Les allumés

The Stoned Age (1994)

*** (out of 4)

Buddies Hubbs (Bradford Tatum) and Joe (Michael Kopelow) are out driving around looking for some fun chicks when they hear about two of them. They decide to pay them a visit even though they belong to a crazed criminal and soon they're trying to score with them as well as get some alcohol. THE STONED AGE is a pretty lame brain movie but that really doesn't matter because it's a lot of fun. The cast is excellent, the director keeps things moving at a very good place, there's sex and nudity, a lot of drinking, mean pranks and a great 70's rock soundtrack. Many people have called this a dumbed down version of DAZED AND CONFUSED, which actually isn't fair because both films set out to do something completely different so it's not really fair to compare the two. With that said, this film here has so many hilarious moments that it's impossible to not really enjoy it. I think a lot of the charm comes from Tatum and the rather silly Joe as they get into one bad situation after another. Or, should I say that Joe gets into one bad situation after another and you just want to see the guy catch a break. The little journey here certainly isn't anything ground-breaking but it's a lot of fun and we get some great laughs along the way. The stuff dealing with Blue Oyster Cult is very funny and the chemistry between the two stars is very memorable and it's too bad more movies weren't made with them. I think ones entertainment level will probably be even higher if you can relate to these two guys. The driving around, looking for girls, smoking weed and just getting into trouble. The film is very innocent and oh so much fun.

If you read my review of this one from August of 99, then you have my opinion after watching only once and being disappointed by its comparisons to Dazed & Confused. The fact is-- after I rented it, I thought of this movie often. I thought of some of the funny lines, but mainly it was thought provoking in a sense; as though it worked on a deeper level than it was meant to deliver on. The characters were somehow very believable and the situations, though far fetched in a movie way, really reminded me of being there years ago. For example, while Joe's ramblings are misguided and nonsensical, it was evident that he had higher aspirations. His dialogue was like how a kid like that might talk in real life-- not like someone reading from a script might. Hubbs and Tack were classic movie characters, as well.

Unable to get the film out of my head, I decided I had to own it. I ordered a copy and watch it about once a month or so, howling with laughter each time. My point is that my initial impression was not nearly as favorable as it is now, partly based on certain expectations. If you realize from the outset that you're watching a B-movie and just enjoy it for what it is, you may find the hidden gem that I found.

If I read another posting saying this movie is a Dazed and Confused rip-off, I'm going to puke! This picture is an entirely better, funnier and more believable flick. I know because I went through all those experiences in the late 70's, early 80's. Dazed received all the hype but Stoned Age is a completely better movie. The characters are all completely likeable and at no point is the movie annoying or down- right boring compared to Dazed.

This is an awesome movie, but the reason why is pretty subtle (or maybe not so subtle). It is one of the few movies of this genre (rock n' roll pot smoking, sex, adolescent mayhem) which actually takes the audience seriously enough to bother putting in a plot, and a character -- Joe -- that is interesting, I mean, he's a nice guy who doesn't want to be a "worm," unlike his more-popular friend Hubbs, but he keeps getting cheated out of "his" chicks! I think this movie was cooked up as a studio marketing idea, that is, "Hey! Dazed and Confused is so popular right now, let's cash in on that craze and make a '70s kids-smoking-pot movie!" but the writer/director actually bothered to write something interesting instead of mindless eye-candy. Like a character in the movie says, "At least you've got something going on up there!" I also have to say that this is one of the few movies I've ever seen where metalheads are portrayed as the heroes. Too often headbangers in movies are shown as thugs, bullies or morons, but this flick dares to have heroes and sympathetic characters headbanging to Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult. A 10, definitely!

This is my fav movie, every person in this movie is cool. I wish some day that a sequal will be made, who ever made this movie should of won some kind of award,I think this movie doesn't get the credit it deserves for being one of the best films ever. It is sad that every movie now has either some fake rapper or a billion dollar budget, blue oyster cult is way cooler then nelly or emenim and colt 45 is way cooler then smirnof ice,I'm only 18 but I have way more respect for this generation then my own.