@@sirfriendzone1228 Honestly, I kind of enjoyed Jay and Silent Bob Reboot purely on the basis of how batshit insane and incoherent that last hour got. I felt like someone spiked my drink. That and the father-daughter dynamic I think actually worked in that movie. Also, I did go through a KS phase in high school which was about 6 years ago so I go a bit softer on him.
Honestly the whole Hollywood sequence in that movie still holds up in a lot of ways. it's silly, but it also is a great indictment of that Hollywood culture and toxicity. Plus he got a lot of great people to fill a lot of great little roles
I don't think mine really counts as a joke, but my favourite is Ben Affleck struggling not to laugh when he says "I don't like the sound of them apples, Will. What are we gonna do?"
@@WhyWeWatch1 They're not bad paintings at all, pretty well done last time I remember seeing it. I know once my parents got one of our first house when they bought it. Idk if anyone's ever asked for something else as a gift. We usually get them as a gift for Xmas and I remember asking about it when I was a kid, my mom said it would be rude to say anything.
As a very late gen xer, born in 79, I think his early movies hold up well with people that can relate. Its a tiny window. Doc martins, teens at the mall, star wars nerds before they were cool. No cell phones, no internet. Totally different world. His writing and movies changed because he did. He grew up, got rich, had different problems than the average person. Kevin himself has said this. You write what you know.
The thing I find interesting about Clerks 2 is not the film itself, but that almost everyone I hear talking about it has a different relationship to that movie. To some the ending of them just taking over the QuickStop and giving up on personal growth is depressing, while to some others it feels more hopeful when the characters realize who they are and are at peace with that, and finding sollace in their own little corner of the world. It's like a rorschach test, and what you take out of the movie depends entirely on your relationship with Kevin Smith, your own drives and passions as a artist or your anxieties about whether or not you will find success or your own personal growth.
I myself was "ok" and "meh" with the film up until the Donkey Show act. I didn't find it, funny. I found it gross. So while I thought perhaps the film's humor wasn't for me, I also wondered how an entire cast thought that was cool and just went with it. I wanted to get up and leave the theater but I was on a date at the time and the whole audience either groaned or laughed. And I thought "It's just a movie, get over it." After that, I avoided anything Kevin Smith like the plague. But that's just me.
@@smileyp4535 she laughed. I just smiled at the scene. After the movie I always liked to talk about it. My date said she thought the movie was funny, except the donkey scene. And I asked "Why'd you laugh then?". All I remember was "I don't know" or something like that. We went home and that was it. I do also remember the next day talking about it at work and someone said "The first one sucked, why'd you go see it?" and that's all I remember. We continued dating for a bit never mentioning the movie. But I always thought it was funny she laughed although she didn't like it. I guess "Nervous laugh?" I don't know but I hate it.
@@justicegear85 sounds like a nervous laugh, or maybe being in a crowded theater, both perhaps? It happens haha, or maybe she actually thought it was funny lol
I think this is my favorite video you've made! I had a similar experience with Smith (even down to watching the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and feeling very, very bummed out). I'd never thought about Clerks 2 that way before, but now that's the only lense I can see that movie through.
It started earlier for me. I was sort of bummed out by Clerks 2 as it just wasn't that funny, but I took solace in the speaking stuff that Smith did. His Superman Returns stuff was really funny and I've occasionally dipped back in but over time it felt that Smith just became a parody of himself.
people tend to forget that jersey girl came out around the time of "benifer." ben afleck and jennifer lopez..... they were EVERYWHERE!!! in the pap mags, in music videos, on the red carpet... THEN.....Gigli... woof. lopez, of course being featured (see: forced onto) jersey girl.... it was too much, and the audience and critics responded by choosing just not to see it.
I remember they actually tried using that to the film's advantage by heavily promoting the fact that Lopez' character in the film dies at the start. They thought people might hate-watch it just for that.
True. Affleck and Lopez were in the media like the Kardashians today. Without a reality show, of course, but with an enormous presence in gossip papers and TV magazines. Dardevil didn't go really well. I even have to admit that I confused Gigli and Jersey Girl many times.
@@rolanddeschain6089 same - when he started talking about Jersey Girl it really threw me because I had combined it with Gigli. I might actually watch it now, though
@@NickPiers I've seen the original director's cut that has Jennifer Lopez's character die after 40 minutes instead of 10. That made it so much better. 10 minutes is not enough time to spend with a character to care about them. They cut it down about the Gigli debacle. Still waiting for that extended version to be released. Paramount has the rights so who knows if that'll ever happen.
Patrick, you should make your dad listen to Time Crisis on Apple music. A whole 2 hour show where the frontman from vampire weekend and his buddies just talk about the Dead and corporate food culture. It's so good!
It's hilarious that both Michael Bay and Kevin Smith had Ben Affleck in their "Hey, I tried to make a real, grown-up movie and you all hated it so I'm going back to crap" movie (Shout out to Pearl Harbor).
Those were the peak "We're making Ben Affleck a star goddammit" years. I mean, he became a star and he still very much is, but back then they had him as the ultimate golden boy, instead of today's loveable trainwreck, and that irked many people.
The difference being that "Pearl Harbour" has no redeaming qualities. It's just an insult to storytelling, filmmaking, history, and the intellegence of both the audience and everyone involved. Bay just wanted a "Titanic" sized hit on his hands but didn't get why that film worked.
@@DaviniaHill As many that struggle with that do. He ultimately got straight for good, celebrating so with the launch of his podcast with Kev (Jay & silent Bob get old)& is now married with a young daughter (Named Logan Lee Mewes) & a 2nd kid on the way
I absolutely love Dogma and watched it again last spring. Post-Harry Potter movies, I love watching Alan Rickman as Metatron sharing how he delivered the news to a scared young boy that he had an important and terrible destiny to fulfill. It's hard not to think of Snape and Harrry: Bethany : I don't want this, it's too big. Metatron : That's what Jesus said. Yes, I had to tell him. And you can imagine how that hurt the Father - not to be able to tell the Son Himself because one word from His lips would destroy the boy's frail human form? So I was forced to deliver the news to a scared child who wanted nothing more than to play with other children. I had to tell this little boy that He was God's only Son, and that it meant a life of persecution and eventual crucifixion at the hands of the very people He came to enlighten and redeem. He begged me to take it back, as if I could. He begged me to make it all not true. And I'll let you in on something, Bethany, this is something I've never told anyone before... If I had the power, I would have.
@@shawnamiller191 Because Kevin Smith warned him that Alan Rickman was a very serious and talented actor, probably the best one he ever had for a movie. It was the only time Jason Mewes had all of his lines memorized before the movie started.
I’m 22 and discovered Dogma when I was 15 and it quickly became one of my favourite movies. Didn’t really care for his other movies too much, but Dogma felt different and special to me somehow.
Yeah Dogma was my first Smith movie too. It's just something about the way the characters popped to the point that even the bad guys had a legitimate point. Everyone was so likable in that movie and the story telling was interesting. That's always been Smith's real gift.
It's kind of my favorite too. I like the messages it has over topics like religion and faith and that it was able to deliver it in an entertaining way.
@@Blitterbug What I mean is that Jersey Girl and Pinkerton are both works that their artists put their heart and soul into, only to have fans and critics hate it at first. Thus, leaving their creators to pursue safer artistic ventures.
I'm so happy that you said that about Jersey Girl, I've been saying that for years. I actually really like the film, but have been too afraid to say it because it gets a lot of negativity, saw Smith live in Dublin and he put it down quite harshly. I was shocked.
I liked Jersey Girls. Hollywood is tough. Seeking validation outside yourself is tough. A lot of movies are over hyped and many are underappreciated. It probably got to him. Hopefully he will bounce back and like it again for himself.
The scariest thing about this video is that Patrick is a big enough UA-camr and Kevin Smith is into enough UA-cam, that there is a non-zero chance that Kevin Smith watches this.
Ya know in Thor: Ragnarok when Thor sees Hulk for the first time and shouts “Yeeees!!!” That was me when you said what you said about Jersey Girl. I’ve been saying this for 15 years. I saw it in the theater alone because no one would go with me then when it was over was shocked at how good it actually was.
