Rant. Bongs & Vapes To Legal Highs & Snuff : Weedmania

Today I’m going to be listing my top 5 films that have become part of the smoking culture of today.

5. Grandma’s Boy

Director: Nicholaus Goossen

Written by: Barry Wernick, Allen Covert and Nick Swardson

Starring: Aleen Covert, Linda Cardellini and Shirley Jones

A hilarious tale of a 35 year old games tester that, due to his room mate spending the rent on hookers, has to move in with his grandma and her two elderly room mates.

This film is more than just immature ‘weed’ references; it has a great storyline with Side-splitting character that have made me laugh every time I’ve watched it. And that’s a lot of times.

4. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Director: Kevin Smith

Written by: Kevin Smith

Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck

Another amazing comedy from Kevin Smith that tells the story of stoners Jay and Silent Bob when they are on an adventurous mission/journey to sabotage a film (Blunt Man and Chronic) that is based on them.

As with all of Kevin Smiths films, this film is packed full of action, comedy and drama with amazing twists that you would never guess.

3. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle/Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Directors: Danny Leiner / John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

Written by: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

Starring: John Cho and Kal Penn

Rather than having to decide which is best of the two Harold and Kumar films, I decided to bundle them both in at No.3 as I feel they are best when watched back to back.

The First of the two (Go To White Castle) is the story Harold and Kumars mission to find their ultimate munchies. With many twists and turns in their journey, it is an awesome watch with an awesome storyline.

The second film (Escape from Guantanamo Bay) carries on from where the first left off, with their mission to reach Amsterdam and the girl Harold that fell in love with in the first film. As with the first film, all does not go to plan and they get arrested on the flight to Amsterdam and end up in Guantanamo Bay as suspected terrorists. Again it’s a must watch.

2. Pineapple Express

Director: David Gordon Green

Written by: Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Judd Apatow

Starring: Seth Rogan, James Franco and Gary Cole

A process server (Seth Rogan) and his dealer (James Franco) witness a murder and are being pursued by the cities biggest drug dealing gang. It’s an action comedy that had me wetting my pants the whole way through. And it introduced us to the cross joint, which if you haven’t tried, is AWESOME!

1. Friday

Directors: F. Gary Gray

Written by: Ice Cube and DJ Pooh

Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long

The entire film takes place in 24 hours on one fateful Friday. Craig and Smokey (Ice Cube and Chris Tucker) are two guys in the ‘hood’, hanging out on the porch smoking and drinking but no one could predict the antics that were to take place that day.

Friday is an amazing comedy based on ‘Hood Life’ that, in my eyes, is a classic and I could watch it any day of the week. If you haven’t already, give it a watch.

I complained about this not long ago, but once again the P.C. Brigade have ruined a piece of theatrical spectacle because of the abhorrent ‘dangers’ of smoking. When I last complained it was the theatres in Scotland that were suffering the most, but it appeared that at least England still had a small modicum of sense. Not so much anymore.

Circus of Horrors are exactly what they sound like. A travelling circus show that crosses Burlesque and Body Horror. Anything goes.

Now, when a performance arrives at a new theatre they have to provide a risk assessment to show that what they are doing is under control and will not harm the public. Which is just what Circus of Horrors (who incidentally have been touring now for 15 years and have never encountered such nonsense before) did when they arrived at The Corn Exchange in King’s Lynn.

They explained how they swallow swords. They swallow revolving electric drills. They swallow fire. They nail their tongues to planks of wood. They pull hoovers around that are attached to their genitals. They fire bows and arrows with their feet. They walk barefoot up a ladder of swords. They contort themselves into impossibly small and tight spaces.

All of this is fine as far as Health and Safety and Risk Assessment go. No problems at all. But when they mention that one of the performers smokes a cigarette during their act the red tape comes out and all the bureaucratic heads shake and say no. This despite guide lines that state that a performer is allowed to smoke on stage as part of a performance. Ridiculous. [/rantover]