LAZY EYE THEATRE: There Was A Time When Kevin Smith Showed A Whole Lot Of Promise

Monday, September 15, 2008

There Was A Time When Kevin Smith Showed A Whole Lot Of Promise

That time has passed.

15 comments:

Jess said...: I still can't wait to see this. It's something a little different for Smith, and I want to see his take on it.; September 15, 2008 at 5:07:00 AM PDT
Ric Burke said...: I have to agree with Piper.

Smith promised so much with Clerks and ever since, despite the odd flourish here and there, he's done nothing but disappoint.

That ship has sailed.; September 15, 2008 at 5:14:00 AM PDT
Fox said...: Agreed.; September 15, 2008 at 8:26:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said...: You're all wrong.; September 15, 2008 at 8:43:00 AM PDT
Neil Sarver said...: Well, first off, Chasing Amy is easily his best work and the one from which he should have worked in years since then.

Secondly, I've enjoyed everything else, except Jersey Girl, but can't say enough of it demonstrated growth or even potential for growth, and this does seem very much like more of the same.

And yet everything I hear about Red State intrigues me. If he can pull that off, that will most certainly put him back among those with "potential", at the very least.

But Zack and Miri...? Yeah. Eh.; September 15, 2008 at 9:02:00 AM PDT
PIPER said...: Jess,

How is this different for Smith? With the exception of Jersey Girl, he's been building up to this for the past five years.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II and now this. They're all Porky's type comedies. And I really have nothing wrong with that, but this is a guy who was held up as the next big thing.; September 15, 2008 at 9:03:00 AM PDT
Jason said...: I definitely agree Neil. Chasing Amy is by far the best picture Smith has directed, and I feel that Jersey Girl was really his only step backwards. The View Askew Universe is a place where Smith really excels, and when he gets out of that, his stock tends to dip. But that being said, I am still very interested in Zack and Miri, and although Red State will not involve View Askew either, it is shaping up to be a winner.; September 15, 2008 at 9:15:00 AM PDT
Jess said...: Piper, I guess I meant that this is something Kevin Smith hasn't done too often - use really popular actors and make a movie about particular topic rather than hiring his friends (some of whom became popular) and just having a talking film. I suppose Jersey Girl was a first step in that direction but the story was so far outside Smith's personal taste (a family story) and Bennifer really crashed that movie. I love Chasing Amy, the original Clerks, and even Mallrats. Jay and Silent Bob and Clerks II weren't up to the same originality of the others (but being sequels that's hardly surprising). I hope that clarifies a bit.; September 15, 2008 at 9:21:00 AM PDT
PIPER said...: Jess,

I hear ya.

Neil,

Chasing Amy is is his best work, but I enjoy Dogma the most. And I agree with you. His work hasn't been terrible and I don't know that Zack and Miri will be terrible, but it's just underwhelming. If I didn't know the name behind the work, I might just pass it off as entertainment.

Sir Jorge,

Care to qualify your statement?; September 15, 2008 at 9:25:00 AM PDT
Fox said...: I'm with Piper on this.

I mean, in passing, parts of Smith's films can make me laugh, but as anything above that, they are trash. They should be YouTube clips sketches.

I mean, have you guys seen Clerks II?!? It's utter garbage. And I don't necessarily mean the content... the film LOOKS terrible.

And this is the guy that morons like John Pierson were lauding as the new, fresh, future of cinema. Um, ok... shut up John Pierson, and take Linklater with you while you're at it.; September 15, 2008 at 10:00:00 AM PDT
Emily Blake said...: Just because we watched Seth Rogan have awkward sex with a hot girl once does not mean we need to see it again.

Good grief.; September 15, 2008 at 11:38:00 AM PDT
PIPER said...: Amen.; September 15, 2008 at 12:41:00 PM PDT
a. said...: ain't that the truth. the sad truth, but for sure the truth.; September 15, 2008 at 9:29:00 PM PDT
Fletch said...: You need to ask yourselves where your expectations for Kevin Smith came from, because I don't see this as being ANY different from anything else he's made, by and large.

He was hailed heavily for Clerks because it was made for such an infamously low amount of dough and succeeded. But you have seen it, right? It ain't exactly deep.

37 dicks --> Stinkpalm --> Chick going down on a horse --> Guy giving a donkey a hand job....

Notice a pattern? The deepest things he's made are Dogma (which, um, features a giant shit monster) and Jersey Girl (which I haven't seen, but the reviews weren't exactly glowing).

Are you confusing him with Dick Linklater or something?

I'm interested in this, and I haven't enjoyed anything he's done since Dogma. J&SBSB was meh, Clerks II was an abomination, yada yada yada.; September 17, 2008 at 11:06:00 AM PDT
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