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Kevin Smith's Films

river_styx said:
Kevin Smith is one of the most overrated and mediocre writer-directors to ever have been thrust upon the world.
It seems as though every year he unleashes yet another of his bland, Affleck starring dirges upon us and it's some how even more average than the previous 'effort'.
I know a lot of people think that he's great and to be honest that doesn't bother me, but for the fact that every interview I've ever seen him in or read in a magazine, Kevin Smith is Kevin Smith's biggest fan.

Okay, rant over. Sorry to have interrupted the flow of things.

Okay, so I get that you don't like the guy. But what is it about his films that you particularly dislike? There are film-makers out there that annoy the hell out of me too, but I could tell you WHY they do?

What's your beef (Affleck aside - that's a given... :mrgreen:
 
A) He's a smart aleck and not particularly funny. There's just something a bit fan-boyish about him which really gets up my nose.

2) Chasing Amy. Crass, immature nonsense. "So, you're like a LESBIAN? that means you DO STUFF? with WOMEN?" how utterly endearing! Or not. It was all about how some men are emotionally stunted and can't hold down non-sexual freidnships with women and that's not only a glimpse into another sad, sad world but also one which I find immensely pointless and irritating.
 
CodenameThrow said:
A) He's a smart aleck and not particularly funny. There's just something a bit fan-boyish about him which really gets up my nose.

2) Chasing Amy. Crass, immature nonsense. "So, you're like a LESBIAN? that means you DO STUFF? with WOMEN?" how utterly endearing! Or not. It was all about how some men are emotionally stunted and can't hold down non-sexual freidnships with women and that's not only a glimpse into another sad, sad world but also one which I find immensely pointless and irritating.

I suppose in some ways that is part of the point he is a fanboy himself and offers us snap shots into the lives of uber-geeks. I suppose it makes a lot of us borderline cases feel better about oursleves and offers the opportunity to have a laugh at some Star Wars jokes at the same time. So its not for everyone (but what is?).

He'd happily admit he is a writer first and director second (largely so he can makes sure his writing gets transmitted to the screen according to his "vision") so they can seem less than perfect.

I also think his rather obsessive fanboy nature, while one of his main selling points, may also be his downfall. He has delivered (at least as far as I'm concerned ;) ) when he has stuk with what he knows well and when he wanders from it either disasters happen or its still good its just not the kind of film his core fnabase might naturally watch (depending on your point of view really). His obsession with Ben Affleck is odd and it may be part of his nature but Kevn Smith really made Affleck (featuring him in his films and taking the Good Will Hutning script to Miramax) so if any worshipping is to be done...

It also led him to make Jersey Girl - the vehicle of that two-headed monster Bennifer (which Affleck allegedly hates so I may use it again ;) ). I don't like it but I have read lots of reviews form people who did so horse for courses. He also likes it but did get really down over the criticism it got. He also backed out form directing The Green Hornet and it might have helped him expand his horizons a bit (there is no reason more action can't also be funny) and I do wonder if he is a one (or two) trick pony and I'd like to see how he did without his safety nets and get in a whole new cast and try a different genre (was there talk of a sci-fi movie? that'd be interesting).

Bit of a ramble but I'm I'm a bit conflicted about it realy - I personally like some of his stuff but wonder what he will do next. Peter Jackson made the leap from little indie films to major league talent and while he is a far better director than Kevin Smith he was also prepared to take risks and keep pushing into unknown territory.

Well we'll wait and I see I suppose.
 
CuriousIdent said:
river_styx said:
Kevin Smith is one of the most overrated and mediocre writer-directors to ever have been thrust upon the world.
It seems as though every year he unleashes yet another of his bland, Affleck starring dirges upon us and it's some how even more average than the previous 'effort'.
I know a lot of people think that he's great and to be honest that doesn't bother me, but for the fact that every interview I've ever seen him in or read in a magazine, Kevin Smith is Kevin Smith's biggest fan.

Okay, rant over. Sorry to have interrupted the flow of things.

Okay, so I get that you don't like the guy. But what is it about his films that you particularly dislike? There are film-makers out there that annoy the hell out of me too, but I could tell you WHY they do?

What's your beef (Affleck aside - that's a given... :mrgreen:


I just find him and his films unworthy of all the hype they receive.

