Customer Reviews

Super High Me

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This documentary was far more entertaining than it was educational. It really didn't focus too much on the history of marijuana usage and didn't analyze the prospects of future legalization (they're dim). But being a non-Californian I really had no idea of what some of the medical dispensaries looked like before watching this video. From what I saw what's going on there is pretty intriguing. Further, one of the reasons we should treasure federalism is because of situations like the one highlighted here (in the film) where the DEA overrides the local civic authorities and starts busting up shops. Those scenes were a disgrace. I hope people see this film and realize the necessity of decreasing the size of the federal government in the hopes of preserving all of our liberties. Politics aside, Benson's a funny comedian and a lot of the standup shtick was enjoyable.

While there aren't many stand-up comedians that I find to be terribly funny, Doug Benson's experiment with getting high for a month straight provided many chuckles. More importantly, it provided insight on the movement to expand Medical Marijuana in California and the DEA repression they face. This film could've easily become a documentary on the Medical Marijuana movement, and hopefully some filmmakers will make a movie that focuses on that struggle.
Benson's 30 days of smoking and eating herb was inspired by the 30 miserable days Morgan Spurlock spent eating fast food in Super Size Me (another film I'd highly recommend).
I especially enjoyed Benson's visits to places like the "420 Temple", and a trip he made to Vancouver to visit the "Prince of Pot" - Marc Emery. Emery is a former seed distributor and the editor of the excellent "Cannabis Culture" magazine (which isn't available through Amazon, but can be found at most bookstores).

"Super High Me" also introduces us to some Medical Marijuana patients, including a young woman who first started using it at the age of 17 when she was going through her cancer treatments. It's a crime that cannabis isn't legally available to anyone who wants it for medicinal, spiritual, or recreational reasons. Pot is forbidden because big pharmaceutical companies don't have a patent on it.

People who want to explore more of the political, social and economic issues involving marijuana will want to check out DVDs like:
Emperor of Hemp: Every Revolution Needs a Hero
Grass
American Drug War: The Last White Hope
Books:
The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological & Spiritual
Cannabis Culture
To keep up on all sorts of issues, media material, and pot gatherings:
High Times
And a couple of DVDs to help us chant down Babylon:
Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media
The Corporation
Songs of Freedom

Let me start by saying that I am a proponent of both decriminalization and legalization (with regulations) so this review is not of the topic but the way it was presented. My review is basically that the topic was solid but Doug didn't follow it through. It's like writting a thesis paper and having a strong introduction and not enough information in the body of the paper. He could have done a lot more simply by giving more facts about marijuana and it's use. I expected something more like Super Size Me meets Grass, and sadly this isn't that movie.

It would be too easy to just write off "Super High Me" as a stoner flick, for this documentary is both hilarious , poignant, and has some serious political undertones.

Doug Benson is a stand-up comedian from Los Angeles best known for his work in "The Marijuanalogues" and VH1's "Best Week Ever". In this documentary, he spoofs the concept first introduced in Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me", by going without marijuana for 30 days, and then smoking marijuana for 30 days.

The most surprising aspect of this film are the two scenes in which DEA agents raid dispenaries in California. California, for those who don't know, allows marijuana to be distributed legally if you have a special card from a certified doctor. For all of the hoopla over State's Rights in the Terri Schavo case, I found it very alarming to watch the Federal Government ignore Californian's State's Rights.

Led by a killer soundtrack, and Doug Benson's wicked humor and amiable personality, "Super High Me" is a great, great film.

"High"-ly recommended!

And now a review for all the stoners who glazed over the review above:

"Super High Me" am excellent...dude!

really funny, been a fan of doug benson since seeing this movie.

