Kevin Smith's New Comedy Film
The Clerks Director Teams Up With Seth Rogen On a Controversial Film
On October 31, 2008, Kevin Smith’s subtly titled new comedy will be released nationwide. ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ will star Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks and will focus on the adventures of lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) and their decision to solve their respective cash flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they had previously thought (summary courtesy of IMDB).
The Career of Kevin Smith
Since 1994, Kevin Smith has made a name for himself with films such as ‘Clerks’ (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997) and Dogma (1999). To date, he has released seven films theatrically and most of them have been commercially viable hits. However, some of his films have been lackluster and have been met with heavy criticism over the years.
The one film that has been (perhaps) unfairly ridiculed is his 2004 comedy-drama ‘Jersey Girl’ starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. The film was not well received by critics and it disappeared from theatres faster then the speed of light (‘Mallrats’ was not well received but it has obtained somewhat of a cult status on DVD).
Many have pointed to the fact that ‘Jersey Girl’ was not a true companion piece to Smith’s other films. From ‘Clerks’ to ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ (2001), Kevin Smith’s previous five films have all been self contained pieces. All had in-jokes from previous films and some even included the same characters from earlier films. The one constant linking them all together was the appearance of Jay and Silent Bob (portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith respectively). These two characters are truly lazy and lack ambition but yet their lives revolve around the stories and characters found in the films by Kevin Smith. As a result, they have become iconic and adored by many fans of Smith’s work.
After ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’, Smith vowed that he was finished with all of his previous famous characters. Their stories were now concluded and he was preparing to move on to bigger and better things. Then ‘Jersey Girl’ was released and bombed spectacularly. Was the film just not good or was it the fact that fans were not interested in anything else Kevin Smith wanted to accomplish? Whatever the reason was for the failure of ‘Jersey Girl’, Smith quickly retreated back to his stomping grounds to make ‘Clerks 2’ in 2006. The film was a modest hit and once again reestablished his career.
The Future of Kevin Smith
With his new film ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’, Smith has decided to once again leave the safety and comfort of Jay and Silent Bob behind and embark on a new journey which will hopefully bring him the success he deserves (though Kevin has had many successes outside of directing such as his writing, acting and producing). However, Smith has yet to be able to rid of himself of what made him famous in the first place. He merely desires to be respected as a director of many things rather then just for his novelty acts.
Only time will tell if Kevin Smith is able to shake the (extremely profitable) demons of his past. Will he be able to define himself outside of his feelings of familiarity? Well, for one thing, casting Seth Rogen is a step in the right direction since he is one of the hottest comedic actors working today. As a result, this wise casting choice may lead to a substantial commercial and critical success for Smith. But until then, the speculators and the doubters must simply wait and see.
Of Note
Many point to Quentin Tarantino as being the innovative maestro of the written screenplay (in reference to Pulp Fiction in 1994). To be honest, he is an influential and masterful artist. However, Kevin Smith also emerged during 1994 and his writing can be deemed just as important as Tarantino’s. Both writers approach their stories with a very postmodern sensibility by infusing pop culture jargon with witty and crass (sometimes very vulgar) dialogue about the nature of life and where it all leads. Tarantino receives all the acclaim but Smith is just as witty and intellectual and it is proven time and time again with the dialogue found in his films.
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