Critical Analysis: Kevin Smith • Page 2

It's better than Pilot Inspektor

 

Weed + Southwest Airlines + "Fuck critics" = modern Kevin Smith.

SIR and SModcastle were two big things that I was super excited about and then he just completely abandoned them. The shows featuring Kevin Smith at Smodcastle quickly moved to other comedy clubs and it was left to very small podcasts doing weekly shows for $10-$25. He hired his weed PA on Cop Out to be the theater manager and then seemed surprised when it didn't work out.

SIR was so quickly abandoned I'm surprised it's still featured on the Smodcast website. A buddy of mine was approached to help work on SIT (unpaid of course) and he rightly turned the offer down because Kevin Smith just doesn't stick to too many of his projects.

 

To be fair, I believe Quinn is her middle name and she's always just gone by Harley.

 

Oh I don't think there's anything wrong with him naming her that; I just didn't know if it was real

 

Clerks and Mallrats were very influential to me when I was just getting into films. I often give credit to Reservoir Dogs and Dazed and Confused, but Clerks was up there as well. I recall jamming into the backseat of a friend's car to go see Clerks 2 on opening night at some shithole theater in Wildwood. They played a Tom and Jerry cartoon before hand and there were like 20 seats in the room. Good times.

I ate up all of his shit as an early high schooler who thought I was smarter than everyone else around me. As I grew older, I really didn't revisit any of his films until recently. He was always a director I was interested in, claimed as one of my favorites but really didn't watch from 2009-2014 or so. Recently, I revisited Clerks and Chasing Amy and both hold up pretty well. Honestly it was like watching the films again for the first time, I understood so much more of what he was going for and really appreciated Chasing Amy more than I ever did before.

There was a sense of underlying melancholy in Clerks 2 that I noticed as a 15 year old that I would probably understand even more now, might need to dig that out and rewatch it.
Mallrats and Dogma probably don't hold up, maybe Mallrats for nostalgia purposes and Jason Lee.
J&SBSB is entertaining if nothing else
I've only seen Zak and Miri once, and was barely paying attention so I should revisit that.
Have not seen Jersey Girl, Red State or Tusk. Yoga Hosers looks fucking awful.

Clerks the Television Series is an absolute highlight of his works, such a wonderful show.

Honestly, Tell Em Steve Dave has become my favorite piece of Smith related work, shoutout Deadkid for introducing me. I might start Smod at some point.

 

I was talking about Kevin Smith over the weekend with some friends. One friend swears by him and loves all of his work. I do too, to a point - I love Chasing Amy and Dogma (disclosure: I haven't seen either in years), but for me, Smith's work is very much a "time capsule" era. Clerks and Mallrats are very much "of their era" and the way Smith captured Generation X (or whatever) was foul-mouthed, crude, and brash - but that little universe had a lot of flair and characters we enjoyed. What he did to help push independent film into the mainstream cannot be argued - and I appreciated his tongue-in-cheek riff on his own works in J&SBSB. That was the movie, however, where I began to realize he was slowly veering off-course. Clerks 2 was the final nail, since it sorely missed the unconventional nature & spirited dialogue present in the original.

He simply has not been able to live up to the standards of those characters as time has gone on. He comes from a comic book world and threading characters/ideologies together, whereas his stand-alone features lack the imagination, creativity & foresight to bring the same type of energy & relationships on-screen.

Haven't ever bothered with his horror films. They look so inherently stupid and silly, like he's trying to be old-school Raimi or something.

 

I loved Kevin Smith in high school. Clerks and Dogma were my favorites then. Even though he's not the most intelligent filmmaker around (I'm speaking cinematically, he's a smart guy but his films aren't exactly challenging), there's a sincerity with which he used to tackle his issues through film that was really endearing. Unfortunately that sort of seemed to run out as he got older/more comfortable, though he's actually getting better at the technical aspects of filmmaking (the camera actually starts to move sometime around Clerks II). He is a funny person and I still find something at least entertaining going on in most of his work, but I can't deny he's gotten really far away from anything I find actually interesting or worthwhile.

