Is your idea of a perfect Saturday getting stoned and watching movies for 13+ hours straight? Ours too. Especially if it’s 4/20 and they are covertly (and overtly) political weed movies. Take a trip with Spectacle to the not so distant past, when cannabis was still accepted on the state level as a Schedule 1 narcotic, and your eyes weren’t assaulted on every block by the bright colored flashing LED lights of less-than-legitimate “dispensaries.” When the culture was still counter, and the fuzz was still hot. Burn one outside, or load up on gummies, and sit back and relax as we present the best in stoner comedies, weedsploitation, doped up documentaries, homegrown edits, and much much more.
As is Spectacle marathon tradition, all movies will remain a mystery until they screen. Sadly, we cannot allow smoking or vaping inside the theater (that’s what the sidewalk is for). No harshing anyone’s mellow, no bummer highs. And if you don’t like the films, don’t worry, you probably won’t remember them anyway.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20, NOON–END
DAY PASS: $25 [ PURCHASE ]
INDIVIDUAL FILMS: $5 each*; first come, first served
*No membership discounts will be offered
Run of Show:
******** ****
Dir. *** *********, 1973.
United States. 83 min.
Starting things off easy, real casual like, with this early 70s documentary about the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of cannabis sativa, you know, weed. And while it is a documentary, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a pot-smoking animated dog baked out of his mind singing at some point. Like a classic surf film without the surfing; think ENDLESS SUMMER or FIVE SUMMER STORIES, but instead of catching waves, we’re scoring grass and learning about the drug trade first hand.
**** ****** *** *****
(aka ** *** *******)
Dir. *** ****, 1977.
United States. 90 min.
Then it’s time to ramp things up, take things higher, as we head to the deep south for an action packed escape from the fuzz. Based on a true story, in the original locations, with locals playing the parts. One character even plays themself, an American Airlines DC-4.
******’* ******** **.
Dir. ****** *. ** *****, 1973.
United States. 70 min.
After that jolt of action, it’s time for a giggle with the original stoner comedy. Directed by and starring the future screenwriter of a slew of high profile 1980s and 90s action flicks, this before-its-time satire takes big swings at American corporatism, corruption, police, and draconian drug laws. But just so we can start this one at 20 past, we’re gonna watch this accompanying short first:
*****
Dirs. *** *** ******, **** ****, & ******* *****, 1994.
United States. 20 min.
A short slice of life by a renowned Ohio regional horror persona and his cohorts, showcasing a few “high-functioning” stoners as they go about their daily lives, getting stoned, working, getting stoned, drinking beers, driving to get more weed, getting stoned some more, and of course, being awarded Employee of the Month.
*******
Dir. *** **********, 1978.
Jamaica. 100 min.
In Jamaican Patois with English subtitles.
For our halfway point feature, oh boy do we have a treat for you. Do you fuck with Robin Hood? Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor? Do you like reggae? Then you will fuck with this Kingston-based tale quite heavily, as it stars some of the biggest names in the genre. And while the plot doesn’t specifically deal with cannabis, there’s enough on screen smoking to abide; plus this film is just too damn good to leave anybody, stoner or otherwise, unsatisfied.
******* *********
Dir. ******* ********, 1970.
United States. 89 min.
Our fifth entry of the day is one of the earliest independent films to depict the American political and cultural issues surrounding the Vietnam War, and was banned by the US military for it. A one-night-only Spectacle hit a few years back, we’re excited to bring this one back for the special occasion. It’s that thing where you’re in Vietnam, killing a bunch of women and children, but then your dad dies. So you have to come back home for the funeral and get caught up with a group of drug-running, war protesting, free-lovin’ hippies because you’re thinking with the rifle in your pants.
****** ****
Dir. ***** *****, 2007.
United States. 84 min.
Not going to lie, we may have put this entire day together just so we could watch this next movie with y’all. As far as movies that Spectacle likes to shine a light on, this one probably needs no help, but as far as stoner comedies go, it’s an unsung bonafide classic. The writing: impeccable; the directing: flawless; the acting: inspired. Think along the lines of a Safdie bros anxiety odyssey, but instead of being fueled by cocaine or amphetamines, it’s thoroughly baked out of its mind on herb.
***** *****
Dirs. **** *. ******* and ***** ******, 1972.
Florida. 80 min.
Like many a great picture, the audience’s suspension of disbelief weighs heavily on our final joint of the night. You’re gonna have to go into this one pretending that marijuana is highly addictive. And what could be more potent than pot to a pothead that’s become the victim of an agricultural business’s nefarious lab experiments? The blood of other drug addicts of course. What appears as a piece of Christian propaganda could very well just be a stoner’s elaborate joke, a decidedly hilarious one at that.
Poster by Benjamin Tuttle