Cheech & Chong talk about their 'last' road trip — though it probably isn't

It was almost half a century ago that Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong teamed up for the first time on screen and told a lighthearted story about two pot-smoking buddies on a road trip.
Over time, the 1978 movie "Up in Smoke" became a cult classic that transformed the two comedians and actors from hippie outsiders to comedy icons.
Now, longtime Cheech and Chong fans or those who want to know more about them can see Marin and Chong reunite on screen in ' Cheech & Chong's Last Movie,' released nationwide Friday. Directed by David Bushell, the documentary weaves never-before-seen footage from Marin and Chong as the two take another road trip — this time spanning five decades of their ultimately widely successful careers spanning platinum albums and box-office fame.
'They found the essence of Cheech and Chong. And that itself is worth exploring, because there's a Cheech and Chong in everybody,' Chong said about the documentary in a joint video interview with Marin. "That's who we are; we're everybody out there. And that's why people can relate to us.'
For many fans today, stoner comedy invites them into playful spaces that use humor to blur or soften social boundaries. "Up in Smoke" helped create and popularize a subgenre of later hits like 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High,' 'Friday,' 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle' and 'Pineapple Express,' among many others.
But when it first came out, Cheech and Chong's "Up in Smoke" was certainly not a hit with everyone.
'Any film that asks you to go smashed before you see it must have something really bad to hide,' the late Chicago-based film critic Gene Siskel said on his award-winning movie review TV show 'Siskel & Ebert.'
Siskel picked 'Up in Smoke' as a 'Dog of the Week' — his choice for worst film — and criticized its dialogue, saying it was "80 minutes of two jerks saying nothing but 'hey man.''
Yet those two casual words, 'hey man,' would nevertheless resonate with many fans and signal a generational change in mainstream culture.
'In their sleepy, unshaven way, Cheech and Chong constitute a visual affront to the straight world just by walking down Main Street,' a 1978 New York Times review said. 'It's a revolution without danger, however, because, as the movie's popularity shows, this particular revolution has already been won. The true eccentrics are no longer Cheech and Chong but the clean‐shaven nitwits, like the cops in 'Up in Smoke,' who persist in their attempts to uphold repressive traditions.'
Frederick Luis Aldama, a pop and Latino culture scholar who is the Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, said in a phone interview that 'if you really distill it, stoner comedy is a great equalizer. It puts the doormat out for everyone to generally enter that place. And it's a reminder for a time and space where you can be yourself, let yourself go.'
Aldama remembers seeing 'Up in Smoke' with his maternal 'abuelita' (grandmother). He remembers her 'laughing uproariously' throughout the film, which made him laugh, too.
It also gave him a sense of pride as a Latino, he said. Marin grew up in East Los Angeles, the son of Mexican American parents; his father was a World War II Navy veteran and a Los Angeles policeman. Chong grew up in Calgary, the son of a Canadian mother with Scottish and Irish roots and a Chinese father.
The comedians, Aldama said, brought elements such as Mexican American lowrider culture into the mainstream, for example, but 'they did it in a way where you weren't asked to judge or laugh at it, but simply enjoy it and laugh with it. And this put a positive spotlight on our communities, our neighborhoods.'
Marin's and Chong's childhoods were separated by more than 1,500 miles, and different circumstances would ultimately bring them together in an unexpected way.
Marin dodged the Vietnam War by moving to Canada. And Chong, who had been a guitarist for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, said he lost his job in Motown.
'I was just trying to get my life back together. And Cheech was trying to live with the fact that he had to live in Canada. And then we met,' said Chong, 86. 'We realized that we had this understanding.'
The seed for their understanding was planted at a Vancouver topless nightclub where Chong was a part-owner and had formed a hippie-burlesque comedy troupe. Marin would join the group as a writer. And then, the duo continued to develop their stoner act even after the troupe folded.
After years of success, the two went their own ways, and they have some frank discussions in the documentary about their relationship.
Asked whether comedy could still be transgressive, Marin says it can, as long as there is an authentic connection between the comedian and the audience.
'It depends upon the right comedy and if it's truthful comedy. It's not the comedy that wants to please everybody. We want to please ourselves. And in doing so, [we] do something that's relevant for the people,' said Marin, who's 78. "I think that will keep happening, absolutely."
But for comedy to succeed today, Chong said, it can't simply repeat what was done in the past.
'We're living, like, in a travelogue,' he said. 'We're no longer in the '60s, the '70s or the '80s or the '90s. We're now. And so, in order to stay relevant, you got to acknowledge what's going on now. Because we're alive and we're still breathing, we can still think about it.'
Asked whether this was really their "last" movie and what would get them together on screen again, Marin said, "Very easy, money!"
"No, we're going to keep hammering until they take the cold, warm bong out of my hand," Chong said, as the two men laughed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Metro

