Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams

Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams (1981)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Thomas Chong

Starring: Besides Cheech & Chong, there's Peter Jason, Tim Rossovich, Evelyn Guerrero, Paul Reubens, and Stacy Keach in what had to be his most bizarre role

From: Columbia

Yes, this was watched on the night of 4/20 for lol reasons. No, I did not partake in “the devil's lettuce” either before, during or after viewing this motion picture. Personally, this is no Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, let alone Up in Smoke; be that as it may, at least it had sporadic laughs, which I understand are harder to find in the Cheech & Chong theatrical movies that came after this. From the law of averages there has to be at least one person reading this who sparked up yesterday to celebrate the big day; hopefully you all had a delightful Wednesday full of pizza & Mountain Dew...

Basically, it is a series of sketches that loosely revolve around our duo running an “ice cream truck” that rather obviously dispenses weed instead. Law enforcement is after them, including Stacy Keach returning as Sgt. Stedenko from Up in Smoke... only now he is a pothead. There are really stupid characters, Cheech nude for 5 minutes straight during a wacky setpiece involving a biker stereotype and his Hispanic girlfriend, Paul Reubens as a coke-sniffing mental patient, Dr. Timothy Leary as himself, bad bad that turns people into lizards... no I am not joking. It's all hit or miss and perhaps this is best if you take hits from a bong while watching it.

It is quite the trip thinking of how different attitudes are now (at least in the United States) compared to when this movie was released when it comes to marijuana. A number of states have decriminalized pot and others have it legalized for medicinal use. Personally I am glad that this change has happened as many people got hurt in “The War on Drugs” that did not really have any positive contributions. Hell, Tommy Chong went to prison almost 20 years ago and served 9 months all for... running a company that sold glass bongs. Ridiculous, although it is amazing that his cellmate was JORDAN BELFORT.

All that is said to note that I can't get too mad about an uneven stoner comedy with some moments that have aged poorly when this still gave me occasional laughs. After all, I imagine that Keach had a grand old time with his bizarre role.