Clerks bored the hell out of me, as did Chasing Amy and Mallrats.

Every film has pretty much the same characters and more often than not the same story, disaffected stoner types chasing the unobtainable which leads them on a serious of unfortunate, but supposedly funny, events. All at the same time as they try to go on with being a drop out.

It was fairly amusing the first time around, but it started losing its appeal at the second or third movie.

Jersey Girl tried to be something different and ended up showing that Kevin Smith would have been forgotten a decade ago if that had been his first movie.

I'm not saying there isn't an audience for romantic comedies, it's just not what I expected from a supposed 'cult' director.

Needless to say I'm sure he's absolutely gutted to read this, which I'm sure he is... :roll:

And all that without once mentioning Bennifer and his giant jaw bone.
 
I remember reading once that he had been alocated the job of writing the script for the much threatened new superman movie, but was eventully talen off the project or quit because of differences of opinion with the director as the director didn't know who Kal-El was and this irked him in the extreame that the studio had apointed someone who knew very little about superman to direct it.

A shame because I think as a bit of a fanboy he might have been able to writ a script that both fanboys, casual readers of the comics and action movie fans might have all been able to agree was good.

(actully I wonder how the superman film is coming along, i haven't heard any more about it for at least 4 years)
 
Superman is currently being filmed with Bryan Singer as director and some unknown as Superman.


It's called Superman Returns I think.
 
Saturday, October 1, 2005


"Fletch" To Continue Sans Kevin...


Posted @ 7:05 AM | Comments [0]

Scooped By: Bill Grandpre

# We're bummed to hear this, or see this in print, anyway...But it definitely seems like the Fletch project will continue, but without Kevin's involvement. With the potential to have Lee back in the fold, Kevin's longtime Fletch worship, and his deft writing skills, we're sure this flick would have been a true winner. This comes from "Fletch Won" co-producer David List via a thread on IMDB's message board:

The rumour you've heard is incorrect -- at least partially. First, the incorrect part is that the movie is going to be made, and if all goes as planned should be in production in early '06. Second, and correctly, Kevin Smith is no longer affiliated with the Fletch film as writer or director.

the reliability is extremely good. I'm David List, the producer of the film. It's not really sad news. It was an amicable departure, and there should be some announcements in the coming weeks which should bring you back...

Too early to tell. We don't have a script yet. We're meeting with a potential new writer in a couple of weeks, and if all goes well, we should have a new script a few months thereafter. Also, much could also depend on how Chevy feels. Who knows if he want to do a cameo in film that he is so closely associated with the lead. I think it would be great...

September 1:

Well...I like to think I have some pull. I hope you go to see the film even if Chevy isn't in it. That said...I think everyone will welcome his being a part of it. Whether or not he chooses to, will probably be up to him...Keep you posted...

Hi. As you may have read, Kevin is no longer affiliated with the project. And you're right -- his type of comedy just isn't "Fletch." Keep checking the board, and the trades. There should be some announcements coming soon...David

Hi there. It's really not sad news. Kevin's intimating that we (me, Harvey, etc.) want to make a "chevy-esqu" Fletch film are just not true. In fact, it's the opposite. We want to create a new and contemporary Fletch. Some actors, in fact, who were initually discussed were later decided against because their comedic timing was too close to Chevy's. It's not that Kevin isn't talented or funny. It's just that his comedic style, ultimately, proved not translate well for "Fletch," at least as I and Harvey felt. Keep an open mind. There's lot's of very funny writers out there. You might be surprised...David

Hi there. Sorry you feel that way. Zach is a very bright and fresh new talent. There's much more to him than "Scrubs" and "Garden State." That said...only time will tell who's right...

Kevin has confirmed that he's off the project at the moment, and with "Clerks 2" and "Ranger Danger" on the horizon, heck, we're totally cool with that.

www.newsaskew.com

-------------
Also Passion of the Clerks teaser:

www.clerks2.com/movies/passion2.mov

You can also see a video diary making of:

www.clerks2.com/?cat=1
 
Found a funny article about Kevin Smith's work on the Superman script HERE
 
I know a lot of people who don't "get" kevin smith movies and it simply boils down to the fact they don't see themselves in any of it. most hollywood output is so mass-marketed that anyone, even a hermit who has had no form of contact with society for 30 years, can relate to something in them as they strive to appeal to as many people as possible which ultimately robs them of their passion and uniqueness.

