Josh Gilbert's compelling documentary focuses on events leading up to the February 24, 2003 DEA raid on the Pacific Palisades, CA home of comic actor Tommy Chong, who was convicted and sentenced (after a plea bargain) to nine months in a federal prison for “conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drug paraphernalia through his family business”—i.e., autographed glass bongs. Although Chong was only one of 56 individuals arrested as part of the DEA sweep, he received the most severe sentence, and the film stridently insists that Chong's opposition to the occupation of Iraq played a part in that decision (a somewhat flimsy charge; his celebrity status was more likely a driving factor). Chong's one-time comic partner Richard “Cheech” Marin appears in interviews, as do Jay Leno and Bill Maher, who offer moral support for funnyman Chong. Of course, there is nothing funny about the misapplication of drug enforcement laws and a ham-handed pursuit of justice: if anything, Chong's legal dilemma seems like a sick joke (although Chong himself appears to be without bitterness or rancor). Offering a cogent argument that the War on Drugs has been a dismal catastrophe and is in drastic need of an overhaul, this is recommended. (P. Hall)
a/k/a Tommy Chong
Infinity, 80 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98 Volume 23, Issue 6
a/k/a Tommy Chong
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