Musings on Kevin Smith
July 19th, 2006
This Friday, Clerks II opens in theatres. I feel like a kid who has just been told we’re going to the candy store. The original Clerks is one of my all-time favourite movies. It is one of the movies that made me think that I could actually make movies some day – and I still might, some day – if I win the lottery or something. It is crude and intelligent and silly and out and out brilliant funny. Needless to say, I am stoked for the sequel.
I have been a fan of Kevin Smith for some time now and I love his movies. Another thing I love is his blog. I am not sure if many people know this but he keeps a regular web journal at http://silentbobspeaks.com. This man can write! He can write some amazing comedy with an eye like no one else. One thing that surprised and impressed me the most about this site was his 9-part odyssey of his friend Jason Mewes’ battles with drug addiction (Mewes plays Jay, Silent Bob’s counterpart in Smith’s movies, in case you live in a box). Smith has a way of writing that can make the most awful circumstances entertaining while not diminishing the events in any way. The stuff he writes about in that series is Serious Fucking Shitâ„¢ but he makes it palatable. Important, moving, scary but still entertaining and palatable. He has a way of writing prose that makes it feel like he’s just sitting down having a conversation with you. A pompous literary type would say he uses the vernacular to reach his audience. I say he lets the shits and fucks fall where they may and instead of trying to use big words he focuses on the story. I think that is part of why his movies are so good. Dick and fart jokes are funny. Comedies need to be funny. Therefore dick and fart jokes are perfect for comedies.
I wonder if there will be any of that in Clerks II…sure hope so 
