What does 2016 need, we hear you ask? Why, that’d be a DVD re-release of 1985’s Cheech & Chong – Get Out of My Room, of course.
This mockumentary of sorts, which sees Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong doing their own riff on the famed This is Spinal Tap, has been given a new release, and we’re not exactly sure why. The 53-minute film finds Cheech and Chong trying to make a video album for their Get Out of My Room album. Making up their album are videos for their Get Out of My Room, I’m Not Home Right Now, Love is Strange and Born in East L.A. tunes, with the videos seeing Cheech take on the role of pseudo-English rocker Ian Rotten and Chong playing ‘The Man’. What we see is the process of putting together these short vids whilst the titular twosome get up to the usual Cheech and Chong shenanigans, although it has to be said that by this point in time the pair’s antics aren’t as in-yer-face when it comes to their ever-favourite funny cigarettes.
Get Out of My Room is a slightly strange beast in terms of Cheech and Chong outings. Not to say that their previous outings are full of extremities and heavily explicit content, but this particular effort feels a little watered down in some regards, although that’s not to say that it’s a horrible film. The action here is tied together by a reporter, meaning that we get to see some spoof-style interviews with the titular characters, not to mention some real and faux interviews with fans that add an extra element to this particular picture. And of course, there’s plenty of familiar tropes, such as scantily clad women (including a brief appearance from genre fave Elvira), hippy agendas, knowing winks, and loveable roguish behaviour.
The humour here is up and down, with a lot of the stuff falling flat or feeling a little dated – which is to be expected given it was initially released in 1985 – but some of the scenes are genuinely funny in an almost family-friendly sort of way, with some of the exchanges between Cheech and Chong proving genuinely fantastic as the two clearly do their best to crack each other up.
Cheech & Chong – Get Out of My Room is something that will obviously prove a must-have for long-time fans of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, but this re-release may be a little lacking for casual fans of this comedy duo. The release itself is a bare-bones affair, and it’s fair to say this movie isn’t the greatest of Cheech and Chong features. Still, despite its mild issues and short runtime, there’s still plenty to be enjoyed for viewers with a certain sense of humour.
Special Features: None
CHEECH & CHONG – GET OUT OF MY ROOM / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: CHEECH MARIN / STARRING: CHEECH MARIN, TOMMY CHONG, JOHN PARAGON, BEVERLY D’ANGELO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