7 hours ago

• Metro

Inside New York's 'Pigeon Fest' where impersonators battle for title

A famous New York landmark was overrun with pigeons this week. The Big Apple is known for a lot of great things – the Empire State Building, world-class entertainment and famous faces. But one crucial piece of New York is often overlooked: the humble pigeon. The bird has gotten a lot more attention in recent months, thanks to a new statue installed at New York's High Line. The sculpture, a 17-foot-tall pigeon dubbed 'Dinosaur' by Ivan Argote, has brought pigeon lovers around the world to 30th Street and 10th Avenue. Cashing in on this pigeon-mania, the High Line decided to hold a pigeon pageant on National Pigeon Appreciation Day. Dozens of New Yorkers showed up in full costume, feathers and all, to compete for the crown prize. 13-year-old Athena told the New York Times pigeons were beautiful and fun to learn about: 'What's not to love?' A small pigeon in a red bow tie, along with dozens of participants and eager onlookers, took part in Pigeon Fest last Saturday. Contestants were judged by ornithologists on their impressions of pigeons – some even threw bread and attempted to peck at it. Categories included 'plumage', 'strut' and 'coo'. One contestant, dubbed 'Carrie Beakshaw' (a play on Sex And The City's Carrie Bradshaw) performed a monologue. But the crown was given to Miriam Abrahams, a volunteer at the Wild Bird Fund, which has thousands of pigeons they take care of. Her costume was incredibly lifelike, and she said she took a month to make it, even laying an egg during her performance. The bizarre festival is said to be a one-off, as the statue which brought everyone together will only be on display until next spring. But artist Argote said: 'The pigeon is an icon, somehow, of the margins, so it attracts a lot of people who are either involved with pigeons literally or feel represented by its complexity. 'It goes way beyond the work. As a sculptor and as an artist, you try to create something, but as soon as it gets into the community, it becomes more meaningful.' More Trending The love for pigeons isn't contained to just New York – in Cardiff, a dad who saved a pigeon from drowning welcomed the bird into his family and takes him for walks on a leash. Philip Weston-Thomas was on a walk around Roath Park Lake in Cardiff with his wife Rebecca and 14-year-old daughter one January when his daughter spotted the bird struggling in the freezing water. Philip jumped into action and scooped up the pigeon, which was freezing, shaking and 'on its last legs'. The family took the bird, whom they named Bobbi, home with them and nursed him back to health. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Netflix star Sara Burack, 40, killed in hit-and-run as police hunt driver MORE: Teen struck by lightning at famed park as freak thunderstorm hit New York City MORE: Donald Trump's hand mark and 'cover up' raises concerns again

Wales Online

18 hours ago

• Wales Online

'Greatest footballer you never saw' took drugs pre-match and pooed in Liverpool icon's bag

