Kevin Smith is a controversial director known for his vulgar views and significant films set in his “View Askewniverse”. His first film, Clerks, gained critical acclaim and introduced the characters of Jay and Silent Bob. Other notable films include Chasing Amy and the controversial Dogma. Jersey Girl was panned but considered a “kinder” Kevin Smith film. Clerks II was set to debut in 2006.
Kevin Smith is a much adored, or much despised, director, producer, writer and indie actor whose films usually stir up a lot of controversy. He is known to be open to the point of vulgarity and vulgarity in his views expressed, yet some of his work is quite significant in his rather distorted version of modern America, what he calls his “View Askewniverse”, the place fictional many of the characters inhabit him.
Kevin Smith is probably best known for his films Clerks, the Jay and Silent Bob series, Chasing Amy, and the lauded and censored film Dogma, which seems to air about once a week on the American TV station, Comedy Network. The film has significantly changed in broadcast television as it lacks the extreme vulgarity of the uncut version.
Kevin Smith is also a rather young director, born in 1970 in New Jersey. Virtually all of his films take place in New Jersey. His first film Clerks, was produced in 1994 and was filmed in the convenience store where Kevin Smith worked. He had to shoot the movie after hours. Clerks is notable for several reasons. It was the first film to get an NC-17 rating for profanity, though the film was later downgraded to an R rating. The film’s budget was less than US$30,000 (USD). He also introduced the characters of Jay and Silent Bob to the world. Silent Bob is played by Kevin Smith and is significant in that he never speaks.
Clerks brought Kevin Smith much critical acclaim, and he later grossed over $3 million. He has done even more in DVD sales and rentals. The film premiered at Cannes and was awarded both the Award of Youth and the Mercedes Benz Award. At Sundance, Kevin Smith won the Filmmaker’s Trophy for the film. Clerks has also been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards.
Mallrats is another Kevin Smith contribution to his View Askewniverse, with Jay and Silent Bob, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty and Ben Affleck. The film was panned by critics but enjoys a cult following. The 1997 film Chasing Amy was a much greater commercial and critical success, with an interesting plot. The main character falls in love with a lesbian, which he clearly cannot achieve. The film is again quintessentially profane, but that didn’t stop moviegoers from seeing it, and it won the 1998 Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. The film also features brief appearances by Jay and Silent Bob.
In 1999, Dogma, which many consider Kevin Smith’s best comedy film, brought both acclaim and controversy. The Catholic Church has enjoined Catholics not to see the film for its irreverent and offensive approach to religion. Others really enjoyed the film, with particularly good performances from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as well as traditional appearances from Jay and Silent Bob.
Dogma features other notable cast members, most notably Selma Hayek, Chris Rock, and Alan Richman. Kevin Smith and other producers of the film received several credible death threats as a result, and the Weinsteins were said to have walked out of their producer roles on the film due to the threats. Despite negative detractors, the film was commercially successful and was nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards.
Jersey Girl, released in 2004, was panned, but many liked it as a “kinder, kinder” Kevin Smith film. He was recently married and became a father, and refers to the film as his “father film”. It’s a departure from the Askewniverse movies even though it takes place in New Jersey. However, those who love Kevin Smith’s eccentricity won’t have to wait long for a return to his more traditional style, as the film Clerks II debuts in 2006.
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