TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

johno-21 I saw this at the 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival and Tommy Chong and his wife Shelby and director Josh Gilbert were on hand to take Q&A after. This is the story of how a couple of Mary's, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan and Assistant US Attorney Mary Mckeen Houghton brought down the comic king of Mary Jane, Tommy Chong. Chong was busted in Operation Pipedream for operating an internet business that was selling glass bongs. This was illegal to ship these products to the states of Pennsylvania and Iowa. Chong's company knew it was illegal to ship to Pennsylvania but did so anyway and got busted. What were they thinking? Where they high or something? uh, never mind. Chong claimed that it was unfortunate that the US Government couldn't distinguish between the character he plays and his real persona. But Chong however had his character printed on the bongs he sold and went around making public appearances at head shops which kind of showed that he himself was using his character to promote his bong sales. The Feds basically were saying that they were using his character against him because he was using his character for profit in glamorizing pot smoking. He waived indictment to a Grand Jury and plead guilty and served nine months at the medium security Taft prison in California. I would think that Chongs reemergence in the media as a recurring character burnout Leo on the popular TV comedy "That 70's Show" that appeals to a largely teenage audience helped seal his fate of them using his celebrity status against him. Having nearly a pound of pot in house when it was raided probably didn't help with his defense that he was not the character from the Cheech & Chong movies in real life. This movie is shot on video not film and is heavily slanted as anti John Ashcroft and Bush Administration. Footage of Bill Maher and Jay Leno talking about the unfair bust is included here but they do political and entertainment humor so that's a natural and Cheech Marin is shown talking about his former partner but why is George Thorogood included? This is no Ken Burns film as documentaries go but it does have a lot of humor and room for plenty of thought. I would give it a 6.5 of a possible 10 and recommend it.

systems-student This is a hilarious and frightening look at the career and persecution of Tommy Chong. Loaded with hilarious clips of Tommy's classics like "Up In Smoke", the real subject of the movie is, of course, very serious. The manner in which Chong was targeted and the resources spent on his arrest and prosecution were both somewhat shocking. Bill Maher said it best: "Don't you feel safer knowing the Tommy Chong is in prison?"Whether the viewer is a relic of the 70's or just interested in constitutional rights, (these people actually do exist) this movie is definitely worth seeing.

shreyasv Tommy Chong, a figure who represents a movement to many, may just by his name bring many curious people to the theater. As a fairly conservative individual who more or less believes in the capacity of government, if the film had just been about the unfairness of anti-pot legislation/enforcement it probably wouldn't have done much for me.Instead, the film shed alarming light on how justice is administered today. It disturbed me how various powerful people decided bringing down Tommy would add celebrity to their resume, and how much of a ruse they used to get him. I didn't necessarily question the legality of the actions (police can do things like send minors into bars to solicit alcohol or cigarettes) but rather the ideology and zealousness behind it. Is this consistent with how the majority of Americans feel we should act? There is a great biographical aspect to the film that is smartly interwoven with present day events. It helped set context and added some background color to the names Cheech and Chong. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and this film was a cool glimpse into where our culture has been and how it has evolved.

ad4realtor It should have been called Farenheit 420, AkA is the best Documentary to ever come out!! Revealing who the person is behind the huge cloud of white smoke and bushy beard. AkA Tommy Chong should be seen by all, who appreciate CHONG and what his "Cheech & Chong" legacy stand for, if you have not seen it, your missing out on another piece of there vintage collection. AkA Tommy Chong will go down in history as the voice of all stoner's, that say screw the politics this should be legal! God grows this stuff, the fact that medical patients who are dying find some relief, and can still be charged as a criminals is stupid. Tommy's character is the Hemp Messiah, Pope of Pot, he stands for an entire culture, Hollywood and all those exec's under-estimate his popularity, I remember when he was the biggest star on That 70's Show, and when they had to keep his lines short in front of the studio audience, to sustain the chanting Chong-Heads in the audience. Look Out World here comes not just a movie, but a movement.