Half-Baked. Happy Gilmore. Billy Madison. Grandma’s Boy. Dude, Where’s My Car? Where have the movies like this gone? Clerks 3 was, I think, the last good one I’ve ever seen (and even they got too real and too sad so I don’t even know if I ever want to see it again as a comedy). There’s gotta be some good, funny shit that’s even funnier when stoned out of your mind that’s more recent than that, right?
Probably just need some screenwriter to come up with a good idea, shop it around to a bunch of studios who all say “no” then go to their staff writers to write up a knock off that won’t get them sued. (“What if there’s a stoner who starts out good for nothing but has a redemption arc? That’s genius!!”)
So then instead of the originally written good version you get 5 campy hack versions that all get cranked out in 6 to 12 months. If the screenwriter can pull it off she’ll develop hers independently and get it out in 18 months but be accused of being unoriginal.
If you ever notice a bunch of similar movies coming out within 6 months of each other, this is pretty much why that happens.
That’s a good point. I really need to start seeing who wrote things more than looking at directors and studios. Maybe the funny writers are working on stuff that looks serious, but is actually filled with jokes.
Comedy has taken itself too seriously in recent years. Having a goofy premise or an outrageous hero was normal. They need something to sell and taking the risk is not in the cards for most producers.
Maybe you can get Kevin Smith to open a production company for comedians.
Smiley Face with Anna Farris. It’s not new but truly is a hidden gem of a stoner comedy. Really weird themes about ideologies sprinkled all through as well.
Warning: Danny Masterson has a side role in it and plays a terrifying creep. Also the CGI effects at the ending are laughable
Don’t forget about all the Harold and Kumars, pineapple express, basically every other movie with Seth rogan, all the bill and Ted’s, Project x, role models, tropic thunder, horrible bosses, 21 jump street, etc. Some of these are also older, but I do think there are a lot more out there than you’re listing
Hollywood budgets have ballooned and killed mid-budget pictures. Typically these would be genre pieces like comedy or horror movies. I think horror could be in a similar shape to comedy if it weren’t for A24 producing a lot of mid budget films.
Big budget action/comic book movies are still seen like a better investment because audiences have only just started losing interest from a very high peak.
They still exist, but the comedians you’re nostalgic for doing them have gotten old now. And watching an old man trying to carry on like a teenager is more pathetic than funny.
You’re right I feel like I see less of movies like that. Not saying they’re good or I’d want to watch them, but scrolling through rotten tomatoes “Ricky Stanicky” and “Snack Shack” look like they’d fit in that genre and both came out this year.
Ricky Stanicky is a comedy, but it isn’t a stoner film. It is more like a lighter version of The Hangover with less drugging and drinking. 7/10, it was a fun romp with John Cena.
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