Nascar Event Hosted By Cheech Raises $134K

It was a banner weekend for Sonoma County youth groups as two events held during the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend combined to raise $134,000 for Speedway Children's Charities.

The Raceway Builder's NASCAR Grand Marshal's Banquet generated $94,000, while the 4th annual Race-n-Rock Charity Auction raised $40,000. All proceeds will benefit qualified youth groups in Sonoma County through Speedway Children's Charities.

The Grand Marshal's Banquet was held on Friday night of race weekend at beautiful Cline Cellars in Sonoma and featured actor/comedian Cheech Marin, grand marshal of the race weekend. The sit-down dinner attracted more than 500 people, including NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman.

High Times Chong Issue Hits Newsstands

The August issue of High Times magazine has just hit newsstands. As previously reported, this issue features Tommy's face on the cover and also includes an interview.

Tommy speaks about the first time he got high and about how he and a/k/a Tommy Chong director Josh Gilbert first met. The two met on the set of Tommy's film Far Out Man when Josh was a junior exec at Citadel Pictures.

"Josh is a great talent. The first rough cut blew me away, I loved it. I could see where he was headed. It was a good, well-told story. But then the final cut... wow, just blew me totally away. I can't watch Cheech & Chong movies right after I do them; I'm too close, and I see too many mistakes. But I can sit through a/k/a Tommy Chong and be crying at the end. "

You'll have to buy High Times to read the entire interview. You can read a snipit here.

Tommy Comes To Charlotte

Tommy Chong and his wife Shelby are performing this weekend at The Comedy Zone in Charlotte, NC. The Charlotte Observer interviewed Tommy via phone before his trip out east.
The questions and answers were pretty much standard. They discussed prison, That 70s Show and his family.

The best quote was: "Pharmaceutical companies and liquor lobbyists throw millions of dollars a year into political coffers to keep marijuana illegal. They think it's just hippies who smoke it. But there are a lot of other people who smoke it and they don't want anyone to know. For those people it's like being gay and you're afraid to come out of the closet."

Read Here

Order Yellowbeard DVD

Yellowbeard will finally be released on DVD, Tuesday June 27th. We anticipate the initial pressing to sell out so reserve yours today.

Allan Handelman Show Recap

Tommy Chong was on Allan Handelman's radio show on Wednesday and again this evening. Allan conducted a fantastic interview. As a result of what was discussed Wednesday's show, Cheech's manager called Tommy. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong have resumed talking.

Hopefully, this will lead to future collaboration....specifically a Cheech and Chong movie.
On this evening's show, Tommy said he is now receiving professional herbal therapy. This is helping him deal with the stress of his wrongful incarceration.

Allan and Tommy also discussed Cheech and Chong Dot Com's recently re-released Sleeping Beauty and Let's Make A New Dope Deal CDs.

CBS Dallas Interviews Tommy Chong

CBS in Dallas interviewed Tommy Chong about his comedy show, touring with his wife, his book.
He was promoting tonight's gig at Hyenas Comedy Club in Forth Worth, TX and tomorrow at Hyenas Comedy Club in Arlington.

Watch Video Here

Interview With Director Josh Gilbert

NY Press interviewed the director of a/k/a Tommy Chong, Josh Gilbert, about his background, as well as the film. Of interest is that he turned down a $1.5 mill deal from a distributor because it wasn't enough to pay back the investors. He has a masters in film production so he knew that if he signed this deal, he'd also lose out on future earnings.

Read Here
NY Times Review
Film Threat Review
Audio Q&A with Josh at Film Forum
Indie Wire interview with Josh

Schuster Forbids Tommy From Doing Press

Simon & Schuster, the company publishing Tommy Chong's book The I Chong: Meditations From The Joint, is not happy that Tommy has been doing press for things other than the release of the book.

Apparently, Tommy's contract with Simon & Schuster says he's not to do any non-book related press until it's August release.

We've never heard of such a contract. That's pretty horrendous for a celebrity of his stature.
That leads us to our next story.

High Times Party, A Bust

High Times magazine told the creators of the film a/k/a Tommy Chong that they'd throw them a big world premiere party. The party was a bust.

There really was nothing special about this party. It took place at the Sutra lounge in the village. No food. Closed bar. Expensive drinks typical of a NYC lounge. And worst of all, no Tommy Chong. There were two celebrities, Jackie Martling (formerly of the Stern Show) and one of the women from the B-52s. People swarmed Jackie. He's a big celeb in NYC.

We also got to hang with the film's director, Josh Gilbert, and producer, Wil Becton. They are really cool, talented guys.

