After building up a dedicated following in the stand-up comedy scene and releasing comedy albums throughout the ’70s, Cheech and Chong took their act to the big screen, with huge success. Directed by Lou Adler, who produced their records, the film was not embraced by many critics, but became immediately popular with stoners and outsider young adults. First earning impressive sales in pre-release screenings, it became extremely profitable through its run. The following year the film had two midnight screenings at the Cannes Film Festival and quickly became a mainstay of midnight movies, establishing itself as a cult classic and the archetypal stoner film.