After seeing Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.... (1 Viewer)

[John Randolph]

I went to IMDB and was looking at the info for Smith's upcoming "Jersey Girl", and I noticed it will be rated PG-13. Looks like Smith will be headed into "clean" territory, which is much different from his previous works. Any opinions?

Also, which of the two movies did you think was better? I prefered Dogma, but Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was very funny.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

John: As Chasing Amy was Smith's reaction to his failed relationship with Joey Lauren Adams, Jersey Girl is his reaction to becoming a father. For Amy he thought he'd have to go the R route, for Girl he obviously feels that he can accomplish what he needs to with a cleaner script.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

John: As Chasing Amy was Smith's reaction to his failed relationship with Joey Lauren Adams

I hope you do realize that he broke up with Joey Lauren Adams AFTER Chasing Amy was released.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Actually according to Kevin Smith himself, the film Chasing Amy had mostly to do with Kevin Smith confronting ex-girlfriends' sexual history and how his jealousies and inadequacy wrecked a good relationship, you know the kind of stuff that drives normal people up the wall?
It was pretty funny when he made that joke about Superman/Clark Kent being mad at Lois and asking her how many d**ks she's sucked.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It's no secret that the origins of 'Amy' reside in my relationship with Joey. Granted, she's not gay, and I've never fallen in love with a lesbian, but the movie did grow out of my temporary inability to deal with Joey's past (not that it was anything like Alyssa's; I don't want ya'll running around thinking Joey's nickname was 'Finger Cuffs' or anything).
When we first started dating, it became very apparent just how different we were from one another. They say opposites attract; but they don't say anything about opposites staying together after said attraction (they usually stink, in my opinion... whoever they may be). I was a guy from Highlands, New Jersey, content to live and die in the same twenty mile radius I'd spent almost all of my life in to that point. She was from North Little Rock, Arkansas, but you wouldn't know it. Joey'd done some traveling, living in Australia, Bali, New Orleans, San Diego, and then settling in Los Angeles. I like my gatherings small and intimate; Joey likes her's huge, loud, and loaded with spirits of many kinds. But these were nothing compared to the differences in our sexual history.
Always a thorny issue in any romantic relationship I've ever been in, a partner's sexual past can ruin an otherwise great relationship. And it's never something as easy as the possible disease angle that gets me (in all honesty, I never even consider it). No, my insecurities stem from the fear of having to measure up to somebody... or a lot of somebodies. I spent the better part of my romantic career being the ex-boyfriend that someone couldn't get out of their system; I never wanted to be on that rotten other end (as the guy who had to deal with the memory of someone else's ex-boyfriend). I was used to being the guy who'd done it all, and then some; the ultra-liberal one (well, there are some things even I haven't done... considered them, but haven't done). And then there are all those horrible, ingrained mistruths we're brought up to believe about men and sex (we're dominant, we should go to bed with whores but wake up with virgins... those things that we're not necessarily taught , but still become part of our consciousness, regardless). When it came to sex, I had to be the teacher, or else problems arose.
If you were to list the type of person I'd never - in theory - be able to deal with in a relationship, you'd basically be drafting Joey. And after the initial dating bliss subsided, this dark sentiment began to sink in.
It took some time to work through, but we eventually did it (never underestimate the strangle-hold that a lifetime of a singular point of view can have on you; we still work through residual negativity of that crap to this day). But the most effective therapy, I think, was writing, shooting, and now showing 'Chasing Amy'.

 

[Derek Miner]

we still work through residual negativity of that crap to this day

This line indicates to me that they were still together when the piece was written.

If I'm not mistaken, that excerpt is from "The Hows and Whys of CHASING AMY," which was on the View Askew site when the film was released. The essay later became the liner notes to the Criterion laserdisc. By the time they recorded the LD commentary, Kevin and Joey had called it quits.

The two were still a couple when the film was released in Spring, 1997, however, because I saw several magazine profiles with the two together. The first I heard about them breaking up was later that summer.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I wasn't arguing Matthew's factoid, I was simply pointing out the source of my comment. And regardless of whether they were still involved at the time, it is (as they say) a failed relationship.

