Do you have to be a stoner to love stoner comedies? it sure helps, but I can enjoy “Arthur” without being a sloppy drunk. “Arthur 2: On the Rocks?” No amount of booze would save that one.
I suspect Cheech, Chong and everyone else who’ve ever written a stoner comedy didn’t have to work quite as hard to come up with the laughs. The genre has certain gimme jokes that work in any context. Need a quick laugh? Come up with a “munchies” gag and you’re good to go.
My stoner-free credentials were put to the test with the new Seth Rogen comedy “Pineapple Express.”
The film, opening Wednesday, stars Rogen as a joint-lovin’ Joe who gets mixed up in a murder case. I’ll post my review on opening day, but suffice to say the sight of a super-joint didn’t send me rolling down the aisles with laughter.
And watching “Up in Smoke” (1978) today is a surreal experience. Many comedies age poorly. Stoner comedies age worse than Jerri from “Strangers with Candy.”
(Photo: Seth Rogen carries James Franco to safety in “Pineapple Express,” the newest stoner comedy)
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
James Frazier 08.05.08 at 6:53 am
You know “Strangers with Candy?” You’re even cooler than I thought. Could that show (not the stupid movie) be any more badass?
cftoto 08.05.08 at 3:06 pm
I’ve been told my wife looks like Amy Sedaris (sans goofy makeup) so I must keep up to date on all things Amy …
James Frazier 08.05.08 at 3:15 pm
I was friends with a girl who looked, talked, and behaved just like Jeri Blank. It was almost surreal. And she’d never heard of the show, which was probably a good thing when I let it slip whom she reminded me of.