My Thoughts on Kevin Smith and Clerks III
Kevin Smith posted this morning that at 4:20 AM (his pun more-than-likely intended) he started writing the third and final chapter of Clerks:
Besides being an accomplished independent filmmaker, Kevin is also an extremely intelligent and insightful individual. He's a brilliant interviewer and engaging storyteller. Hit play on one of his stand-up performances (he's got about six so far) and just try to walk away. He'll capture your attention immediately and then take you on a ride for the next ninety minutes. (My favorite story is his twenty minute bit about re-writing the script of the failed Warner Bros. project, Superman Lives.) His impressive comprehension and minutia in just about every story he tells is seriously mind-boggling. He's made me a better writer, a more engaged reader, and he's unleashed a burning desire to read Batman comics and graphic novels that withers in comparison to the passion that I first had almost twenty years ago.
And I guess that's why it pains me so much to know that this will be his final project. I knew a while back, but maybe in the back of my head I hoped that it would never come to fruition. I guess that ship has sailed now. My fear is that he's so far detached from his life at the Quick Stop (which was already evident in Clerks II) that he's lost the cynicism that comes with working in retail. It's like he's trying too hard to reach for the jokes in the bottom of a Pringles© can (again), but can't quite get them out because his hand is too fat.
Maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe it will be amazing. Maybe... Clerks III will be "the best film" he'll ever make. But I can't help but think that the best advice Kevin needs to receive right now is in the infamous words of the character he created, Dante:
"A little word of advice, my friend. Sometimes you gotta let those hard-to-reach chips go."
THE BEGINNING OF THE ENDAnd while I'll let a majority of his other films slide under the radar right now (even though I do believe that his craft as a screenwriter peaked with Chasing Amy), his move here to make a third installment of Clerks (especially when his second venture with the same characters wasn't any better), seems awfully sophomoric. I get it, dude, you're an immature guy and you like to talk and write about immature things. I listen to your pod-casts regularly and that is an absolute fact. He has made the claim -- more than once -- that his skills as a writer lie within the "dick and fart jokes" realm.
20 years ago today, we started shooting CLERKS.
20 years later, with no plan or provocation, I jumped out of bed at 4:20 this morning and started writing CLERKS III.
It's been like hanging out with old friends.
And after 2 hours of tapping the keys and giggling, I have come to a conclusion...
CLERKS III will be the best film I'll ever make.
Besides being an accomplished independent filmmaker, Kevin is also an extremely intelligent and insightful individual. He's a brilliant interviewer and engaging storyteller. Hit play on one of his stand-up performances (he's got about six so far) and just try to walk away. He'll capture your attention immediately and then take you on a ride for the next ninety minutes. (My favorite story is his twenty minute bit about re-writing the script of the failed Warner Bros. project, Superman Lives.) His impressive comprehension and minutia in just about every story he tells is seriously mind-boggling. He's made me a better writer, a more engaged reader, and he's unleashed a burning desire to read Batman comics and graphic novels that withers in comparison to the passion that I first had almost twenty years ago.
And I guess that's why it pains me so much to know that this will be his final project. I knew a while back, but maybe in the back of my head I hoped that it would never come to fruition. I guess that ship has sailed now. My fear is that he's so far detached from his life at the Quick Stop (which was already evident in Clerks II) that he's lost the cynicism that comes with working in retail. It's like he's trying too hard to reach for the jokes in the bottom of a Pringles© can (again), but can't quite get them out because his hand is too fat.
Maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe it will be amazing. Maybe... Clerks III will be "the best film" he'll ever make. But I can't help but think that the best advice Kevin needs to receive right now is in the infamous words of the character he created, Dante:
"A little word of advice, my friend. Sometimes you gotta let those hard-to-reach chips go."
I can understand why so many have to sit there upon this news and ask the eternal question of:
ReplyDeleteWHY?
I guess that in a way, this is how he wants to end his career. Why not go back to the well, as he so eloquently has said several times during the filming of Clerks 2? In reality, it only makes sense that the final film of his writing and directorial career is to end right where he has started. I think this is a better way to end the ride so to speak than to go out with a hockey movie, though that does have some major promise.
I will agree with one point and that is he is extremely intelligent, engrossing and captivating. He does capture your attention quickly and keeps it the entire time, although that love for talking does lead to ramblings that will lead to one answer to one question over a say 1 hour stint on his Q & A's.
What I will say is that I think he hasn't peaked at all as a writer. Chasing Amy is amazing and that will go down as his best film, but the writing of say Dogma, Clerks 2 and Red State I think are still solid piece of writing. I think Clerks and Clerks 2 has less to do with working Retail and more with not even getting close to tapping the potential a person has to achieve something in life. In reality, some people will take all the risks to do what they love and what they aspire to do and some make excuses to rest on their laurels such as Dante and Randall. I think you begin to see what they can do as people in the final scenes of Clerks 2. So, to say he is far from removed from the reality of the original I think is unfounded. Remember, he has stated that Clerks is his statements for what he has to say both in his 20's, 30's and now his 40's.
I think this is a wise decision on part of Mr. Smith. I think going back to the place where it started is a way to say goodbye to his friends, his family and finally his fans as they have afforded him the ability to pursue his podcasts and now film distribution/production. I, as both an admirer of his films and his podcasts will miss knowing that there is a potential new Smith film coming out in the near future.
Excellent counter-point, my friend. I cross my fingers and truly hope that you're right. Also, I think I need to revisit Clerks II. I haven't seen it in its entirety since 2006. Maybe I need to give it a second chance.
DeleteLets do it together... minus any gay man love puns that can be gained from that comment.
DeleteI'll think about it. But this required you to reach out to me and set up a time. I don't have this title in my dvd library.
Delete