I wonder how much of the Jersey Girl hate is some sort of bias, or people not being able to watch a Kevin Smith movie objectively. I bet you if he ghost directed it and slapped some other name on it, it would be widely regarded as a solid and enjoyable comedy/drama.
Jersey Girl got so much hate at the time due to everyone being sick of "Benifer", which was everywhere, and releasing soon after Gigli was a critical and financial flop.
@@reecord2 agreed! I said that as well, if literally any other name was slapped on it as director (and moving the release away from gili) would of made it a major success.
His dad's full rant at the end has to be the best thing on this channel that i've watched. I mean it kept going and going I thought it'd never end, it was just so magnificent.
Kevin Smith is a very contemporary filmmaker in that, he directs movies now and then, and spends the majority of his time on social media taking about pop culture and hustling for sponsorship money.
This hits hard. Close to the same age as you and had a similar experience. For me, these movies helped shape my identity as a teen and still hold a special spot-and the early Smodcast years gave me a lot of value/entertainment too. I’d like to think somewhere in the multiverse, there’s a Kevin Smith who is making great movies.
As much as the She-Ra series went off the rails at the end (and took a while to find them at the start), I did enjoy it quite a bit. But holy crap is it the exact opposite of what Kevin Smith would make: it feels very weird for Netflix to produce both of them (yes I know they are not supposed to be connected) The bigger news is that he knows something other than Batman and Star Wars, I guess?
@@jimhogarth9678 Not nowadays alot of big and respected animated series and keep in mind Kevin's a nerd so this is prolly a job he loves same way hes written alot of comic books to you it's a step down to him it's prolly a childhood dream
Smith has always had a great knack for writing dialogue, realised perfectly through the performances of Michael Parks in both Red State and Tusk. Tusk is a terrible hot mess a movie but also probably the best spoof of the torture porn genre we'll ever get.
For me, the weirdest thing about rewatching the Star Wars scenes in Clerks is how much MORE Star Wars we have today. In 1994, even the EU had only barely started. Star Wars really was just three movies, and some kids shows that everyone ignored. Then there's the "Death Star contractors" scene and, like, not only do we now know who built the Death Star, but Lucas wrote that into the Prequels specifically in response to that scene! And now Star Wars is bigger than ever (for better or worse) while Smith has faded into irrelevance. Life is strange.
Noy to mention the pop culture background. On Mallrats Brody is potrayed as this hip underground sort of guy who talked comic books as a counterculture that the mainstream guys like Ben Affleck's character wouldn't talk, also the videostore scene in Clerks and *Oh, Navy Seals* While today Comic Book adaptations are the biggest thing and superhero movies now perfectly fit Randall's description of lowest common denominator films he hated on Clerks. Time change in an odd way indeed.
Also The Mandalorian's season 2 finale had a conversation where an Imperial officer directly calls out the body count Rebels took when they blew up the Death Star (both of them).
What is kind of ironic is the fact that the outcasts and nerds of the 90s are now the equivalent of popular people since pop culture has become so powerful, especially with so many superhero media being shown and the advance of internet and communication, and now people who are not part of the "nerd" culture are now the outcasts in some sense.
@@arthurfortes8398 Yeah. When I was watching the new Eternals trailer, all I could think was how unbelievable it is that we're actually getting a huge-budget mainstream movie going all-in on Jack Kirby's weird cosmology. Sure, there had been a couple easter egg glimpses of Celestials in the MCU before, but now they're clearly about to become an important plot element. Who would have ever expected THAT to happen?
@@arthurfortes8398 You are confusing ""nerd" culture...become so powerful" with commodification and repackaging of a ready-made product originally aimed at a teen/young adult subculture - so it could be aimed at families with children. Hint: Ask yourself how many people actually read the comics, compared to how many people see the movies. Or, you might want to look up how many non-genre awards those movies get. You know... like the Oscars. And while there are a few wins there (Who would have guessed that Suicide Squad is an Oscar winner?) - only acting ones are for the two different portrayals of the Joker. And there are exactly zero directing or writing Oscars won by comic book movies. Comic book movies only win technical awards. Sound, makeup, costumes, special effects... Stuff that used to be given out almost exclusively to another pop culture genre - science fiction. Which should tell you how the mainstream regards comic book movies. Like sci-fi... but for both the toddlers and the parents. You know... Movie McDonald's.
As much as Kevin often maligns Jersey Girl I've always enjoyed that film. Hey you can make a small fortune on that Dogma DVD - shits going for a lot these days since it's no longer being distributed.
The Scott Mosier thing makes more sense once you learn he worked on the production side of an animated thanksgiving movie called Free Birds but it’s still a wild escalation
I hope he does because Patrick when to film school and is a UA-camr and Kevin Smith didn't go to film school and actually made movies. Regardless of what has been said in this video.
The issue with Kevin Smith was that he has always been a better writer than he has been a filmmaker, he lacks the ability to film a scene, but he is by no means a bad story teller. I think that’s why he’s had so much longevity in his career as a personality, because his jokes and voice on a podcast, or on stage isn’t held back by framing composition, etc. Liked the video, btw, Smith’s career is a really interesting topic, from where he began to where he’s headed. Big up Patrick (H) Willems!
Great video. I'm Swedish and Kevin Smith never had the same cult following here, but Mallrats is a very nostalgic movie for me - I used to rent it a lot at the video store. Some parts of 90s culture has aged in a really weird way - it's so hard to remember how it was to think that all these references in movies were funny and groundbreaking. I get the same feeling rewatching Wayne's World and seeing the parodies of the Graduate and the Charlton Heston scene... It's barely jokes, just references, just that they were done in a movie with these 90s "alternative dudes" was enough back then in some way.
I have to agree with you. Jersey Girl is his best movie, Dogma is his best screenplay, and Clerks is just a cultural milestone of 90's indie cinema at this point (and should be in the Criterion Collection instead of Chasing Amy).
Thank you for adding in your dad's whole spiel at the end. Ive never given quick silver mesanger service much attention, but I will now after Mr. Willems just schooled us all on the subject.
The first 15 mins of Chasing Amy is still the best example of real comic book nerd culture that there is in all of cinema. From the artist alley interactions, to the diversity panel that is hobbled together with anyone who isn’t white and male. I wish there were more movies just based around artist trying to make indie comics, and having to deal with all of these weird convention interactions. Though Jason Lee’s character probably kept a lot of Bi nerds (myself included) in the closet for an extra decade. Also solid mention of Wizard Magazine! Not a day goes by that I don’t wish there was a magazine about comics that has the same energy.
As a 32 year old woman, I concur. I consider Patrick's videos to be top tier because they are so well constructed both visually and in what he's saying.
I think you’d be really interested in the making of the Clerks 1 doc “The Snowball Effect” because it paints a picture of Kevin Smith that I never got from his movies and makes his downfall that much more frustrating. The doc shows you an early 90s Kevin that’s artistically motivated and culturally curious. He went to film school, he was into David Lynch movies, he studied up on independent cinema through its journals and magazines. It shows a Smith that almost has greater potential than the one that ended up existing, but it’s just interesting seeing him so textured and smart.
Sometimes, getting famous is the worst thing that can happen to someone. I get that _Jersey Girl_ didn't work out, but he was at least trying to do something different and branch out. _Clerks II_ felt like a retreat to safety.
We were a persecuted group, but it was in-group persecution. The problem is (a) lots of these types failed to notice the sea change and (b) in-group persecution when your in-group is on top of everything isn't all that serious. But, to be fair, comic fans were always toxic shitheads in the main, and it's unfortunate that the toxicity became the throughline from the old-school to the new. And, lest I generalize, plenty of this cohort of geeks became aware of new perspectives and allowed their thinking to evolve. The ones who didn't are... unpleasant people, by and large.
@@samringwald it felt worse the more segregated your world was. When you're the designated out group in a homogenous social construct of the dominant socio-economic, sexual, gender identity and racial demographic, the othering is so arbitrary that it grows disproportionately in your head. The only thing that cures it is exposure. Meeting people who are actually oppressed and who have to live with those fears and constraints, some social some legal, on their lives is, as Cinema Wins would say, the fastest way to recognize your own privilege.
thanks for all, especially your Dad for "Qicksilver Messenger Service". I'm from germany and 28 years old and never would come in touch with this great record, named "happy trails". Thank you.
