How High
Encyclopedia
How High is a 2001 stoner comedy starring Method Man
and Redman, written by Dustin Lee Abraham
, and director Jesse Dylan
's debut feature film. Entertainment Weekly
rated it third in their "Best Stoner Movie" top ten list. The movie also won the Stony Award
of 2002 for the Best Stoner Movie.
: Silas (Method Man
) and Jamal (Redman). When Silas's friend Ivory (Chuck Davis) dies, Silas uses his ashes as fertilizer
for a new batch of marijuana
. While both are sitting in the parking lot before taking their "THC" (Testing for Higher Credentials, a parody of the SAT
in allusion to Tetrahydrocannabinol
) exams for college, neither is able to smoke his individual marijuana stash without the help of the other. They soon discover that smoking Silas's new batch summons the ghost of the recently deceased Ivory, visible to just the two of them. Ivory tells them the test answers as they take the test and they both score perfect scores. Several dubious colleges offer the pair scholarship
s, but none of them are appealing. Eventually, Chancellor Huntley (Fred Willard
) suggests the two apply to Harvard University
.
Once there, they meet Bart (Chris Elwood), captain of the rowing
team, his girlfriend Lauren (Lark Voorhies
), I Need Money (Al Shearer
), and their roommates Jeffrey (Justin Urich) & Tuan (Trieu Tran). Once they are settled in, they visit Dean Carl Cain (Obba Babatundé
) who tells them that per the terms of their scholarship, they must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in order to remain at Harvard, or else face expulsion
.
Jamal joins the rowing team hoping to outrank Bart, and Silas enrolls in the Botany
class to develop his "herbal" skills (as opposed to verbal
). They both enroll in black history together, although there are two other classes in which they have enrolled alone. Throughout the first half of the school year, they pass every test with the help of Ivory. Silas continues to woo and study with Lauren, while Jamal dates the U.S. vice president
's daughter Jamie (Essence Atkins
).
Also during the first half of the semester, they pull pranks and steal, which angers Bart, Jeffrey (who is pledging for a Final Club
), and Dean Cain. However, things go downhill after Silas and Jamal's raucous Halloween
party. At the party, Gerald (T.J. Thyne), the volunteer officer whose bicycle was stolen and crushed by I Need Money, steals and smokes the Ivory plant, leaving the pair without access to Ivory.
Silas begins working on a truth serum
for his Botany class, using plant extracts. Silas concludes that, if his experiment works, he will earn an A in Botany, and a guarantee of a next semester. However, his experiment fails numerous times. Before midterm
examinations
, Jamal suggests they go to a graveyard, dig up a "smart dead guy", and smoke his remains; Silas suggests simply that they study hard for a few hours a day while high. They try Silas's plan, but it does not pan out, as they end up failing almost all of their midterm exams.
Desperate to stay in Harvard, they try Jamal's plan, but it proves fruitless, as well. Meanwhile, Gerald, who has morphed into a complete stoner, sees Ivory during one of his binge
s, and, at Ivory's behest, returns the remnants of the Ivory plant to Jamal and Silas. However, because very little remains due to Gerald's abuse of the plant, Jamal and Silas continue to fail their classes (which excites Dean Cain).
With the last final exam approaching, Jamal and Silas resign themselves to give up. However, Jeffrey reminds Silas of his guarantee of another semester if he can successfully fix his truth serum experiment. Silas ultimately does, having found a solution in which the last of Ivory's leaves could be used to counteract nausea.
Nonetheless, because of their low grades, Jamal and Silas do not receive an invitation to the Harvard Alumni
party. Dean Cain, clearly thrilled with this result, tells Bart he does not have to worry about the pair showing up or staying in Harvard. However, that all that changes when Jamie invites them both as her dates, as her father is an alumnus. At the party, Silas makes things a bit more interesting by testing out his truth serum experiment, which proves successful.