Whereas kevins films deal with the section of society he's most comfortable with. obsessive stoner fanboys and their day-to-day antics. he writes PASSIONATELY about what he knows. it seems a lot of kevin is in his movies... consider this:

geeky comic drawing fanboy decides that he really wants to make a movie, no studio will touch the script with a barge-pole so fanboy embarks on a crazy adventure convincing friends and family to loan him money and draws out as much cash as he can on any credit card that lands on his doormat... eventally he makes the film, makes a fortune and lives happliy ever after.

not the new view-askew film, but the story of how clerks got made. The world kevin writes about does exist... he lives in it. the characters are real people, most creative will types will identify with them straight away.

i supopose it's the same deal as marmite: you love it, or hate it.

I like chasing amy, it does show the casual homophobia that is rife in all walks of life, not just the comic world, but rather than risking the minefield of over-generalisation kevin writes about the area he knows... comics. and it's damn funny, not as much as mallrats or clerks but damn good.

Dogma is a riot! it's an exploration of kevin's own crisis of faith and i think is a very healthy way to deal with a very complex subject. I think its the easiest of the view-askewniverse films to get into, not the hardest. it has a good upbeat feel, the themes aren't too geeky and the in jokes wouldn't ruin the film if you didn't get them. I showed it to someone who said they'd been told kevin smith films were childish. They watched it and loved it.
 
and i just remebered a good quote about kevin that was out when Pearl Harbour was released:

"Randall Wallace & Michael Bay should hire Kevin Smith to teach them how to write convincing dialogue... and maybe in return Bay could teach Smith how to make a film look like it cost more than $100 to make"

:lol:
 
kiel_d, I think you hit the mark. Part of the reason I like certain writers and directors is that I can identify with their characters. I've been or known many of the characters in various Kevin Smith movies, so they're rather endearing to me. Like visiting the lost past.
 
Jay out of Jay and Silent Bob can sure rap when outside the quick stop. :yeay:
 
My bad, I should have done a search first. You can tack this thread onto the end of that one, or make me a mod. ;) ;)
 
tonyblair11 said:
My bad, I should have done a search first. You can tack this thread onto the end of that one, or make me a mod. ;) ;)

LOL - no need to do either. ;)

We can leave this running as a more specific thread. If it goes nowhere we can merge it later.
 
Well it looks like he has managed to pull it out of the bag (despite a lot of people's naysaying):

Bestiality Film: 8 Minute Cannes Ovation

Maybe you remember "Clerks," the hilarious indie film that put director Kevin Smith on the map more than a decade ago. Since then, he’s brought us some good ones ("Chasing Amy"), some that are controversial ("Dogma") and some that are only for the faithful ("Jersey Girl," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back").

Last night Smith returned to form in a post-midnight premiere of "Clerks 2," the long awaited sequel that reunites the still unknown stars of the first film and adds the delightful Rosario Dawson to the mix. The result was a huge eight minute standing ovation in the Claude DeBussy Theater in the Palais at 2 a.m. Saturday.

And this was despite the fact that the film -- hilarious, moving and shocking -- is simultaneously a meditation on friendship, aging and bestiality. Yes, you read that correctly. Much is made of a well-dressed donkey that is forced into interspecies commingling with its owner as part of an after-hours going away party in a fast food restaurant called Mooby’s. The movie has an R rating, and the donkey may be featured in a For Your Consideration ad in Variety next winter.

Besides the donkey, "Clerks 2" also features extended cameos by Jason Lee and Wanda Sykes, a walk-on from Ben Affleck, and of course Smith himself as his long-running character Silent Bob with partner Jason Mewes as Jay. The clerks of the title are still played by longtime-Smith-pals Jeff Anderson (Randall) and Brian O’Halloran (Dante); Smith’s real-life wife, Jennifer, is featured as Dante’s clueless fiancée Emma.


This is good news for The Weinstein Company, which will have a huge summer hit. Smith is one of their franchise players, coming from the original—real—Miramax.