I think Kevin Smith's movies have the most validity when you are aware of the context of their release. They are time capsules, and that can either be met with sadness or joy. They are the hometown friend who you are happy to see, but sad that this talented person who is clearly unhappy never did more for themselves, because they were too scared of discomfort.
I'm actually a teenage Kevin Smith fan and a movie buff, I'll admit that I don't watch his movies for the same reason that I would watch a Spielberg film, but I feel somewhat of a connection to his characters and humor, its nice to see them interact with each other, as you said, they feel like friends. Kevin Smith also has this charming personality to him which reflects out of all the movies he's made, I think someones favorite movie doesn't necessarily come from a relatable issue (Spike Lee movies ) or technical mastery (DW Griffith), most of the time its the distinct personality that the movie has... like Kevin Smith movies and humor. And I know I used spike lee and DW Griffith in the same paragraph.
Best thing Kevin Smith has done are those first audio-only podcasts of Fatman on Batman. Just him talking for hours to Batman greats like Dennis O'Neill, Kevin Conroy, Grant Morrison and lots more. Fantastic stuff. Too bad it's not on youtube anymore.
The entire time watching that movie I could see what Smith was trying and failing to accomplish. It made me feel kinda sad for the guy because I’ve always been in his corner.
@@STormnNormn2027 It's kinda sad that people still say he's in the "Hollywood Role" when he's already out of it, and distributing films by direct-to-video, which makes it all feels like he's doing it all for nothing... He could've at least take Jon Favreau's path.
Man, I love you, but disagree so had. Nostalgia plays such a big role yes, but he has an ear for dialogue. I don't think it's aged the best, sure, but you can't write everything with an ear to the ground to the future. Or maybe I"m still too big a fan still, lol. snooch
I think the problem is that all of his films rely solely on the viewer appreciating his characters dialogue. Unfortunately I think the dialogue he writes is very cringey and fake, like Patrick says 'it sounds like actors rehearsing'. By Kevin Smith's own admission he has no talent for directing or staging scenes. Meaning the films offer nothing if you can't appreciate the dialogue. Therefore his films offer nothing.
I couldn't make it through Yoga Hosers, but Tusk was an interesting experiment. Red State was terrific and I wish he'd push himself as a filmmaker to make another thriller like it. It was clearly based around something he was passionate about.
The worst part about Tusk is how Smith plays it off as a joke and goofs around. It’s a weird premise, for sure, but one that Smith actually makes terrifying. The only problem is that he has to squander all of that by pointing out how it is a joke and goof it all off, especially once Johnny Depp’s Guy LaPoint shows up. And of course, the absolute self-indulgence of playing the podcast episode with the idea for the movie during the credits. It is an example off, like Patrick says, he’s usually the biggest problem of his movies. If he’d just believed in the movie and played it straight, it would have worked so much better.
Truthfully, while I completely appreciate the points you’re making, and somewhat can agree, this actually made me appreciate those films more. i might have to set up a marathon. I will say that you have made me appreciate Jersey Girl more; I thought it was ok at the time, but you’ve made me definitely think it deserves a rewatch.
The pacing on this thing is aces. 42 minutes on seven movies of a guy's seventeen-film filmography (as of now), and they FLEW. That end-credits tag is perfect. *SPOILERS(?)* Great, now I'm gonna be thinking about the wooden crop circle in Patrick's family's house until the next video.
at 33:18 when you started talking about gateway filmmakers and being inspired by them in high school, it was as though you were talking about me. Clerks was an inspiring "wow he did this himself" item for me at that age, and i still enjoy that film. but anyways, your videos lately have been some of the best you've ever done. the feature-length Coppola doc especially is one i'm constantly revisiting. thank you so much for your wonderful work, Patrick
I haven't watched these movies for over a decade. I used to love some of them a lot (Dogma, strikes back, clercks) but don't particularly feel the need to rewatch them
Patrick has the most normal American accent, except for when he says "was" and "mum" and it makes me smile every time. Thank you for talking about Clerks the Animated Series, i thought I was crazy for loving it all these years
@@adrienmata5693 Ah, surely you mean, 'GOTHAM: THE MOTION PICTURE' with special guest cameo by Batman....Yeah, I really wish he had just made a batman movie too, and pulled his head out of his pretentious ass.
@@jamesward3859 maybe 1/2 but the 3 was hated and everyone bashes it because he white washed bane and tried to make a movie but it had so many plot holes and errors you think Nolan or someone would have prof read the script ... Nolan could have made a godly Batman trilogy but sadly it’s one of thoe films that ruins a franchise’s reputation
I discovered Clerks in the 2010s, and it had the same affect for me. It was that gateway from only watching blockbuster movies and stoner comedies, I to becoming a real cinema junkie. I had never even heard of people like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee when I discovered Smith movies, and I can't say for sure I would have the same relationship with cinema that I do today if it wasn't for him. And I still love Clerks
Alright Patrick's Dad, I'm listening to Who do You Love by the Quicksilver Messenger Service. Psychedelic Rock isn't necessarily my thing, but I'm really rather enjoying this.
So, when Chasing Amy came out on video, I was hanging out regularly at a local game store. It had been bought the year before by a high-school friend with help from another guy who really wasn’t into this stuff much but came around occasionally. So we’re watching Chasing Amy and this guy was wandering through the store, and Hooper X came on and the guy’s like “Holy Shit! I went to school with that guy!” And he runs off and comes back a little later with his year book, sure enough he went to high school with Dwight Ewell.
I rewatched it earlier this year and it used to be my favorite, but I dont think it is as thoughtful as I used to think it was. It isn't bad. I just didn't enjoy it as much.
@@caitlinrobinson6812 I've had the same experience. I still like the movie but such a "masterpiece, dude!" as one thought at 15, it is not. Humor and cringe go hand in hand. But that's the way it is with many things. For the time, the film was just right.
@@rolanddeschain6089 that's the best way to explain it. Enjoyable but not a masterpiece. It was challenging beliefs that at the time weren't getting challenged as much as they are now. For the time it was really bold. Not to take away from it of course.
I actually think you’re wrong about Clerks 2. Everyone is constantly moving towards something in the future. Wishing they were older or richer. That their life will be better one day. Not realizing the good times are right now.Forgetting to appreciate the moments in between. Not seeing how great something was, only to appreciate it after it’s expiration.
I think he misses the mark on a lot of things. He's a little too quick to try to make everything about Smith and it comes off really negative. I agree with you about Clerks 2. I also think he missed with Jay and Silent Bob reboot too. However, those cartoons are still fantastic!
You're not wrong, but do you not see how those things incorporate into Kevins mentality of the time? Especially considering that Kevin has been very open at the time even of the making of Clerks 2 that that was his intention. He turned down doing a big studio film (the green hornet) because after Jersey Girl, he just wanted to go back to the days of how he made Clerks. He wanted a small budget, only to work with his friends, go back to that glory day and he did succeed at that, but what Patrick is saying is that by going back to that, he stopped growing and stuck with what he was comfortable with. That can be taken 2 ways, appreciating what was great to him back then, but then also it was also the moment he (which he's discussed often) is not wanting to better himself and stick to what he knows and is comfortable with. It's admirable, but unfortunate when he really was growing as a film maker.
As a modern day teenager I can say I did connect with and love clerks. Chasing Amy and Mallrats are dated but there's still some charm where I can go "these are really enjoyable products of the time"
Honestly his TV episodes he's written for different series are some of his best stuff. Writing for TV is super far away from his close-up personal style, but it's a format that allows him to just do the thing he's decent at - writing.
I still come back to Dogma every now and again. Don't care if it's nostalgia or not I always enjoy it. Although now i do wonder what would the movie look like with a more dynamic director...
same bud. I dropped on Mallrats on TV when I was about 13 and it was the best shit I had ever seen. But now I wouldn't watching anything past J&B Strike Back. Shnoogens.
As a directionless 24 year old, dealing with unemployment, moving back in with my parents, and a breakup that consumed my entire year, Kevin Smith’s movies really hit home to me. Watching all of his characters go through similar things and hearing them rant about how shitty their situations are is like a form of catharsis. So much so that I think watching through most of his filmography last month was exactly what I needed to move forward.
