The Stöned Age

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.

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.

I have seen this movie several times and just watched it again this weekend, and I still find it highly entertaining.

Those who feel that this movie is somehow weak, ineffective, or inferior to Dazed and Confused are most likely too young to have experienced the late 70's/early 80's.

While I did not grow up in Los Angeles during the 70's, things were essentially identical in southern Canada. Seeking out the evenings party, looking to score some pot and booze/beer, and with a little luck, getting laid were the prime motives of the evening. While that is no different than the motivations of today's teens, I think Stoned Age does a better job at depicting the scene relative to it's time than contemporary movies do at depicting the current era. It is not flashy, or glossy. Everyone is not a "beautiful person" driving a Porsche. These are teenagers after all!

At the risk of dating myself, it was also nice to watch a "teen" movie that didn't have a soundtrack entirely made up of Hip-Hop.

I think this is a wonderful movie! I sometimes find myself unable to rationalise why I like it, but all I know for sure is that I DO like it!

Like someone else mentioned, the characters are real. Like most, I can watch this movie and see people I knew back then who were carbon copies of the characters. Crump was the local heavy. Hubbs is a bit of dick, but ultimately an okay guy. Tack("You kak!"). Everyone knows a Tack! Laney was the hot chick/ball breaker that was/is indigenous to every high school, while girls like Jill(call me crazy, but I thought she was better looking for some reason) who have a brain and a personality are underrated.

And Joe? How many of us can relate to Joe on some level?

Cudos to the actor playing the clerk at the liquor store too!

This is a fine movie, and I would highly recommend that you check it out!

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!

Well, this is a party movie. I can't tell you how many times me and my friends have watched this film in relation to a record-breaking party night. Forget 'Dazed'. "YOU JUST GOTTA GO FOR IT!!!" If you are a young guy, this movie will become your bible. Celebrate your manhood and watch a great film before you tear loose on the women of your city. No fat chicks! Rock Out!