Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Evil Bong Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 1, 2021

Note: This film is also available as part of The Evil Bong Stash Box.

Marijuana continues to be legalized or at least decriminalized in any number of states (including in Oregon, where I live), so the need for a "stash box" may be a relic of the past, but leave it to the venerable Charles Band to recycle his Evil Bong series with just such a packaging conceit, which does in fact contain two side "vestibules" to hold any, um, extras, with a center section given over to nine Blu-ray discs. Some of the Evil Bong series either have had or are about to have standalone releases, but those wanting the "whole joint" (to paraphrase Spike Lee's use of that term) may want to spring for this admittedly pricey set, if only to also get the stash box itself. The films themselves are a mixed lot, and some may feel that a generous supply of whatever is stored in those side compartments might need to be consumed in order to enjoy things appropriately.

The first Evil Bong film adequately sets up the premise while providing a template for all of the films to follow in terms of minimal production niceties like rarely offer more than one set or green screen techniques that best cable access attempts from the 1980s. In this particular case, a nerd named Alistair (David Weidoff, a kind of weird doppelganger for MSNBC data analyst Steve Kornacki) moves into a frat house like apartment with a bunch of stoners. One of the guys buys a supposedly cursed bong (why would you do that?), the device is delivered, and indeed it does seem to be possessed and begins (appropriately?) sucking various characters in a so-called Bong World. On the plus side, Bong World has lots of naked women. On the minus side, they like to kill people. It's all kind of (again, appropriately?) dopily stupid and occasionally giggle worthy, but rarely if ever laugh out loud hilarious. The venerable Tommy Chong, whose shilling for CBD products regularly shows up in my email spam file, has a cameo as a kind of "pot ninja" who is able to help set everything right.

Evil Bong Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Evil Bong is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Full Moon Features with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. The inside of the actual stash box touts the fact that this transfer was culled from the 35mm negative, though no further information is imparted. There is a generally organic appearance on tap here, though grain can be a bit filtered looking at times, to the point that I wondered whether Band was trying to make the appearance of this first film look more like some of the digital capture of the later entries. The strongest element to the transfer is the appealing palette, especially some of the Bong World's greens and purples, which pop appealingly throughout. Some of the "real world" palette actually can look just a tad drab at times by comparison, with occasionally slightly brownish flesh tones, but any outright age related wear and tear is minimal. Fine detail is generally good to very good, especially in close-ups. My score is 3.75.

Evil Bong Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Evil Bong features Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 mixes, and in fact all of the films in this set offer only lossy audio (some without even the ostensible upgrade of a surround track). There's nothing huge to complain about here, as everything from dialogue to effects to underscore is delivered without any huge problems, but audiophiles of course will probably still be disappointed that there are no lossless options on the disc. The surround track does a decent job of opening up some of the more raucous scenes in Bong World in particular, as well as providing a more spacious soundstage for the music elements. There are no subtitles available on any of the films in this set.

Evil Bong Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (SD; 19:15)


• Full Moon Roadshow (SD; 29:09)


• Trailers includes Evil Bong (HD; 1:31), along with trailers for other releases from Full Moon Features.

Evil Bong Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charles Band strikes me as the "real life" equivalent of one of those characters Mickey Rooney used to play in musicals with Judy Garland, where he'd get a bunch of his friends together, utilize some vacant barn, and "put on a show", goll darn it. This first Evil Bong film is basically a glorified sitcom pilot, and some may argue not all that glorified in the long run. There are some passingly amusing bits here, but there's also a lot of chaff, and individual tolerances to it all are almost certain to vary. Technical merits are decent if improvable, but the supplements should be enjoyed by fans of Full Moon Features, for those who are considering making a purchase.