kevin smith (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm with Brian. When I go to a Kevin Smith movie, I only look to be entertained. Anything else is gravy.

 

[MikeSerrano]

I'll admit I'm one of the (apparent) few who really liked Dogma. If you ignore the whole shit-monster thing, the movie actually had some very profound things to say about religion (at least from the point of view from this non-practicing Catholic).
Just had to get that off my chest.
EDIT:

His point and shoot cinemetography is atrocious, and his dialogue consists of overlong, wordy runon sentences nobody would say in a normal conversation.

IMHO, movies (or "films", if you will) are about telling a story. I've seen movies that have the most wondrous cinematography but really have no story to tell. I've seen documentaries that show you "real life" but have no point other to say: "this is the world, and it sucks most of the time for some and some of the time for others".
Storytelling is not always about how realistic the dialog or events are or how pretty it looks on film--sometimes you can get your point across by absurdity and "boring", unrealistic dialog. I feel lucky to be one of the (seemingly) few who seem to understand that.
-Mike

 

[mike martin]

If you put Kevin Smith and Russell Crowe in the same room....well, you couldn't because their heads are too big. Really big.

Could you qualify this statement? I've always gotten the exactly oposite feel from Smith. He seems to be one of the few genuine people in the business. Someone who simply wants to make the kind of movies he enjoys and bring people into the movie that he enjoys working with. He reaches out to his fans and gives them plenty of oportunities to reach out to him. To me, he is the anti-Crowe.

 

[Shawn C]

I'm a pretty big Kevin Smith fan. He's obviously a talented writer. I just think that he got 'pushed' into directing too soon.
Since he directed Clerks, I suppose the studios decided that he could direct all of his movies. I think he is still learning the techniques. You can see the progression from movie to movie. Unfortunately, all of his 'director training' movies are all mainstream theater movies because of his success with Clerks.
The only thing I didn't like about "Chasing Amy" was the fact that it seemed like EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE MOVIE HAD TO BE SMOKING at some point. I'm pretty sure he did it deliberately just to piss off anti-smokers, like me
The "Shit Monster" in Dogma was very, very lame. I enjoyed the rest of the movie. At least it was somewhat original.

 

[Michael Dueppen]

The "Shit Monster" in Dogma was very, very lame. I enjoyed the rest of the movie.

Exactly my feeling.
I really like Kevin Smith' movies (Chasing Amy being my favorite). Dogma is still my least favorite, though. I have to admit that I only like Mallrats better because of the commentary on the DVD

 

[RogerB]

Mike,
I got this impression from a Kevin Smith interview I read last year. He also cursed a lot. I don't think highly of anyone who has to curse to make a point.

sometimes you can get your point across by absurdity and "boring", unrealistic dialog. I feel lucky to be one of the (seemingly) few who seem to understand that.

Oh, and there's another reason not to like him!

 

[Nick Sievers]

He also cursed a lot. I don't think highly of anyone who has to curse to make a point.

Roger,
Then you would absolutely despise me.

 

[Paul Mason]

I'm a big Kevin Smith fan but I did start to worry when I saw Dogma that he was starting to lose it.

I loved Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back but it's a totally different kind of film to the others. To me it was just a way to wrap up the whole 'View Askewniverse' in a fun way. "Wayne's World with more swearing" was how I described it to a friend. A lot of in-jokes, a lot of spoofing other movies, a lot of fun.

I'm glad he's moving on to other things - I think the J & S stuff was getting a little tired.

I'm not going to claim Smith is a truly great director but he is an interesting writer and someone with his own vision which is slightly askew (pun intended) from the mainstream.

Also he deserves credit for giving Jason Lee his big break. Lee is a very underrated actor IMHO.

 

[Brian Kissinger]

Paul, I agree. Jason Lee is awesome.

 

[mike martin]

First impressions.....