Watch the whole Evening With Kevin Smith. The Prince story is also really good. If you enjoy it, the Evening Harder sequel is worth it just for the follow-ups to those two stories.
Red State is great. I'd personally be more interested if he'd return to original, more darkly sincere & disturbing horror/exploitation thrillers like that. I also had some intrigue or mild interest in the, at the time, upcoming Jay & Bob Reboot . . . I couldn't even finish it. I'd bet Yoga Ho's is even better, but haven't made that attempt yet. I truly believe almost anything can be accessed & appreciated properly given the right attention and correct timing or attitudes going in . . . But there's only so many hours left in an individual's life and so many other films worth getting to.
Dogma still deeply affects me. The train scene where Bethany and Bartleby open up to each other without realizing who the other is is phenomenal and the best thing Smith ever did. "I'd give anything to feel that way again." Side Note: Linda Fiorentino is fantastic in that movie and should have had a way bigger career.
Fiorentino got a reputation for being difficult to work with at the height of her career in the '90s. Smith called her out for being difficult during Dogma and said he wished he'd cast Janeane Garofalo instead (though the two of them have made up since then) and rumors say she also wasn't a pleasant person to work with during Men in Black. She was supposed to come back for the sequel but apparently one of Tommy Lee Jones's conditions for returning was that she not come back. I've wondered recently whether she was a victim of harassment or abuse in the industry at that time and that maybe her attitude reflected her frustrations about wanting to speak out against the toxic behavior she experienced but was forced to keep quiet because of possibly harming the reputation of certain people in the industry, Smith and others might not have been aware of this (Smith only found out about Harvey Weinstein when the reports went out, he knew Harvey wasn't a great guy but still) and only judged her on her attitude which made things worse for her career-wise. If that's the case then she definitely deserves a comeback of sorts.
despite being a decent bit younger than Patrick, I also pretty much had the same relationship with Smith's movies except I watched all the way up to Tusk (except for Cop Out) and listened to the podcasts for a while
The one dent in your thesis: "Red State" was actually a pretty impressive movie, and I honestly think it would have been a major hit if he had done it with a conventional distribution deal.
The thing that I remember is he pretty much quit after Cop Out and than when he came back he decided to stay small. I didn't know he pulled that deal at Sundance. He still makes lower budget movies starting with Red State and than there was Tusk which is kind of a fucked up weird movie.
Red State is my last full movie of Smith’s I have watched. I couldn’t tell you much about it nowadays. Was there a twist ending to it? I think I pretty much hate watched it because I had paid to stream it.
I always think about Kevin Smith as a pre-UA-cam UA-camr whose output was moulded to the available industry. As soon as he could break free of movies, he did. What “doesn't work” in a lot of his movies (ie references as writing) is standard in UA-cam’s better output. I see Reboot as equivalent to Metallica’s Through The Never. An experiment more in giving something to be received than for actually making it.
I mostly agree they aren't "good" movies and didn't "age well". That's comedies in general. Kevin Smith movies are snapshots in time and I still enjoy observing those snapshots. While some of the dialogue is uncomfortable by today's standards, I appreciate the unfiltered content. I disagree about the growth in Clerks II. Maybe I'm thinking too small, but I think there's a huge difference in ambition between working a convenience store and owning a convenience store. He grew into a business owner who can't deny that his best friend will always be his best friend.
As someone who ADORED Clerks: The Animated Series, but am lukewarm at best on literally everything else that Kevin Smith has made, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Kevin Smith; the 90's promise that was never fullfilled.... He's like the Lemonheads of cinema. Edith: Patrick's dad knows His shit, i'd love to talk about music with that old man
my brother (18) and I (21, big film fan) watched all the View Askewniverse films for the first time this summer when we were both home over lockdown and honestly we really had a great time, even going back within a couple of weeks to rewatch the ones we hadn't really got the first time because we watched out of order. maybe it was being stuck back at home that just really made them click but I think there's still something genuine there and I'm very glad we did. (Dogma is the best one imo)
Yes, the plush Charl is real, and it's available for pre-order now standard.tv/charl
Plush Charl is real, and CAN hurt me
So would you suggest watching Kevin smith's if you're interested in getting into film making?
How did you miss Alan Rickman's amazing performance in Dogma?!
wow, that some meta levels of hackfraudery
@@sirfriendzone1228 Honestly, I kind of enjoyed Jay and Silent Bob Reboot purely on the basis of how batshit insane and incoherent that last hour got. I felt like someone spiked my drink. That and the father-daughter dynamic I think actually worked in that movie. Also, I did go through a KS phase in high school which was about 6 years ago so I go a bit softer on him.
Gus Van Sant counting money while filming Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season, is my favorite Smith joke.
Vaguely related note, but Gus Van Sant really does seem like a good sport and a class act.
Honestly the whole Hollywood sequence in that movie still holds up in a lot of ways. it's silly, but it also is a great indictment of that Hollywood culture and toxicity.
Plus he got a lot of great people to fill a lot of great little roles
I don't think mine really counts as a joke, but my favourite is Ben Affleck struggling not to laugh when he says "I don't like the sound of them apples, Will. What are we gonna do?"
Honestly same
I especially love that he's counting it out of an actual sack with a dollar sign on it like he's Scrooge McDuck.
We're not gonna ignore that Dave The Agent and possibly even his dog are wearing the Chris-Evans-Knives-Out Sweater? Because he is.
It's an Irish Aran Sweater
Yes, more of Dave The Agent’s Dog please!
Please, the dog’s name is Dave the Agent’s Dog...the Agent
@@ShardReaper Her name is Pixel
Calling it now: This will all end in an epic showdown between Charl and Pixel the Dog.
-"Here. I brought you a gift"
-"Is this a painting of you?"
Turns out Patrick is my cousin at Christmas.
Just curious, have you ever asked for a painting of someone/thing else? Are they good paintings?
@@WhyWeWatch1 They're not bad paintings at all, pretty well done last time I remember seeing it. I know once my parents got one of our first house when they bought it. Idk if anyone's ever asked for something else as a gift. We usually get them as a gift for Xmas and I remember asking about it when I was a kid, my mom said it would be rude to say anything.
@@KairiOliver Good point, about what your mom said. And as long as the wall space is there, paintings are the best way to fill it
My favorite quote from an anime commentary: "Here, have an autographed picture of me. I make me feel better."
As a very late gen xer, born in 79, I think his early movies hold up well with people that can relate. Its a tiny window. Doc martins, teens at the mall, star wars nerds before they were cool. No cell phones, no internet. Totally different world. His writing and movies changed because he did. He grew up, got rich, had different problems than the average person. Kevin himself has said this. You write what you know.
I'm in the same boat you are, these are dated movies,
The thing I find interesting about Clerks 2 is not the film itself, but that almost everyone I hear talking about it has a different relationship to that movie. To some the ending of them just taking over the QuickStop and giving up on personal growth is depressing, while to some others it feels more hopeful when the characters realize who they are and are at peace with that, and finding sollace in their own little corner of the world. It's like a rorschach test, and what you take out of the movie depends entirely on your relationship with Kevin Smith, your own drives and passions as a artist or your anxieties about whether or not you will find success or your own personal growth.
I myself was "ok" and "meh" with the film up until the Donkey Show act. I didn't find it, funny. I found it gross. So while I thought perhaps the film's humor wasn't for me, I also wondered how an entire cast thought that was cool and just went with it. I wanted to get up and leave the theater but I was on a date at the time and the whole audience either groaned or laughed. And I thought "It's just a movie, get over it." After that, I avoided anything Kevin Smith like the plague. But that's just me.
I was disappointed in Rosario Dawson for having anything to do with it.
@@justicegear85 how did the date go overall? Lol
@@smileyp4535 she laughed. I just smiled at the scene. After the movie I always liked to talk about it. My date said she thought the movie was funny, except the donkey scene. And I asked "Why'd you laugh then?". All I remember was "I don't know" or something like that. We went home and that was it. I do also remember the next day talking about it at work and someone said "The first one sucked, why'd you go see it?" and that's all I remember. We continued dating for a bit never mentioning the movie. But I always thought it was funny she laughed although she didn't like it. I guess "Nervous laugh?" I don't know but I hate it.
