This week on #CouchLock we focus in on actor Justin Long and his cannabis laced films.
Long starred in the 2014 film called Tusk and, while it was being promoted, a Los Angeles dispensary released two speciality strains of pot to promote Kevin Smith’s new horror film.
The two strains were called TheWhite Walrus and Mr. Tusk, with Walrus being a more mellow high, while Tusk provides a more intense experience. Justin Long told The Metro that he was excited at the prospect of smoking cannabis named after the film.
“The White Walrus, I get. I’d like to try that. I’d like to try them both, but just in terms of watching the movie I don’t quite understand the more intense one, the Mr. Tusk. It’s already pretty intense on its own. But I guess if you want to just amp it up a little bit. I’m not a roller coaster guy, I don’t get that mentality.”
With his thirty-eighth birthday this week, Jun. 2, and his new film Yoga Hosers, another collaboration with famed stoner Kevin Smith, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to look at comedic actor Justin Long and all the great roles he’s had in cannabis related films.
We’re still waiting for confirmation on if he’ll do some dabs with Trevor and I on our podcast Flix Anonymous, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at a few of the pertinent films to this conversation.
Waiting…
In 2005, this film hit video store shelves (remember those?) and became an instant stoner favourite. Boasting a great cast with Dane Cook, David Koechner, Anna Faris and led by Justin Long and Ryan Reynolds, this film is infinitely quotable and made you terrified to ever send your food back to a restaurant’s kitchen. Characters Nick and T-Dog (Andy Milonakis and Max Kesch) were always blazing up, either behind Shenaniganz (the name of the restaurant) or enjoyed cold boxing the freezer.
Accepted
Released in 2006, Accepted is a film for a slacker audience. When Bartleby Gaines ( Justin Long) gets rejected by colleges, he takes it upon himself to create his own institute of “higher” learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology (beautiful acronym, right?). This film might be a little forgotten now, but it helped launch the career of Superbad actor Jonah Hill and features Ryan Reynold’s wife Blake Lively. Our cannabis conduit is when Glen (Adam Herschman), blows up the school lab by using unstable “herbs.”
Strange Wilderness
A Happy Madison movie from 2008 that got zero critical love, this film sits in the hearts of many comedy fans, with Justin Long playing the blood shot eyed, long haired and bearded Junior, who’s always taking a bong hit at the most inappropriate time. Yes, this movie is insane to a ridiculous degree, but if it wasn’t would you get Junior’s sage advice of, “Have you guys ever tried to poop and brush your teeth at the same time? It’s kind of hard.”
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Justin Long only appears in this film as the scene stealing gay porn actor boyfirend to Brandon Routh’s character at Zack and Miri’s high school reunion. It’s no secret that the film’s star Seth Rogen loves to smoke multiple joints at a time (duh) but this is actually the film that changed director Kevin Smith’s life and put him on the enlightened cannabis path.
Tusk
This entire film wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the magical flower we love to imbibe with. As I mentioned above, with Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Kevin Smith joined the cause and his trajectory of filmmaking all changed, as did his approach to podcasting. A known ‘wake and baker,’ Kev’s whole existence works alongside his high, and his ideas evolve through that as well. So, his podcast recordings with Scott Mosier called Smodcast started to evolve this idea of a man that wanted to turn another man into a walrus and thus birthed a stoner horror, of sorts.
Say what you will, but this is cannabis used to create something that wouldn’t have evolved anyway else.
Make sure to check Trevor Dueck and Steve Stebbing out every Friday on Cannabis in Canada for Flix Anonymous. They review all the new film releases, give you their weekly stoner flicks and more.
