Since the dawn of Cheech and Chong, Hollywood has released its fair share of stoner comedies for the marijuana-loving moviegoer. Yet, it seems there is never much credit given to those cinematic masters who have produced films using hallucinogenic imagery without feeling the need to place an emphasis on the use of drugs in the plot. In other words, these films are perhaps just interpretations of a filmmakers lost trip under the commercially acceptable disguise of art. Here are seven of our favorites:
2001: A Space Odessey by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey has enlightened and confused film buffs since its release in 1968. There have been many interpretations of the film, especially since Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke always respectfully declined to elaborate on the meaning behind the story. Nevertheless, this film can be construed as cinematic genius or visual swill depending on the set of eyes in which you choose to use. We suggest using as green of eyes as possible.
Inland Empire
A family of rabbits and laugh tracks are reason enough for any stoner to sit down with this bizarre tale of from cinematic weirdo David Lynch.
Taxidermia
Surrealistic taxidermist, a speed fiend and a sex addict being gratified through a glory hole in a chicken coupe. Sound bizarre? Well, this film teeters on the verge of the most stonerrific pieces of cinematic masturbation to ever find its way to the big screen — complete with a fire breathing penis and a pointless plot.
Donnie Darko
Every film fit for stoner consumption should reside in a similar realm as the hallucinogenic dream state of Donnie Darko: time travel, acid-like hallucinations, and perhaps the end of days. Although everybody dies in the end…it’s the journey that makes this film worthy of this list.
Being John Malkovich
There is perhaps no better film to watch while blazed and glazed than Being John Malkovich. The story follows a puppeteer who is forced to work a day job for a finance company and then discovers a portal behind a filing cabinet that leads inside the head of actor John Malkovich. This is perhaps the most amazingly peculiar movie to ever see the light of day.
Videodrome
Videodrome is sex, torture and murder that consumes the main character, Max Reen, who at one point during the movie watches his upper body transform into a giant vagina. The entire film is loaded with this level of twisted imagnery, which is the reason it has become known as one of David Crononeberg’s most visually striking masterpieces.
Death to Smoochy
This hilarious dark comedy goes behind the scenes of a children’s television network engulfed in flames of bribery, murder and penis-shaped snacks. There is no possible way to walk away from this film with your stomach muscles still intact, much less after a serious smoke out session.