It's hard to imagine but when Clerks came out, he was talked about in the same breath as Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater. I think the consensus is that Clerks and Chasing Amy are his strongest work, and that's absolutely fair. Clerks is better every time I watch it (I've seen it maybe three or four times since I was 13) and in my most recent viewing of Chasing Amy (two years ago? A year ago?) I really appreciated its exploration of sexuality and jealousy and the idea of our partners bodies being our properties. Those movies honestly feel like they're coming from a smarter, more interesting person than the present Kevin Smith, which is maybe unfair to say. I will defend Dogma even though I haven't seen it in awhile, I think its a more interesting comedic grapple with religion than something like Sausage Party or anything Bill Maher/Ricky Gervais have to say.

I actually kind of respect that Smith could easily and lazily regurgitate sequels to his Askewniverse and probably coast off that because of his hardcore/offputting fanbase, but he instead chooses to make movies that are very strange and complete leaps from the style of his early work. That said, Red State and Tusk are horrible movies. Fascinatingly horrible in some ways, maybe, I certainly won't forget the image of Justin Long sewed into a walrus suit, his girlfriend tossing raw fish at him and staring forlornly, but they're just not good movies and that's a shame. His characters are no longer endearing losers, but grating ones. While Michael Parks is a fantastic actor, Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment failed to capture the same likability/pathos that lesser actors like Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halleran and even Jason Mewes possessed in his early stuff. The films might also be hampered by the loss of stakes that feel personal and intimate. Chasing Amy is a more meaningful film than Red State or Tusk, helped maybe by the fact that what matters most in that film is that these real and understandable people figure out how to communicate. You can't just use Michael Parks as a crazy scapegoat, though to his credit I think Smith is trying to paint Parks' villains as actual examinations of isolation. I just don't think he's doing a very good job.

I'll always have a soft spot for him, the same way I do Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy, entertainers I adored and legitimately think possess a certain kind of brilliance, but that they seem uninterested in engaging with at this late period in their careers. The Clerks animated series is one of my favorite shows ever, and along with Clone High would be one I'd actively actually be glad to see return to TV. I've seen Smith speak three times, once with a close friend in like, 2010 or so, and I fondly remember laughing very hard. Then he did a Q&A and signing at a Barnes & Noble across from my apartment in Los Angeles, which was eloquent and reminded me of why I enjoy his persona so much. The most recent was this year, that same friend won free tickets to see him as part of the Detroit Free Press Film Festival, but it was a taping of one of his podcasts and he basically talked about Batman v. Superman and comic book movie news with his co-host and it wasn't as engaging.

 

I really enjoy what I've seen of his. Clerks/Dogma are my two favorites, with Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob being closely behind. Zack and Miri was alright, but have no desire to ever watch again. Clerks 2 was good not great.

Haven't seen any of his horror films though I have been meaning to, just not rushing to see them. I do think he is a great writer/director, but definitely some misses under his belt.

 

I echo what everyone said about Smith being something you enjoy a lot more when you were younger. Growing up in the late '90s, he was kind of fascinating to adolescent because he was so crude and his characters have these big discussions about comic books and "Star Wars" in a time when most movies didn't touch on those, so it felt like he was really speaking to an untouched group of people. Now, it's basically the norm.

I'd still watch "Mallrats" and maybe "Chasing Amy" today, but that's about it. The wheels started coming off with J&SBSB and basically flew off and went down the road with his attempts at drama (which he promoted the hell out of, then months later would backpedal and say "Oh yeah, it wasn't the movie I wanted to make.), then they crashed through the fireworks factory with the whole "Red State" stuff where he did the stupid publicity stunt of hosting an auction to distribute the movie and when everyone arrived, he canceled it and said he's keeping it for himself to do a road show tour. Then the movie sucked and was made even worse with the coda at the end where the two cops turn out to be Kevin Smith mouthpieces. His book was pure gross shit and he just is unbearably smug and up his own ass.

