Stoner film is a subgenre of comedy film based on marijuana themes, where recreational use often drives the plot, sometimes representing cannabis culture more broadly or intended for that audience.[1]

Stoner film genre

The midnight movie scene in theaters of the 1970s revived the hectoring anti-drug propaganda film Reefer Madness (1936) as an ironic counterculture comedy. The broad popularity of Reefer Madness led to a new audience for extreme anti-drug films bordering on self-parody, including Assassin of Youth (1937), Marihuana (1936), and She Shoulda Said No! a.k.a. The Devil's Weed (1949).

The duo Cheech & Chong established the archetypal "stoner" comedy throughout the 1970s, taking their antics to the big screen for Up in Smoke in 1978, establishing the contemporary stoner film genre.

High Times magazine sponsored the first Stony Awards in 2000, celebrating stoner films and television, recognizing a broad scope of noteworthy cannabis media.

The enduring influence of Reefer Madness led to a musical comedy remake in 2005.

Common elements

Many stoner movies have certain elements and themes in common.[2][3] The template involves a protagonist or protagonists who have marijuana, are attempting to find marijuana, or have some other task to complete. The protagonists are often two friends in a variation of the buddy film.[2]

Stoner films often involve evading authority figures who disapprove of the protagonists' marijuana usage, usually out of a greater lack of acceptance of their lifestyle of leisure and innocence. Authority figures are often law-enforcement agents, who are portrayed as comically inept, as well as parents, co-workers, friends, and security guards. Most serious moments in stoner films are intended ironically, often to parody overwrought counterparts in mainstream cinema. The comic story arcs often approach or fall over the line into slapstick.[2]

List of stoner films

Stoner crossover films

See also

References

  1. ↑ Meltzer, Marisa (26 June 2007). "Leisure and Innocence: The eternal appeal of the stoner movie". Slate. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Pastorek, Whitney (27 July 2004). "Joint Ventures". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  3. ↑ Meltzer, Marisa (26 June 2007). "The eternal appeal of the stoner movie". Slate.com. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Alchimia Blog, Cannabis and Cinema
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