Product Details

• Actors: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Strother Martin, Edie Adams, Harold Fong
• Directors: Tommy Chong, Lou Adler
• Writers: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
• Producers: Lou Adler, John Beug, Lou Lombardo
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English, Spanish
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: July 22, 1997
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300216993
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,447 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cheech & Chong's first cannabis comedy is also their best, a souvenir from the more carefree days before "Just Say No," when people did not feel so defensive about inhaling. In 1978, the prevailing spirit was more like "Just Say Blow." Even New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael liked it (the movie, that is), adding that it was "an exploitation slapstick comedy, rather than a family picture, such as Blazing Saddles or High Anxiety--which means that it's dirtier, wilder, and sillier." The story has to do with bumbling potheads Cheech & Chong searching for primo bud, while being tailed by a team of inept law-enforcement officers, led by Sgt. Stedenko (Stacy Keach). Sample dialogue: When a cop pulls them over to ask if they are any illegal substances in his vehicle, Cheech replies: "Not any more, man." Up in Smoke is an irresistibly silly and charming movie that--despite, or perhaps because of, the national furor over drug use--plays today like a relic from a bygone era, a sweeter, more open, more innocent period in our history. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Up in Smoke: the buzz on extras, September 2, 2007

By 

Flipper Campbell (Miami Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke (High-Larious Edition) (DVD)

Amazon too zoned to type in extras these days, I guess.

* Commentary by Cheech Martin and director Lou Adler

* Roach clips (deleted scenes)

* Lighting Up: A look back

* Animated music video with Alice Bowie

* "The Man Song"

* 2 vintage radio spots

* Theatrical trailer

Enchanced for 16x9 with Dolby 5.1

The old DVD of "Up in Smoke" was what you'd expect -- the movie duly presented plus a commentary with Cheech Marin and Adler, plus a handful of deleted scenes.

This time, Paramount fills the DVD bong with a terrific new animated music video for the movie's "Alice Bowie" song; a new featurette with producer Lou Adler and Cheech & Chong (separately) talking about the movie; a high-speed montage of every instance someone says "man" in the movie; and some newly animated 1970s radio promos -- all of presented in the high spirits of the film.

The old commentary (ported over) and new featurette tell some great tales about the movie and the people who worked on it, such as Stacey Keach, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Edie Adams and one-man test audience Jack Nicholson.

The widescreen DVD images look great, especially upconverted, with lots of bright, saturated primary colors that come across as reasonably natural. The music benefits from some tasty stereo separation and the dialogue is clear -- even when the boys are good and zonked.

pleasant dreams ...

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "My mama's talkin to me, tryin' to tell me how to live!", March 18, 2004

By 

B-MAN "B" (Earth, occasionally. Until I get bored.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Up in Smoke (DVD)

Out of all the Cheech & Chong collaborations, their first film, 1978's Up In Smoke still stands as the best. A comedy classic that just can't be duplicated, not even by themselves. The plot (can you guess?) concerns two dudes, Pedro (Cheech) & Man (Chong) and their search for the best weed, rock music, and good times, man. Of course this journey comes with a price, evading a group of "undercover" cops led by the obsessed Sgt. Stedenko (Stacy Keach). If you like cars, you'll no doubt enjoy Pedro's Love Machine, which he decorated himself, and the van made completely out of pot! Watch out for that smoke. A few of the funniest scenes come from this van: 1. When the cop pulls them over and forgets why! and 2. When Stedenko and crew stand next to the smoking van and feel the influence, then order some pizzas! If you like to rock, then you've got that too. To quote the concert announcer - "...I don't know who they are, but here's ALICE BOWIE." Being a drummer myself, I'm more than a little jealous of Chong's gigantic drumsticks! However, I'm not jealous of Cheech's tu-tu! The characters Cheech & Chong created began to wear out in later films, but don't count this one out. Up In Smoke is when it was new and fresh and somehow it still "smokes" to this day.

Some comments on the DVD: One reviewer stated that the DVD doesn't have any features, but that's just not true. I just bought the 2000 Paramount DVD release and it has the following:

*Widescreen Version for 16:9 TVs
*Feature Length Commentary with Cheech Marin & Director Lou Adler
*8 Deleted Scenes (including Harry Dean Stanton as a security guard) with optional commentary by Cheech & Lou Adler
*Original Theatrical Trailer
*Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround/Restored English Mono
*English Subtitles

A great way to own a comedy classic and Paramount has given a little something to the fans with this DVD release. Don't even sleep on it, just get this primo disc, man!

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this DVD at all costs, November 25, 2000

By 

Robert M Powers (Waldorf, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Up in Smoke (DVD)

I just recieved this DVD from Amazon yesterday the 24th of November. What Amazon did not mention on this page is that this DVD comes with deleted footage that is even more funnier than the movie. You have 8 deleted scenes of pure comedy that nobody has ever seen untill this DVD came out. Also i strongly suggest to listen to the movie with the audio commentary on to hear Cheech Marin describe what was going on during production of one of the greatest comedies of all time