Watch Cheech and Chong's Next Movie

In 1980, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong starred in the simple yet appropriately titled Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. The film follows the misadventures of two perpetually stoned men as they try to find their next high. The film follows a series of events where Cheech, upon being fired from his job, goes to visit a welfare office to collect benefits; Chong meets up with Red, a relative of Cheech (also played by Marin) who has in his possession a duffel bag full of 20lbs of marijuana; a series of mishaps at a local brothel; an abduction by aliens; and the acquiring of what seems to be cocaine made in outer space. The film was a huge hit over time as it eventually earned $41 million at the box office. The success, however, was not immediate. The film underperformed on its initial release. However, when it was released as part of a double feature, it would gain greater traction with audiences earning a great deal at the box office. This helped it become a box office success. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie was not a film without controversy. The drug scenes in the film are the centerpiece of most of the comedic elements. As a result, the film has been heavily edited in later cable television releases. The cable version removed many of the drug references found in the film. This is most evident where the bag of marijuana is changed to a bag of diamonds. The scenes with the aliens also removed drug references. However, there are some versions on cable television that have restored the original drug scenes and skits. The main reason that the scenes were cut was that drug humor fell out of vogue in the ensuing years after the film was originally distributed. Home video versions of the Cheech & Chong's Next Movie are the original, unedited theatrical versions of the film.