'Greatest footballer you never saw' took drugs pre-match and pooed in Liverpool icon's bag Cardiff City once boasted a maverick talent who was hailed as the complete centre forward, but his career was cut short after a series of shocking incidents on and off the pitch Former Cardiff City striker Robin Friday has been dubbed 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw' (Image: Reading Post ) Robin Friday's tumultuous football career came to an infamous end after he reportedly kicked Mark Lawrenson in the face during a match. According to legend, the former Cardiff City forward got himself sent off only to break into the Brighton changing room, where he left a particularly nasty surprise in the centre-back's kit bag before leaving the ground mid-game. Only two months later, at the age of 25, he hung up his boots for good. ‌ Thirteen years following his abrupt departure from football, Friday was found dead in his flat. He was the victim of a heart attack possibly linked to a heroin overdose at the tragic age of 38. ‌ Once dubbed "the complete centre forward," Friday was known for his extraordinary talents on the field, scoring exceptional goals whilst engaging in antics like grabbing opposition players or planting kisses on them. And The Mirror reported how his life outside of football matched his on-field audacity, filled with wild womanising, heavy drinking and drugs. His propensity for shocking acts included such escapades as carrying a swan into a hotel bar, pilfering statues from a cemetery, and a certain lewd dance he dubbed 'The Elephant'. Despite the brevity of his professional playing time, a mere four years, Friday is still revered as Reading's finest ever player and an iconic figure for Cardiff. Growing up in Acton, west London, Friday and his twin brother, Tony, were brought up in a working-class household during the 1950s and '60s. He featured in the youth squads of Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea while experimenting in narcotics during his formative years, but none were prepared to gamble on the rebellious lad. Article continues below Friday was once tipped to be the inspiration for a biopic (Image: Reading Post ) He died at just 38 from a heart attack, though it's suspected drugs played a role (Image: Daily Mirror ) By 15, he had abandoned school and undertaken roles as a plasterer, van driver and window cleaner. Yet Friday slid into a life of crime that led to a 14-month spell in Feltham Borstal for theft, leading father Alf to remark: "He didn't care." ‌ Following his release, Friday embraced fatherhood with his partner Maxine Doughan; they persisted through the turbulence of an interracial relationship and took vows at just 17. Friday's exceptional play in the Isthmian League for Walthamstow Avenue, Hayes and Enfield combined with his day job as an asphalter over a span of three years. Already known for heavy drinking, it was an accident involving a scaffold and impalement through the buttock that brought him closest to death, not substance misuse. It was a harrowing near-fatal incident in '72 that saw him barely escape more severe internal damage. He made a swift return to the pitch within three months, and by 1973, Reading manager Charlie Hurley saw potential in Friday, bringing him on board as an amateur while he continued his day job as an asphalter. His impact was immediate, and within just a few months, he inked a professional contract with the Royals. ‌ Friday possessed a rare combination of pace, power and sublime skill, along with a robust physical presence and sharp footballing brain, quickly becoming the bane of every defender. And the supporters took to him instantly. Yet with his extraordinary abilities came significant challenges. During training, Friday's zeal sometimes veered into dangerous territory; he shunned shin pads and didn't hesitate to dive into tackles. Coaches found it nigh impossible to tame Friday's hedonistic ways (Image: Mirrorpix ) ‌ Reading historian David Downs recalled: "In his very first training session they were playing a six-a-side game and Robin went around trying to kick as many of the established Reading players as he could. He must have put two or three out of the game. Hurley had to call him off." Away from the pitch, Friday's fondness for Colt 45 malt liquor often led to his ejection from local pubs. His antics reached a peak when he was barred from the posh Sindlesham Mill nightclub after performing an indecent 'Elephant' dance, utilising his jean pockets and a crude gesture with his genitals. Syd Simmons once said Friday adhered strictly to manager Hurley's directive of not imbibing alcohol 48 hours before a game. But he opted instead for LSD and immersing himself in heavy metal music. ‌ The club concocted an unusual plan to temper his wild antics by moving him into a flat above their retired groundskeeper. However, this did little to dampen his unrestrained ways, as he seemed to embrace the hedonistic lifestyle even more eagerly. Friday began his stint at Reading on an odd note. He had tattoos removed from his fingers over the summer, then joining a hippy commune in Cornwall without notifying the team. Despite returning late for training, Friday burst into the new season exhibiting superb form. However, he started showing increasingly unpredictable conduct during away matches. ‌ Friday with his first wife, Maxine, and daughter Nicola in 1972 (Image: Daily Mirror ) The centre forward once spent time on the books in Chelsea's academy before hitting the big time (Image: Reading Post ) In one notorious incident after a match, Friday leapt over a cemetery wall during a team bus break. He pilfered stone angels from a grave to place them