Movies To Smoke To, Volume 2.

Higher Education
May 12, 2021

At New Standard, we’re all about the power of cannabis to make life better in ways big and small. It’s why we work so hard to make cannabis enjoyment easy. All of which made us wonder, why does romance have to be difficult? That’s why this year, we’re setting a new standard for Valentine’s day that is all about ease and comfort. So don’t sweat the table for two. Cancel the 24 long stem roses (seriously, where are you even going to put that many roses?). Don’t worry about the extra pounds you are packing or your winter skin-tone.

Just kick back with someone you love, partake of your New Standard fave and watch a great movie. Try edibles for a slow, sustained high that’s like a warm hug. Or get tactile with topicals. They say being confident and at ease is the ultimate aphrodisiac, so let cannabis help you unwind, awaken your senses, and experience the moment more fully. With our go-to movie recommendations below, there’s no need to miss out on the feels, even if you are passing on the candle-lit dinner.

The best stoner romance hands down: ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,’ 2004.

The mind-blowing style of director Michael Gondry and the writer Charlie Kaufman’s surreal narrative invention are known for their mind-altering effects. So when the two joined forces for “Eternal Sunshine,” we were virtually guaranteed a stoner classic.

Jim Carrey is a shy heartbroken introvert, Joel Barish. He reluctantly signs up for a revolutionary new procedure to erase all memories of his relationship with Clementine (Kate Winslett) when he finds out she’s already done the same. We spend the film inside Joel’s head as he relives moments in their doomed romance that increasingly seem worth holding on to. The film is conceptually ambitious, and Carrey and Winslett make a tender couple, suggesting that even the bad times are to be cherished when it comes to forging bonds that matter.

NS Fun facts:
  • The movies of the Coen Brothers films are always richly detailed and atmospheric. Carrey spoke most of his lines with such an uncharacteristically quiet delivery that the production was forced to work out novel ways to mic him so that his dialogue could be intelligible.
  • Kate Winslet has spoken of Clementine as the one character she would like to play again, commenting at the 2017 New York Film Festival, “I’d love to know what happened to her. I love the idea that she just let herself get really fat and just totally let go of her hang-ups about her body and just indulged in everything that made her feel happy.”
Watch for:
  • Jim Carrey’s immortal take on the significance of February 14th – “Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”
  • Kirsten Dunst’s small but scene-stealing role as doctor’s assistant who attends to Jim Carrey during his memory-erasing procedure which is clearly very, very high

The high school romance: ‘Juno,’ 2007

“Juno” makes no effort to hide its quirkiness, but it is so original and self-assured that you’ll quickly look past its more obvious indie affectations and love it. Elliott Page plays “Juno” – a smart, funny, sarcastic emo kid who deflowers her gormless nerd best friend Michael Cera and finds herself pregnant, turning everyone’s world upside down at a stroke.

Michael Cera is charming as a boy, both transfixed and terrified by Juno’s precociousness. JK Simmons and Allison Janney are hilarious as unconventional parents trying to take this earth-shattering development in their stride, while Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman bring poignancy to their roles as a slightly damaged couple looking to adopt Juno’s baby. And then there is Juno as played by Elliot Page – a hilarious, pint-sized force of nature adrift in this universe of lovable oddballs.

NS Fun facts:
  • Made for only $6.5 million, Juno defied expectations when it grossed $231 million worldwide and bagged four Oscar nominations
  • The soundtrack went platinum – it’s full of the kind of outstanding indie and alternative rock that Juno and Mark Loring (Jason Bateman) bond over
  • Michael Cera plays acoustic guitar on the soundtrack
Watch for:
  • Boysenberry-flavored condoms “that make your junk smell like pie.”

The cry your eyes out classic: ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ 2017

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are probably aware of Timothy Chalamet – the soulful American-French actor of the moment. And if you aren’t, then his breakthrough film “Call Me By Your Name” should be the only thing you watch this Valentine’s Day.

Set in the Italian town of Crema in the ’80s, Chalamet is Elio – the gifted teenage son of a university professor. He experiences the platonic ideal of summer romance and sexual awakening when Oliver, the all-American house-guest/ grad student played by Armie Hammer, comes to stay. To say any more would spoil what is one of the most absorbing romances ever filmed. Chalamet is a revelation.

The setting is a character in and of itself – The jasmine-scented breeze and languid summer nights make love and heartbreak inevitable. “Call Me By Your Name” will level you and reverberate – just as the memory of this summer will for Elio and Oliver.

NS Fun facts:
  • Call Me By Your Name won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as securing nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor
  • In case you did cry enough, director Luca Guadagnino has expressed a desire to make a sequel based on Oliver and Elio’s relationship over the next 20 years
Watch for:
  • A cameo by a peach (always a heavy-handed metaphor), taken to the next level and then some.
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