It’s April 20th, and that means it’s the holiday for all marijuana smokers and consumers, 4/20!
Who would have guessed that a ritual between high schoolers would become a national and nearly global celebration? Four-twenty and the THC-carrying plant itself have impacted many aspects of society, including the entertainment Industry. The widespread love and culture of marijuana became so influential that Hollywood gave movies centered on weed its own genre called “stoner movies.”
From Dave Chappelle’s “Half Baked” to the Ashton Kutcher-led “Dude, Where’s My Car?” here’s a list of stoner movies that should be high on your watch list…whether you’re high watching or just want to watch a movie about folks being high.
“(Cheech & Chong’s) Up in Smoke” (1978)
Two stoners Pedro De Pacas (Cheech Marin) and Anthony “Man” (Tommy Chong) meet each other after Man takes off on his own when his strict parents tell him to either get a job or go to the military. With their shared passion for weed the two embark on wild adventures, including getting arrested for possessing marijuana and smuggling a van from Mexico to Los Angeles. The film, which was Chong and Marin’s first feature film, was written by the duo and directed by Lou Adler and Chong. “(Cheech & Chong’s) Up in Smoke” came out on January 1, 1978, and stars Strother Martin, Edie Adams, Tom Skerritt, Stacy Keach, Rainbeaux Smith and Rodney Bingenheimer.
“Half Baked” (1998)
When it comes to marijuana-centered films, this iconic film usually is top of mind. Starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Guillermo Diaz, Harland Williams, Tommy Chong, Neal Brennan, Rachel True and Jon Stewart, “Half Baked” tells the story of three stoners who resort to selling weed that’s been stolen from a pharmaceutical lab so they can bail their friend out of jail after he was arrested for feeding a New York City police horse junk food, which ultimately led to its death. The movie was written by Chappelle and Brennan, and directed by Tamra Davis. “Half Baked” came out on January 16, 1998.
“Pineapple Express” (2008)
There’s nothing more elevating than watching a stoner movie that carries a marijuana strain-inspired title. “Pineapple Express” is a hybrid of comedy and action, and is centered on Stoner Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) and his weed dealer (James Franco). After Dale witnesses a murder, the two hit the road, on the run from a drug lord (Gary Cole) and a crooked cop (Rosie Perez). The cast also includes Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Bobby Lee, Amber Heard, Kevin Corrigan, Ken Jeong and Bill Hader. “Pineapple Express” was written by Seth Rogen, David Gordon Green and Evan Goldberg. Green also served as director. The film came out on August 6, 2008.
“Grandma’s Boy” (2006)
Struggling to pay his rent, pot-smoking video game creator Alex (Allen Covert) moves in with his quirky grandmother Lilly (Doris Roberts), who spends much of her time with her just as wacky friends. In the midst of the shenanigans he gets into, he balances his romantic interest in his co-worker Samantha (Linda Cardellini) and his rivalry with a fellow game designer. “Grandma’s Boy” was written by Covert, Nick Swardson and Barry Wernick, and directed by Nicholaus Goosen. The movie came out on January 6, 2006.
“How High” (2001)
Hip Hop duo Method Man and Redman are Jamal and Silas in “How High,” a pothead comedy about two stoners who aced college exams and are admitted into Harvard University after smoking some magical marijuana. But when the weed runs out, the friends have to rely on their own smarts to keep their grades high. The film was released on December 21, 2001 and was written by Dustin Lee Abraham. It was directed by Jesse Dylan, and received a sequel called “Too High.” The cast also includes Mike Epps, Lark Voorhies, Al Shearer, T.J. Thyne, Obba Babtundé, Essence Atkins, Garrett Morris, Fred Willard and more.
“Friday” (1995)
Fired from his job for stealing boxes, Craig Jones (Ice Cube) enlists in his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) to help him de-stress by smoking joints. What Craig doesn’t know is that the weed they smoked belongs to drug dealer Big Worm (Faizon Love), to whom Smokey owes money. While trying to evade the attention of Big Worm, Craig and Smokey wind up in several mishaps, including a neighborhood bully, Craig’s annoying girlfriend, and a destructive kid who kicks over trash cans. The film, which was written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh, and directed by F. Gary Gray, came out on April 26, 1995.
“Kid Cannabis” (2014)
“Kid Cannabis” is an autobiographical comedy-drama based on the true story of a teenager named Nate Norman (Jonathan Daniel Brown), who drops out of high school and partners up with his 27-year-old friend to smuggle marijuana across the Canadian border, building a multimillion-dollar marijuana ring. The film was written and directed by John Stockwell and was released on March 16, 2014. The cast includes Brown, Corey William Large, Ron Perlman, Kenny Wormald, Aaron Yoo, John C. McGinley and more.
“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004)
A nerdy and reserved accountant named Harold (John Cho) gets high with his slacker friend (Kal Penn) and they both end up getting a monstrous craving for White Castle. While on their journey to the nearest White Castle, the friends run into strange, action-packed events, including running from the KKK, getting their car stolen by Neil Patrick Harris and going on a ride on a cheetah. The film premiered on July 30, 2004, and is written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. Danny Leiner served as director, and the cast included Bobby Lee, Christopher Meloni, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Åkerman, Anthony Anderson, Paula Garcés, Fred Willard and more.
“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” (2001)
After popular stoners Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) find out a movie is being made based on their comic book counterparts “Bluntman and Chronic,” they set out on a mission to reap the profits for the use of their likeness in the film. When they learn they won’t be getting any money, they do all they can to destroy the film. “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” premiered on August 24, 2001, and was directed and written by Kevin Smith. The cast includes Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth, Matt Damon, Will Ferrell and more.
“Dude, Where’s My Car?” (2000)
After a night of partying, two goofy stoners wake up the next day with no clue where they parked their car. On their journey to find their ride, they put up against the challenge of facing an irate street gang, a woman whose house they ruined and their furious girlfriends. The movie premiered on December 15, 2000 and was written by Philip Stark. Danny Leiner served as director, and the cast included Sean William Scott, Ashton Kutcher, Marla Sokoloff, Jennifer Garner, Kristy Swanson, Mitzi Martin, Hal Sparks and more.
