Like, whatever, man Double Bill

So, yeah, time to break out the maryjane and bongs for a couple of stoner-comedy-detective-LA-hippy films. And just think, man, maybe the films are real, like, and reality is the fiction, you know? Did you ever think about that? Yeah, man, no, really, that's, like, groovy, man.

Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014) will, like, mess with your mind, man. Set in 70s LA, stoner PI Larry 'Doc' Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix, sporting a magnificent pair of mutton chops) takes on a number of cases which end up overlapping in surprising ways. At least I think they do. Truth be told, the plot is deliberately and hilariously convoluted, so if anyone can follow who's doing what when and why, well, you know, I want some of what they're smoking, man. As well as paying homage to the labyrinthine plots of Raymond Chandler, it also takes inspiration from the stoner comedies of Cheech and Chong and spoofs like Airplane! and Police Squad! with some good sight gags, slapstick and funny cameos from an impressive cast (Owen Wilson, Martin Short, Benicio del Toro, Reese Witherspoon et al). In the end, I'm not sure it really all hangs together - Incoherent Vice, eh? AMIRITE? And they say drugs dull the mind. Pfft! But, well, maybe it doesn't need to make sense, maybe we should all just go with the flow, man. Think of it as the Long Good Big Sleepy Lebowski, you dig? And if you jive with this, my man...*click click*. I asked my good friend and stoner Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski what he made of it.

Like, whoa!, man, that's such a coincidence! Cos, like, i was just watching The Big Lebowski (Coen Bros, 1998) like, the other day, man! A strong contender for the Coens' funniest film, it's also a convoluted LA tale about perennial stoner Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski (Jeff Bridges, sporting a magnificently befuddled demeanour), who gets mixed up with various crazies in a case of mistaken identity, although his own close friend Walter (John Goodman) may actually be more crazy than any of them. Oh, and there's bowling and music too, you dig? Again a terrific cast of Coen regulars (Jon Turturro, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, PeterStormare) breathe life into the colourful characters who flit in and out of the story like, like, like.....in-and-out flitting things. I think it's an endlessly quotable, very funny and surreal spin on the LA private eye genre, but, well, you know, that's just, like, my opinion, man. Given The Dude's input above, it seemed only fair to ask my other good friend and stoner Larry 'Doc' Sportello what he made of it.

Well, what would they know? Damn pothead slackers. But you, dear reader, that was some good shit, right? Like that time we went up the lake and got a little crazy, remember? Good times, my friends, good times. And, well, what does it all mean anyway? Films and blogging and, like, life? I dunno, man, seems like sometimes you get kicked in the nuts and other time the nuts just kick you right back. Hold on, wait, that doesn't sound right....um.......wait.......what are we taking about again?