By GEORGE VARGA
Cheech & Chong are back, or soon will be, after the dope-addled comedy duo from the 1970s today announced it was reuniting for C&C's first tour in more than 25 years. In the words of anyone who can actually remember Blind Lemon Chitlin, Sister Mary Elephant or any other C&C characters: Far out, man!
The 22-city tour, which kicks off Sept. 12 in Pennsylvania, will include a Nov. 28 date here at downtown's Copley Symphony Hall. Ticket prices and an on-sale date have not yet been announced.
In the meanwhile, Tommy Chong opened a four-night run yesterday at the Comedy Store in La Jolla with "a very special guest," and a utstreet.com reader who caught the opening show just e-mailed us to say that the guest was none other than -- far out, man! -- Cheech Marin. It is unclear if Marin will be back tonight, tomorrow or Saturday to join Chong on stage, but if C&C need to do some low-key warm-up dates, what better place than here?
Marin, 62, and Chong, 70, rose to fame in the early 1970s with a series of comedy albums that put the dope in stoner-humor. They made the transition to the big screen with 1978's "Up In Smoke," the first in a series of eight hit films that culminated with 1987's "Born in East L.A." Marin soon left to launch a solo acting career, although he and Chong reunited in a manner at least once when they re-recorded the song "Up In Smoke" for a 2000 episode of "South Park."
The title "Up In Smoke" became more literal, and ironic, in 2003 after Chong was sentenced to 9 months in prison for selling glass pipes over the Internet through his business, Nice Dreams Enterprises. At the time of his sentencing he had been featured in a recurring role on the TV series "That '70s Show."
Only a few years ago the estranged duo engaged in a public feud after Marin appeared in a 2005 TV commercial for Target. This prompted Chong to charge that his former partner was a "professional Mexican" and a "sellout." Marin countered by invoking the age of Chong, who is 8 years older than him. "Gramps is a little old," Marin said at the time. "It's so sad when stoners get to the AARP age, you know? Who knows what's on Tommy's mind? It's the Alzheimer's age."
So, will C&C be able to bury their past differences? Maybe.
"There's this veiled hatred," Marin told reporters at a press conference in West Hollywood yesterday, before adding: "We've kind of resolved that."
In the meanwhile, if you ever wondered what Cheech & Chong sound like in German, here's a scene from the German version of "Up in Smoke," sans subtitles. (Amusingly, the actor who dubbed Cheech's speaking voice "sings" in English, with a heavy German accent.)
last modified September 18, 2008Reader reviews
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By observer1 on 11/25/2008
Oh no, I remember all of this; I guess pot doesn't ruin all of your memory.
Tommy Chong is 70. Unbelievable.
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