Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Happy Kevin Smith Day!

Today marks the release of not one but two new discs from one of my favorite writers/director when Clerks 2 and Kevin Smith: Evening Harder hit the shelves. I’ll have a review up of the two DVD’s next week but today I thought I’d honor Silent Bob with a column ranking his efforts.



10. An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder- This goes last only because I haven’t seen any of it. Still if you’ve seen number 9 this promises more of the same.



9. An Evening with Kevin Smith- As a huge Smith fan I shocked myself by putting off renting this thing until last year and I must say I’m ashamed. Three hours of Smith standing in lecture halls spinning tales might be too much for some but for Smith fans this is essential viewing.



8. Jersey Girl- Here’s a flick that grows on me with every viewing. The whole Bennifer thing really doomed this movie out of the gate. Plus, it was the first time a Smith movie took place outside of the Askewniverse and that alienated a lot of hardcore fans. I think Smith brings out the very best in Ben Affleck the actor and there’s a scene towards the end where he rips his little girl with a viciousness that makes you recoil yet appreciate where his self centered single dad is coming from at the same time. I had a hard time not ranking this a little higher but 8 will have to do.



7. Dogma- Now for the opposite of Jersey Girl, a movie that I enjoy less and less with each viewing. Perhaps it’s the complete lack of religion in my life but it just doesn’t stick with me. The DVD though is a fine example of why Smith’s movies tend to endure. The ample deleted scenes are actually funny (a rarity in this world over Platinum Editions and 8 disc sets) and the commentaries offer insight to a film that turned out to be a rather complicated production.



6. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back- When you talk about complete and utter self indulgence from a filmmaker think about this film. The studio basically gave Smith a green light to make a road movie that centered on two characters that had a handful of lines from his previous films. Make no mistake Smith made this for himself and his fans and it seemed like a great way to end Askewniverse. I already loved the ways Clerks, Amy, Mallrats and Dogma had ties both subtle and strong but J&SBSB took it to a whole new level. I love the cameos from Judd Nelson to Mark Hamil. Another well packaged DVD goes along way to extending the longevity of the flick.



5. Clerks: The Animated Series- One of the great failures of Smith’s career that ended up being a great success. ABC ordered up the series with an initial order of 13 but I think they only aired about 4. The show featured all the original actors from Clerks. It’s full of gags that leap incredibly large gaps of logic and reminds me a lot of Family Guy. It also features Alec Baldwin doing what I believe was his first major animated voice work. Once it came to DVD the loyal Smithsonian’s ran around and gobbled these up showing networks that short lived shows can have a good life on DVD.



4. Clerks- What can I say that I haven’t already said about Clerks. Smith’s first film drove me to an ill-fated but highly enjoyable film career. It’s one of the films that played a huge role in the rise of the independent filmmaker. Besides all of that and most importantly it’s a great movie. Sure the acting is sometimes a little forced but for a bunch of friends, what do you expect? I’d also say the budget limited the camera movements but as we’ve seen through the majority of his career that’s more about Smith then money. It’s a timeless movie that still feels like you could go out and shoot it today.



3. Clerks II- As much as I love the original the sequel hit me even harder. Sure the story mirrored my personal life at the time but even without that I thought this was one of Smith’s best. The cinematography that I just mocked him for is excellent here, and the writing is…well…obscene, but also obscenely good. I’m really looking forward to getting my copy of the DVD shipped to me this week to see if the film still stands up but as of now I think technically this is Smith’s best.



2. Mallrats- At the other end of the technical spectrum we have Mallrats. Sure it might be the most stunt filled film of all him films but you get the feeling that Smith didn’t know what he was doing. That’s okay though because this is probably Smith’s best true comedy. Sure there are one or two quiet moments but the morals and lessons that tend to stick out in his other films are buried under stink palms and Kryptonian sex. I’ll never forget going opening night and having the theater manager give all 6 of us in the audience a free poster. Now years later it’s one of the best selling Smith DVDs and a film that critics have gone back and reassessed in a positive light. I think the reason it suffered is because people weren’t yet aware of just how juvenile Smith can be while still being entertaining.



1. Chasing Amy- Smith’s one flawless movie. I try to nitpick really I do but on this one I can’t find fault. Jason Lee and Ben Affleck hit career highs. Joey Lauren Adams’ squeaky voice was not irritating and was actually a little sexy. It’s a funny movie but it’s really a drama. These 3 people are such a train wreck but you hope and believe that they’ll succeed even though you know they’re all fucked up and that’s why the movie works. We’re all screwy in relationships and while we might not all be trying to turn a lesbian or gay up our best friend, Smith spoke to the feelings of inadequacy that we all face in our relationships on some level. “What’s a Nubian?”

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