Saturday, August 30, 2008

Why I love Kevin Smith

There's a lot about Kevin Smith I didn't know a year ago, and I was probably a better person. However, now that I know more, I do have even more respect for him as a person and not just as a film maker. First, I love most of his movies. Mallrats was the first of his movies I saw, and watched it over and over. It was hilarious, talkative, and probably dirtier-mouthed than any movie I'd seen that far. Jay and Silent Bob were some of the most innovative characters I'd ever seen. Afterward, I've see Clerks, which I can't love like Mallrats, but still think is pretty amazing. Chasing Amy was pretty amazing, again opened doors I'd never even known existed. And finally Dogma appealed to me on a personal level. I'd always wondered about a lot of the rules of my own religion and Kevin Smith just put them all into a movie, and still made it funny and crazy while not disrespecting religion, just questioning certain elements. I love it, I watch it all the time still. Okay, so those are the movies (I can't wait to see Zack and Miri make a Porno). But there are other media that Kevin Smith has started that are almost more intriguing. First is his podcast: Smodcast available on itunes. He and usually his producer Scott Mosier sit and talk for an hour about whatever floats their boat that day. Then they ponder various incarnations of it, and how it relates to sex, love and such. It's usually very funny, always fairly vulgar, but if that bothers you, you already don't like Kevin Smith. He has some guest hosts too, notably his wife Jennifer Schwalbach who is hysterical. Other guest hosts are fun too. He did a father's day episode talking about poo with his daughter. It was actually pretty sweet. And finally, I just started watching "An Evening with Kevin Smith" through Netflix on my Roku and it's also hysterical. It's a series of Q&A interviews he did at college campuses edited together. It's funny, informative, and silly. I like it so far. And these are among the many reason I love Kevin Smith.

2 comments:

Cat said...

Jersey pride, baby!

And interestingly, I fell in love with the inverse KS movies that you did. Chasing Amy and Clerks were my introduction (in that order -- anti-chronological) to his work, and they just blew me away with their dialogue, humor, and inventiveness. Still the best thing Ben Affleck has ever done (maybe not saying much? but still...)

I had strep throat and 102 fever the first time I watched an Evening With Kevin Smith, and I found him totally delightful. (Even if my husband does find it annoying that he says "sir" so much.) Yay for the Kevin Smith love!

Jess said...

I actually like the "sir" thing. It shows a level of respect most of the time - he's not usually mocking the person when he uses it. I like it.