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*Cheech & Chong were a celebrated comedy duo whose sophomoric brand of humor appealed to stoners because it basically revolved around smoking pot and behaving like they were pointy-headed cretins.
They came to fame in the Seventies, appearing in a seemingly
neverending series of marijuana movies such as Up in Smoke, Cheech &
Chong’s Next Movie, Nice Dream, Things Are Tough All Over, Still
Smokin’, Yellowbeard, Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers, Get Out
of My Room and Far Out Man, till Cheech tired of being typecast as a
hippie whose brain had been burnt out by narcotics.
While Cheech reinvented
himself as a legitimate actor and found work in a variety of roles,
Chong chose to milk the theme that had made the duo famous, at least
until that well ran dry. Then, when the public finally tired of his
asinine antics, he decided to start selling a line of bongs and other
drug paraphernalia over the Internet under the Tommy Chong logo.
The business flourished
for a while, until President Bush came into office and decided to make
an example of the 66 year-old head shop supplier. Attorney General
John Ashcroft set up a sting operation in
Because Chong, mindful of
the law, repeatedly refused, the frustrated agents finally traveled to
West to place a mammoth order in person. They picked plenty of stuff
from catalogues, none of which was in stock, paying for it all in
advance, and promising to return to pick it up. Then, after it
arrived, rather than returning, the government began nagging Tommy to
mail the goods to an address outside
Well, that technical
infraction was all that Ashcroft needed, and immediately, helmeted DEA
agents with guns drawn swooped down on the house, arresting the entire
Chong family. This frightening nightmare ends with Tommy behind bars
after pleading guilty only to save his wife and son from a long stint
in Federal prison. A/K/A Tommy Chong is a very scary documentary
considering the carte blanche accorded Big brother by the Patriot Act.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 78 minutes
Studio: Film Forum