The Honest Trailer for 4/20 covers Reefer Madness and The Big Lebowski. 4/20, or April 20, is an unofficial cannabis holiday that combines aspects of peaceful protest and communal celebration. Both the horrendously hilarious 1936 anti-marijuana educational film and the Coen Brothers' stoner masterpiece have become popular 4/20 viewing options, with the latter known for its existential musings and drug-addled plot.
In honor of April 20, Screen Junkies has released an Honest Trailer for Reefer Madness and The Big Lebowski. Technically speaking, the trailer leans Lebowski as the "stoned" narrator tires of the melodramatic teachings of Reefer Madness, widely considered one of the worst films of all time. Over the course of the trailer, the narrator suggests that the best way to The Big Lebowski is not to solve its mysteries but, you know, to like, let the film wash over you until its unique strain of humor "cracks your brain open." The nearly eight-minute video is punctuated by pauses, tangents, and the crunch of potato chips, all familiar sounds to any stoner. Check out the 4/20-approved Honest Trailer in full below:
While Reefer Madness' association with 4/20 derives from its adverse messaging, The Big Lebowski's own journey from box office bomb to stoner movie royalty is somewhat more complicated. Though the film suffered from middling reviews and low ticket sales upon its 1998 release, The Big Lebowski gradually inspired a festival in its honor, as well as a semi-serious religion, a sequel, and dozens of other enterprises. In 2014, The Big Lebowski officially graduated into cinema status when it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress, four years after making the late Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list. So, whether or not the latest Honest Trailer inspires you to celebrate 4/20 yourself, both Reefer Madness and The Big Lebowski are indelible parts of stoner cinematic history worth watching any day.
Source: Screen Junkies