Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie Review

"Up in Smoke" doesn't stink up the joint.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 7, 2018

The "stoner" film has been a reliable Comedy staple over the years. Half Baked, How High, Pineapple Express, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Dude, Where's My Car...all of them follow the hazy and comical exploits of individuals under the influence, but none of them would have likely taken a puff if Up in Smoke hadn't help pave the way. The 1978 film, directed by Lou Adler and written by stars Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, would light up the box office and become both a mainstream hit and a cult favorite all at once. The film's legacy is one of laughs, inherent silliness, and absolute irreverence, and it remains the quintessential movie of its kind even four decades after its release.

Man...!!!

Anthony Stoner (Tommy Chong) is no-good druggie who comes from rich stock but has chosen a life of chasing the high. He’s threatened with military school if he doesn’t get his act together, but rather than clean up and find a job, he finds Pedro de Pacas (Cheech Marin), a drummer and a fellow stoner (no relation) who loves the high as much as he loves the ladies (but he fears the acid!). They chase weed and chase tail and they evade the police, get mixed up with a wild Vietnam vet, wind up at the border, play some tunes, and live a life up in smoke.

The movie is largely directionless, which is essentially the point. The characters are hardly on the cutting edge of intellect, but their smoky, up-high adventures certainly make for some easy-come laughs along the way, as they bumble about and bungle their way through one misadventure after another, chasing the next high. Dramatic connective tissues are thin, but that’s OK. The movie is built for laughs, nothing more and nothing less. It’s all about the characters, and the title duo in particular, and their misadventures through what is, essentially, one continuous high, from the moment they serendipitously meet until the end credits. Indeed, much of the movie’s humor comes from the after-effects of inhaling, and there’s usually some sort of wide release, exhaust fumes, that bring the high to the masses that essentially makes everyone around Anthony and Pedro high, too, so in a way the movie’s leads are just facilitators for everyone else to get high so they can share in the misadventure and contribute to it in their own goofy ways.

The movie is well acted, though it might be debatable if that's a compliment to stars Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. They certainly seem to know their way around the stoner lifestyle, making the most of every opportunity for tomfoolery and brain-dead antics. They soak up their parts, buy into the look, and seem to have a lot of fun with the different obstacles and opportunities placed before them. The supporting cast just sort of disappears into the various secondary roles, too. All of them, as noted, are in some way (usually chemically) a direct result of the lead duo's actions. It's all in good fun, nobody in the cast takes it in the least bit serious, and the result is a pretty fun movie that offers a quick and hazy escape from the serious world in which it exists.

Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Up in Smoke generally looks very nice on Blu-ray. Textural delights abound. Complex fabrics, sharp environments, crisp and deep facial lines are all commonplace. Old grimy walls, run down woods...dense object detail in stoner houses are easy to see. There are some soft edges here and there, which appear inherent to the film source rather than a fault of the transfer-to-Blu-ray process. Colors are impressive. The palette is varied and bold, nailing everything from a transparent red drum set to natural greens. Grain does appear frozen, or nearly frozen, at times, notably during the opening stretch prior to the opening titles. Grain density fluctuates a bit, less as the guys meet and get pulled over, more as they appear in court at the 20-minute mark. Overall, though, fans should be quite pleased with this 1080p presentation.

Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Up in Smoke features a capable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is very enjoyable. War's Low Rider really pops out of the speakers with much appreciated intensity, volume, clarity, and spacing. A nice low end accompaniment adds some weight to it. Music throughout the film follows suit. It's largely front heavy, but the aggressive stage penetration and clarity, even through the variety of styles, makes it very enjoyable. There are plenty of good directional effects. A car muscles from center to left at the end of the film's opening title sequence, for example. Surrounds carry some minor but mood-critical elements like when a fly buzzes around at the 37-minute mark, moving from one speaker to the next. Dialogue is well prioritized, clear, and center-positioned throughout with no significant distortions or anything of a distracting nature to note.

Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Up in Smoke contains a large assortment of extra content. A DVD copy of the film and a UV/iTunes digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Actor Cheech Marin and Director Lou Adler deliver an agreeable little commentary that hits various technical elements but also plenty of lighthearted humor and reaction to the movie's gags. They point out various support actors, break down key moments in detail, and seem to just enjoy reminiscing about the movie. Fans should find this to be a very good listen.
• How Pedro Met the Man: Up in Smoke at 40 (1080p, 15:15): Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin, along with Director Lou Adler recorded separately, look back on their first marijuana experience and reminisce about the movie, comedy, getting the film off the ground and story evolution, the characters, the car, and much more.
• Roach Clips (480i, 11:29): Outtakes. Included are Pedro and Man, Red Birds, Leslie Horwinkle, Munchies, Momma's Bedroom, Pop Stoner, Hippies & Valium, and Ajax Lady. With optional Cheech Marin and Lou Adler commentary.
• Lighting It Up: A Look Back at Up in Smoke (480i, 11:11): A vintage piece in which Chong, Marin, and Adler discuss meeting and making the movie with plenty of humorous anecdotes.
• Animated Music Video (480i, 5:43): "Earache My Eye" Featuring Alice Bowie.
• Cheech & Chong's "The Man Song" (480i, 2:35): Clips of the actors saying the word "man" throughout the movie.
• Vintage Radio Spots (480i): Included are Up In Smoke #1 Featuring Horrendo Revolver (1:31) and Up In Smoke #2 Featuring Saydis Saydat (1:28).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:02).

Up in Smoke Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The names "Cheech" and "Chong" are synonymous with the genre they have defined for the past four decades. Up in Smoke isn't a particularly great film by any stretch of the imagination -- unless, maybe, it's stretched by the hallucinogenic properties of marijuana -- but it's well acted and capable as silly, and literally mindless, fun. Paramount's Blu-ray delivers solid video and audio as well as a nice collection of bonus material. Recommended, and fans should be aware that a pricier special edition is also available.