In preparation for the Christmas season, the creators of the “Harold & Kumar” films are releasing a 3D Christmas movie starring the stoner duo. In celebration of the film’s release and the stars visiting the Tempe campus earlier this week, The State Press talked to some ASU students to find out how these pothead-starring movies are received in the public eye.
Stoner movies are nothing new to the cinematic scene; Cheech and Chong starred in movies in the ‘70s that focused on the love of Mary Jane, and those films were big hits. Over the past few decades, however, more pothead actors have come and gone through Hollywood. One of the most popular now is Seth Rogen, who has starred in “Pineapple Express,” “Knocked Up” and many more.
When asked who one of her favorite stoner actors is, freshman biochemistry major Rachel Treat thinks of one of Seth Rogen’s costars as a standout. “James Franco. That sexy, sexy man,” Treat said.
Her favorite stoner movies don’t feature the eye candy that is James Franco, however. Treat had a relatively neutral opinion on stoner movies. She doesn’t find all of them extremely hilarious or all of them incredibly stupid and pointless.
“I don't typically judge a movie based off of the material in it separately. If a movie is good then it's good,” Treat said. She added that some of her favorites of the genre are “definitely ‘Lords of Dogtown’ or ‘Alpha Dog.’”
Why is watching a movie about lazy, boring people so entertaining? For some people, it’s not.
“I think some can be funny but a lot get obnoxious,” said sophomore nutrition major Kelsey Roper. “When people are high, they think the dumbest things are funny. So, when you are not high, then that stuff just seems stupid.”
Roper expanded on her point by giving a specific example from David Gordon Green’s wildly popular film “Pineapple Express.”
"In (the film), there's a scene where the two main characters try to sell marijuana to middle school kids,” Roper said. “That's just distasteful.”
“A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” is set to hit theaters everywhere on Nov. 4. Opinions of the film’s quality and relevance are already whirling around, but tokers and non-tokers alike will have to decide for themselves whether the new film is worth the time and money.
Reach the reporter at kmstark1@asu.edu
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