MERNAGH

Serious Hilarious Examination Of Marc Emery

View CommentsSunday • June 13, 2010 • by Mernahuana

Wow, what a Saturday afternoon at the movies.
Toronto Hash Mob took over The Bloor Cinema, forced them to play four hours of Marc Emery movies. Well just one movie four hours long. With an intermission. While we ripped our bongs and lit up some joints.
Management got a little worried because our weedy ways were a little too much. It was dark so I couldn’t see anyone doing anything illegal.
Principle of Pot is an exhaustive chronological examination of one person’s life. Where previous movies take a storytelling (obviously that sells too largest audience) in explaining Marc Emery, director Paul McKeever opts to simply present his subject via documentation. Like a lawyer defending a client to a judge.

Some have said to me it’s a blowjob documentary. But that’s because the movie doesn’t contains  critical look.  Or story telling. Though he tries, McKeever, can’t tell a story and it’s very very long.  But weed makes it better. Way better. Instead McKeever’s ability to acquire documents and then say what the document is, is legalistic perfect. Herein lies the flicks genius.
For all but a few Emeroids it’s information overload. Plenty of potheads however remarked to me that they never knew about Marc Emery’s early efforts. Only his marijuana work. I’m somewhat familiar. Especially 2 Live Crew. But I was a teenager listening to Dayglo Abortions.
Or trying too.
I was eager to see the early years. And I’m glad people enjoyed it as much as I did. Maybe not with that hairstyle and those glasses. Emery’s glasses just kept getting bigger and his hair too. I nearly fell on the floor several times I howled so hard. The ’80s were cruel to Marc.

And not just politically. Composter is rocking the same do. Making it even funnier. At least to me. I guess it could be worst. Plenty of people had rat tails and mullets. I had both, but I was in grade school. Plus when one begins ripping bongs based on Emery’s glasses or hairstyle like we tried too -  OMG Look At Those Glasses! – bong rip – you get high very fast.
For a hairstyle change spark a joint. If you see Marc’s receding hairline spark two. And if someone in the movie theatre has the Emery hair, pass them the weed. Future showings Composter is going to go as ’80s Marc Emery. Maddchronic will play the role of ghetto blaster, reprising it as ‘bong blaster.’ But even his mighty RooR rips might not be able to keep up. Mage and I will dress and act like Stadler and Waldorf. Goodster will play the role of McKeever. Constantly carrying out legal letterboxes through the whole four hours. Building a grand prohibition wall for the finale.
A Toronto Hash Mob musical number directed by Ginger Blossom and Ophelia Bottom. We discovered the best way to enjoy Principle of Pot is to Rocky Horror Picture Show it up. After all it is The Bloor Cinema.
My doctor said I need more laughter. I got boatloads on Saturday. Laughter does open your mind to information. Back to some seriousness. 
I think the first half early years is very important to put Marc Emery in context. Emery builds a great foundation to cast himself as a hero in the second half of his life book. People do hero worship Emery. Without a doubt. They’re called Emeroids. I like the name. Because many of them are very serious pain in the government’s ass. People do idolize Lady Gaga, Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, or any numerable persons for whatever their reasons.
A literary type, Emery the Hero, must have a tragic flaw.
People will be quick to judge his character flaws as his tragic flaws. But he’s not Macbeth. Or the Greek guy who shagged his mum. In literary classic I read.
Emery’s tragic flaw is acute knowledge he’s un-electable, the system doesn’t work, and that elections are his only platform to promoting his message. Meanwhile he operates a bookstore and puts out an alternative newspaper.
Back in 1980s! Hello! McFly.
While Emery focuses all his efforts on “elections as platform” his actual ability to reach the masses is smacking him upside the head like a red snapper. Emery’s self publishing comes full circle when he shares the stage with legendary media maverick Moises Znaimer in the second half of the movie at Idea City.
Had Emery focused his efforts on “the medium as the message” to carry his idelogical platform via mediums he adores so much; comic books, magazines, books, newspapers, film, music, who knows what might have been. He opts to engage in the very thing he despises, government, while mildly neglecting or putting in less enthusiasm into the things that he should adore, the creation of alternative media.
What If Marc Emery focused his zeal on publishing not politics?