The Cheech & Chong Collection

In 1969, a Mexican-American and a Chinese-Canadian found each other through the counterculture movement and formed a comedy duo. Through stand-up, sketches, studio recordings, feature films and assorted media performances, their hippie and drug-infused humor spanned more than five decades and influenced comedy for generations to come. This is their story, in a nutshell.

01. Up in Smoke (1978)
02. Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980)
03. Nice Dreams (1981)
04. Things Are Tough All Over (1982)
05. Still Smokin' (1983)
06. Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984)
07. Get Out of My Room (1985, visual album)
08. Born in East L.A. (1987, Cheech Marin solo)
09. Far Out Man (1990, Tommy Chong solo)
10. a/k/a Tommy Chong (2006, documentary)
11. Hey, Watch This! (2010, stand-up comedy)
12. Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie! (2013, animation)
13. Cheech & Chong's Last Movie (2024, documentary)

Cheech & Chong's Last Movie (2024)

A very intimate, personal portrait of two friends and partners who brought drug humor to the mainstream in the '70s and '80s. We get to hear their stories told from their own experiences, even when the details don't quite match up. It's interesting to see how they both struggled in similar ways growing up, yet they were always destined to somehow be together. It's a very transparent journey, juxtaposed by a modern storyline involving them driving through the desert and sharing memories. It covers many of their biggest recording hits and burgeoning film careers, though sadly it all pretty much ends after 1987. I enjoyed each recollection every step of the way and never wanted it to end.

3 "Dave? Dave's not here, man" out of 5

Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie (2013)

Technically the first "new" Cheech and Chong adventure since The Corsican Brothers, this animated film features new interpretations of their classic skits. Similar to the records, C&C voice all the characters. Unfortunately, the humor doesn't really translate all that well to this medium. The animation style is a bit stiff and doesn't really compete with your own imagination when listening to these comedy bits. You're better off purchasing a "greatest hits" collection.

2 pubic lice out of 5

Hey, Watch This! (2010)

AKA: Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This

Follows Cheech & Chong on their 2008-09 "Light Up America" tour, as they perform stand-up, sketches and music in their 60s and 70s. In addition to their classic material, C&C also play various characters in the audience reacting to what's going on on stage. While it's cool to see them reunite to recreate some of their famous comedy bits, this is not representative of the finest work of the duo. It's edited badly and features too many cutaways that frequently step on the jokes. A better showcase of this material can be found in Still Smokin'.

2½ dope deals out of 5

Get Out of My Room (1985)

A mockumentary on Cheech & Chong's first "video album" is basically a series of loosely connected vignettes, sketches and some fun music videos (the most well-known of these being "Born in East L.A."). It's funny on occasion but definitely not representative of the duo's best work. The best parts are when they're riffing in the moment and catch each other off guard in a laugh. You get a great sense of their relationship and on-screen chemistry. Sadly, this was the last time they appeared on camera together for many years.

2½ eyeball creatures out of 5

Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984)

This film takes a bit of a different tack as Cheech & Chong seek to distance themselves from their stoner persona and prove themselves as comedic actors capable of further range. It's a fairly straight parody take on Alexandre Dumas's The Corsican Brothers, about Siamese twins who are able to feel each other's pain (and pleasure), and that's where the bulk of the humor lies. Even though it's free of their trademark drug humor, it seems like the kind of thing that only be appreciated when you're high. At times, it feels like a series of gags ripped from classic slapstick comedies. And I say that as the only thing that saves it from getting a lower score. This is pretty bad. It performed so poorly at the box office, it spelled the end of C&C's big screen adventures.

1½ Fuckaires out of 5

Note: This harkens back to the age where the movie posters heavily suggest it to be much better than it is. I don't remember that scene happening at all.

Still Smokin' (1983)

Cheech & Chong head for Amsterdam to play a film festival, where they are mistaken for Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton and given the royal treatment. This is the first movie in which the duo actually play themselves (as C-list celebrities), rather than their stoned counterparts. The first half-hour is great, while the remaining runtime features them acting out a collection of sketches in preparation for their big stage show. My favorite of these is a skit in which they wrestle the Invisible Man, which is just a masterclass in slapstick acting. The film culminates in live concert footage of some of their greatest hits.

It's considered to be one of their worst, but I love this shit. Fuck the critics.

3 mating interludes out of 5

Things Are Tough All Over (1982)

Cheech & Chong struggle to hold a series of odd jobs during a particularly harsh winter, until they are hired by a couple of wealthy Arabs (also played by the duo) to make a run down to Las Vegas, which inevitably leaves them lost and stranded, wandering through the deserts of Nevada. This feels like a much more traditionally plotted comedy and doesn't rely as heavily on drug humor (though it still remains prevalent). This is not the best of the C&C films, but it's one of the most consistently funny ones, although it lacks a proper resolution.

3 freak-outs out of 5

Nice Dreams (1981)

AKA: Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams

Cheech & Chong now own their own ice cream vendor business, as a front for selling marijuana. This flimsy plot acts as an excuse to tie together scenes involving doing lines at a restaurant, getting locked away in a sanatorium, and a really fun sequence involving a threesome at a hotel, which remains the most memorable part of this movie. Besides the raunchy humor, there is an old fashioned appeal to this duo that dates all the way back to the tradition of Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello. There's no denying these movies are really dumb, but there's an irresistible charm that makes it difficult to dismiss.

Also features brilliant lines such as this:

"Will you forget about titties? We've got a bust to think about!"

2½ helicopters circling a nude beach out of 5

Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980)

The continuing adventures of Cheech & Chong (now going under their own pseudonym) as they get into trouble and meet strange characters across L.A. As a comedy feature, it's wildly uneven, but you have to admire its audacity for going weird places and risking losing the plot. Notable for featuring some early roles from Michael Winslow and Paul Reubens (as Pee-wee Herman).

2½ literal roaches out of 5

Note: There is a long lost television edit of this film which features a new storyline and so much alternate footage that it's almost an entirely different movie. It removes all references to drugs and now refers to "diamonds" in an effort to make it "family" friendly. It also somehow manages to make less sense than the theatrical cut, so it gets half a roach less.

Up in Smoke (1978)

AKA: Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke

The first of the big screen adventures of Cheech & Chong follows the hilarious antics of two drug-obsessed young hombres, Pedro and Man. While the plot is scattershot, it's kind of irrelevant when you've got chemistry off the charts like this. You have to be attuned to a particular kind of lowbrow humor to fully appreciate it; being a doper is not required (though I'm sure it probably helps). As someone who has never smoked a day in his life, I find this shit hilarious. 

Arising from the hippie and drug counterculture movements of the '60s and '70s, it effectively established the stoner buddy comedy genre, inspiring the likes of Bill & Ted, Jay & Silent Bob, Harold & Kumar and other dopey duos.

3 weed trucks out of 5