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Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams
Sony Pictures // R // May 9, 2006
List Price: $14.94 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
A 1981 Cheech and Chong comedy that's high on laughs but as low on plot as you'd expect, "Nice Dreams" still manages to be another entertaining outing for the duo. The Bill and Ted or Dumb and Dumber of their day, Cheech and Chong released several popular movies in the late 70's & early 80's before heading on their separate stoner ways - Chong, for example, can be seen on "That 70's Show". In "Nice Dreams", the two open up an ice cream business that's actually a front for selling their particular brand of weed.
Of course, the cops are after them, including Sarge, played by Stacey Keach ("Titus"). The majority of the movie revolves around the usual stoner humor, including a silly joke about the fact that the weed is so strong that it turns things into lizards, including a pigeon that's been sitting on Sarge's window and eventually, Sarge himself. It's amusingly low-key and rambling, with much of the film coasting on it's energy and good nature.
"Nice Dreams" is one of those pictures that tries to throw everything at the audience (the movie is a series of bits in place of a plot, really) in the hopes that some of it sticks. Some of the gags work well and get a couple of laughs going, while others seemed flat or just too random for their own good. As for performances, Cheech and Chong always play off one another well, and supporting efforts by Keach, Paul Reubens and others are fun. Certainly typecast (for the most part) after this series, they play these parts fine each time. "Nice Dreams" definitely seems dated now and it isn't their best work, but it's good for a couple of laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Nice Dreams" is presented both in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen edition and a full_frame edition. Both are accessible from the main menu. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widesreen edition looked quite good, except for a few minor flaws that popped up along the way. Sharpness and detail were generally very good - there were a couple of interior scenes that looked slightly on the soft side, but overall, I was suprised at how crisp most of the movie appeared.
Flaws came up in a few scenes, but didn't cause a great deal of concern, just a little bit of slight distraction. Grain appeared in some sequences, as did print flaws. Marks, slight scratches, speckles and other faults were occasionally visible. The movie didn't display major wear, but these problems were infrequently visible. I didn't notice anything in the way of pixelation or edge enhancement.
Colors seemed fine, but not terrific. Some scenes displayed slightly faded or bland looking colors, but the majority of the movie looked fairly good, but not great. Overall, this isn't a terrific presentation, but its passable for its age. English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai subtitles are available.
SOUND: "Nice Dreams" is presented in mono and although not terrific, it certainly sounded better than I'd expect from a mono presentation for a film from the early 80's. The music sounded clear and provided some light bass, but light richness, although certainly there wasn't much bass to any of it. Dialogue sounded fine as well, clear and never thin. Not a whole lot going on, but fine for the material.
EXTRAS: Talent files and trailers for "Homegrown" and "So I Married An Axe Murderer".
Final Thoughts: "Nice Dreams" is an occasionally amusing comedy, but I think it's not everyone's brand of humor. This re-release of the prior edition still offers the same fine audio/video quality, but still little in the way of supplements. Recommended for fans.
A 1981 Cheech and Chong comedy that's high on laughs but as low on plot as you'd expect, "Nice Dreams" still manages to be another entertaining outing for the duo. The Bill and Ted or Dumb and Dumber of their day, Cheech and Chong released several popular movies in the late 70's & early 80's before heading on their separate stoner ways - Chong, for example, can be seen on "That 70's Show". In "Nice Dreams", the two open up an ice cream business that's actually a front for selling their particular brand of weed.
Of course, the cops are after them, including Sarge, played by Stacey Keach ("Titus"). The majority of the movie revolves around the usual stoner humor, including a silly joke about the fact that the weed is so strong that it turns things into lizards, including a pigeon that's been sitting on Sarge's window and eventually, Sarge himself. It's amusingly low-key and rambling, with much of the film coasting on it's energy and good nature.
"Nice Dreams" is one of those pictures that tries to throw everything at the audience (the movie is a series of bits in place of a plot, really) in the hopes that some of it sticks. Some of the gags work well and get a couple of laughs going, while others seemed flat or just too random for their own good. As for performances, Cheech and Chong always play off one another well, and supporting efforts by Keach, Paul Reubens and others are fun. Certainly typecast (for the most part) after this series, they play these parts fine each time. "Nice Dreams" definitely seems dated now and it isn't their best work, but it's good for a couple of laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Nice Dreams" is presented both in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen edition and a full_frame edition. Both are accessible from the main menu. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widesreen edition looked quite good, except for a few minor flaws that popped up along the way. Sharpness and detail were generally very good - there were a couple of interior scenes that looked slightly on the soft side, but overall, I was suprised at how crisp most of the movie appeared.
Flaws came up in a few scenes, but didn't cause a great deal of concern, just a little bit of slight distraction. Grain appeared in some sequences, as did print flaws. Marks, slight scratches, speckles and other faults were occasionally visible. The movie didn't display major wear, but these problems were infrequently visible. I didn't notice anything in the way of pixelation or edge enhancement.
Colors seemed fine, but not terrific. Some scenes displayed slightly faded or bland looking colors, but the majority of the movie looked fairly good, but not great. Overall, this isn't a terrific presentation, but its passable for its age. English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai subtitles are available.
SOUND: "Nice Dreams" is presented in mono and although not terrific, it certainly sounded better than I'd expect from a mono presentation for a film from the early 80's. The music sounded clear and provided some light bass, but light richness, although certainly there wasn't much bass to any of it. Dialogue sounded fine as well, clear and never thin. Not a whole lot going on, but fine for the material.
EXTRAS: Talent files and trailers for "Homegrown" and "So I Married An Axe Murderer".
Final Thoughts: "Nice Dreams" is an occasionally amusing comedy, but I think it's not everyone's brand of humor. This re-release of the prior edition still offers the same fine audio/video quality, but still little in the way of supplements. Recommended for fans.
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