HIGHly recommended

"Super High Me" portrays standup comedian Doug Benson's experiment to see what would happen to him if he, a regular smoker of marijuana, went 30 days without smoking it and then go on a continuous binge of marijuana smoking for the next thirty days. Benson makes it no secret that he was at least in part inspired to do this by Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me' in which Spurlock discovers that the effects of 30 days of fast food aren't exactly all that great--it's unhealthy for you. Benson wants to learn if 30 days of abstinence immediately followed by 30 days of marijuana "immersion" would have any effects on his mind and body. Doug also knows that the effects of smoking marijuana can be distinctly different for different people. Some tolerate it well and others don't. Doug will try to continue his work as a standup comedian while he goes through the entire two month experiment. All in all, Doug's trial remains really interesting; I never felt bored or itchy for the movie to end. It all flows well and the cinematography is terrific. We get brief comments from other comedians who know Doug, too.

Predictably, it was tough for Doug to take himself off marijuana as he is a routine smoker; we see him driving down the street in his car and he not so jokingly states that everything reminds him of marijuana--even the green traffic lights at intersections! However, Doug does an admirable job of holding it all together and he doesn't cheat--he's committed to his experiment. Doug also takes a trial SAT; a test to see if he's a psychic and he meets with both a psychologist and his internist to get tested once while he's completely sober and another time when he's rather stoned indeed.

The outcome is rather interesting; and I don't want to spoil it for you so I'll leave a good deal of that part out. We do get a basic introduction to how Californians were able to vote their way into the legal use of medical marijuana within the state; although we also see conflicts arising when federal agents and federal law enforcement step in to close a store that sells marijuana legally in California because the government at the federal level does not allow marijuana to be legally sold. We also lean that the stores selling marijuana, which are called "dispensaries," are growing in number at a fairly good pace in California at the time this film was made. We get a brief look at the first legal dispensary in California; and I really like that we meet a couple of people who use marijuana for legitimate medical reasons when their doctors have given them a special type of prescription that they can fill at a dispensary.

Unfortunately, the DVD comes with no extras--unless you count the theatrical trailer as a bonus extra. I would have liked a running commentary from the director and/or Doug Benson himself; but this is lacking and that's a disappointment.

If you want to study the effects of marijuana on people and the history of marijuana, this film is probably one of the better places to start. I commend Doug Benson for putting his experiment on film for us to watch and ponder. The footage of Doug doing his standup routines gives the movie extra flavor that works well, too.

This was pretty good. Graphics were well done and generally the production was good. The stand up comedy was the best part. The stuff about the medicinal marijuana shops getting raided made me angry and sad. I enjoyed it and recommend to anyone who enjoys herb and is interested in the movement.

The documentary Super High Me is described by its star, comedian Doug Benson, as "Super Size Me with weed instead of Mc Donald's." The film follows Benson as he stops smoking marijuana for 30 days, and then smokes it for 30 days while examining the effects on his mind and body. While Benson's summary of the film is accurate, it is much more than just that. It examines the movement to expand medical marijuana use in California, and the opposition they face from the DEA.
This movie fulfills its role as a documentary while entertaining its audience. You'll get a chuckle from Benson's commentary on his project. The results from his physical and mental tests will probably surprise you too, as will the insight into the marijuana community.
While the movie is informative, I feel it could have gone a little farther into the history of the drug and the movement for its legalization. The test of the effects of marijuana on ESP may also have some people taking this movie a little less seriously.
Super High Me is a fun and informative movie for anyone, not just fans of stoner comedies (although they would love this movie as well.)

So you think it's all gonna be yuks? Nah. It's a look into one man's life and one nation's policies. It's also hilario-donkulous. Why does Doug smoke? How does he get it? How do other people get it? What are the facts and stats involved with medicinal marijuana? When is legal pot illegal? What effect does constant smoking have on one man, and what effects does NOT smoking have? What does 420 mean? All of these questions except for the 420 thing will be answered. This thing is packed with facts and insight and laughs. So see it, dorks!
rg

Ignore the writing on the cover that says this is up there in the ranks of Cheech & Chong ... this doesnt compare.... it's a documentary about a comedian who doesn't smoke pot for 30 days, then smokes pot for the next 30 days.... but I couldn't really see any point to this other then promoting the comedian, and a political stance against the DEA.

It has a few funny jokes, but not enough for me to think it was nothing but a political argument documentary.