There have always been things Kevin has said that rub me the wrong way; but there are usually 10 more examples of things he says or writes that make me like him. Part of it is that I have so many oportunities to hear what he has to say, as does anyone. He give tons of intervies, college fourums, and routinely stops by his message board to give updates and chat about whatever is on people's minds. If I spoke my mind that much I gurantee I would say dumb and bitchy things (and cuss); but I would hope that on average people would get to know me for the nice guy I am. This is Kevin Smith to me.

 

[Dave Dugan]

His point and shoot cinemetography is atrocious

I believe DP Dave would be sad that you're giving someone else credit for his work...

-Dave (no relation)

 

[ChristopherDM]

Kevin Smith is one of the few good people in hollywood today all of his films have always given me a good laugh.
People have always bashed him for his lack of camera movement, etc and know what he basically could care less.
btw my rank of his films
1.Dogma(im catholic can relate)
2.Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back(funniest movie of 2001)
3.Mallrats(gave us Jason Lee)
4.Clerks
5.Chasing Amy
Cheers!
Chris

 

[mike martin]

One of the great Kevin Smith fan mysteries. We love him but rarely if ever can agree on the order of the movies. Chasing Amy #5? Here are mine...

Amy

Clerks

J&SBSB

Dogma

Mallrats

Amy is one of my favorites of all time, not just KS movie.

 

[Damien Montanile]

Maybe some of you (not all mind you) should check out the imdb for Kevin Smith to see some of his other accomplishments
Link Removed

 

[mike martin]

Most of that stuff he only had a fleeting hand in (cammeos and such); with the exception of the animated series. Those weren't great but still much better than most of the crap on tv. The DVD's are well worth the purchase just for the commentaries however. Some -really- funny stuff there.

 

[Nate Anderson]

Okay, I'm also a fan of Kevin Smith, although not a raving fan. I do enjoy his films and look forward to the new ones.

My ranking:

1. Chasing Amy (His most mature, and also my favorite. I had recently gotten over a heavy crush on a lesbian around that time, so I could relate more than any man ever should. I often wonder if it would have turned out differently had I given her "The Speech". Amy fans know what I'm talking about.)

2. Dogma (Just because Smith had the courage to stick his balls out there and do something like this...It's also rather funny...)

3. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Hollywood had it coming...)

4. Clerks (The dialouge bumps this one up a notch...just pitch perfect...and I can relate to the characters so well it's not even funny.)

5. Mallrats (By default only. I enjoy this film simply because it is simply just plain fun. It doesn't try to be profound or special...it's just there to be funny. And I will never call the cookie stand part of the food court. We all know it is an autonomous unit for mid-mall snacking.)

 

[Josh_Hill]

I love Kevin Smith. He's da man. I love him cause he doesnt care what anyone says about him.

How I rate em:

Chasing Amy

J&SBSB

Dogma

Clerks

Mallrats

 

[Patrick Sun]

Here's a funny Kevin Smith story that he wrote up:

The Unholy Tale of Greasy Reese Witherspoon

It's Friday night at eleven o'clock, and me, my producer Scott Mosier and my wife Jen are sitting around the patio bar of the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles with Cruel Intentions actress Selma Blair.

What started as a routine meet-and-greet has now become a five-hour gab session, during which Selma has just let slip that she knows where Greasy Reese Witherspoon lives.

"You must tell me where," I gravely say.

"Why?" Selma asks, a little uncomfortable, due to the sudden change in my demeanor, brought on by the mere mention of Greasy Reese Witherspoon.

"Because I want to egg her house."

Yes. I so want to egg Greasy's house. Granted, I know she's married to Ryan Philipe, and they have a baby daughter now. But none of that matters to me.

We're not talking about a drive-by shooting. We're talking about a drive-by egging. I mean, f**k it; it's Friday night, we're in L.A., and we've got nothing else to do. What could be better than whipping eggs at the home of a couple B-listers?

Now I've got nothing against Ryan Philipe, mind you. And their baby's in the clear with me too (so far). But Greasy Reese herself? Man, I don't like her. And I'm not talking about her work here (because, like any sane human being with a modicum of taste, I'm a big fan of Election; even - as much as I hate to admit it - Greasy's peformance in said picture); I'm talking about the person Greasy Reese Witherspoon is. I'm talking a personal gripe here - more personal than the shark's beef with the Brodys in Jaws 4: The Revenge (or did that infamous tag-line refer to the Brodys' beef with the shark? I could never tell).