The first photo is of an employee of Bambu rolling papers with Jackie Martling. The second photo is of the creators of a/k/a Tommy Chong.

That leads us to our next story.

Stash Jars Price Drop

We've dropped the price of the Cheech and Chong Stash Jars by over 10%.

Purchase Here.

Tommy Won't Be At Film Forum

Simon & Schuster won't allow Tommy to appear at tomorrow's premiere of a/k/a Tommy Chong at the Film Forum.

If you have tickets, you should still go. The film is excellent.

Free Demo Of Cars Game For Download

A free demo of the THQ game Cars for MacOSX is available for download. It features voices of the cast including Cheech Marin.

Download Here

a/k/a Tommy Chong Party

Come back to the site on Wednesday for a recap of Tuesday's High Times a/k/a Tommy Chong pre-premiere party.

NYC Movie Guru

Inside Bay Interviews Cheech

Inside Bay interviewed Cheech about the film Cars and what it will be like turning 60 this July. "That's the only one (birthday) that gives me a little bit of pause. OK, you're on crest of the hill, now you're going down. The rest of the journey is downhill. As long as they keep inventing new parts I think I can live forever."

Read Here

Tix On Sale For a/k/a Tommy Chong in NYC

Tickets are now on sale for a/k/a Tommy Chong at the Film Forum in NYC. Tommy will be at the 8:15PM show on June 14th.

If tickets are sold out, check out one of the other screenings. The film run is from June 14-28. Buy early because the other screenings around the country sold out.

Buy Here

Cheech Talks Autos And Cars

Cheech Marin spoke with the Oklahoma Channel about the Pixar film, Cars, as well as his passion for automobiles. The interview took place just prior to the film's world premiere last week. During the interview, Cheech says he grew up making model cars.

Cheech goes on to say that he didn't meet many of his Cars co-stars because they were never in the same place at the same time. He was looking forward to meeting them at the premiere.
Talking about the toys from the film, he mentions the Cheech and Chong bobble heads and action figures we carry. We've spoken to him in the past about toys and he loves them.

Regarding the reunion, unlike the AP interview which took place during the Cars press junket, he put a more positive spin on it.

"Marin said that although he's been disappointed at the starts and stops of many reunion gigs, he's still willing to take a crack at something. "If it would work out I would do it."

Read Here

Cheech And Chong Competing Plays

ABC news Philadelphia spoke with Tommy chong about the plays he and Cheech are writing. They are writing separate broadway adaptations of Up In Smoke because old tensions are reborn when they work together. It will be along the lines of "toke-a-lot".

When Cheech and Chong Dot Com spoke with Tommy, he said they will each write scripts and then decide which portions to use.

Cheech feels he's too old to be portraying Pedro anymore. Here's a classic Tommy quote he gave the interviewer, "I started out as a stoner comedian and I'll die a stoner comedian."

Read Here

Daily News Review a/k/a Tommy Chong

The New York Daily News reviewed a/k/a Tommy Chong which opens next week at the Film Forum in NYC.

"In all, "a/k/a Tommy Chong" is well worth a viewing. You may come away believing, as I do, that we can free ourselves of the drug business only by taking the profit out of it. And you'll likely wind up with very little respect for Ashcroft, who is paddled at every opportunity."

Read Here

Cheech To Marshal Dodge/Save Mart 350

Cheech Marin has been named Grand Marshal of the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway, June 23-25.

Marin, best known as one-half of the counter-culture, no-holds barred duo of Cheech and Chong, will be honored throughout the weekend, most notably at the Raceway Builders Grand Marshal's Banquet on Friday night at beautiful Cline Cellars in Sonoma.

"This is a big honor for me and I'm looking forward to coming out to Sonoma," said Marin, a native of Los Angeles. "I've always loved the Bay Area, and NASCAR is truly growing into one of the biggest sports in the country. It's a great way to spend the weekend."

In addition to being honored at Friday's banquet, Marin's Grand Marshal duties will also include attending the NEXTEL Cup drivers' meeting on Sunday morning and joining the Northern California Dodge Dealers in giving the start command, "Gentleman, start your engines," prior to the start of the Dodge/Save Mart 350.

Read Here

Chong A No-Show For Handelman

Tommy Chong was supposed to be on the Allan Handelman Radio Show this evening, but he was a no-show. Allan thinks Tommy may have mixed up the time he was supposed to call in.

Allan played an interview he conducted with Cheech at the recent Cars press junket. Nothing new was discussed. Cheech sounded like he was in a rush. He had a lot of press people he needed to speak with.

Allan will probably reschedule Tommy for next week.

Update: Tommy told us he's been so busy he forgot.