Alright, fellow tapeheads, let's rewind to a time when comedy felt a little more… unfiltered. Pop the hypothetical cassette into the VCR, adjust the tracking just so, and settle in for 1981's hazy, hilarious, and utterly bizarre journey: Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams. Forget tightly plotted narratives; this is more like stumbling through a sun-baked, smoke-filled Los Angeles afternoon where the punchlines often arrive sideways, delivered from the window of a suspiciously modified ice cream truck.
This wasn't just another sequel; it felt like Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong (who also took the director's chair for this outing, following up his directorial debut with their Next Movie) were given a bigger sandbox – and maybe a few stronger brownies – to play in. The premise is pure Cheech & Chong: the duo ditches street-level dealing for entrepreneurship, slinging primo weed disguised as ice cream from a stolen truck. Their potent product, capable of turning customers lizard-green (a fantastic bit of low-budget, practical creature effects that looked hilariously disturbing on a flickering CRT), accidentally attracts the attention of their old nemesis, the perpetually apoplectic Sgt. Stedanko, played with genius-level comedic frustration by the great Stacy Keach.
Stedanko's Slow Burn (and Transformation)
Honestly, while Cheech and Chong are the undeniable heart (and lungs) of the operation, Stacy Keach nearly steals the whole damn movie. Watching his Sgt. Stedanko gradually succumb to the very substances he’s trying to bust is comedic gold. It’s not just goofy faces; Keach commits hard to the physical transformation, his descent into a paranoid, bug-eyed, reptilian wreck played with a deadpan seriousness that makes it even funnier. Remember how jarringly effective those make-up effects looked back then? No CGI smoothing things over, just latex, paint, and Keach giving it his all. Retro Fun Fact: Keach, known for dramatic roles, clearly relished the chance to reprise Stedanko from Up in Smoke, leaning into the absurdity with gusto. He reportedly had a blast improvising alongside the duo.
Freewheeling Chaos, Directed by Chong
As director, Tommy Chong keeps things loose, perhaps sometimes too loose for folks expecting a conventional plot. But that's the charm, isn't it? Nice Dreams feels like a series of escalating, often improvised sketches strung together by the ice cream truck premise. There's a rambling energy here, a sense that anything could happen next – and it usually does, often involving bizarre encounters, half-baked schemes collapsing, and a parade of eccentric characters. Look closely and you'll spot a pre-Pee-wee Paul Reubens as Howie the Hamburger Dude! The film reportedly came together with a fairly healthy budget for the time (around $6-7 million), allowing for more elaborate set pieces and location shooting around LA than their earlier, grittier efforts. And it paid off, raking in a cool $35 million, cementing the duo's status as counter-culture comedy kings.
That Tangible 80s Vibe
Watching Nice Dreams today is like stepping into a time machine fueled by questionable fumes. The locations feel real, the dialogue has that rambling, naturalistic (if often stoned) rhythm, and the whole production has a tactile quality missing from today's slicker comedies. The physical comedy feels genuinely physical. When Cheech gets roughed up or Chong takes a tumble, it doesn't have the hyper-edited, overly safe feel common now. There's a raw energy, a sense of controlled chaos that reflects the spirit of the duo themselves. Even the sight gags, like the mountain of confiscated weed or the increasingly bizarre state of Stedanko, rely on tangible props and effects that, while perhaps dated, have a weird charm computers can't replicate. Remember the sheer absurdity of seeing those mutated customers? It was grotesque, goofy, and perfectly captured the film's unique flavour.
More Than Just Smoke Jokes?
Okay, let's be real: this is primarily a stoner comedy, and the humour revolves heavily around drug culture, misunderstandings, and general buffoonery. But beneath the haze, there’s a certain sweetness to Cheech and Chong's enduring partnership, a goofy camaraderie that makes their misadventures endearing. The film also has moments that almost feel like social satire, poking fun at authority figures, the absurdity of the drug war (personified by Stedanko's unraveling), and the pursuit of the almighty dollar, even if it's through selling high-grade marijuana from a Good Humor truck. It’s not deep, but there’s a relatable slacker charm that resonated with audiences then and still sparks a chuckle now.
VHS Heaven Rating: 7/10
Justification: Nice Dreams isn't the tightest or most polished film in the Cheech & Chong canon, suffering from a meandering plot at times. However, it scores high on pure anarchic energy, features Stacy Keach's career-best comedic performance, boasts some memorably bizarre practical effects, and perfectly captures the rambling, sun-drenched vibe of early 80s counter-culture comedy. The core chemistry between Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, guided by Chong's own loose directorial hand, remains infectious. It earned its box office success and its place on many a worn-out VHS tape through sheer weirdness and quotable lines.
Final Hit: A gloriously messy, often hilarious snapshot of comedic chaos, Nice Dreams is like finding that one perfectly rolled, slightly crumbly joint at the bottom of an old stash box – maybe not the most refined experience, but guaranteed to deliver a uniquely potent and nostalgic buzz. A true artifact of the hazy days of VHS rentals.