The reasons for this beef are sundry, and don't warrant getting into here.

Ah, f**k it. Yes, they do.

Waaaaay back when we were casting on Mallrats, Mosier and I are really anxious to meet Greasy Reese Witherspoon (who I then referred to without the "Greasy" moniker), because we're both huge fans of the coming-of-age drama Man in the Moon. Back then, our casting agent, Don Phillips, would meet with the actors and actresses before we'd audition them, precluding the meet-and-greets I presently am engaged in all week. For the Greasy meet-and-greet with Don, Mosier and I arrange a drop-in, as we're eager to see what she's like, this young actress who so dazzled us as Sam Waterson's daughter. So Don is meeting with her in his office at Universal, and Scooter and I pop in like we don't know she's there, and start jawing with her.

What a disappointment.

First, she comes off faux-erudite as all hell, and condescending to boot (personality traits that make for the kiss of death in my book). Secondly, she compares her Stephen Dorff-starring flick S.F.W. to Clerks, calling them "...the same movie, essentially." If you're me, and you've seen S.F.W., this is tantamount to saying Clerks licks balls.

By meeting's end, we tell Don there's no reason to bring her back for an audition, as we're now non-Reese fans.

Now whether this registers at all with Ms. Witherspoon, I have no idea. But on two future occasions, I have run-ins with Reese which are not at all pleasant, and may reflect what one can define as a grudge being held against me for not letting her audition for Mallrats (a slight that she should've sent me roses for, all things considered).

The first such run-in takes place at one of Details magazine's "Young Hollywood' Parties. I'm dragged to the shindig, kicking and screaming (I hate parties, and I hate 'em even more when they're wall-to-wall with creepy young actors in L.A.), by my then-girlfriend, Joey Lauren Adams. We see Reese there, holding court, and Joey wants to extend her a congratulations on her performance in Overnight Delivery.

To understand the mammoth gesture this is, you have to know Joey's history with this flick. Many months prior, she and Reese were up for the lead in the picture, the script for which I did an uncredited re-write. It was being directed by the same guy who'd also crafted that contender for the cinematic throne of Citizen Kane, Bio-Dome.

While Overnight Delivery would eventually be unceremoniously dumped straight-to-video by New Line a year later, it was something of a hot project then, and Joey was up for the female lead (indeed, at one point, Joey was going to not do Chasing Amy -- the film that earned her a Golden Globe nomination -- and instead do Overnight Delivery; and people say there is no God...). Ultimately, Reese was cast instead, as New Line was grooming her for stardom. After the initial understandable bout of disappointment, Joey found peace with this decision, especially once she'd gotten Amy under her belt.

So it's a year later. We've shot Amy but it hasn't come out yet. Joey and I have seen an early cut of Overnight Delivery, and she wants to say something nice about Reese's performance to Reese -- a real stand-up gesture that you'd never catch me making, were I in her shoes. We jockey up to Reese (me, quite unwillingly), and Joey tells her that she's seen the flick, and she thinks Reese was really good, adding she's glad Reese got the part when all was said and done. And how does Reese react?

She sneers at Joey. Then turns away.

Children, I wouldn't say it unless I'd witnessed it with my own two eyes.

Greasy Reese Witherspoon sneered at the compliment like the third grade girl with the most Valentines sneers at the third grade girl with the second most Valentines after all the Valentines have been given out, just prior to the distribution of the holiday cupcakes. It was an ugly, ugly moment. There was no offer of even an insincere, Hollywood-type "Thanks." Merely a sneer.

But that doesn't earn her the nickname "Greasy." Reese becomes Greasy when I'm later informed that, on the set of Overnight, she quite audibly mocked me.

Me! Radio Raheem!