@@justicegear85 sounds like a nervous laugh, or maybe being in a crowded theater, both perhaps? It happens haha, or maybe she actually thought it was funny lol
I think this is my favorite video you've made! I had a similar experience with Smith (even down to watching the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and feeling very, very bummed out). I'd never thought about Clerks 2 that way before, but now that's the only lense I can see that movie through.
CAPTAAAAAAINNNNN
midnight!
Aaayyyyee the one and only
When one of my favorite UA-camrs comments on another one of my favorite UA-camrs content.
*always sunny meme*
It's all connected.
I think many of us of a certain age felt that. I actually couldn't get through it. I did like Yoga Hosers, but it's because the kids are charming.
It started earlier for me. I was sort of bummed out by Clerks 2 as it just wasn't that funny, but I took solace in the speaking stuff that Smith did. His Superman Returns stuff was really funny and I've occasionally dipped back in but over time it felt that Smith just became a parody of himself.
people tend to forget that jersey girl came out around the time of "benifer." ben afleck and jennifer lopez..... they were EVERYWHERE!!! in the pap mags, in music videos, on the red carpet... THEN.....Gigli... woof.
lopez, of course being featured (see: forced onto) jersey girl.... it was too much, and the audience and critics responded by choosing just not to see it.
I remember they actually tried using that to the film's advantage by heavily promoting the fact that Lopez' character in the film dies at the start. They thought people might hate-watch it just for that.
Eh, she's barely in it and she's funny when she is. And don't forget, it's Smith that coined "Bennifer"
True. Affleck and Lopez were in the media like the Kardashians today. Without a reality show, of course, but with an enormous presence in gossip papers and TV magazines. Dardevil didn't go really well.
I even have to admit that I confused Gigli and Jersey Girl many times.
@@rolanddeschain6089 same - when he started talking about Jersey Girl it really threw me because I had combined it with Gigli. I might actually watch it now, though
@@NickPiers I've seen the original director's cut that has Jennifer Lopez's character die after 40 minutes instead of 10. That made it so much better. 10 minutes is not enough time to spend with a character to care about them. They cut it down about the Gigli debacle. Still waiting for that extended version to be released. Paramount has the rights so who knows if that'll ever happen.
yes, I loved this episode of Patrick's Dad Explains Quicksilver Messenger Service
And seriously, listen to Happy Trails, it's really good
Checked them out after his monologue haha
IS the whole Pat's Dad conversation on Patreon, cause I would love to see that!
I hadn’t heard of them! ua-cam.com/video/olnbwZxjcbI/v-deo.html
@@stealthcactus When Papa Willems Started talking about "Workingman's Dead" I got reeeeaaaallllll excited
I absolutely loved that you gave credit to the animated series that it so greatly deserves. It's sorely overlooked and incredibly funny.
Cancelled for the same reason as police squad, it was too funny
I love how kind Patrick's parents are, you can tell they really enjoy their son's career, and their bits in these videos are always funny
I think they had to accept his career path the moment he decided film was his major
We need a series of Patrick's dad talking about music he likes. Just like that uncut bit at the end. I'd listen to a podcast of that.
I actually really liked that moment. Patrick needs to sit his ass back down and let his dad nerd out about music.
Quicksilver Messenger Service is great, I agree with papa Willems
Yes please. I literally ended up smashing the like button purely because of him
Patrick, you should make your dad listen to Time Crisis on Apple music. A whole 2 hour show where the frontman from vampire weekend and his buddies just talk about the Dead and corporate food culture. It's so good!
IKR.
It's hilarious that both Michael Bay and Kevin Smith had Ben Affleck in their "Hey, I tried to make a real, grown-up movie and you all hated it so I'm going back to crap" movie (Shout out to Pearl Harbor).
I mean the chances were pretty high for Smith, Affleck is in 5 out of 6 of his first films :D
@@matthewstarkie4254 But also Bay had worked with Affleck on Armageddon.
Shout out to Ben Affleck holding both back apparently ;)
Those were the peak "We're making Ben Affleck a star goddammit" years. I mean, he became a star and he still very much is, but back then they had him as the ultimate golden boy, instead of today's loveable trainwreck, and that irked many people.
The difference being that "Pearl Harbour" has no redeaming qualities. It's just an insult to storytelling, filmmaking, history, and the intellegence of both the audience and everyone involved. Bay just wanted a "Titanic" sized hit on his hands but didn't get why that film worked.
Clerks 2 was also a reward for Jason Mewes getting sober and his life together.
It actually stuck the latter time though; Mewes has been sober for over a decade.
@@Gemnist98 he slipped up after Clerks II though.
@@DaviniaHill he always sucked and Clerks is overrated
@@DaviniaHill As many that struggle with that do. He ultimately got straight for good, celebrating so with the launch of his podcast with Kev (Jay & silent Bob get old)& is now married with a young daughter (Named Logan Lee Mewes) & a 2nd kid on the way
I absolutely love Dogma and watched it again last spring. Post-Harry Potter movies, I love watching Alan Rickman as Metatron sharing how he delivered the news to a scared young boy that he had an important and terrible destiny to fulfill. It's hard not to think of Snape and Harrry:
Bethany : I don't want this, it's too big.
Metatron : That's what Jesus said. Yes, I had to tell him. And you can imagine how that hurt the Father - not to be able to tell the Son Himself because one word from His lips would destroy the boy's frail human form? So I was forced to deliver the news to a scared child who wanted nothing more than to play with other children. I had to tell this little boy that He was God's only Son, and that it meant a life of persecution and eventual crucifixion at the hands of the very people He came to enlighten and redeem. He begged me to take it back, as if I could. He begged me to make it all not true. And I'll let you in on something, Bethany, this is something I've never told anyone before... If I had the power, I would have.
That line always guts me.
this movie played on comedy central every day when I was like 12 and I loved every second of it!
Jason Mewes memorized all of his lines for dogma because in his words "I didn't want to piss off that Rickman dude"
@@shawnamiller191 Because Kevin Smith warned him that Alan Rickman was a very serious and talented actor, probably the best one he ever had for a movie. It was the only time Jason Mewes had all of his lines memorized before the movie started.
And mewes best performance of the series imo
Your dad’s story was brilliant!!
I wanted to hear the whole story.
It’s a real band! ua-cam.com/video/olnbwZxjcbI/v-deo.html
I want to think it was totally unscripted and he just went on a tangent while filming
@@dn22pkkdd476 checkout the end credits 😉
Yea Quicksilver Messenger Service is really good but I prefer the first Self-Titled over Happy Trails
I’m 22 and discovered Dogma when I was 15 and it quickly became one of my favourite movies. Didn’t really care for his other movies too much, but Dogma felt different and special to me somehow.
Yeah Dogma was my first Smith movie too. It's just something about the way the characters popped to the point that even the bad guys had a legitimate point. Everyone was so likable in that movie and the story telling was interesting. That's always been Smith's real gift.
Same. I still burst out laughing thinking about "But you didn't say God bless you when I sneezed!" sometimes...
It's kind of my favorite too. I like the messages it has over topics like religion and faith and that it was able to deliver it in an entertaining way.
I love Dogma.
I personally think its his best film overall.
What I’m hearing is that Jersey Girl is Kevin Smith’s “Pinkerton”
Also, hell yeah, the Clerks Animated Series is amazing.
Is you saying Pinkerton's better than the Red Album? Grrrrr....
@@Blitterbug What I mean is that Jersey Girl and Pinkerton are both works that their artists put their heart and soul into, only to have fans and critics hate it at first. Thus, leaving their creators to pursue safer artistic ventures.
Who's driving?! OMG Bear's driving! How can that be?!!
Old millennial reffernce is strong with old millennial energy
@@Blitterbug there are people who like the Red Album?
"Just Dave is fine."
I'm so happy that you said that about Jersey Girl, I've been saying that for years. I actually really like the film, but have been too afraid to say it because it gets a lot of negativity, saw Smith live in Dublin and he put it down quite harshly. I was shocked.
I liked Jersey Girls. Hollywood is tough. Seeking validation outside yourself is tough.
