short takes (3)

* Cheech and Chong's Next Movie is more competently made than their first film "Up in Smoke," which made unconscionably large amounts of money not long ago. In this one, it is even possible to figure out which one is Chong, who directed the picture. But the difference ends there; as before, the story consists of the sexual and scatological misadventures of two leftover hippies in Los Angeles. Does today's "counterculture" enjoy seeing itself parodied in terms of filth, stupidity, and endless marijuana haze? If so, it's a sign of the times that should be heeded.