By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com

‘A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas’

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson

Rated R, 90 minutes

It appears that the third time’s a charm for stoner duo Harold and Kumar. After making it to White Castle and escaping Guantanamo Bay, the two have grown apart — Harold is now living with his wife Maria, while Kumar is still partying it up, buying weed from a mall Santa (Patton Oswalt). Kumar stops by to drop off a box for Harold that was delivered to their old apartment and inside is a giant joint. As Kumar lights it, Harold — who doesn’t smoke anymore — knocks the joint out of his hands and into the Christmas tree Maria’s father (Danny Trejo) had grown for eight years, burning it to the ground. The two spend the rest of the film searching for a replacement tree. Thanks to plenty of laughs, a heartwarming story and Neil Patrick Harris being as crazy as ever, “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas” is the best of the series. CV

‘Homegrown’

Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal

1998, Rated R, 102 minutes

Making a smart film about marijuana is a tough task for a director. But Stephen Gyllenhaal (Jake and Maggie’s dad) successfully pulls it off with “Homegrown.” Three growers — Jack (Billy Bob Thornton), Carter (Hank Azaria) and Harlan (Ryan Phillippe) — take care of the crop for their boss, Malcolm (John Lithgow). But when Malcolm is killed, the three decide to run the business themselves and not tell anyone about his death. They go ahead with the harvest, using the trimming skills of Lucy (Kelly Lynch) and plan to sell it to some local bigwigs (including Jamie Lee Curtis, Ted Danson and Jon Bon Jovi). Although their plan begins with good intentions, it eventually falls to pieces as the three discover the truth behind Malcolm’s murder. “Homegrown” isn’t as funny as other stoner films, but it makes up for the lack of laughs with a strong story filled with interesting plot twists. CV