next to the unsuspecting sleeping club chairman, prompting manager Hurley to reprimand him: "You must never, ever desecrate a graveyard." ‌ In a separate whimsical episode, he was spotted entering a hotel lounge carrying a swan he'd found outside. As the 1974/75 season wound down, Friday marked a last-gasp winning goal against Rochdale with a peck on a policeman stationed behind the net. His explanation for the kiss was simply: "He looked so cold and fed up standing there that I decided to cheer him up a bit." After an impressive haul of 20 goals for the season, Friday was celebrated as the club's Player of the Year. He then amplified his reputation with fans during the next season by completing a lap of honour around the pitch whenever he found the back of the net. On 31 March 1976, in a match against Tranmere Rovers, he netted what was to become his most memorable goal, a sensational bicycle kick that flew into the top corner. ‌ Clive Thomas, the eminent match official, acclaimed Friday's skills as surpassing those of legends like Pele and Johan Cruyff. To this, Friday retorted: "Really? You should come down here more often, I do that every week." Friday's zenith came shortly thereafter when Reading ascended to the Third Division. Yet after reaching this high point, his career started to falter. Complications arose following contractual disputes leading up to Friday's extraordinary wedding to his second wife, Liza Deimel, which turned incredibly chaotic. The groom stood out in his flashy attire, featuring a tiger print shirt, brown velvet suit and snakeskin boots, and he was infamously captured on camera rolling a joint atop the church steps. ‌ Revelries at the reception were hampered by drunken brawls and purloined gifts. Consequently, Friday's penchant for revelry and substance misuse began to erode his form as he started the following season blatantly unfit. The enigma's talent was matched only by his unpredictability (Image: Daily Mirror ) With the squad mulling over offloading Friday, Hurley warned him, saying: "The squad needs you, but I owe it to the club because I can't have you using drugs. If I know you're using drugs, it won't take them [major clubs] long to find out. You have got to get your act together." ‌ One of his final appearances for Reading ended in controversy when he broke into Mansfield's dressing room and defecated in their team bath. He eventually signed for Cardiff for £28,000 and quickly made headlines for all the wrong reasons after being arrested in Cardiff Central train station for fare evasion, and his manager, Jimmy Andrews, had to bail him out. Friday's first match for Cardiff, against Fulham on New Year's Day 1977, was just as eventful. Following a late night of drinking, he still managed to score twice and get the better of England legend Bobby Moore, at one point using his notorious "squeeze" tactic. However, the moment that has stayed with Cardiff fans came in a match against Luton in April when he clashed repeatedly with the opposing goalkeeper, Milija Aleksic. After scoring, he taunted Aleksic with a V-sign, which thrilled the crowd. ‌ His actions that day even inspired the Super Furry Animals' 1996 single, The Man Don't Give A F***, which features an image of Friday's infamous gesture. Former team-mate Paul Went nostalgically recalled: "He wouldn't even bother to have a shower. He'd just get dressed, take his carrier-bag with his dry Martini and he'd go – no explanation." The footballer's time at Cardiff was punctuated by episodes of controversy. This included an explosive reaction where he left his laughing team-mate in need of a neck brace for two weeks after taking offence to being hit in the head by the ball. Friday displayed his volatile nature following Cardiff's relegation to the Fourth Division and the Welsh Cup final loss to Shrewsbury. He wildly threw snooker balls around the team hotel in his underwear, which hardly improved his reputation. ‌ In the subsequent season, his only significant act was a violent confrontation with Lawrenson. By 1978, he returned to living with his parents in Acton and took up work as an asphalter, his athletic prowess behind him. Friday swearing at Luton goalkeeper Milija Aleksic (Image: Western Mail Archive ) Friday was known for his aggression on the field and famously said: "On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don't give a damn about anyone. People think I'm mad, a lunatic. I am a winner." ‌ His life after hanging up his boots involved marrying for a third time and a stint in jail for posing as a police officer to confiscate drugs. Friday was found deceased in his flat at just 38 years old on December 22, 1990. While it was recorded he had a heart attack, Paolo Hewitt and former Oasis band member Paul McGuigan, authors of his 1997 biography 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw', suggest the cause of death might have been "a suspected heroin overdose." A decade has passed since the buzz surrounding a film based on his life hit the headlines, with Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin tipped to portray the iconic Friday. Yet, developments on the project have been conspicuously absent. Article continues below To devotees at Reading and Cardiff, Robin Friday remains the epitome of an enigmatic cult figure – an undeniably talented footballer whose exploits largely avoided the limelight. But his magic on the pitch made a lasting impression upon those who were privileged enough to witness it. Reflecting on a momentous conversation with then-Reading manager Maurice Evans, Friday's cheeky retort was: "I'm half your age and I've lived twice your life." And in that, there was undoubtedly no question.