A lot of movies are over hyped and many are underappreciated. It probably got to him. Hopefully he will bounce back and like it again for himself.
The scariest thing about this video is that Patrick is a big enough UA-camr and Kevin Smith is into enough UA-cam, that there is a non-zero chance that Kevin Smith watches this.
So, it's 0.001% chance then?
There's a substantially non-zero chance that this video is orders of magnitude more relevant than anything Kevin Smith has done in decades.
Why is that scary?
I think it’s close to 100% chance.
He's a press whore, by his own words. He was obsessed that Entourage hated him.
Ya know in Thor: Ragnarok when Thor sees Hulk for the first time and shouts “Yeeees!!!” That was me when you said what you said about Jersey Girl. I’ve been saying this for 15 years. I saw it in the theater alone because no one would go with me then when it was over was shocked at how good it actually was.
It happened to me as well. It was one of my favourite Smith movie but no one believe it.
I wonder how much of the Jersey Girl hate is some sort of bias, or people not being able to watch a Kevin Smith movie objectively. I bet you if he ghost directed it and slapped some other name on it, it would be widely regarded as a solid and enjoyable comedy/drama.
Jersey Girl got so much hate at the time due to everyone being sick of "Benifer", which was everywhere, and releasing soon after Gigli was a critical and financial flop.
Smith's comments about the second Thor brought us the tone shift of Thor. Thank god.
@@reecord2 agreed! I said that as well, if literally any other name was slapped on it as director (and moving the release away from gili) would of made it a major success.
His dad's full rant at the end has to be the best thing on this channel that i've watched. I mean it kept going and going I thought it'd never end, it was just so magnificent.
I seriously want to hang out with his dad and just listen to him talk about music.
and it all becomes clear where Patrick gets it from
@@stigoftdump right?
I was surprised it wasn’t improv. It’s a real band! ua-cam.com/video/olnbwZxjcbI/v-deo.html
Kevin Smith is a very contemporary filmmaker in that, he directs movies now and then, and spends the majority of his time on social media taking about pop culture and hustling for sponsorship money.
Don't forget the bootlicking.
He's a loser
@@SirBlackReeds Wouldn't it be crazy if he actually like the stuff? Good thing we're too cynical to believe a person could actually like pop movies.
This hits hard. Close to the same age as you and had a similar experience. For me, these movies helped shape my identity as a teen and still hold a special spot-and the early Smodcast years gave me a lot of value/entertainment too. I’d like to think somewhere in the multiverse, there’s a Kevin Smith who is making great movies.
I mean, Kevin Smith is making cartoons now that he's showrunning the He-Man reboot that will supposedly be on Netflix.
and a Modok cartoon for marvel on hulu
@@brock985 not modok, he was going to do Howard the duck but it got cancelled before production.
I like nerd cartoons as much as the next guy... But, definitely a big step down to go from clerks to he man
As much as the She-Ra series went off the rails at the end (and took a while to find them at the start), I did enjoy it quite a bit. But holy crap is it the exact opposite of what Kevin Smith would make: it feels very weird for Netflix to produce both of them (yes I know they are not supposed to be connected)
The bigger news is that he knows something other than Batman and Star Wars, I guess?
@@jimhogarth9678 Not nowadays alot of big and respected animated series and keep in mind Kevin's a nerd so this is prolly a job he loves same way hes written alot of comic books to you it's a step down to him it's prolly a childhood dream
Dave the Agent looking straight fire in that Knives Out knit sweater, Chris Evans better watch out
“Yeah, Patrick Willems, the guy in the turtleneck who won’t stop talking about coconuts and shilling for every DC movie.”
*every Disney star wars movie
@@1flamealchemist "every"? Like, have you seen his Rise of Skywalker video?
How about "shilling against every MCU movie"?
@@Gemnist98 I'm not sure "most of them are pretty good. Some are even great" qualifies as shilling against.
@@blokey8 He's changed his stance since that color grading video. Check out his "Limitations of the MCU" series.
I absolutely love your Dad.
It's great to see his deep interest in things helped shape you as a person.
I still like Dogma.
'Red State' is a woefully underappreciated movie. It's fecking brilliant.
Smith has always had a great knack for writing dialogue, realised perfectly through the performances of Michael Parks in both Red State and Tusk. Tusk is a terrible hot mess a movie but also probably the best spoof of the torture porn genre we'll ever get.
Wait, did I miss Patrick talk about Red State as a film?
@@TheTeratophile He talks about it in the video for a little while, in respect of how Kevin Smith handled its promotion and reception.
For me, the weirdest thing about rewatching the Star Wars scenes in Clerks is how much MORE Star Wars we have today. In 1994, even the EU had only barely started. Star Wars really was just three movies, and some kids shows that everyone ignored. Then there's the "Death Star contractors" scene and, like, not only do we now know who built the Death Star, but Lucas wrote that into the Prequels specifically in response to that scene! And now Star Wars is bigger than ever (for better or worse) while Smith has faded into irrelevance. Life is strange.
Noy to mention the pop culture background. On Mallrats Brody is potrayed as this hip underground sort of guy who talked comic books as a counterculture that the mainstream guys like Ben Affleck's character wouldn't talk, also the videostore scene in Clerks and *Oh, Navy Seals*
While today Comic Book adaptations are the biggest thing and superhero movies now perfectly fit Randall's description of lowest common denominator films he hated on Clerks.
Time change in an odd way indeed.
Also The Mandalorian's season 2 finale had a conversation where an Imperial officer directly calls out the body count Rebels took when they blew up the Death Star (both of them).
What is kind of ironic is the fact that the outcasts and nerds of the 90s are now the equivalent of popular people since pop culture has become so powerful, especially with so many superhero media being shown and the advance of internet and communication, and now people who are not part of the "nerd" culture are now the outcasts in some sense.
@@arthurfortes8398 Yeah. When I was watching the new Eternals trailer, all I could think was how unbelievable it is that we're actually getting a huge-budget mainstream movie going all-in on Jack Kirby's weird cosmology. Sure, there had been a couple easter egg glimpses of Celestials in the MCU before, but now they're clearly about to become an important plot element. Who would have ever expected THAT to happen?
@@arthurfortes8398 You are confusing ""nerd" culture...become so powerful" with commodification and repackaging of a ready-made product originally aimed at a teen/young adult subculture - so it could be aimed at families with children.
Hint: Ask yourself how many people actually read the comics, compared to how many people see the movies.
Or, you might want to look up how many non-genre awards those movies get. You know... like the Oscars.
And while there are a few wins there (Who would have guessed that Suicide Squad is an Oscar winner?) - only acting ones are for the two different portrayals of the Joker. And there are exactly zero directing or writing Oscars won by comic book movies.
Comic book movies only win technical awards. Sound, makeup, costumes, special effects... Stuff that used to be given out almost exclusively to another pop culture genre - science fiction.
Which should tell you how the mainstream regards comic book movies. Like sci-fi... but for both the toddlers and the parents. You know... Movie McDonald's.
As much as Kevin often maligns Jersey Girl I've always enjoyed that film. Hey you can make a small fortune on that Dogma DVD - shits going for a lot these days since it's no longer being distributed.
Not as much as he maligns Cop Out.
You forgot the funniest line in any of his films: “In a row...?”
i'm a bigger fan of the smartest thing randall's ever said, at least he wasn't 36
Someone ruined your perfect 37 likes
The Charles Barkley thing is the funniest thing I’ve seen all week, and I have no idea why.
My favorite recurring bit from the animated series
I love how Patrick is a condescending alien even to his parents.
This storyline is really weird & I’m catching up on it.
@@lawrencecalablaster568 I didn't mean alien literally though.
Alanis Morisette was the best casting choice for God in any movie yet.
This is Whoopi Goldberg erasure!
Morgan Freeman has entered the chat.
Not Morgan Freeman? Thou dost speak heresy.
PREDICTION: Next video is about Signs, or just M. Night Shyamalan in general.
20:40 "...Jersey Girl...is pretty good..."
TTTHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAANNNNKKKKKKYYYYYOOOOOOOUUUU!!!!!!