The premise of "Clerks 2" is pretty simple. The Quick Stop where Randall and Dante have been clerks since we last saw them in 1994 burns down, and the pair—now in their 30s—move over to Mooby’s where Dante has had a one-night stand on the prep table with the manager (Dawson). Before finding out that she’s pregnant, Dante makes plans to move away with Emma. Silent Bob and Jay move their dope peddling from the Quick Stop to Mooby’s as well, and Randall plans the Donkey Show for Dante. It’s that simple, and no, it’s no "Da Vinci Code," that’s for sure.

But fans of Smith—who are legion—as well as teens in general and the college crowd, are going to adore "Clerks 2," which was originally titled "The Passion of the Clerks." In the middle of all this nuttiness and "Animal House" inspired moments (the poor donkey is certainly the cinematic descendant of the dead horse in the dean’s office), Smith has crafted a nifty little tale of friends who love each other—as they say over and over, not in the gay way—but realize their extended adolescence must finally come to an end.

What’s really amazing about "Clerks 2" is that it works at all. The first "Clerks" was a cult hit, and unlike with say John Sayles’s "The Return of the Secaucus Seven," the actors never went on to anything other than recurring in Smith’s world. To find them not only picking up where they left off, but also making the whole thing work again, is quite an achievement. A lot of it has to do with Dawson, who is so natural, appealing, and evolved as Becky that she pulls the whole enterprise together.

Special mention, by the way, has to go to Jason Mewes. Unlike his cohorts, he’s managed to get some other roles in the recent past in some great unseen B or C movies that are either already on DVD or simply can’t be sold. In "Bottom’s Up," his biggest one, he co-stars with our friend Paris Hilton, whose own "House of Wax" and "Pledge This" would have benefited from having a donkey as well.

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197269,00.html
 
Clerks: a masteriece of dialogue, timing, and atmosphere. (Great Soundtrack!). I have a penchant for films which are limited in terms of location or time and this one uses the confines of both to give us a slice of grungey slacker life.
Mallrats: Great Fun in the John Hughes mould.
Dogma: a good film, although his usually good script wasn't quite as great - i think this one may have more easily garnered an audience outside his usual fans.
Chasing Amy: One or two good bits but overall i was underwhelmed. Especially as i was such a huge fan of Clerks since it first came out.
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Fun, but ultimately just one for the fans - i enjoyed it but haven't re-watched it since the cinema. I find it hard to imagine a newcomer to his films enjoying or even understanding this one. Mark Hamil as the Evil Cock-knocker wielding a bong-saber...
 
Director Thrown Off Oakland Flight Over Weight

A cult-favorite movie director has claimed that he was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight out of Oakland due to a dispute over his weight.

Kevin Smith, the creator of movies like Clerks, Dogma, and the upcoming Cop Out, posted a series of angry, sarcastic messages on his Twitter feed (@ThatKevinSmith) blasting Southwest Airlines for allegedly throwing him off a flight at Oakland International Airport after he had already been seated and buckled in.

According to Smith, a flight attendant told him the flight captain had deemed him a safety risk and requested that he leave the flight.

"I broke no regulation, offered no 'safety risk,' (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?)," he wrote. "I'm way fat... But I'm not THERE just yet."

Smith's followers (numbering more than 1.6 million) flooded Twitter with support for the filmmaker and insults for Southwest Airlines' official Twitter page.

The Southwest Airlines' Twitter feed posted several messages saying they were aware of Smith's allegations and promised to investigate.

Smith seemed less than willing to accept an apology and continued posting pointed jabs laced with profanity, even as he sat on another Southwest Airlines flight to Burbank.

"Dear @SouthwestAir, I'm on another one of your planes, safely seated & buckled-in again, waiting to be dragged off in front of the normies," he wrote. Smith soon posted a picture of himself on the flight with the caption, "Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!"

Kevin Smith agreed with a follower's suggestion to air his grievances on his wildly popular podcasting series, dubbed "SModcast."

"Wanna tell me I'm too wide for the sky? Totally cool. But fair warning, folks: IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU MAY BE EJECTED FROM @SOUTHWESTAIR," Smith wrote.

By the time Smith had reported that he landed in Burbank, Southwest Airlines had posted a promise to have a Customer Relations vice-president call him personally.

Late Saturday night, Smith posted that he had recorded a special episode of SModcast specifically dealing with his experience.

http://cbs13.com/local/kevin.smith.southwest.2.1493836.html

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20344142,00.html
 
I didn't go and see his presentation at MacWorld this week, partly because I wasn't really interested, and partly because the queue stretched for miles.