At Lauren's presentation at the alumni party of Benjamin Franklin's artifacts, which she discovered as she was helping to dig up the "smart dead guy", she shocks everyone with her discovery: the artifacts turn out to be a bong
. Dean Cain is outraged by this finding, but the Chancellor decides that he has had it with the Dean and fires him. Jamal and Silas are proud that the serum worked, a celebration that was almost short-lived, as Dean Cain returns and unsuccessfully attempts to kill them both. He is eventually apprehended by Secret Service
. At the end, Jamal and Silas are able to stay, Jamal and Jamie get approval of Jamie's father to date, and Lauren leaves Bart for Silas because Bart could never satisfy her sexually.
for the release delay, stating: "They're not opening that money door for us to shoot it. We promoted the shit out of that movie. We got the whole world waiting for a How High 2." On November 15th, 2010, Redman further stated, "The Black Out 3 is coming, Muddy Waters Part 2 is coming and How High Part 2 is coming. But remember, Universal
owns the rights to How High. They own the names, they own the characters, they own the whole thing. If Red and Meth do a movie, we can't call it How High. Only person that can get us out of that is Keenan Ivory Wayans." On December 2010 Redman confirmed that Universal Pictures
is holding the rights of How High so the chances of How High 2 coming out are slim. On June 12, 2011 Method Man announced during Wu-Tang Clan's set at the HMV Forum that How High 2.0 was coming to cinemas in 2012.
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
and Redman, written by Dustin Lee Abraham
Dustin Lee Abraham
Dustin Lee Abraham is an American actor, producer and screenwriter. He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He penned the 2001 cult movie How High for Method Man and Redman. As of 2009, he produces and writes for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
, and director Jesse Dylan
Jesse Dylan
Jesse Dylan is an American film director, and the founder, CEO and creative director of the media production company Wondros.-Personal Life:...
's debut feature film. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
rated it third in their "Best Stoner Movie" top ten list. The movie also won the Stony Award
Stony Awards
The High Times Stony Awards , sponsored by High Times magazine, celebrate the "highest and stoniest" movies and TV shows of the year. The High Times Stonys began as an annual article in High Times magazine conceived by Senior Editor Steve Bloom...
of 2002 for the Best Stoner Movie.
Plot
The plot is centered around two underachieving pot smokersCannabis smoking
Cannabis smoking involves inhaling vapors released by heating the flowers and subtending leaves of the Cannabis plants, known as marijuana. Alternatively, the cannabis plant flowers may be finely sifted producing kief, a powder especially rich in the oil-glands or trichomes which contain the...
: Silas (Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
) and Jamal (Redman). When Silas's friend Ivory (Chuck Davis) dies, Silas uses his ashes as fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
for a new batch of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. While both are sitting in the parking lot before taking their "THC" (Testing for Higher Credentials, a parody of the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
in allusion to Tetrahydrocannabinol
Tetrahydrocannabinol
Tetrahydrocannabinol , also known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol , Δ1-THC , or dronabinol, is the main chemical psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant. It was first isolated in 1964. In pure form, it is a glassy solid when cold, and becomes viscous and sticky if warmed...
) exams for college, neither is able to smoke his individual marijuana stash without the help of the other. They soon discover that smoking Silas's new batch summons the ghost of the recently deceased Ivory, visible to just the two of them. Ivory tells them the test answers as they take the test and they both score perfect scores. Several dubious colleges offer the pair scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s, but none of them are appealing. Eventually, Chancellor Huntley (Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
) suggests the two apply to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Once there, they meet Bart (Chris Elwood), captain of the rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
team, his girlfriend Lauren (Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies is an American actress who rose to fame playing Lisa Turtle in Saved by the Bell, for which she was nominated for the Young Artist Award four times, winning in 1990 and 1993. She also portrayed the role as a regular on Good Morning, Miss Bliss.-Acting career:Voorhies made her acting...
), I Need Money (Al Shearer
Al Shearer
Al Shearer is an American actor. He portrayed Nevil Shed in the 2006 Disney blockbuster Glory Road , produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Shearer might be best known for his role on the MTV series Punk'd, or as "Hits" - host of the once-popular BET series Hits from the Street.Shearer was born in...
