Super High Me
Super High Me | |
---|---|
Directed by | Michael Blieden |
Produced by | Alex Campbell |
Starring | Doug Benson |
Cinematography | Brandon Hickman |
Edited by | Alexis Hanawalt |
Distributed by | Red Envelope Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Super High Me is a 2007 documentary film about the effects of smoking cannabis for 30 days. Directed by Michael Blieden, the documentary stars comedian Doug Benson. The documentary's name and its poster are plays on the 2004 documentary Super Size Me.
Synopsis
Super High Me documents Benson avoiding cannabis for a cleansing period and then smoking and otherwise consuming cannabis every day for 30 days in a row.[1] Benson says that Super High Me is "Super Size Me with cannabis instead of McDonald's".[2] The film also includes interviews with marijuana activists, dispensary owners, politicians and patients who are part of the medical cannabis movement. The DVD was released on April 20, 2008.
Benson underwent various tests to gauge his physical and mental health, first during a 30-day period in which he abstained from cannabis use, then during another 30-day period in which he smoked and ingested cannabis every day. Benson's physician concluded that the effects on Benson's health from his use of cannabis were generally inconsequential. The greatest undesirable changes noted were a weight gain of eight pounds during his "high" month and a significant decrease in his ability to do mental mathematics. His
Sober Period | High Period | |
---|---|---|
Psychic ESP Test | 1/25 | 7/25 |
The SAT | 980/1600 | 1030/1600 |
Mini-Mental Status Review (Normal = 22+) | 27/29 | 24/29 |
Lung Capacity | 92% | 89% |
Sperm Count (20 million/mL is normal) | 21 million/mL | 32 million/mL |
Weight Change | −2 lbs. | +8 lbs. |
At the end of the experiment, Benson expressed surprise that he did not acquire any aversion to the drug after such continual use, something which he had predicted at the beginning.
The end credits contain a dedication to Michelle Benjamin, a friend of the filmmakers who was killed in a traffic accident involving a drunk driver.[3]
Cast
- Alex Campbell
- Brian Unger
- Gary Cohan
- Robert Gore
- Sean Tabibian
- Paul F. Tompkins
- Bob Odenkirk
- Graham Elwood
- Jimmy Dore
- Greg Proops
- Rob Huebel
- Rob Riggle
- Brian Posehn
- Patton Oswalt
- Sarah Silverman
- Arj Barker
- Zach Galifianakis
- Jeff Ross
Production
The star of the film, comedian
Reception
Super High Me had a regional premiere at the South by Southwest film festival in March 2008, where it screened alongside two other marijuana-focused films, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Humboldt County.[4] The documentary premiered to the public in the widest documentary opening ever, screening at over 1,000 venues on April 20, 2008. The release date was 4/20 in American vernacular, intended to reflect the number 420 in cannabis culture.[1] The film was distributed by Red Envelope Entertainment (a distribution arm of Netflix), B-side, and Screen Media Films in a partnership. The companies arranged for grassroots screening events, where people could sign up on a website to receive a free DVD and have a public screening with a group of any size. The aim of the distribution strategy was to encourage later DVD sales.[7]
Frank Scheck of
Legal dispute over sequel
In 2014, the film's other producers planned to release a sequel, Super High Me Redux, which would have shown additional footage taken for the film. Doug sued them to stop the film from getting made.[10][11]
References
- ^ a b c Jelbert, Steve (May 29, 2008). "Super High Me reveals the secrets of a rolling stoner". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.
- ^ Vin's F*****g Uncensored Blog: 6/29/08- This week's guest: Doug Benson
- ^ What happened on January 28 2007 Archived August 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Lee, Chris (March 17, 2008). "The Buzz is High at Southwest Film Fest". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "superhighmenyc". 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
- ^ Shaw, Michael (April 20, 2008). "A task that gives him such a high". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Jones, Michael (March 11, 2008). "SXSW: Companies pact to distribute 'Super High Me'". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (April 23, 2008). "Film Review: Super High Me". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Rahner, Mark (April 11, 2008). "'Super High Me': Dude, we're just not feelin' your buzz". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Chris Roberts. "Why is Doug Benson Blocking a Super High Me Sequel? | Chem Tales | San Francisco | San Francisco News and Events". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
- ^ Kenneally, Tim (18 August 2015). "Comedian Doug Benson Sues to Block 'Super High Me' Stoner Documentary Sequel". TheWrap. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
External links
- Super High Me at IMDb
- Super High Me at Rotten Tomatoes
- Official song from Super High Me on Songpull