Daily Mail​

a day ago

• Daily Mail​

Ryan Reynolds drops awkward reference to Blake Lively's legal battle as her Taylor Swift texts set for release

Ryan Reynolds stirred buzz at the Cannes Lions 2025 festival on Thursday after making a remark that many interpreted as a nod to the ongoing legal firestorm surrounding his wife Blake Lively, and her former co-star Justin Baldoni. The legal saga began in December 2024 when Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set — claims he denied — prompting Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to sue Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Ryan Reynolds for defamation. Baldoni later escalated the fight with a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times over its explosive New Year's Eve exposé detailing Lively's allegations. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly. Now, at Cannes Lions, Reynolds took the stage at Stagwell's Sport Beach to promote his soccer team, Wrexham AFC — and raised eyebrows with an unexpected quip. While handing a water bottle to someone in the crowd, the Deadpool star joked, 'I'm not throwing this. I've been around lawyers. You can walk up here and grab it,' according to Page Six. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly; (Lively seen on June 9) He also took a moment to reflect on how sports can bring people together in a world fractured by division, per the outlet. 'We live in a world right now that is so… identity politics… almost a religion,' Reynolds said. 'For that to be checked at the door in sports, in theatrical film, and in music, concerts, we all walk in, we go together.' Reynolds added, 'We're all feeling the same thing at the same time and the same moment. 'You have this bonding mechanism — and I don't mean to over romanticize it, but it's romantic. 'It's a beautiful thing to watch people come together, especially when we feel so divided in every other aspect of our life.' The panel comes after exclusively learned that Baldoni's lawyers will be allowed to peruse a tranche of messages exchanged by Blake and Taylor, with all communications related to It Ends With Us now set for scrutiny. Swift and Lively's relationship has cratered in recent months, with the singer left furious at being dragged into the case. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73. 'Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni's team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,' the source explained. The pop star's doting dad - who has played a key role in building Swift's billion-dollar empire as her financial advisor - came to his daughter's rescue after she was allegedly blackmailed by Lively's lawyers. That 'blackmail' revelation appeared in a legal letter filed last month by Baldoni's lawyers, who alleged that Lively's team had attempted to 'coerce' Swift to issue a public statement in support of her. The filing claimed Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, had contacted Swift's team and demanded she 'release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released.' Swift's team allegedly responded to Gossip Girl star Lively's 'inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication' sent to Gottlieb, according to the letter. 'It is those communications that [Baldoni's team] seeks to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation,' the letter stated. Scott seemingly didn't take this alleged attempt to extort his 35-year-old daughter lightly, and decided to take matters into his own hands by cooperating with Baldoni and Bryan Freedman in order to protect Swift from any further legal involvement. 'Plain and simple – they tried to extort Taylor by threatening to release private information about her so that she would support a narrative that she was not a part of,' our source added. In a statement to People magazine, Gottlieb described the suggestion that Lively's lawyers had threatened Swift as 'categorically false.' Lively's lawyers later filed a motion asking the court to strike the accusations from its docket as 'baseless, unnecessary, improper and abusive.' The motion to dismiss the letter was granted. However, the drama sheds further light on the collapse of the pair's close friendship, which has gone cold amid the actress's high-stakes lawsuit. The drama began last December when Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni, 41, hit back in January, with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, of defamation. All parties have denied the allegations. Last week, the defamation element of Baldoni's lawsuit was scrapped by a judge, although he is still suing for civil extortion and invasion of privacy among other claims. But contained in Baldoni's filing were screenshots of alleged text messages, in which Lively regularly mentioned Swift by name. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73; The pair pictured May 18 in NYC In one now infamous and toe-curling exchange, Lively appeared to refer to herself as the character Khaleesi – from Game of Thrones – and to Swift as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Baldoni's filing is the claim that Swift was present at a meeting convened by Lively at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Swift insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply turned up to find it underway. Nonetheless, the whole furor reportedly left Swift - who is godmother to Lively's three daughters – feeling 'exploited' by her pal of ten years. Scott, a former stockbroker and financial advisor for Merrill Lynch, has long been credited as smoothing his daughter's path to financial success. A disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission lists him as linked to 10 companies affiliated with his daughter, according to Bloomberg. Last year, he was accused of assaulting a photographer who was 'waiting' for Swift's arrival off a luxury yacht in Sydney following the Australian leg of her Eras Tour. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia at the time, a rep for Swift described the photographers as 'aggressive' and her father later avoided charges. Scott isn't the only member of Swift's inner circle to defend the pop star amid the legal drama. Her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, recently unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram while supermodel Gigi Hadid, another of Swift's closest friends, has reportedly 'iced out' Lively in solidarity. In a statement released to the Daily Mail, a spokesman for Lively accused Baldoni's lawyers of repeatedly attempting to drag Swift into the case and attempting to 'exploit' her popularity. It continued: 'The Court outright denied the Wayfarer Parties' motion to compel documents from Ms. Lively, who has produced far more documents in this case than the Wayfarer Parties combined. 'Further, the Court's protective order ruling rests on the Wayfarer Parties' admission that they received nothing from Taylor Swift, which is exactly the opposite of what their 'insider' claimed two weeks ago. As for the rest, Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties demanded access to Taylor Swift's private communications—despite having already subpoenaed and then withdrawn that subpoena. Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024, when the crisis PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their 'Scenario Planning' document (Lively Amended Complaint, Exhibit D), referred to her as a bully, and called for a strategy to influence the 'TS fan base '. We will continue to call out Baldoni's relentless efforts to exploit Ms Swift's popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfarer parties are facing.