Up In Smoke
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Tonight's Thursday Thread-Up screening was the feature film debut of Cheech & Chong; the 1978 stoner comedy Up In Smoke.
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Tonight's Thursday Thread-Up screening was the feature film debut of Cheech & Chong; the 1978 stoner comedy Up In Smoke.
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| Show banner designed by Andrew Kern |
Last week's Thursday Thread-Up screening of The Shining was the tenth punch on my card, so admission to tonight's movie was free. Not only that, but because tonight's screening was digital because the 35mm print hadn't arrived from the distributor on time, Virgil was giving everyone in attendance double punches on their card. which means that I'm three away from earning two free tickets.
Double punches weren't the only bonus on the lot tonight. Donnie gave everyone who brought a dog to the drive-in a free toy for their furry friend. Harvey didn't come with me tonight, mostly because I went to this show solo and driving with him in the passenger seat with no one to hold him can be challenging, but Donnie still gave me this squeaky blunt to bring home to him. He also handed out pins featuring Cheech and Chong in front of the Mahoning marquee to commemorate the night.
Up In Smoke premiered in theaters about a year and a half before I was born, and it became a right of passage for teenagers for years to follow after it was released on home video. I first encountered it on VHS when I was in middle school and promptly spent the next few weeks quoting lines from the film, mostly to family members who had no idea what I was talking about.
Stoner humor is one of those things that I appreciate in small doses, but at no point in my life was I ever a pothead. I've experimented with various drugs off and on over the years, but nothing ever took hold. I'm the type where if someone has something and they're willing to share, count me in, but I'm not interested enough to go out of my way to get it on my own. My addiction is food, so when I've had a little money in my pocket over the years and wanted something to help me cope with stress or anxiety, I was more inclined to head to the Chinese buffet than to a dealer. Sometimes I wonder if that really was the healthier choice.
This is the movie that everyone has to see at least once even if this isn't your scene. It's a genre defining movie like Enter The Dragon or Unforgiven that crosses beyond the fanbase and became a part of the overall culture. It's also pretty damn funny!