Who knows why they kicked him off the flight? Want to bet it had nothing to do with his weight? Maybe they saw Gigli.
 
Anome_ said:
I didn't go and see his presentation at MacWorld this week, partly because I wasn't really interested, and partly because the queue stretched for miles.

Who knows why they kicked him off the flight? Want to bet it had nothing to do with his weight? Maybe they saw Gigli.

Um, Martin Brest directed Gigli. He hasn't made a film since. Kevin Smith directed Jersey Girl. He's made two or three since.
 
sherbetbizarre said:
Director Thrown Off Oakland Flight Over Weight

He has a new film out in a couple of weeks and I have it on good word this is to create a "buzz".

Are we buzzing yet?
 
No, you don't say! :shock:

:lol:
 
Director Kevin Smith told he was 'too big' to fly
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainmen ... 515960.stm

Kevin Smith
Smith directs the forthcoming Bruce Willis movie Cop Out

Clerks director Kevin Smith has revealed he was asked to get off a plane in the US because he was too big for the seats.

The 39-year-old claimed a pilot ejected him from the Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank, California, saying he did not fit in a single seat.

Smith complained about the incident on his Twitter account saying: "I'm way fat, but I'm not there just yet."

Southwest issued an apology to the director via Twitter and its website.

In a statement titled Not So Silent Bob - a jovial jab at the Silent Bob character Smith plays in several of his films - the airline said: "We would like to echo our tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies to you."

The statement continued: "Our pilots are responsible for the safety and comfort of all customers on the aircraft and therefore, made the determination that Mr Smith needed more than one seat to complete his flight."

Airline challenge

It added it accommodated the director on a later flight, offered him a $100 (£64) voucher and apologised by phone.

The airline said its customer of size policy dictates that travellers must be able to fit safely and comfortably in one seat or must purchase an additional seat.

It noted that Smith had originally purchased two seats "as he's been known to do when travelling on Southwest", then changed his travel plans, leaving him on a flight with just one seat.

However, the director claimed this was statement misleading. He told fans he had bought two seats because he was "anti-social and didn't want to sit next to someone and possibly have to make [conversation]".

He also complained that the airline had written about his "personal travel details" without asking permission.

Smith insisted that, when he boarded his flight, he was able to put both armrests down and buckle his seat belt.

He challenged the airline to bring a row of their seats on to a US chat show so he could prove he fit into them.

"If I don't fit, I'll donate $10k (£6,380) to charity of your choice. But when I do (& buckle the belt as well)? 1) You admit you lied. 2) Change your policy, or at least re-train your staff to be a lot more human & a lot less corporate," he wrote.

Smith, who also directed the 1997 film Chasing Amy, directs the forthcoming Bruce Willis movie Cop Out.
 
Clerks director Kevin Smith has revealed he was asked to get off a plane in the US because he was too big for the seats.

The 39-year-old claimed a pilot ejected him from the Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank, California, saying he did not fit in a single seat.

I saw this and thought it was a bizarre story. Smith's a big guy, but he's hardly grossly obese. If he can't fit into a SouthWestern seat, I should think the same will be true for 40%+ of the US population.

:wtf:
 
Kevin Smith's new film Yoga Hosers looks terrible going by the trailers I've seen so far (and I'm an ENORMOUS Kevin Smith fan) .. the stars are his daughter and Johnny Depp's daughter being sassy 13 years olds glued to their phones and laughing at 30 year olds by the looks of it ? ... I appreciate that every one of his films can't be cLERkS etc and that he's branched out into different genres since and I'm not the target audience for this film .... but still? ... this? ... as long as the teens like it I suppose ...

 
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Weirdsville.
 
Weirdsville.
I actually enjoy Kevin's massive and eloquent rambles that he peppers with sweary words and fun anecdotes. I haven't listened to this review involving him speaking yet but I imagine it will be more fun than watching the film ? .. his director commentary tracks have all been hilarious so far, I especially enjoyed the Jersey Girl commentary with Jason Mewes talking about how much he wanted to **** Liv Tyler ... amongst other unsavoury things .. anyway, this should be good .. and NSFW

 
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