Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
An unemployed pot-smoking slacker and amateur drummer, Anthony Stoner ditches his strict parents and hits the road, eventually meeting kindred spirit Pedro de Pacas. While the drug-ingesting duo is soon arrested for possession of marijuana, Anthony and Pedro get released on a technicality, allowing them to continue their many misadventures and ultimately compete in a rock band contest, where they perform the raucous tune "Earache My Eye."
Up in Smoke is the founding text of the stoner comedy genre — Cheech and Chong's debut film is genuinely singular in how it established and defined a whole comedic subgenre with their anarchic, improvisational chemistry. The plot is loose to the point of near-nonexistence, a string of vignettes held together by vibes rather than narrative logic, which earns it a low Plot score. The cinematography is functional at best, typical of low-budget late-70s comedy. The ending, culminating in the band contest, feels abrupt and unearned as a dramatic payoff. But Acting earns above average marks for Cheech and Chong's effortless, lived-in comedic performances — their rapport is the engine of the film. Novelty is the standout: nothing quite like this existed before it, and its voice, tone, and countercultural attitude remain utterly distinctive. It's not just a stoner comedy; it IS the stoner comedy.