Hey folks, El Cosmico here, and in case you missed it, because you were, umm, high...
...turns out that HIGH TIMES, magazine of all that is good, announced their 2nd annual film awards nominations! Man, I don't know HOW I missed this one. Now, the date on the fax I was sent said that these were announced on the 11th, but I just got the fax yesterday. Such is the nature of weed. Anyway, I'm a lot more interested in these awards than in the Oscars, which left such glaring omissions, as usual, as to render themselves both ridiculous and pretensious, as opposed to the HIGH TIMES awards, which will be ridiculous AND celebrate the social good of our kind friend, the marijuana plant.
So, without further a-doobage, here's some fun from them, lovingly retyped by my cosmic hands:
TRAFFIC, NEXT FRIDAY, GROOVE, and STEAL THIS MOVIE lead the nominations for the 2nd Annual Stonys, the High Times Film Awards, which will be presented on March 2, at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City.
"The Stonys celebrate the counterculture in cinema," says High Times senior editor and Stonys producer Steve Bloom. "We're defining and embracing a new category of films in which marijuana and psychedelic experiences are significant elements of the story line."
Stony Awards will be given for films released in 2000 in the following categories: Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Pot Scene, Best Documentary, Best Soundtrack and Stoner of the Year. In addition, a "People's Choice" award for Best Stoner Movie will be decided by voting on the High Times website (hightimes.com). Winners will be announced the night of the show.
Stoner heroes Cheech and Chong and counterculture documentarian D.A. Pennebaker are slated to receive Lifetime Stony Achievement awards. Chong and Pennebaker will be at the show to accept their awards.
McCann of Late Night With Conan O'Brien will host the show. Celebrity presenters are being confirmed.
For more info on the event, please contact Mike Edison at High Times 212-387-0756 or Matt Heien at Network PR 212-290-1100 x17.
Hooray! Damn, I'm glad I took that typing class in 6th grade, and if I'd KNOWN there was going to be a "Stoner of the Year" award...well, shit. Besides that, the above comment makes me nervous about a certain issue that's been bothering me, and maybe you too. Has Cheech lost interest in weed? I mean, it was shocking enough when he shaved the moustache and dropped the East LA accent, which, in and of itself is fine. He's doing great right now, and good for him, I say, but once in a while, it would be nice to see him acknowledge the reason why many potriotic Americans love him so. I mean, Tommy Chong's character on That 70's Show is a straight up pothead, and if it weren't on opposite Buffy, I'd watch it for that reason alone. There just aren't enough potheads "out" on prime time television. You and I know this to be true. So Cheech, we love you, and we're glad you're making enormous rolls of cash, as all people should if they can, but in this day of certain governmental trends, I think we need you and your pal to come to the rescue. Please? Anyway, here are the lucky nominees:
Best Movie
Groove
Saving Grace
Steal This Movie!
Traffic
Strictly speaking, TRAFFIC didn't handle the marijuana issue at all or well, but it's definitely the best flick of the bunch, and the intentions are good.
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach
Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys
Vincent D'Onofrio in Steal This Movie!
Ice Cube in Next Friday
The Academy fucked him over like the stodgy old husks they are, but Michael Douglas deserves SOME damn award for Wonder Boys, it's such a good film. Lousy Oscars...
Best Actress
Brenda Blethyn in Saving Grace
Janeane Garofalo in Steal This Movie!
Lola Glaudini in Groove
Kate Hudson in Almost Famous
I think too many people like Almost Famous too much, so I go with Janeane. Not that she necessarily deserves an award, but she's in lots of stuff, and even though I don't think too much of it is terribly spectacular, I don't want to discourage her from keeping at it.
Best Documentary
Bittersweet Motel
The Filth and the Fury
Grass
Rebels With A Cause
GRASS! Because Ron Mann kicks ass all over the place, and because punk-ass ignorant kids don't watch or listen to anything older than a year or two, so somebody has to keep making these things.
Best Pot Scene
The Beach - new arrivals dance in the pot field
Human Traffic - Howard Marks discourses on spliff politics
Road Trip - Paolo Costanzo, Ed Lyndeck & dog smoke on porch + High Times ending
Scary Movie - Marlon Wayans & friends smoke out of aquarium
I have to give it to The Beach. I know, you're asking how I could give it to such a monstrous film, but this scene has some real joy in it. Kind of a Fantasy Island sort of thing. Hard to explain. Or, maybe not.
Stoner of the Year
Billy Crudup in Almost Famous + Jesus' Son
Ari Gold in Groove
Donal Logue in Tao of Steve + Steal This Movie!
Marlon Wayans in Scary Movie + Requiem For A Dream
For such an important-sounding award, I don't think this category should be limited to actors. That means a great stoner like Carl Sagan could have never won, and that just seems wrong. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time with this one. I don't want to say. Maybe this year, don't give it out. It's too honorable a title.
Best Soundtrack Album
Groove
High Fidelity
Grass
Almost Famous
Well, High Fidelity. Because, well, listen to it.
People's Choice: Best Stoner Movie
website vote on hightimes.com
The Cell
Dude, Where's My car?
Fantasia 2000
Next Friday
Road Trip
X-Men
Has to be Fantasia 2000. At least, from my understanding of the term "Stoner Movie". Pleasant and beautiful visuals and music, a true work of art, just wonderful. Quite deserving. Oh, and I should say, HOLY SHIT, the CELL? DAMN, I hope I never watch that steaming load while I'm high.
Lifetime Stony Achievement Awards will be given to:
Cheech & Chong for Up In Smoke, Next Movie, Nice Dreams, Still Smokin', etc.
D.A. Pennebaker for Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop & The War Room
Okay, so nothing is perfect. Good enough. At least their hearts are in the right place, and hopefully some filmmakers out there will see this as an incentive to make better and better weed-inspired movies. Tickets for the event are a mere $20.00, AND, at 7PM, they will be screening their upcoming movie! Upcoming movie? Details?
At 7 PM, there will be special screening of the upcoming movie High Times' Pot Luck. The cast includes Frank Adonis, Theo Kogan, Dan Lauria, Jason Isaacs, Jason Mewes and Tommy Chong. A gangster-stoner comedy, High Times' Pot Luck, directed by Alison Thompson and written by Victor Colicchio (Summer of Sam), has been described as "Cheech & Chong meets The Sopranos."
All that, with food and beverages. Yes. Damn good deal for 20 smackers. I can't believe Cheech thinks he has something better to do than go to this. Ah well, maybe he'll have a surprise change of heart? Then again, maybe he really does have something better to do. You probably don't, though, so go if you can, and if you can't, well, then, you know what to do to share in the spirit of things.