The mockery was thus: Reese and Paul Rudd (the male lead) are doing the closing shot of the flick, where they walk away from camera. They're supposed to be talking playfully, but since it's understood this is the closing shot (and, presumably, end-credits music will be playing), no dialogue is written. So the director tells the actors to just make stuff up, as it's not going to be heard anyway.

What follows is the exchange, as told to me and my elephantine memory (and ass), by someone who was there.

REESE: Who wrote this s**t?

PAUL: I think Kevin Smith.

REESE: Ugh! Didn't he write Mallrats?

PAUL: Yeah, but he also wrote Clerks.

REESE: Who cares? No wonder this dialogue sucked.

Needless to say, when I'm told this, I am livid. Enraged. Mildly amused, yes (hell, it was a good dig), but more enraged.

And from that moment forward, I've never referred to her as anything but Greasy (pronounced "GREE-ZEE") Reese (pronounced "REE-ZEE") Witherspoon (pronounced accordingly).

So when Selma lets slip that she knows where Greasy lives, I'm agog. I'm begging her... BEGGING her to give me the address so I can drive by and egg the mother****er (I'm talking about the house now, not Greasy herself; or am I...?). Selma insists I'll get caught and give her up as the address-provider in the process, but I counter that not only would I not give her up, but I'll endure hours of police questioning following my apprehension and still remain zip-lipped.

"So you're already sure you're going to get caught?" she asks.

I offer that getting caught is a must, because how delicious is it going to be to have Ryan Philipe chasing me down the block in his skivvies, all piss and vinegar, after the yolks have hit the fan? And how infinitely more delicious will the moment be when Way of the Gun catches my ass (which, assuredly, he would, as he's extremely physically fit, and I can barely find the energy to make it to the bowl; unless it's a bowl of Lucky Charms)? I fantasize about him tackling me on a lawn a few yards from his own home (no homoerotic subtext, mind you; the boy's no Affleck), turning me over to see my face, and discovering that the guy who made Dogma is the egg-man.

I harp on this for half an hour, but Blair will have no part of it. Sadly, she eventually heads home, without me having procured so much as a general direction in which Greasy lives.

It is the biggest disappointment thus far on the road to Jay and Silent Bob Striking Back.

 

[Shad R]

Kevin Smith rules. My favorites...

5. JSBSB(by far the worst)

4. Dogma (funny)

3. Mallrats (even funnier)

2. Chasing Amy (showed Kevin could mix comedy, drama and great dailoge)

1. Clerks (OH MY! AMAZING MOVIE! LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!)

 

[David Rogers]

First off, if you don’t like the movie, don’t watch it. I can't stand some directors, including some that people just gush and gush and gush about. I simply don’t see their films. Troll posts aren't what this board is about, I thought?

Second, Smith has never claimed to be a great director. I believe he directs because when he started he had to direct, and that he retains direction now because he's been 'inside' the Hollywood system and seen how projects get corrupted from their original point. Some of Smith's own experiences directly lend to this viewpoint; before the Superman project was shelved, Smith was watching his script be mutilated by the studio and director to their tastes. As an aside, I've always wondered why studios feel films should be screenwritten-by-committee; I can't hardly think of any great novels that were even coauthored, to say nothing of being written by dozens of hacks.

Third, Smith is one of the finest screenwriters of his generation. He may be one of the finest *writers* of his generation, but that one's so difficult to argue that it's completely not fun or interesting to attempt to have the discussion. The hook of a Smith flick is the writing. If you are able to move past the dick and fart jokes, which I laugh at in Smith flicks, the depth of Smith's writing is quite startling. He makes points and draws comparisons that put things into focus, that teach and create revelation. If all you're doing is rolling your eyes over the latest D&F joke, or screaming about why every character is smoking, then you'll probably miss the good stuff.

As I always told my English Teachers in school, particularly when I was fighting with them, not all great literature is told in Shakespearean prose. Most of it isn't, in fact. That someone may use profanity in a sentence, or even include 'base' subjects as part of the dialogue, does not render their words without meaning. You have to do more than listen for the 'bad' words to complain about.