), and their roommates Jeffrey (Justin Urich) & Tuan (Trieu Tran). Once they are settled in, they visit Dean Carl Cain (Obba Babatundé
Obba Babatunde
Obba Babatundé is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C...
) who tells them that per the terms of their scholarship, they must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in order to remain at Harvard, or else face expulsion
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
.
Jamal joins the rowing team hoping to outrank Bart, and Silas enrolls in the Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
class to develop his "herbal" skills (as opposed to verbal
Language arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
). They both enroll in black history together, although there are two other classes in which they have enrolled alone. Throughout the first half of the school year, they pass every test with the help of Ivory. Silas continues to woo and study with Lauren, while Jamal dates the U.S. vice president
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
's daughter Jamie (Essence Atkins
Essence Atkins
Essence Uhura Atkins is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Dee Dee Thorne on the UPN sitcom Half & Half and as Yvette Henderson on the The WB sitcom Smart Guy...
).
Also during the first half of the semester, they pull pranks and steal, which angers Bart, Jeffrey (who is pledging for a Final Club
Final club
A final club is an undergraduate social club at Harvard College.- Origins :The historical basis for the name final clubs is that Harvard used to have a variety of clubs for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, with students of different years being in different clubs, and the "final clubs"...
), and Dean Cain. However, things go downhill after Silas and Jamal's raucous Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party. At the party, Gerald (T.J. Thyne), the volunteer officer whose bicycle was stolen and crushed by I Need Money, steals and smokes the Ivory plant, leaving the pair without access to Ivory.
Silas begins working on a truth serum
Truth Serum
Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jon Adams.-Overview:Originally published as a mini comic in 2001 and given away for free, it appeared as a three-issue mini series published by Slave Labor Graphics in 2002...
for his Botany class, using plant extracts. Silas concludes that, if his experiment works, he will earn an A in Botany, and a guarantee of a next semester. However, his experiment fails numerous times. Before midterm
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
examinations
Final examination
A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course of study or training. Although the term can be used in the context of physical training, it most often occurs in the academic world...
, Jamal suggests they go to a graveyard, dig up a "smart dead guy", and smoke his remains; Silas suggests simply that they study hard for a few hours a day while high. They try Silas's plan, but it does not pan out, as they end up failing almost all of their midterm exams.
Desperate to stay in Harvard, they try Jamal's plan, but it proves fruitless, as well. Meanwhile, Gerald, who has morphed into a complete stoner, sees Ivory during one of his binge
Binge
-People:* Dagmar Anita Binge, German founder of Binge Discs * Ronald Binge, British composer and arranger of light music-See also:A binge is any behavior indulged to excess...
s, and, at Ivory's behest, returns the remnants of the Ivory plant to Jamal and Silas. However, because very little remains due to Gerald's abuse of the plant, Jamal and Silas continue to fail their classes (which excites Dean Cain).
With the last final exam approaching, Jamal and Silas resign themselves to give up. However, Jeffrey reminds Silas of his guarantee of another semester if he can successfully fix his truth serum experiment. Silas ultimately does, having found a solution in which the last of Ivory's leaves could be used to counteract nausea.
Nonetheless, because of their low grades, Jamal and Silas do not receive an invitation to the Harvard Alumni
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
party. Dean Cain, clearly thrilled with this result, tells Bart he does not have to worry about the pair showing up or staying in Harvard. However, that all that changes when Jamie invites them both as her dates, as her father is an alumnus. At the party, Silas makes things a bit more interesting by testing out his truth serum experiment, which proves successful.
At Lauren's presentation at the alumni party of Benjamin Franklin's artifacts, which she discovered as she was helping to dig up the "smart dead guy", she shocks everyone with her discovery: the artifacts turn out to be a bong
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
. Dean Cain is outraged by this finding, but the Chancellor decides that he has had it with the Dean and fires him. Jamal and Silas are proud that the serum worked, a celebration that was almost short-lived, as Dean Cain returns and unsuccessfully attempts to kill them both. He is eventually apprehended by Secret Service
Secret Service
Secret Service may refer to:* Secret service, umbrella term for various kinds of police or intelligence organizationsAny of the following specific organizations:* Australian Secret Intelligence Service, intelligence agency...
