Meet the Filmmakers

Director: Michael Blieden

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1993, Michael Blieden moved to New York to produce the Delta Airlines In-Flight Entertainment News Program. Delta Airlines has since filed for bankruptcy. In 1996 he began appearing on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” where he made fun of music videos and local commercials that were produced for like seventeen dollars. In 2003 Blieden wrote the movie “Melvin Goes to Dinner,” which was produced and directed by Bob Odenkirk. Blieden went on to direct his first feature film in 2005, “The Comedians of Comedy.” Blieden has since produced and directed live specials for comedians Joe Rogan and Zach Galifianakis plus music videos for Fiona Apple and Kanye West.

Producer: Alex Campbell

Alex Campbell has produced several feature films as well as countless hours of programming for broadcast and cable networks during his fifteen-year career. He graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television in 1993 and joined Addis-Wechsler & Associates. During his tenure at Addis-Wechsler, Campbell worked on the management side of the company as a liaison for their acting clients who were interested in producing movies and television. Campbell also served as production executive on several Addis-Wechsler films including LOVE JONES (New Line) directed by Theodore Witcher III, SOUTHIE (Lion’s Gate) from actor/director John Shea, and SIGNS AND WONDERS (MK2) directed by Jonathan Nossiter.

Some of Campbell’s producing credits include THE UNSAID, which starred Andy Garcia, Teri Polo, Vincent Kartheiser, and Linda Cardellini; and YOU STUPID MAN, which starred Milla Jovovich, Denise Richards, David Krumholtz, and Billy Baldwin. In 2002, Campbell line produced Bob Odenkirks feature directorial debut entitled MELVIN GOES TO DINNER, which starred David Cross, Anabelle Gurwitch, Maura Tierney, and Melora Walters. MELVIN GOES TO DINNER won the South by Southwest Film Festival Audience Award in 2003.

In 2004, Campbell began to exclusively work in immersive documentary technique and produced American Casino for the Discovery Channel. American Casino was the first television show in history to have complete access to the behind the scenes workings of a Vegas hotel and casino. Later in 2004, Campbell executive produced eight reality television pilots for six different networks. In 2005, Campbell executive produced “Shaquille” for ESPN, a six part documentary television series featuring basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal.

Director’s Statement

I was at Patton Oswald’s wedding in 2005 and Doug Benson came up to me and said “I’d really like to work with you on something. There’s this joke in my act that I think would make a great movie.” The joke is about the movie Supersize Me, in which Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds all day every day for 30 days. Doug suggests the same concept, only with pot – “Super High Me”.

Over lunch a couple days later we seriously discussed making a documentary about a guy who smokes pot for 30 days straight. I suggested that perhaps in order to add some gravitas, that the ON month be followed by an OFF month in which Doug quits smoking pot. Doug liked the idea, but argued that the ON month should come second because “that was going to be the fun part.”

I think that Doug and I understood the potential controversy that the idea could generate, and we hesitated for several months without really trying to get the movie made. In casual conversations, Netflix had expressed some interest in getting involved, but neither Doug nor I made a serious push. Then one day I ran into prodcuer Alex Campbell who had just learned of Los Angeles’s thriving medical marijuana movement. I casually mentioned the Doug Benson project and Campbell siezed on it. Six months later we were in production. Without Alex the movie would have languished indefinitely.

Super High Me was, in its inception, a light hearted comedy about a guy who smokes pot. And even though the movie covers weighty public policy issues and the ongoing battle of State’s Rights, I think we succeeded in making a light hearted comedy about a guy who smokes pot. That being said, I feel it is important to acknowledge that while I am pro-marijuana, it is certainly not a good thing for everyone. It may sound ridiculous to say this, but I hope that all the snappily edited footage of people enjoying marijuana, laughing, and behaving responsibly doesn’t reduce the idea of pot use to a simple argument of good or bad. Even a marijuana advocate like myself knows that it’s much more complicated than that.

It is my sincere hope that people who are against marijuana see this film and find support (even unintentional support) for their views. Similarly, I hope that people who like marijuana see the film and find support for theirs.

I will say this. We did try to find people to come out very strongly against against marijuana, but in California that’s harder than you’d think. And when people ask me what I’ve been up to recently, even people outside of California, when I tell them about Super High Me, they always laugh and say the same thing. “I gotta see that.”

– Michael Blieden