The Scott Mosier thing makes more sense once you learn he worked on the production side of an animated thanksgiving movie called Free Birds but it’s still a wild escalation
I gotta feeling Kevin Smith might see this...
Yeah, he tends to get wind of anything people say about him online
Kevin Smith sees all... he has spies everywhere...
@@florpfacejinglefribbins1984 he probably has an SAS anytime someone mentions his name. But what if there’s another Kevin Smith?
@@simond7225 How specifically do you know this? Has he stated this publicly? I don’t follow him to know if its true or not.
I hope he does because Patrick when to film school and is a UA-camr and Kevin Smith didn't go to film school and actually made movies. Regardless of what has been said in this video.
"I wore bucket hats and got way into Nancy Meyer's 'The Holiday'"
Wait, is this no longer an acceptable lifestyle?
The issue with Kevin Smith was that he has always been a better writer than he has been a filmmaker, he lacks the ability to film a scene, but he is by no means a bad story teller. I think that’s why he’s had so much longevity in his career as a personality, because his jokes and voice on a podcast, or on stage isn’t held back by framing composition, etc. Liked the video, btw, Smith’s career is a really interesting topic, from where he began to where he’s headed. Big up Patrick (H) Willems!
Great video. I'm Swedish and Kevin Smith never had the same cult following here, but Mallrats is a very nostalgic movie for me - I used to rent it a lot at the video store. Some parts of 90s culture has aged in a really weird way - it's so hard to remember how it was to think that all these references in movies were funny and groundbreaking. I get the same feeling rewatching Wayne's World and seeing the parodies of the Graduate and the Charlton Heston scene... It's barely jokes, just references, just that they were done in a movie with these 90s "alternative dudes" was enough back then in some way.
I have to agree with you. Jersey Girl is his best movie, Dogma is his best screenplay, and Clerks is just a cultural milestone of 90's indie cinema at this point (and should be in the Criterion Collection instead of Chasing Amy).
Thank you for adding in your dad's whole spiel at the end. Ive never given quick silver mesanger service much attention, but I will now after Mr. Willems just schooled us all on the subject.
The first 15 mins of Chasing Amy is still the best example of real comic book nerd culture that there is in all of cinema. From the artist alley interactions, to the diversity panel that is hobbled together with anyone who isn’t white and male. I wish there were more movies just based around artist trying to make indie comics, and having to deal with all of these weird convention interactions. Though Jason Lee’s character probably kept a lot of Bi nerds (myself included) in the closet for an extra decade. Also solid mention of Wizard Magazine! Not a day goes by that I don’t wish there was a magazine about comics that has the same energy.
i am sad as 27 year old woman there aren't more viewers in my demographic. Patrick's videos are amazing! my group is really sleeping on great content
As a 32 year old woman, I concur. I consider Patrick's videos to be top tier because they are so well constructed both visually and in what he's saying.
Hey I'm a 33-year-old woman, represent!
Unfortunately I am a 36 year old white male filmmaking nerd, and only serve to entrench Patrick's demographic ghetto.
I am also of that under represented demographic. Sure, I never watched any Kevin Smith film, but I love this channel!
There are dozens of us! Dozens!!
I think you’d be really interested in the making of the Clerks 1 doc “The Snowball Effect” because it paints a picture of Kevin Smith that I never got from his movies and makes his downfall that much more frustrating. The doc shows you an early 90s Kevin that’s artistically motivated and culturally curious. He went to film school, he was into David Lynch movies, he studied up on independent cinema through its journals and magazines. It shows a Smith that almost has greater potential than the one that ended up existing, but it’s just interesting seeing him so textured and smart.
Downfall?
Sometimes, getting famous is the worst thing that can happen to someone. I get that _Jersey Girl_ didn't work out, but he was at least trying to do something different and branch out. _Clerks II_ felt like a retreat to safety.
"Ready Player One but only for Kevin Smith's filmography" sounds like hell lmao
Your parents are the best.
Saca vídeo pronto, furro hermoso!!!
Quetzal xd
"We were straight white males from middle class backgrounds but we felt like a persecuted group "lol
I guess "COMIC FANS RISE UP" just didn't have the same ring to it
Some things never change.
We were a persecuted group, but it was in-group persecution. The problem is (a) lots of these types failed to notice the sea change and (b) in-group persecution when your in-group is on top of everything isn't all that serious. But, to be fair, comic fans were always toxic shitheads in the main, and it's unfortunate that the toxicity became the throughline from the old-school to the new.
And, lest I generalize, plenty of this cohort of geeks became aware of new perspectives and allowed their thinking to evolve. The ones who didn't are... unpleasant people, by and large.
@@samringwald Ah, so not much has REALLY changed.
@@samringwald it felt worse the more segregated your world was. When you're the designated out group in a homogenous social construct of the dominant socio-economic, sexual, gender identity and racial demographic, the othering is so arbitrary that it grows disproportionately in your head.
The only thing that cures it is exposure. Meeting people who are actually oppressed and who have to live with those fears and constraints, some social some legal, on their lives is, as Cinema Wins would say, the fastest way to recognize your own privilege.
thanks for all, especially your Dad for "Qicksilver Messenger Service". I'm from germany and 28 years old and never would come in touch with this great record, named "happy trails". Thank you.
I think Kevin Smith's movies have the most validity when you are aware of the context of their release. They are time capsules, and that can either be met with sadness or joy. They are the hometown friend who you are happy to see, but sad that this talented person who is clearly unhappy never did more for themselves, because they were too scared of discomfort.
I'm actually a teenage Kevin Smith fan and a movie buff, I'll admit that I don't watch his movies for the same reason that I would watch a Spielberg film, but I feel somewhat of a connection to his characters and humor, its nice to see them interact with each other, as you said, they feel like friends.
Kevin Smith also has this charming personality to him which reflects out of all the movies he's made, I think someones favorite movie doesn't necessarily come from a relatable issue (Spike Lee movies ) or technical mastery (DW Griffith), most of the time its the distinct personality that the movie has... like Kevin Smith movies and humor.
And I know I used spike lee and DW Griffith in the same paragraph.
Best thing Kevin Smith has done are those first audio-only podcasts of Fatman on Batman. Just him talking for hours to Batman greats like Dennis O'Neill, Kevin Conroy, Grant Morrison and lots more. Fantastic stuff. Too bad it's not on youtube anymore.
I loved that show
Jay and Silent Bob reboot had it's moments but it mostly made me feel old
Yup.
Jay and Silent Bob Remind You That You’re Getting Older and Going to Die One Day
I even went to one of the shows on tour, and then had to feel that way in front of Kevin and Jay, rough
The entire time watching that movie I could see what Smith was trying and failing to accomplish. It made me feel kinda sad for the guy because I’ve always been in his corner.
@@STormnNormn2027 It's kinda sad that people still say he's in the "Hollywood Role" when he's already out of it, and distributing films by direct-to-video, which makes it all feels like he's doing it all for nothing...
He could've at least take Jon Favreau's path.
The Clerks Animated series is so damn good. Way ahead of its time.
For real though, it's so good
BIG AMERICAN PARTY!
Omg bear is driving how can this be?!
I saw it earlier in the year when I was rewatching some of his movies and bought the DVD set. I still need to watch it. I haven't watched it in years.
Man, I love you, but disagree so had. Nostalgia plays such a big role yes, but he has an ear for dialogue. I don't think it's aged the best, sure, but you can't write everything with an ear to the ground to the future.
Or maybe I"m still too big a fan still, lol. snooch
@LuckAmazing Probably because its super boring and lazy after the first five.
I think the problem is that all of his films rely solely on the viewer appreciating his characters dialogue. Unfortunately I think the dialogue he writes is very cringey and fake, like Patrick says 'it sounds like actors rehearsing'. By Kevin Smith's own admission he has no talent for directing or staging scenes. Meaning the films offer nothing if you can't appreciate the dialogue. Therefore his films offer nothing.
@@hideyourlovers It doesn’t help that so many of the ‘jokes’ in his movies are just “hehe he said fuck” or the fact that they used a homophobic slur
Wait... we're just not going to talk about "Red State" or "Tusk"? Red State may be his best work.
