EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Cheryl Chapman Matt Stephens AD Sinha
EDITOR/CO-PRODUCER Will Becton
CO-PRODUCERS David Hausen Brandie Knight
EDITED BY Tom Walls Howard Leder
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Jeffery Gordon John Mato Jay Tobin
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS Bonita DeWolf Precious Chong
CINEMATOGRAPHERS Josh Gilbert John Ennis Tim Huber Sean McCall Melik Jonathan Schell
Sound Supervisor Michael "Maestro" Mancini
ORIGINAL SCORE BY Oz Noy
Awards
JURY PRIZE, BEST DOCUMENTARY - US Comedy Arts Festival, Aspen
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER - San Francisco Independent Film Festival
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER - Calgary Underground Film Festival
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER - Vancouver International Film Festival
BEST DOCUMENTARY - HighTimes Stony Awards
Festivals
Toronto Vancouver IDFA (Amsterdam) Victoria SF INDIE Palm Springs True/False Miami HBO USCAF (Aspen) SXSW Full Frame Calgary Underground Seattle Traverse City Film Festival
Professional Affiliations
DGA
a/k/a Tommy Chong's Interests
General
Tommy Chong at Chong Glass before the raid. The family business specialized in making glass water pipes or "bongs."
Archived Chong Glass Website
Attorney General John Ashcroft at Operation Pipe Dreams news conference. Appearing from left to right: Acting DEA Administrator John B. Brown, ONDCP Director John Walters, and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan. $12,000,000 was spent on the investigation.
Operation Pipe Dreams DOJ Press Release
Music
Before meeting Cheech Marin (who moved to Canada to avoid the draft) Tommy played rythm guitar in the Motown group Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. He wrote the lyrics to the hit song "Does Your Mama Know About Me?" Chong, a half Chinese half English/Irish boy growing up in Calgary in the 40s, experienced his fair share of rascism. He gravitated towards black music and culture, which he later cited as a major influence on Cheech & Chong's humor.
Movies
Tommy Chong was the only defendant of the 55 prosecuted in Operation Pipe Dreams with no prior convictions to serve time. Justifying the 9 month prison sentence, the prosector cited the classic 1978 Cheech & Chong movie "Up In Smoke" as evidence that Chong became wealthy by "trivializing law enforcement efforts to combat marijuana trafficking and use."
Television
"It just seems like selective prosecution. I'm not a drug guy at all. I don't even drink. But if I had an empty bottle I don't see how I could be convicted of carrying liquor if the bottle is empty. This is what I don't quite understand..."
Books
Eric Schlosser (left) author of "Reefer Madness" and "Fastfood Nation" being interviewed for the documentary by director Josh Gilbert.
Heroes
When Tommy was around 15 years old an older musician friend gave him a Lenny Bruce album and a joint.
Fan Release for a/k/a Tommy Chong
a/k/a Tommy Chong - the movie the Bush Administration didn’t want you to see - is now the home video they don’t want you to buy.
The film, a through-the-looking-glass documentary of a war-on-drugs gone nuts, has garnered praise and awards at film festivals and given a counter-culture hero his day in the court of public opinion.
Now, he’s making house calls.
The pre-release DVD date for Tommy's loyal fans is March 3, 2008.
You can buy the DVD exclusively from the official movie website www.akatommychong.com.
Fans have the opportunity to acquire the a/k/a Tommy Chong, FIRST, grass roots style. This is our way of saying thanks to all of Tommy’s devoted fans.
The national release date is April 20, 2008 (4/20).
For more a/k/a Tommy Chong Headline News, stay tuned to www.akatommychong.com.
"The real stoners in this excellent documentary are the administration officials drunk with power and out of control, and a nation of otherwise good people who've been given the worst drug of all -- fear." - Michael Moore
"Who could have known that Tommy Chong would turn out to be a great teacher of civil liberties and constitutional law, but his outrageous prosecution should be an object lesson for all who cherish our basic rights. This film is both fun and educational." - Alan Dershowitz
Tommy talks with Daedalus Howell about the his arrest and incarceration by the department of justice for selling bongs, and the film by Josh Gilbert that documents the experience.
Who I'd like to meet: Homer Simpson
Bob Dylan
Jesus
Tommy, I've bought the DVD already and it's great. It's so frustrating to be on the outside looking in. I can't imagine what it was like to be so involved as you and your family were. Better times ahead, I hope!
I loved this movie but I think it's pretty screwed up how they set Chong up. The fact the the US government can allow these cops and different organizations like the D.E.A.,FBI etc. to just break in to peoples houses and steal their shit weed or otherwise that they payed for is bullshit it is fucking theft.
yo tommy chiong!! big fan i love all my cheech n chiong shirts i fought my sckool to let me waer everyday!lol but yeah man please comment me back dont have to say much just a smoke on or sumthing alrite late
Before meeting Cheech Marin (who moved to Canada to avoid the draft) Tommy played rythm guitar in the Motown group Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. He wrote the lyrics to the hit song "Does Your Mama Know About Me?" Chong, a half Chinese half English/Irish boy growing up in Calgary in the 40s, experienced his fair share of rascism. He gravitated towards black music and culture, which he later cited as a major influence on Cheech & Chong's humor.
Eric Schlosser (left) author of "Reefer Madness" and "Fastfood Nation" being interviewed for the documentary by director Josh Gilbert.
When Tommy was around 15 years old an older musician friend gave him a Lenny Bruce album and a joint.
