Kevin Smith's Jersey Girl

[SHAFTR]

So, as some of you probably know, Kevin Smith has finished filming his newest film, Jersey Girl.  It is supposed to be a serious turn for Smith and looks like it will be rated PG 13.

Being a Smith fan, I have high hopes for this film.  I am looking at something that will have the same effect as Chasing Amy.  Any thoughts?

[RegularKarate]

You won't find that many people who are big Smith fans here.

I, personally, think he's done a couple of decent films, but is still way overrated.

[Duck Sauce]

I actually think he is terrible, I liked Clerks, Mallrats was ok, and everything else, I just felt was trash. I dont think the dialouge is clever and the acting doesnt help.

[bonanzataz]

I was excited for Jersey Girl until J Lo and Ben started grabbing each other's asses in music videos and whatnot.

Have they no shame?! Whatever happened to the classic couples like Joe and Marilyn, Brad and Jennifer, Liza and David!?

[Xixax]

Kevin made a lot of enemies around here with his PT Anderson exchange. Since so many people here came from the PTA boards, you can probably see why there is hostility.

In my case, I saw a couple of his movies before I really knew who he was and didn't care for them, so I can at least be somewhat objective in my distaste for his work.

[BonBon85]

I agree that his earlier work was entertaining, but I can't stand Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. There was nothing even remotely clever about that movie.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I hated Clerks and can't bring myself to see any of his other stuff.

[Gold Trumpet]

I honestly forgot about the whole PTA-Kevin Smith conflict until it was mentioned again here. I dislike Kevin Smith but not all of his films. Clerks and Dogma are cute and entertaining and Chasing Amy is his only admirable film. The others are just bad movies.

Weird thing is, I am a collector of Criterion Collection dvds and Chasing Amy for Criterion is only $20 at stores here and I admire the film, but dislike Kevin Smith too much to even buy it. I will see Jersey Girl, and hope it will be good, but who knows these days.

~rougerum

[SHAFTR]

I know about the PTA/Smith comment.  If it means anything, I read that Kevin met PTA somewhere and Kevin was really impressed that PTA wasn't angry at all about the comments.

I do agree with J&SB Strike Back...I wasn't much of a fan of the movie.  It was funny for me the first time I saw it...and it kind of ended there.

[moonshiner]

i never heard anything about the PTA/Smith rift, and am a huge PTA fan...I liked Clerks a lot, but the rest is recycled themes, and less funny banter...regardless of what Smith said about PTA, he comes off as an arrogant know-it-all anyways, and please somebody do some research on this and tell me that no one has bought or rented the "all about Kevin Smith dvd..."

better paranoid android quote: "ambition makes you look pretty ugly"

[Pubrick]

better paranoid android quote: "ambition makes you look pretty ugly"

even better than that:
"Please could you stop the noise, I'm trying to get some rest
From all the unborn chicken voices in my head
What's that...? (I may be paranoid, but not an android)
What's that...? (I may be paranoid, but not an android)

When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
What's that...? (I may be paranoid, but no android)
What's that...? (I may be paranoid, but no android)

Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
Kicking and squealing gucci little piggy
You don't remember
You don't remember
Why don't you remember my name?
Off with his head, man
Off with his head, man
Why don't you remember my name?
I guess he does....

Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height... height...
Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height... height...
Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me

That's it, sir
You're leaving
The crackle of pigskin
The dust and the screaming
The yuppies networking
The panic, the vomit
The panic, the vomit
God loves his children, God loves his children, yeah!"

anyway, only Clerks and Chasing Amy were good and rewatchable to a degree.

[Ghostboy]

I've enjoyed all his movies to an extent, except for Mallrats. I think Chasing Amy is the best, but...some of the comments above make me think I'm gonna get crucified for this...but I loved Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It really made me laugh. A lot. Plus it had Will Ferrell in it.

But I do think Smith is overrated, and his cleverer-than-thou dialogue is sometimes grating...and I'm not looking forward to Jersey Girl ever since I learned the character's names, which sound like someone desperately trying to be funny and failing miserably. Of course, I won't knock it completely until I see it.

[SHAFTR]

I have the 'An Evening with Kevin Smith' DVD

I also might be going to one of his Q&As next month.

[Ernie]

I like Kevin Smith, I used to be a bigger fan of him when I was like 13, before I discovered real filmmakers like PT Anderson. I still like to watch one of his films once in awhile, they're pretty funny. The dialogue is so completely unrealistic it  just gets annoying after awhile. It's too fast or something. The only guy that can write realistic fast dialogue is Mamet, who  is a better writer than Smith without question. Then, of course, there's the lack of visual quality in his films, any style whatsoever really. His characters are hard to relate too for me as well, they are funny but not much else really.  

So, I don't know how I feel about him now really, I have trouble getting into his films I guess. I mean, there are so many better films and filmmakers that I have come across over the past three years. 90% of them are a lot more interesting and fun to watch than two middle aged white guys saying controversial shit at a convenient store counter. That percentage is getting higher and higher everytime I find a filmmaker or film that I like more than Smith. His Magnolia rant didn't help my opinion on him much either as I feel it's a better film than a man ten times more talented than him could ever make. Now, he's starting to fuck around with David Gordon Green as I understand it, who is also more talented than him. Honestly, It probably won't be long before I forget about him frankly. I won't see Jersey Girl in theatres, maybe not even on DVD.

[Xixax]

Kevin Smith is a mistake.