The real reason 4-20 has become a stoner holiday is a little hazy, but one thing's for sure:
It's blazed its way into popular culture something fierce, inspiring every nerd with a Bob Marley
poster and a stack of Taco Bell coupons to call out sick that day on account of their
"sore throat."
So it comes as no surprise that movie studios, record labels, and even game developers would
take advantage of its unofficial festivities.
"If he ain't back in 10 minutes, we're calling Dominoes."
Whether you're a diehard gamer or a dedicated music-lover, be sure to mark April 20th, 2018
on your calendar, because there's a ton of cool new stuff coming out that day.
Here are some of the most smokin' releases you can't afford to miss this 4-20.
Super Troopers 2
The long-gestating sequel to the 2001 cult comedy Super Troopers is finally coming to
theaters this year, after a successful Indiegogo campaign made a second outing for everyone's
favorite Vermont state troopers possible.
Written by and starring comedy troupe Broken Lizard, the movie will pit Thorny, Foster,
Mac, Rabbit, and Farva against a group of Canadian Mounties after a small slice of Canada
is found to actually be on U.S. soil.
By the time the film drops it will have been almost two decades since the Broken Lizard
guys first appeared as the outrageous law enforcement unit, though it appears that not
a lot has changed for the characters in that time.
Broken Lizard founding member Steve Lemme told Vermont newspaper Seven Days:
"Well, we do all have cellphones in this movie [...] But otherwise, it seems like time has
stood still for these state troopers."
Rampage
On the surface, Rampage doesn't look like your typical 4-20 release.
But one of glimpse the trailer and the logic becomes clear — this Dwayne Johnson blockbuster
looks like the product of an especially smokey brainstorming session.
The flick is actually based on a series of video games in which the player has to take
control of a giant beast and destroy an entire city before the military takes you down.
But this… this is something different.
The former WWE superstar has faced off against some fearsome opponents in his time, but this
April we'll get to see how the Rock fares against a genetically modified 30-foot wolf.
Don't expect him to be wrestling with huge animals, however — he's actually on their
side.
Sounds like a typical Tuesday night for everybody's favorite hard-hitting heavyweight!
[Grunting]
God of War
The hotly anticipated God of War is finally just around the corner.
Not only will the latest entry in the action series see brand new gameplay elements like
an emphasis on exploration, but it'll boast a brand new environment for players to traverse.
While previous installments have all been based around Greek Mythology, this time out,
Kratos and his son Atreus will be kicking butt in a world of Norse myth instead.
The game's writer and director Cory Barlog is confident that fans will dig the new God
of War when it hits shelves on 4-20.
On his PlayStation Blog, Barlog wrote,
"First, let me say that this is my favorite release day of my entire career.
If I live to be 100, I do not think I will be able to top this release day."
Nintendo Labo
The success of Nintendo's Switch cemented the company's position as the king of party
hardware.
On 4-20, those parties are going to get even better with the addition of cardboard.
Yep, you heard that right: cardboard.
The Nintendo Labo is a variety of different perforated cut-out kits that the user builds
at home.
These 'Toy-Cons,' as Nintendo is calling them, are able to interact with the game's software.
It might seem like a bizarre concept, but according to Nintendo director Shinya Takahashi,
playing with cardboard is quite common for Japanese kids.
"It's not so far-fetched if you consider how familiar the material is, at least to Japanese
people who, from a young age, use it for play and as a material for creating things such
as fancy crafts."
Whether western gamers will warm up to the idea is anybody's guess, as many will likely
be put off by the price tag.
The variety kit and the robot kit retail at $69.99 and $79.99, respectively.
But can you really put a price on this much fun?
Back to the Future manga
Hollywood has been trying — and failing — to successfully adapt Japanese properties
for western audiences for years now, but rarely does that relationship go the other way.
On 4-20, we're going to get the chance to see what something truly American looks like
through a Japanese lens — and not just any old lens.
Yusuke Murata, the illustrator who adapted popular webcomic One-Punch
Man into a full-fledged manga, announced his own Back to the Future project during a recent
promotional event in Tokyo.
The film's screenwriter Bob Gale is acting as a supervisor on the project, which will
reportedly expand on the story of Marty McFly with material not seen in the original trilogy.
The first images show just how great a job Murata's done at capturing Marty and the rest
of the cast, especially Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown.
Thankfully for those of us living outside Japan, Murata's Back to the Future, which
will be titled BTTF, will be collected and published on 4-20.
Sting and Shaggy album
When Sting appeared at the Grammys earlier this year, those in attendance were enjoying
a performance of his classic "Englishman in New York" when they got a surprise : Shaggy,
who changed the lyrics to "Jamaican in New York" and debuted a snippet of the pair's
first single, "Don't Make Me Wait."
At the end of the performance, the "It Wasn't Me" singer announced that the two were releasing
a joint, Caribbean-inspired album on 4-20.
According to Billboard, the two musicians immediately hit it off during a fundraiser
thanks in part to their mutual love for Jamaica.
Sting opened up about their friendship, saying,
"We just had a rapport.
[...] In the early '80s, I was in Jamaica a lot.
I wrote 'Every Breath You Take' in Jamaica.
So Jamaica was a kind of refuge and obviously a great influence on my own musical DNA with
reggae, so I felt I owed a debt to Jamaica."
If "Don't Make Me Wait" is any indication, we'd say Sting's paid off his debts to Shaggy's
Caribbean homeland — and we're all richer for it.
New A Perfect Circle album
Alternative rock supergroup A Perfect Circle is back with a brand new album this April,
and it'll be their first major release in 14 years.
On 4-20, their fourth album, Eat the Elephant, will hit record stores nationwide.
A Perfect Circle founder and vocalist Maynard James Keenan explained the decision to release
their fourth studio album on 4-20, telling AXS,
"The 20th of April is [British singer-songwriter] Carina Round's birthday.
She is a dear friend who is extremely difficult to shop for.
Pressure off.
Of course, I must also note that the potheads are gonna be thrilled that this album comes
out on 4-20.
May it serve as a glorious soundtrack to accompany all of the giggling and vexing sounds of nibbling
and snacking.
Fingers crossed, Cheech and Chong will be proud."
Music, munchies, and mellowing out?
We think the iconic duo would approve.
"Mellow… mellow… mellow… yeah."
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