Cheech Marin’s Cult Classic ‘Up in Smoke’ Added to National Film Registry
SEPTEMBER 1978: Comedians Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin in a scene from the movie "Up In Smoke" which was released in September 1978. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The 1978 stoner comedy and cult classic Up in Smoke starring Cheech Marin has been added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. Each year, the registry honors a selection of new films they deem “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
Up in Smoke was Marin’s first feature film. It follows two potheads, Pedro (Marin) and Man (Tommy Chong), who go on a wild road trip after accidentally getting deported to Mexico. The film is based on the comedy of Marin and Chong, who are best known as the duo Cheech & Chong. Over the last 53 years, Cheech & Chong has become its own entertainment brand with seven comedy albums, seven live-action feature films, one concert film and one animated movie.
Marin recently spoke to the Library of Congress about how confident he was that the film would do well with audiences, who were already familiar with his comedy albums.
“I knew it was going to be a success because we had been looking across the footlights for 8-10 years,” Marin said. “I knew what the audience was. I was surprised at how large it got. All of a sudden it got to be international. It became a big international hit right away.”
Along with Up in Smoke, Marin had another film make the cut this year – his 2001 family adventure flick Spy Kids, directed by Robert Rodriguez. Three other films with Latine themes and actors added to the registry were Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which starred late Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban in the title role; and American Me and Mi Familia, which both star Oscar nominee Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver).