Interview: Cheech and Chong, Together Again

By  · Published on April 9th, 2010

Cheech and Chong broke up in the mid 1980s, and to the world of marijuana-based humor, that was like losing Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. They’d had a successful run since 1969, and had just decided to call it quits. Cheech left to pursue a successful television and movie career, while Chong was devastated and eventually dabbled in television, music, and his son’s glass company … which was later raided for selling bongs and earned Chong some prison time. But in 2008, the two finally reunited and went on a highly successful comedy tour, which was filmed and turned into the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray/VOD/Xbox Live/Playstation release Cheech & Chong’s Hey Watch This, which appropriately hits on all platforms on 4/20.

The first VCR we ever got was purchased by my dad from his younger brother back in the very early 1980s. It was the size of a Buick, was a top-loader, had a wired remote control … and came with a battered VHS copy of Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke. So before I was introduced to the mainstream world of movies, I had repeated viewings of Cheech & Chong. That is, until my mother discovered what Up In Smoke was all about. Plus it had boobies in it, so that was curtains for my Cheech and Chonging. But I recently had the chance to sit down with them, which was a bit surreal. Who knew we’d see them together again?

Watch the video below where they talk about what a long, strange trip it’s been to 2010, what’s next, when we’ll see another Cheech & Chong narrative movie, and other various weirdness. I apologize for the less-than-stellar camera setup, but this was recorded in an empty office at The Weinstein Company, and my gaffer was off for the day. Blaze on through and give it a watch.

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