 

[Matt Stone]

Yes...but Chasing Amy wasn't Smith's "reaction to his failed relationship with Joey Lauren Adams," it was his reaction to the releationship in general, as it hadn't failed at the time.

 

[BertFalasco]

So many damn coincidences in each and everyone one of my days. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is on right now, right on the stank nuggggggetts part and that "muscle man" (high school friend of Smith's) from Clerks.

I'd have to say I like J&SBSB WAY more than Dogma because it's a movie solely on the hilarious friggin duo. The humor is me, my best friend, and my brother in a movie. That's why I like the movie so damn much. Ever since I saw the movie, I've become a HUGE ass Kevin Smith fan. So damn clever and just "simple funny."

Although Dogma did make fun of the "holes" in the Roman Catholic religion (It's OK, I have the rights, I myself am a Roman Catholic), it still doesn't compete with a plot revolving around the greatest on screen duo to date plus link every other KS movie in some way or another.

I enjoy (note present tense, it doesn't get old) the extras. I seriously can say I can watch the featurette over and over again. It's so damn funny and awesome to see such awesome behind the scenes. I'm sure some people give some hot garbage "I really enjoyed this so very much." yadda yadda. but THIS movie truly kicks ass.

*Fictional characters*

-Bert

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Yes...but Chasing Amy wasn't Smith's "reaction to his failed relationship with Joey Lauren Adams," it was his reaction to the releationship in general, as it hadn't failed at the time.

Alright, my wording was unclear... But aren't we getting into lawyer-esque semantics here?

 

[cafink]

The way-too-vulgar dialogue is the only real problem I've had with Smith's films. I've been watching the expletive-free "Clerks" cartoon (which, admittedly, differs from the film in a lot of ways besides the cleaned-up dialogue) a lot lately. It's my favorite View Askew production; better than any of the movies, I think.

 

[Derek Miner]

Sorry, Adam,

I wasn't setting out beat you down, I thought I would just provide some context that I remembered from the time the movie came out. I apologize for that, plus the fact that we've gone off the original topic.

And to comment on the original post, I'm really looking forward to seeing what Kevin Smith can do outside the "dick and fart joke" realm. I really liked the more dramatic aspects of CHASING AMY, and I think Smith can write great characters when he gets down to it.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

No problem, Derek! All is well. I was simply commenting to Matt that the issue was getting to nitpicky to have any relevance. No feelings were hurt or anything, regardless!
We now return to our regularly scheduled thread topic.

 

[David Rogers]

Hmmmm

I've never heard ANYONE say they like Smith better when he's using clean language, vs his natural patter. I vastly prefer his natural wording, cursing, anatomy laced, and all.

 

[Will_B]

Did anyone else feel that J&SB was pretty much the same movie as Dogma? J&SB are on the road in each of them, fighting jewel theives in one, and demons in the other.

Besides the essentially identical plots, neither film had a distinctive "look" that would set them apart from each other - both looked like Lorne Michaels SNL movies.

Such a drop down in quality from Chasing Amy, visually, and storywise.

I loved Clerks, and the Animated series, and Amy... and I'll buy Mallrats once the price drops from the stratosphere.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Such a drop down in quality from Chasing Amy, visually, and storywise.

While I agree that Chasing Amy is the deeper, more intelligent movie; I'm surprised you think it's visually superior to J&SBSB. Smith was definitely aiming for the lowest common denominator with the latest View Askew, but I thought it featured his most accomplished camera work yet (in part due to having Jamie Anderson as his D.P.) Regardless, Jersey Girl should fufill your story desires as well as your visual desires, since he has Vilmos Zsigmond for a d.p. (who framed such films as 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', 'The Last Waltz' and 'The Deer Hunter')

 

[Will_B]

Regardless, Jersey Girl should fufill your story desires as well as your visual desires, since he has Vilmos Zsigmond for a d.p. (who framed such films as 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', 'The Last Waltz' and 'The Deer Hunter')

That fills me with hope. Thanks!