Eight Must-Watch Movies for Stoners
Ask 100 stoners in Parker what constitutes a stoner movie and you’ll discover a lot of disagreement. That leaves those of us here at the Smoking Buddha headshop free to create our own definition. So here goes: A stoner movie is a movie that engages your imagination and holds your attention when you’re high. It should make you laugh until you hurl or conversely, leave you contemplating the nature of existence. Preferably both, but definitely more of the laughing you hurl stuff. If it also happens to revolve around or comment on stoner culture, even better. So with all of those things in mind, here’s the list of our absolute favorite movies for stoners, in no particular order.
Dude, Where’s My Car? – 2000
One of the most overlooked stoner movies of all time Dude, Where’s My Car? is 90 minutes of goofiness that will put a smile on the face of the most dedicated cynic. This is lighthearted stoner hilarity at its best, with the plot being little more than an excuse to put Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott into a series of ridiculously absurd situations where they can show off their insane comedic chemistry. Dude, Where’s My Car? has it all: aliens, fast food, hoo-hoos, pudding, Christie Boner, a suitcase full of money, and the quest to find a car misplaced in the aftermath of an epic party. And then…
Ted – 2012
Ted follows the wacky hijinx of a foul-mouthed, stoner teddy bear and his best friend John, played to perfection by Mark Wahlberg. The two of them have been inseparable since John was a boy, but now that he’s all grown up and in a relationship cracks begin to appear in their previously impenetrable armor. Will John make the mature choice and settle down with Lori, or will he opt for his thunder buddy Ted? John does his best to avoid growing up, while Ted gets into a relationship of his own, hoping maybe what he and John had can somehow endure as part of a foursome. The movie goes where no one else has dared to go before including the surprising outcome of a game of truth or dare.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle – 2004
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is what a lot of stoners think about when they think of stoner movies. And who can blame them? It’s got weed by the bushel, an epic quest to satisfy the munchies, racist cops, killer raccoons, and Neil Patrick Harris who absconds with H & K’s car before returning it in the morning complete with love stains. The film led to two sequels that, while good, never quite matched the go-for-broke excesses of the first.
Airplane! – 1980
Before Leslie Nielsen became a comedy icon in his golden years he spent decades in Hollywood playing the handsome dramatic lead, which made it all the more unsettling and frankly hilarious when he flipped the script in Airplane! and became the best deadpan comedic actor ever. “Surely, you jest!” “I never jest, and don’t call me Shirley!” Airplane! was, in many ways, ahead of its time, presaging by decades the dozens of spoof movies Hollywood would pump out in the early 2000s. Nielsen’s iconic performance never seems out of place in a universe where June Cleaver speaks jive.
Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance – 1982
This one falls into the category of “contemplating the nature of existence”. While Koyaanisqatsi been around awhile, it’s aged pretty well, probably because the filmmaker (Godfrey Reggio) steered clear of the politics of the day and instead focused on the alienation caused by breakneck technological change. The film juxtaposes the natural world where balance is the overriding principle, with the frenetic, unbalanced nature of modern civilization and how its innate disharmony impacts both ourselves and the earth we depend on for our very existence. Even if you don’t get the underlying message the imagery will generate more than a few “whoa”s.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – 1990
Mike Myers will go to his grave insisting Wayne’s World was in no way associated with or inspired by Bill and Ted. But everyone on planet Earth knows he’s being less than truthful. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was one of the first genuine stoner movies, even though neither character ever cops so much as a whiff off of someone else’s a joint. There’s just something about Bill and Ted’s wide-eyed innocence and the way they interpret everything through a prism of postmodern irreverence that dovetails beautifully with the stoner creed of lifting each other up instead of cutting each other down. A most excellent film indeed.
The Naked Gun – 1988
The Naked Gun turned Leslie Nielsen into a pop culture phenomenon completing the transformation that began with Airplane eight years earlier. But while Nielsen’s deadpan comedic mastery is the glue that holds the film together there are equally outstanding supporting performances from the unlikely trio of Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, and O.J. Simpson. The gags are corny as hell and the production values are just slightly above that of a B movie. Which is actually a big part of the film’s charm. We’d recommend you pass around the bong a few times before queuing this one up. You won’t regret it.
Eraserhead – 1977
At the opposite end of the spectrum from The Naked Gun lies Eraserhead. The consensus at our Parker pipe shop is that this is one of the most bizarre and disturbing films ever produced. It chronicles the life of Henry, a lonely and disassociated young man trying to find his way through a nightmare world of sexual frustration and unrealized dreams. This was surrealist master David Lynch’s first feature film and quickly established him as a force to be reckoned with. The film was shot entirely in grainy black and white and deals with the alienation created by a society where people have been reduced to cogs in a machine they have no control over. If you’re high enough when watching Eraserhead you may think you slipped into some sort of alternative universe.
Stop by the Smoking Buddha Smoke Shop in Parker
Whether you agree with the entries on our particular list or not there’s no denying a great stoner movie is a must for anyone with some quality herb, glass pipes, and a few hours to kill. If you want to pick up a new bong to unveil during the next stoner movie marathon with your friends make your way to the Smoking Buddha smoke shop and check out our outrageous collection of pipes, bongs, and paraphernalia. We’re here seven days a week and we’re super easy to find. Either Google “pipe store near me” or call us at (303) 840-4388 and ask for directions.