When this first came out in the theaters I passed on seeing it as it seemed like Cheech and Chong's time had come and went. I was a big fan of their comedy albums of the early and mid 70's but the movie version of their act would have been logical then but by 1978 it's time had past. Of those who did see this in the theater I couldn't get a proper read on a critical review since I could find no one who saw it in a theater that wasn't high when they went. A year or two after it came out it showed up on one of the cable movie channels and I was expecting a typical movie that takes a funny five minute skit and stretches it out to a painful non-funny 90 minutes. Director Lou Adler had never directed a movie before. He had produced the documentary rock film Monetery Pop and the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show and Robert Altman's quirky Brewster McCloud but he was Pop music entrepreneur as a music producer, publisher, manager and record company founder. He would only direct one other film which is too bad because with his industry connections and reputation and his natural feel for talent and getting the best out of talent being a director worked very well for him as with the help of Cheech and Chong he turned out a very very funny movie with Up in Smoke. The counter-culture stoner comedy duo take a simple theme for a story outline but the great comedic timing and sight gags and fast pacing and an their inventive approach at film making takes what should have been a low budget stoner comedy to the next level of lasting cinematic comedy. Like a Marx Brothers or WC Fields or Charlie Chaplin comedy this movie has lasting power to entertain generations. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong star in the first of series of funny movies from the duo. A strong character cast includes Strother Martin, Stacy Keetch, Tom Skerritt and Edie Adams. Look for Gary Muledeer and Ellen Barkin too. This movie had such broad appeal that some of the most red neck, anti-counter-culture, anti-hippy/freak/doper people I have ever ever known loved it. I would give this a 9.0 out of 10.
