A/k/a Tommy Chong (2006)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Josh Gilbert

Writer:

Josh Gilbert (writer)

Release Date:

March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Punctuation In Title | Slash In Title | Character Name In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Lou Adler	...	Himself
Raven Bast	...	Herself
Paris Chong	...	Himself
Shelby Chong	...	Herself
Tommy Chong	...	Himself
Peter Coyote	...	Himself
Pablo Ferro	...	Special Thanks
Steven Hager	...	Himself (as Steve Hager)
Jay Leno	...	Himself
Bill Maher	...	Himself
Cheech Marin	...	Himself (as Richard 'Cheech' Marin)
Paul Moyer	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ethan Nadelmann	...	Himself
Eric Schlosser	...	Himself
Red Skelton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tom Snyder	...	Himself (archive footage)
George Thorogood	...	Himself
Jesse Ventura	...	Himself (archive footage)
Witold 'Vic' Walczak	...	Himself

Runtime:

Canada:75 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Blue Chief Entertainment

Quotes:

Himself (Dershowitz , Alan): [On Fox News] The government has admitted that part of the reason for the sentence was the exercise of his First Amendment rights, that is making numerous films about drug use, which they claim encouraged people to use drugs, is a plain violation of the spirit of the First Amendment. So you have an Equal Protection violation, a First Amendment violation, and a needless misuse of criminal resources when easily this could have been done in a civil manner.

Movie Connections:

Features Nice Dreams (1981)

Excellent documentary!

This movie blew me away at the U.S. debut (Palm Springs International Film Festival). It is a documentary about how Tommy was targeted in a DEA sting operation codenamed "Pipe Dreams". Tommy was arrested in 2003 along with several others in what appears to be a clear entrapment case. Tommy received the harshest sentence of all the defendants and had to serve 9 months prison time in a small California town named "Taft". Although the movie deals with an inherently controversial subject, it makes you wonder why they seem to have really socked it to Tommy as punishment for exercising his 1st amendment rights and making some great films that were loved my many and hated by a few. Hidden a little at first, but inter weaved in the fabric you will also find a story of true love and unconditional devotion... A family that loves each other and sticks together through thick and thin. Shelby and Tommy made sure to greet every moviegoer at the premiere and are two genuinely nice folks who may have achieved unwanted martyrdom but seem to deal with it in a very positive manner. Will see again and take my friends!