Cheech and Chong (Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong) are one of the most iconic comedy duos ever. They released several popular records in the 1970s and became movie stars when their first film, Up In Smoke, was a big hit in 1978; they followed it with more films in the 1980s. They parted ways but their cult following grew larger in the ensuing decades.
A new film directed by David Bushell has been released in theaters. It boasts new interviews mixed with many excellent clips of them throughout their career together. Hopefully this new film could put them in a new light that leads to a critical reappraisal that matches their massive and loyal fanbase. They were a force of nature that brought an eclectic mix of styles to a broad audience and became synonymous with marijuana culture, which is now stronger than ever. Bushell recently spoke to Immersive via Zoom about making this excellent tribute to these amazing performers.
[This conversation has been edited for clarity and length]
How did you first come across this project? Did you originate it, or did it come to you?
I was called to make a reunion film that was going to be a Cheech and Chong comedy. That project didn’t happen; it kind of morphed into this. So that’s how it happened.
What was it like meeting Cheech and Chong?
I think the first time I met them was in a studio meeting, which was the first time that I officially met them. What was interesting is that one of my first jobs in Los Angeles was as a PA on a commercial that Cheech was directing. I didn’t think that years later, I would be directing a movie with him.
One thing I really liked about the film is that you don’t take a side in their arguments, and you get that their so-called rivalry is part of the magic…
I like what Cheech said recently: “We both got to tell our stories, and nobody got killed.” There are always two sides to every story. The fact that they were both willing to sit down and talk individually gave me greater context. I always knew that I wanted them together, but first, I needed to hear what they had to say alone.
How did you settle on the format that the film took? It’s like a road trip?
I come from producing narrative features, and I watch a lot of nonfiction. I always thought that the genre was primed to be pushed. Transitions can play such a pivotal role in documentaries, and we’ve all been waiting for years and years to see the classic shot of them sitting side by side in a car again. I thought that that would be a good mechanism to get us on the road with them rather than having them sit on a couch together.
How did you end up in the desert?
I thought, if there’s any way that we can make it more engaging, playful, and theatrical, let’s hop for it. I wanted it to feel like a movie in the desert in particular, so that we could feel like we were on a journey with them, learning their story. Feeling empathy, hopefully, for these comedic legends who have a sibling rivalry of sorts.
I like that you included that they were not very critically acclaimed when their films were coming out.
Comedies notoriously get crushed in reviews, and the work that goes into them is often overlooked. Something Cheech said comes to mind, “People don’t realize that you’ve gotta be smart to tell a really dumb joke.”
I just tried to make it as balanced as possible, and when in doubt, stick to the truth, right? One of the challenges with a lot of the celebrity documentaries that are coming out is that they feel a bit whitewashed. I’m glad that they are both publicly pleased with the final film. That was the most important thing to me.
They made so many great movies that I enjoyed growing up. Up In Smoke is a classic, but their follow-ups were just as good to me. Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, Nice Dreams, Things Are Tough All Over, and Still Smokin’ are hilarious.
All of their movies are very different from one another. It’s kind of fascinating. Like in Next Movie, the scene where they go into the welfare office has to be one of the most brilliant comedy scenes I’ve ever seen because there’s so much going on in the frame.
Tommy has said that they’ve taught that scene in film schools. That’s great directing by Tommy. And there’s a lot of funny stuff to revisit in all those movies. It is time for a reappraisal. They were different from what had come before, which is also something that’s really special and should be celebrated.
What were some of the challenges? There was a lot to pack in.
You’ve got their individual origin stories, how they meet, stand up, record, and film, and then they start to go their separate ways. So, there was a lot to fit in from a production standpoint, and we were independently financed, which was really challenging. The funding for the desert was the biggest challenge, but I knew we just couldn’t do a talking head doc with these guys. Their fans have been waiting to see them together again in a movie.
That’s definitely very good. What did the post look like? How much footage were you working with?
The acquisition period is in the beginning, trying to find footage that no one’s seen or convincing people to go back into their garage or the store storage locker one more time to find stuff. When you get those calls that are like you won the lottery, sometimes you get the footage, and it’s unfortunately unusable. Other times, it’s amazing. We found a lot of stuff that has never been seen before. Then, we shot all the interviews, cut them together with the archival, and added the desert footage. You’re in post-production the whole time.
The film had its festival run and is now rolling out into theaters. What’s it like to share this with the world?
Someone once told me, “Making a movie’s like carrying an egg around in your front pocket, and people are constantly trying to bump into you while you’re doing it, and you’re trying to protect the egg.” We had screenings on 4/20, and those went well. We are really happy with it. I hope people go out to the theater and see it.
Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie is now playing in theaters.
