Courtesy of Cheech and Chong.
Without a doubt, Cheech and Chong became the voice of a generation. After getting their start at a bar Tommy Chong owned, performing in what Cheech Marin calls “hippie burlesque,” they took their act to LA. They have become synonymous with the counter culture movement of the 1970’s, and in many ways kicked off the comedy boom that followed. This led to starring in iconic movies - such as Up in Smoke - with a cult following that’s just as respected today.
This all leads to Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie, which is a documentary with some scripted elements that premiered at SXSW this year. Last night, Cheech and Chong participated in a screening and Q and A at the AFI Fest in Hollywood. Playing to a crowd comprised of loyal fans - seldom do you hear so many applause breaks in the middle of a movie - the film shows just how rich their chemistry is. Yes, they talk about the rifts that drove them apart for a little while, but at the core is something more important: the love. They really are like two brothers who occasionally bicker, but at the end of the day, really do like one another. That’s apparent by the end of the film.
Their reach has gone beyond just the films they’ve made, however. It has become part of the public consciousness, and they’ve become brands of sorts for weed, and in particular, marijuana legalization. Their brand is as hot as ever, and you can find their products in dispensaries all throughout the country - where it’s legal, that is. So what started as this improvised jazz-esque show in a bar in Canada has evolved into a fully-functioning empire.
During the Q&A that followed the film, Chong even gave us some insight into the future the duo has plans for: They’re thinking about starting up a movie company, to help others get their start in the business.
What Cheech And Chong are saying about their new film venture.
Chong said, “We’re putting a movie company together. And we’re going to be distributing our own product. Because people say ‘There’s no movie industry. There’s no movie industry.’ That’s like somebody saying ‘I need somebody here to make a lot of movie. Is anybody’s interested?’ Well, we are. With our movie company, we’re going to do what we did with Up in Smoke and all of our movies. You got more out of it than just a laugh. You got this feeling. That’s what we show: the Latino community. At one time, it was the low rider and the greaser and the bad gang members. And ‘Hey, they’re coming across the border. They’re going to kill everybody. They’re eating your dogs.’ Well, we changed that. And because of we do, it’s an attitude that we carry. That’s what we’re carrying through.”
Chong continued, “So with our movie company that’s going to be releasing our own product, we’re also going to be creating movies that move the world forward. Because the way to solve anything is to make a movie about it. Because when you’re writing a movie, all of a sudden you’re like ‘Well, we should do this instead of that.’ So you can show the people what you’re trying to change. For instance, a movie company has the ability to bring people in from other countries. Give them visas and give them work. And so if we made a movie, say, of the marchers from South America, we could hire every one of those marchers as part of our movie company. They could all be hired as extras.”
This is an exceptional idea, that would find a way to bring representation to communities who haven’t been getting one. Once again, it seems as if Cheech and Chong may be on the forefront of something new, even in their 80’s.
