I'm not at all surprised that you caught that one.Originally Posted by Woofer
That was Judd Apatow.
I'm not at all surprised that you caught that one.
That was Judd Apatow.
That's pretty much what I try to tell myself Brice. Making an animated series was one thing (and it worked wonderfully). Having Dante and Randall appear on Leno and then making a second movie, that much further down the road, that strikes me as Kevin Smith at a loss for new ideas.
Well, whether he is or not I'd rather not think of the guy who made Clerks as a total fuckin' sellout, but that's how Clerks and JASBSB made me feel.All those were from where I'm sitting was a check. He took his best idea and tainted it with those two movies IMO. And it's not even that they were bad movies. I just don't think that they should have been made even if he could have made them as great. I am not a fan of the whole sequel thing anyhow. I never have been. I just think he should have left it alone. The cartoon was good though.
Exactly! Not every good movie or good set of characters has to be a franchise. Kevin could still make plenty of movies which fall within the View Askewniverse without them just being retreads of old characters. Mallrats references some events and characters from Clerks but also works as its own movie. Chasing Amy references both Clerks and Mallrats but still works as its own movie. There's no reason he couldn't do more movies which are part of the same world that would still stand alone just fine.
It just irks me when people wind up franchising their great characters. It takes a little bit away from the greatness.
I'm a big Kevin Smith fan, have been ever since I first saw Clerks about 10 or more years ago. I live in NJ, so I have to support a local, and have been down to Red Bank several times to visit his great comic shop and some of the shooting locations of his films.
Film wise I enjoy all his films, some more than others. I love Clerks, just an excellent film. Mallrats is great, I am a comic geek so that movie spoke to me. I even enjoyed Jersey Girl, sure, not his best work, but something I will watch whenever it is on.
I also love his comic book work, his Clerk and Jay and Silent Bob comics are great and his Daredevil run was just amazing.
AS for favorite lines from his movies, oh man, where do I begin. They are ALL so quotable.
I luuurve me some Clerks Animated Series. I still adore the fact that GSD had Bear is Driving in her sig so long ago. It seemed like nobody knew that show back then.
I enjoy all the movies, but watch Mallrats, Dogma, and J&SBSB the most. Surprisingly, I'm not that big on Clerks the movie. Clerks 2 was fun, though.
"Patrick Swayze?! Who is that?"
you're solid gold // i'll see you in hell
I loved the animated Clerks show. Thought the animation style was great and the bear driving the car was classic.
Haha. That's awesome that you remember that. I actually have that same bear driving sticker on my car window.
Some people have mistaken it for Winnie the Pooh.
As far as the animated series/Patrick Swayze, I love the episode where he works in the pet store and he calls the horse Point Break.
The best part of that is that they got Gilbert Gottfreid to do the voice. Hilarious!As far as the animated series/Patrick Swayze, I love the episode where he works in the pet store and he calls the horse Point Break.
Sorry, but if the best part of anything is Gilbert Gottfreid, then this turtle is going to have to pass.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
As the voice to further heap mockery on Patrick Swayze, he was hilarious. Anything that makes fun of Patrick Swayze is hilarious.
This is so very true.... and is now the exception to the Gilbert Gottfreid rule!
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
The only other thing I ever thought was funny about Gilbert were some of his classic appearances on the Howard Stern radio show back in the early 90's before the show got far too popular and lost its appeal. Gilbert used to come in and talk about how big of a loser he was and how even with a modicum of fame and money he still couldn't get a date. It was pathetic and hilarious.
Oh completely true. That's what was so funny about it. It was far too detailed and pathetic to be scripted bc if it was scripted, Gilbert is the greatest comedy writer of all time (and we know that's not true).
I was a member at the Viewaskew message boards for 5 years and I totally see why Kevin made Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks 2. He's very involved with his fans - especially those on the board (he gave Smalls a job for a start!) and there was alot of demand from the fans to give Jay and Silent Bob their own movie and to return to Clerks.
I'm not saying he did it solely for the fans, but I imagine he was catering to their requests to some degree.
I thought they were fine. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is meant to be a ridculous dick and fart joke fest - and also, despite being a fan I think people sometimes credit Smith with being more of a genius than he actually is and therefore they expect too much from him.
I buy that for Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, but part of the reason that one was acceptable was because it was, allegedly, the coming full circle of that whole run of jokes and references. It was a nice way to supposedly retire all of that.
For Clerks II, I'm not so sure. There comes a time when even the artists most loyal to their fans need to learn to say no. I see it in music a lot where people adore one album or style of a band and if the band dares to do something different, these fans are forever wishing the band would return to that sound. They need to get over it.
And I agree with your assessment that people may expect too much from Kevin. I don't expect everything he does to be as good as I think those first four movies are, but I do get disappointed when he (for whatever reason) tries to return to those successes and ends up cheapening them a bit.
Yeah, I think sometimes his fanbase is a little too loyal...or maybe I mean kiss ass? One of the reasons I left in the end was because they vehemently attacked anyone who criticised Kevin in any way. The fact that Kev rarely stepped in to stop it (and he's on the board alot...or was) made me think perhaps they massaged his ego a little too much?
I can see where that would get old in a hurry. I think part of being a legitimate fan of an artist is realizing they have faults and sometimes produce things that aren't that great but you accept that and love them anyway. Even my most favorite musicians have songs I don't think are particularly good but I can admit that without thinking less of them. It's those who can't that I think don't necessarily like it for any other reason than who made it. That's not fanhood, that's delusion.
Ever seen his early work with The Harvard Lampoon? Funny, funny stuff. (Though we may be getting off-topic.)
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back: One part which I really did like was the central joke; that they used their profits to actually travel around and whup their online critics.
Hunh. Ironic. That's what I liked about it. Seemed to be a very Zen production (a la The Big Picture) wherein Smith finally brushed off the conflicting pressures that affected J&SBSB on one hand and Jersey Girl on the other. Have you heard the DVD commentaries?
For which film, Clerks II? No, I haven't heard the commentaries. I don't even have the dvd's. Didn't really like it enough to think I'd ever want to watch it again.
I went to see Mallrats in the theater when I was a teenager without any knowledge of who Kevin Smith was or what his movies were like. I went with my GF and my parents.
Talk about awkward...
Ah, Mallrats. Too bad Eden Prairie Center looks nothing like that anymore... the food court's still in the same place, though!
you're solid gold // i'll see you in hell
Now by 'food court', you don't mean Cookie stand, do you?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
