importantly, the effects. By crafting products based on terpene profiles, it's not about just picking a strain; it's about choosing the kind of experience you want."

NorthEast Extracts, recognized for its dedication to quality and innovation, aligns seamlessly with Cheech & Chong's product philosophy. Together, they are putting the power in the hands of consumers, allowing them to choose products and experiences that align with their unique preferences and desires. New Yorkers can now curate their cannabis journey, selecting precisely the terpene-driven experiences they seek.

Cheech Marin expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating: "Bringing Cheech and Chong's Cannabis to New York is a dream come true. Our partnership with NorthEast Extracts is not just about products; it's about creating a cannabis community that embraces diversity and caters to everyone's unique preferences while being accessible."

Tommy Chong emphasized the importance of accessibility, stating: "It's not just about coming to New York, which is amazing by itself. It's about doing it our way, the Cheech & Chong way, which means something for everyone. We want to give an amazing experience to everyone who seeks one."

Eric Lundquist, Founder of NorthEast Extracts, commented on the collaboration, saying: "Our partnership with Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co. is a win-win for New York. By joining forces, we're delivering outstanding products and cultivating a sense of community and shared passion for cannabis, and no one knows cannabis better than Cheech & Chong."

Together, NorthEast Extracts and Cheech & Chong are looking to ignite a cannabis revolution for New Yorkers. They are dedicated to empowering individuals by making cannabis more accessible, allowing the plant to take center stage in creating a community-engaged cannabis experience in the heart of the Big Apple.