. At the end, Jamal and Silas are able to stay, Jamal and Jamie get approval of Jamie's father to date, and Lauren leaves Bart for Silas because Bart could never satisfy her sexually.
Cast
- Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
as Silas P. Silas - Redman as Jamal King
- Obba BabatundéObba BabatundeObba Babatundé is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C...
as Dean Carl Cain - Melissa PetermanMelissa PetermanMelissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedienne who is best known for her role as Barbara Jean in the television comedy series Reba...
as Sheila Cain - Mike EppsMike EppsMichael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
as Baby Powder - Anna Maria HorsfordAnna Maria HorsfordAnna Maria Horsford is an American television and film actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Thelma Frye on the sitcom Amen, her role as Craig Jones' mother, Betty Jones, in the 1995 comedy, Friday and the 2002 comedy Friday After Next and as security guard Dee on The Wayans Bros.,...
as Mamma King - Fred WillardFred WillardFred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
as Philip "Phil" Huntley - Jeffery Jones as The Vice President
- Hector ElizondoHector ElizondoHéctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
as Bill the Crew Coach - Lark VoorhiesLark VoorhiesLark Voorhies is an American actress who rose to fame playing Lisa Turtle in Saved by the Bell, for which she was nominated for the Young Artist Award four times, winning in 1990 and 1993. She also portrayed the role as a regular on Good Morning, Miss Bliss.-Acting career:Voorhies made her acting...
as Lauren - Al ShearerAl ShearerAl Shearer is an American actor. He portrayed Nevil Shed in the 2006 Disney blockbuster Glory Road , produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Shearer might be best known for his role on the MTV series Punk'd, or as "Hits" - host of the once-popular BET series Hits from the Street.Shearer was born in...
as I Need Money - Chuck Davis as Ivory
- Essence AtkinsEssence AtkinsEssence Uhura Atkins is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Dee Dee Thorne on the UPN sitcom Half & Half and as Yvette Henderson on the The WB sitcom Smart Guy...
as Jamie - Chris Elwood as Bart
- T.J. Thyne as Gerald
- Trieu Tran as Tuan
- Justin Urich as Jeffrey
- Spalding GraySpalding GraySpalding Rockwell Gray was an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, performance artist and monologuist...
as Professor Jackson - Tracy MorganTracy MorganTracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
as Field of Dreams Guy (uncredited) - Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
as themselves - Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
as himself in the Party Fight Scene - Pat FinnPat Finn (actor)Pat Finn is an American film and television actor.He has guest-starred in numerous television series, notably Friends, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld, The King of Queens, That '70s Show, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, House and other series...
as Army Recruiter - Garrett MorrisGarrett MorrisGarrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
as canned pork chop commercial pitchman along with Tracy Morgan
Sequel
In an interview with OutThaBoxTV.net during October 2008, Redman announced that the sequel was in the middle of shooting, while pointing out a feeling that "we wanna represent all the smokers", believing that since How High, no one has done justice on a weed smoker's film. In April 2009, it was reported that Redman blames Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
for the release delay, stating: "They're not opening that money door for us to shoot it. We promoted the shit out of that movie. We got the whole world waiting for a How High 2." On November 15th, 2010, Redman further stated, "The Black Out 3 is coming, Muddy Waters Part 2 is coming and How High Part 2 is coming. But remember, Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
owns the rights to How High. They own the names, they own the characters, they own the whole thing. If Red and Meth do a movie, we can't call it How High. Only person that can get us out of that is Keenan Ivory Wayans." On December 2010 Redman confirmed that Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
is holding the rights of How High so the chances of How High 2 coming out are slim. On June 12, 2011 Method Man announced during Wu-Tang Clan's set at the HMV Forum that How High 2.0 was coming to cinemas in 2012.