That said, I do enjoy him with some appearances, like on "How Did This Get Made?" So I don't think all is lost. I just think the praise from his fans went to his head and absolutely ruined him.

 

What episode of how did this get made was he on?

 

He got Good Will Hunting made! He had a connection with Harvey at Miramax

 

And there was a rumor that he's the one who wrote the screenplay

 

Wild Wild West

 

I grew up watching the View Askewniverse movies, and have remained a fan of Kevin Smith over the years. I've seen every movie he's written/directed (which is basically his whole filmography aside from Cop Out, which he didn't write and I could not make it through), and have enjoyed all of them to varying degrees.

Clerks 2 is one of my favourite comedy movies of all time, and I think it's a perfect companion piece to Clerks. I didn't understand the calls out "sell-out" that he was bombarded with when he first announced it and it first came out - it seems that died out pretty quickly when people saw he actually had a story worth telling for that film, and it makes me very hopeful for Clerks 3, should it ever come to fruition.

His Current Canadiana Trilogy is a fun experiment for him, Tusk was a real trip and Yoga Hosers also seems to be him working somewhat out of his comfort zone. I think it's interesting to see him evolve as a filmmaker over the years, from the static Clerks to where he is now. By no means is he a visually strong director, nor will he likely ever truly be, but he's undeniably become more experimental and comfortable with his visual story-telling over the years. Red State in particular has some really nice shots, and he was able to create some good atmosphere in the frame in Clerks 2 and Tusk.

One thing I don't think he gets much attention for is his editing. I think that what separates Kevin from so many of the comedy directors and films his work inspired is that he cuts his own movies a lot of the time (sometimes while they are still being shot in the case of Clerks 2), and has always said he considers the editing process as writing the final draft of the film. I think this mentality and his heavy involvement in the editing is what helps his writing shine. It's really where it all comes together for him, and I've seen plenty of films that ape his style that don't succeed because the pacing of the dialogue is all off due to the edit.

And I guess I'll finish by saying that regardless of how I will receive his work in the future, I think Kevin is a really inspiring guy, not just because of the DIY nature of how he made Clerks, but because if you go see him speak, or listen to one of his podcasts, or watch one of his Evening With specials, nine times out of ten he'll at some point go on a tear encouraging the people listening to indulge themselves in their creative endeavors. He's very encouraging that people should chase their whimsy, pursue their goals, and find ways to achieve their dreams, but not in a wishy-washy way where it's just platitudes. I think this attitude does tend to lead to circumstances like others have described where he'll pursue a project for awhile, then give up on it, but you gotta hand it to the man that he practices what he preaches.

 

I generally like most of his films, Red State and Mallrats I didn't care for though. Still haven't checked out Jersey Girl, but have heard it's actually pretty good. I liked all his Evening with Kevin Smith shows, and listen to a lot of his podcasts.

 

As far as I know, she embraces her name and is a huge fan of Harley Quinn.

 

Kevin Smith is now on the list, along with Kentucky Deluxe whiskey and Chipotle burritos, of things I never imagined back in college that I one day could no longer enjoy.

 

I have such complex feelings about this dude. I grew up revering his early films in high school, and Chasing Amy to this day holds some important lessons about relationships that managed to stick with me into adulthood. I always loved his penchant for characters with an exaggerated vocabulary too...it made his comedy feel that much more unique. But, I just can't watch anything he releases anymore.

I remember feeling terrible for him in the mid-'00s when Judd Apatow blew up with his own brand of crude, over-the-top adult humor while Kevin's work was always relegated to a cult following. When he made Zack and Miri, nothing about it felt like it had his voice; it just played like a movie where he grabbed some of Apatow's actors to try to lure the crowds, and even that didn't work. I feel like maybe there were only so many times that things could blow up in his face before he decided to say "fuck it" and just do everything his way. I just wish the material he decided to pursue today held some form of interest to me.

I hold out hope for one day seeing Hit Somebody in some form, though.

