Who Is Your Favorite Stoner Movie Character?
I am sitting in my crappy house in Eugene watching the movie Pineapple Express for the 5,000,000th time this month. I admit, I didn’t like this movie that much the first time I watched it. The marijuana plants in the movie look fake, and the nugs look like dark mids. However, the more and more I watched it, the more I started to like it because of the character Saul Silver played by James Franco. From the start to finish that mother f’r is hilarious.
It got me wondering what are the top stoner movie characters of all time. Is it even possible to rank them?? Can you say that the Dude is better than Chong, or Chong is better than the Dude? That’s like saying do I like Shiskaberry more than Trainwreck in my bong…um, both sir! Here is the list off of the top of my head that I would put out there, but I wouldn’t feel confident ranking them. I will leave that to the internet to decide, please leave your comments below who your favorite is, from my list or any list:
Cheech and Chong – These guys are as classic as it gets. Since the 1970’s until today, these guys provide that stoner humor that we all crave. I can’t think of too many other stoner characters that can say they have been appreciated for the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, and into this decade. That’s impressive. Is there any scene funnier than their car scene in Up In Smoke??
The Dude – The Dude abides, and so do his loyal fans. There is a reason that Lebowski Fest has thrived over the years, because stoners can relate to El Duderino. I have a conspiracy theory that Jeff Bridges really acts like that in real life, because how else could he have nailed the performance so well?
Jay and Silent Bob – I have never met a Silent Bob in my life, but I think that we all know a Jay. He is a snarf, damn proud of it, and on the prowl for adventure. Bluntman and Chronic the comic book, that’s all I have to say.
Harold and Kumar – These guys have the same awesomeness of Bill and Ted, but whereas Bill and Ted never fired up in their films, Harold and Kumar were always down. I always dreamed of a joint movie between Jay and Silent Bob combined with Harold and Kumar. Someday…
Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High – Dude, that’s my skull!! Jeff Spicoli was my first introduction to the stoner character, and he set the bar pretty damn high (pun intended). I can’t think of many, if any, stoner movie character that is better than Spicoli. The rest of the movie he is in doesn’t relate to weed, so that holds back his appeal to some people. But if you are talking pure stoner character awesomeness, Spicoli ranks very high on any list.
Smokey from Friday – I don’t know if Smokey is the best character of all time, but he is certainly a solid candidate. I was truly disappointed to not see him in the second and third movie, although they made up for it in other ways and with other characters. The character Smokey will live on forever no doubt.
Billy and Wyatt from Easy Rider – Most people from the MTV generation and younger don’t know about these guys. It’s hard to compare to newer movies because of special effects and visual quality. However, these dudes are throwback stoners for sure, and are very worth to be on any list.
The Half Baked Crew – Scarface, Thurgood, Brian, and Kenny changed my life. I vividly remember the first time I watched this movie, and I could relate to it so much because of the lingo and first experience scene. I was blazed out of my mind and couldn’t figure out how someone captured marijuana in such a hilarious way.
Dante from Grandma’s Boy – I have had friends that were Dante-ish, but I think it’s safe to say that there is no one out there quite like him. My friends had snakes and alligators, this guy was coming with lions and elephants. He hung out with the most random people, which is the classic sign of someone that has been selling bags for a long time. Hilarious.
Ron Slater from Dazed and Confused – I went to high school with a guy that reminded me of this character. If I had to sum up the 70’s with just one personality, it would be Ron Slater. A close friend of mine was doing construction work at the high school where Dazed and Confused was filmed, and he said they always alter the painting in the hallway to make the eyes red like the film, no matter how many times it is cleaned up. Epic.
Silas P. Silas and Jamal King from How High – These guys are off the hook. I think just about any guy out there wanted to be Redman and Method Man when this movie was out. I know a lot of people that swear up and down that this is the best stoner movie of all time, and Silas and Jamal are tied for the best stoner character of all time. They will argue to the death!
Matthew Stewart from Saving Grace – Most people I know have no idea that the movie Saving Grace is such an awesome stoner movie, and that Matthew Stewart is such a fantastic character. All he cares about is smoking pot and hanging out – something that EVERYONE should be able to relate to!
Saul Silver from Pineapple Express – I saved my favorite for last. The pajama pants, the off beat vocabulary, he’s obsession with civil engineering despite the fact that he can barely function, and the list goes on and on. What the world be like without the movie Pineapple Express and my hero Saul Silver? It would probably be mostly the same, but we wouldn’t laugh quite as much because this character brings humor like no other character in stoner movie history. ‘Man, fuck Jeff Goldblum!’
