Born in East L.A. (1987)

Rudy Robles (Cheech Marin) is a mechanic born and raised in east L.A. He lives with his mother and sister's family. They leave for Fresno while he's told to pick up cousin Javier (Paul Rodriguez) at a factory. Rudy is picked up in an immigration sweep and deported to Mexico. He left his wallet at home. With no money, no documentation and limited Spanish, he struggles to get back home. He starts working for pool hall owner Jimmy (Daniel Stern) and befriends waitress Dolores (Kamala Lopez-Dawson).

I don't really like this Cheech without Chong. He's a bit too normal. He's not goofy enough. He complains too much especially at the beginning. I would like him dumber and more lovable. I imagine pot humor would go really great with this movie. As for the premise, it's a great way to satire the issue of the border. However, Rudy always seem to be a phone connection away from going back home. It's too easy and the movie struggles to create ways to screw it up. This premise has lots of potential and this could be great.

Fmovies: Only three memorable things about this movie: Neith Hunter in a painted on dress that comes down no further than a bathing suit, in four inch spike heels, walking across some city streets. And then standing over Cheech as he comes out from under her car. Oh, my god. Jan Michael Vincent, no longer The Worldest Greatest Athlete. Now perfectly cast as a puffy, dim-witted, horrifying example of the wastes of alcohol. The theme song's not bad.

Cheech wrote, directed, and starred, so stack this with Chong's solo resume ("Far Out Man" !?)and you see who was the true talent.

Some have passed this film off as second-rate 80s fluff, but they're missing a lot. East LA is, upon second look, a timely take on the overreactive Reagan-era round-'em-up, ask-no-questions immigration policy, in which many legal residents and citizens were actually deported. Plus, Cheech's character grows from initially fawning over a French woman in the opening scene and living a typical apathetic American life to falling in love with a Mexican woman and helping others in their quest to work in the U.S.

And it's funny..."Whas happenING!" "I like your pants" "Get behind me, Satan!"

Born in East L.A. fmovies. Excellent Movie! Cheech is sent to a factory full of illegal immigrants to pick up his cousin "Javier". When he gets there, a pile of cops come in a arrest the immigrants. They think cheech is one of them, and they send him to mexico. If he had only took his wallet with him, he wouldn't have been sent down south. I read all the reviews and most people didn't like this film, but i think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread! The best part of the movie is when he tells the prison guard, Phil,says "Rudy, you still owe me $100!" Cheech says "Yeah, Heres one of them, F**K YOU!" (I wish IMDb allowed curse words!) This gets a 7/10. It's worth your money!

Rudy, a Mexican-American, born in the United States is deported to Mexico by mistake. He tries to get back, but is repeatedly caught and sent back into Mexico. Cheech Marin showed some excellent acting in this movie. He's a kind-hearted person who helps out some folks in bad situations, like the mother of three who he gives the oranges to, and the wife of a man who can't afford to pay a coyote to bring her into the United States. He is ready to leave and gives up his spot on the transport to but this lady on, even after he had worked to get money to return. It was a love story...a painful thing to watch at times and funny at the same time. Just picture yourself being sent to a country that you don't know, even if your parents came from there. He was lost I'm his parent's birth place. I had seen it before, but the second time around made the picture better. Very human movie.

this movie is good as it is. but there is a longer version that fills in parts of the story that make it whole. I can't belive they put out the DVD with out the missing sceens. We Need the WHOLE movie thankyou jeffery