Whenever somebody suggests a movie to watch while high it’s always a film that focuses on marijuana. There are some classics that I enjoy like Half Baked, How High?, and Dazed and Confused but I don’t always want to watch a movie about the particular activity I’m partaking in. I would much rather watch a quality film that can be enhanced through the use of Mary Jane. So make some munchies, grab some buds and enjoy some of the best movies to watch stoned.
Enter the Void
Gaspar Noe’s psychedelic melodrama tells the story of drug dealer who dies after he discovers the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the psychedelic drug DMT. After his death the protagonist’s soul floats through the past, present, and future before his soul can make its “next step”. The film is visually impressive and very trippy. I have seen it at least five times and I still don’t truly understand the arc. The intro sequence itself is reason enough to watch the film. (Warning: Don’t watch if you have epilepsy)
Evil Dead II
My favorite horror movie, Evil Dead II is the sequel/remake of the original Evil Dead and follows Ash Williams as he battles the evil forces that have been unleashed after his group of friends read from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. What ensues is a cavalcade of demons possessing humans and inanimate objects. Gleefully campy Evil Dead II introduced the concept of replacing an arm with a functional chainsaw.
Wet Hot American Summer
One of the funniest films ever made, Wet Hot American Summer stars some of the biggest names in comedy today including Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, and many more. A parody of 80’s summer camp movies Wet Hot American Summer is unrelenting in its pursuit of a laugh, including a gay sex scene between Michael Ian Black and Bradley Cooper that Cooper chose to film instead of attend his college graduation ceremony. Here is a clip of a Rocky-esque montage from the film’s conclusion.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Beautifully shot, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth puts a twist on the traditional fairy tale as protagonist Ofelia explores a fantasy world in fascist Spain in the 1940’s
Waking Life
Richard Linklater’s Waking Life explores the concept of lucid dreaming through several interconnected stories. The film was an artistic break through as it uses a unique animation technique where animators literally painted or drew every live action scene after it was shot on video. Superbly trippy and cerebral; Waking Life makes you question your very existence.
The Fall
Another visual masterpiece Tarsem Singh’s The Fall explores the relationship between a bed ridden stuntman and a young Romanian child, Adrienne, with a broken arm. The stuntman regales Adrienne with a fairy tale about her name sake. Equally fantastic and dark, The Fall is a triumph.
Mrs. Doubtfire
You can’t really go wrong with Mrs. Doubtfire it’s a heartwarming movie that I’m sure everybody has already seen. Sometimes when I’m high on maryjane I just like to sit back and watch a movie from my child hood. Some other great kid movies that I’ve watched stoned recently are The Lion King, Goofy movie and The Page Master… and yes The Page Master is still terrifying.
Lord of the Rings Animated Film
Long before Peter Jackson’s epic live action trilogy Ralph Baski recreated Tolkien’s Middle Earth with animation. I like to get a pint of mead, fill a Sherlock pipe with some boobah and puff away like Gandalf.
Heima
Icelandic ambient rock powerhouse Sigur Ros released this documentary film about their tour around Iceland in the summer of 2006. The film features not only exclusive live performances but stunning atmospheric videography. I watched this the second time I ever got high and basked in euphoric bliss. The whole film can be viewed here.
Eraserhead
The first time I ever got high with my buddies we knew that we wanted to watch David Lynch’s directorial debut Eraserhead. A truly surreal film I would try to explain the plot but honestly mere words won’t do it justice. Pretty much any David Lynch movie is a good choice if you are smoking the devil’s lettuce but this one is by far his most avant-garde.
Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny
Admittedly this is totally a stoner movie but it’s one of my favorites and it never seems to get any love on the internet. From beginning to end I think Pick of Destiny is hilarious. Who doesn’t want to see Jack Black high on mushrooms flying a Sasquatch like a magic carpet?