 

As someone who thinks even Mallrats holds up pretty well for what it is, his current films are such an awful career misstep. I truly don't get it at all.

 

Great discussion to have.

Like many, I'd probably say I've outgrown some of his films...the Clerks films, Chasing Amy and Dogma hold up fairly well for me. Mallrats is a fun watch, while J&SBSB is hands-down my least favorite Kevin Smith/View Askew film. But I will say that his transition into what he's referred to as more artistically satisfying films (Red State, Tusk) is interesting and as bad as Yoga Hosers looks, my roommate and I have tickets to the premiere haha. Zack and Miri is a great romantic comedy as well (largely due to Rogen and Banks). When all the dust settles, his personality/stoner schtick irks me, but the impact he's had on independent comedies and mumblecore is undeniable.

 

clerks 2 is one of my favorite movies, it instantly brings me back to being a teenager with a problematic as hell sense of humor but has a lot of memories attached

 

My favorite movie of his is Jay and Silent Bob. I think it's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

That being said, I've been somewhat disappointed with his latest movies, mainly because of his whole mantra of "these are for me." To an extent, I get that, like you have to make movies that you enjoy. But if it really doesn't matter to you if people like them then why show them to the public? Is that not the point of releasing a movie publicly in hopes that people will like it?

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's just my thoughts. I think Kevin Smith is at his best when he writes about what he knows like Jay and Silent Bob, and working at a convenience store, and going to the mall, and relationships, and family, and etc.

I will say I thought Red State was fairly good, although it had too abrupt of an ending for me. I thought Tusk started off really promising and then ended up being really dumb at the end. I think Yoga Hosers looks...not good.

All just my opinion tho! I just wish he would go back to what he was good at.

 

Probably very similar to what everyone else has said, but this guy was my absolute hero in my junior & senior years of high school. Clerks II was the first movie of his I ever saw and - for better or worse - it blew my mind wide open. I devoured all the other movies, the comics, the podcasts. I simply could not get enough of the guy (much to the chagrin of my family.) I think it was just the mix of unironic romanticism and the thoroughly crass humor, but that felt like a combination I'd never known I wanted but was what I had been looking for the whole time. (Sorta like how hearing blink-182 for the first time was when I realized what music I'd actually wanted to hear my whole life.)

After my freshman year of college, my love slowly but surely waned. I think, listening to as many of his podcasts as I did, that it became pretty apparent that his fanbase was kinda cultish in their unwavering adoration and that it did make him kind of impervious to criticism or from challenging himself in more 'meaningful' ways. Still, my interest in his films has (and will) always be there. Chasing Amy, Dogma, C2, and J&SBSB are still personal favorites, and though they are by no means perfect, I've still found enjoyment in his experiments with horror.

Really, the only two of his movies that really didn't do anything for me were Mallrats and, funnily enough, Zack & Miri - which is a real bummer because it was the first one of his movies I ever saw in a theater and I was 110% excited for that (even though it has what I think are two really strong sequences where the emotions are told through faces and music instead of dialogue - and also is the movie that introduced me to the magic that is "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off.")

In some ways, my tastes have drastically changed over the years - I'd say my favorite director nowadays is probably Paul Thomas Anderson, with Alexander Payne not far behind (and Peter Weir, if he ever gets around to making another movie...) Kev Smith's work may not ever resonate with me now the same way it did back in high school, but I will always have some sort of respect and affection for the guy, because his work was - and is - such an influence on my writing, my sense of humor, and my view of the world.

And, as has been said here before: the guy is a helluva motivational speaker. If you ever get the chance to see him do a Q&A, do it. He will make you want to follow your dreams.

 

Love that you mentioned this. The use of Hold Me Up by Live is done so well. It's honestly one of the most well crafted sex scenes I've ever seen. (And it's in a Kevin Smith movie? Maybe I ought to watch more sex scenes).

Also, Hey by Pixies is fantastic. The dude uses music you can tell is personal to him and it often pays off. (Smashing Pumpkins in Clerks 2 comes to mind).