Ryan Hollinger has a great video on Kevin Smith’s horror trilogy
I couldn't make it through Yoga Hosers, but Tusk was an interesting experiment. Red State was terrific and I wish he'd push himself as a filmmaker to make another thriller like it. It was clearly based around something he was passionate about.
The worst part about Tusk is how Smith plays it off as a joke and goofs around. It’s a weird premise, for sure, but one that Smith actually makes terrifying. The only problem is that he has to squander all of that by pointing out how it is a joke and goof it all off, especially once Johnny Depp’s Guy LaPoint shows up. And of course, the absolute self-indulgence of playing the podcast episode with the idea for the movie during the credits.
It is an example off, like Patrick says, he’s usually the biggest problem of his movies. If he’d just believed in the movie and played it straight, it would have worked so much better.
@@gabrielledebourg2487 IDK, I kinda don't mind the comedic tone of Tusk
Truthfully, while I completely appreciate the points you’re making, and somewhat can agree, this actually made me appreciate those films more. i might have to set up a marathon. I will say that you have made me appreciate Jersey Girl more; I thought it was ok at the time, but you’ve made me definitely think it deserves a rewatch.
Your Dads delivery of the friend of a friend story is one of the funniest things I've seen for a long, long time
The pacing on this thing is aces. 42 minutes on seven movies of a guy's seventeen-film filmography (as of now), and they FLEW. That end-credits tag is perfect.
*SPOILERS(?)*
Great, now I'm gonna be thinking about the wooden crop circle in Patrick's family's house until the next video.
at 33:18 when you started talking about gateway filmmakers and being inspired by them in high school, it was as though you were talking about me. Clerks was an inspiring "wow he did this himself" item for me at that age, and i still enjoy that film. but anyways, your videos lately have been some of the best you've ever done. the feature-length Coppola doc especially is one i'm constantly revisiting. thank you so much for your wonderful work, Patrick
I haven't watched these movies for over a decade. I used to love some of them a lot (Dogma, strikes back, clercks) but don't particularly feel the need to rewatch them
Kevin's always been honest. He makes movies for his friends with his friends.
Like how honest he was about He-Man??
Exactly. He never pretended to be anything he's not.
"I'm a master of self promotion!!"
Lingers on a thumbnail for Lindsay Ellis' Omegaverse video for 5+ seconds.
Patrick has the most normal American accent, except for when he says "was" and "mum" and it makes me smile every time.
Thank you for talking about Clerks the Animated Series, i thought I was crazy for loving it all these years
If Patrick's reminiscing about his past, I want the 'How Imax Made Christopher Nolan a Better Filmmaker
'-level beard back...
How imax filled his ego . Bat man rises is still the biggest pile of crap
@@adrienmata5693 Ah, surely you mean, 'GOTHAM: THE MOTION PICTURE' with special guest cameo by Batman....Yeah, I really wish he had just made a batman movie too, and pulled his head out of his pretentious ass.
Nolan’s Batman are the greatest superhero movies ever made and will be remembered for the for years and years so screw you
@@jamesward3859 maybe 1/2 but the 3 was hated and everyone bashes it because he white washed bane and tried to make a movie but it had so many plot holes and errors you think Nolan or someone would have prof read the script ... Nolan could have made a godly Batman trilogy but sadly it’s one of thoe films that ruins a franchise’s reputation
@@adrienmata5693 Just like the last season of Game of Thrones, or Rise of Skywalker.
I discovered Clerks in the 2010s, and it had the same affect for me. It was that gateway from only watching blockbuster movies and stoner comedies, I to becoming a real cinema junkie. I had never even heard of people like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee when I discovered Smith movies, and I can't say for sure I would have the same relationship with cinema that I do today if it wasn't for him. And I still love Clerks
Your family is a gem. No wonder you turned out as creative and vibrant!
I just want to know how many takes the “Generation X” gag took
Alright Patrick's Dad, I'm listening to Who do You Love by the Quicksilver Messenger Service. Psychedelic Rock isn't necessarily my thing, but I'm really rather enjoying this.
Most underrated UA-camr ever, your videos are an event for me man! Keep up the passion and genius! You’ll always have me as a viewer!
It really says something that when you come out of a montage of Smith shots at 13:35 into your own, your shots are better framed.
I think someone already said this but Patrick is everything Doug Walker/Nostalgia Critic should be
So, when Chasing Amy came out on video, I was hanging out regularly at a local game store. It had been bought the year before by a high-school friend with help from another guy who really wasn’t into this stuff much but came around occasionally. So we’re watching Chasing Amy and this guy was wandering through the store, and Hooper X came on and the guy’s like “Holy Shit! I went to school with that guy!” And he runs off and comes back a little later with his year book, sure enough he went to high school with Dwight Ewell.
I feel like you kinda undersold Dogma. That was probably my favourite.
Dogma might just be one of the best paced and funny films around.
I rewatched it earlier this year and it used to be my favorite, but I dont think it is as thoughtful as I used to think it was. It isn't bad. I just didn't enjoy it as much.
@@caitlinrobinson6812 I've had the same experience. I still like the movie but such a "masterpiece, dude!" as one thought at 15, it is not. Humor and cringe go hand in hand.
But that's the way it is with many things. For the time, the film was just right.
@@rolanddeschain6089 that's the best way to explain it. Enjoyable but not a masterpiece. It was challenging beliefs that at the time weren't getting challenged as much as they are now. For the time it was really bold. Not to take away from it of course.
@@caitlinrobinson6812 That is true. It was nerdy and funny blasphemous, in a way, we hadn't seen before.
I actually think you’re wrong about Clerks 2. Everyone is constantly moving towards something in the future. Wishing they were older or richer. That their life will be better one day. Not realizing the good times are right now.Forgetting to appreciate the moments in between. Not seeing how great something was, only to appreciate it after it’s expiration.
I think he misses the mark on a lot of things. He's a little too quick to try to make everything about Smith and it comes off really negative. I agree with you about Clerks 2. I also think he missed with Jay and Silent Bob reboot too.
However, those cartoons are still fantastic!
You're not wrong, but do you not see how those things incorporate into Kevins mentality of the time? Especially considering that Kevin has been very open at the time even of the making of Clerks 2 that that was his intention. He turned down doing a big studio film (the green hornet) because after Jersey Girl, he just wanted to go back to the days of how he made Clerks. He wanted a small budget, only to work with his friends, go back to that glory day and he did succeed at that, but what Patrick is saying is that by going back to that, he stopped growing and stuck with what he was comfortable with. That can be taken 2 ways, appreciating what was great to him back then, but then also it was also the moment he (which he's discussed often) is not wanting to better himself and stick to what he knows and is comfortable with. It's admirable, but unfortunate when he really was growing as a film maker.
As a modern day teenager I can say I did connect with and love clerks. Chasing Amy and Mallrats are dated but there's still some charm where I can go "these are really enjoyable products of the time"
Eh I still enjoy Smiths work, plus he’s also one of the few directors who does not support Roman Polanski so he’s a good guy
Honestly his TV episodes he's written for different series are some of his best stuff. Writing for TV is super far away from his close-up personal style, but it's a format that allows him to just do the thing he's decent at - writing.
I still come back to Dogma every now and again. Don't care if it's nostalgia or not I always enjoy it. Although now i do wonder what would the movie look like with a more dynamic director...
I met Kevin this summer at a Mooby’s Golden Calf popup. I let him know how important his films were to a *Catholic comic book nerd from New Jersey.
Grew up with Smith’s films. They will always hold a special place for me
same bud. I dropped on Mallrats on TV when I was about 13 and it was the best shit I had ever seen. But now I wouldn't watching anything past J&B Strike Back. Shnoogens.
I like to imagine what movies Smith would have made had he not discovered pot.
Films like Chasing Amy
As a directionless 24 year old, dealing with unemployment, moving back in with my parents, and a breakup that consumed my entire year, Kevin Smith’s movies really hit home to me. Watching all of his characters go through similar things and hearing them rant about how shitty their situations are is like a form of catharsis. So much so that I think watching through most of his filmography last month was exactly what I needed to move forward.
"There are no words. They should have sent a poet" is so great
Love those random Contact references.
Contact is such a good movie. And that’s a deep cut.
OH MY GOD SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CLIP OF KEVIN SMITH TALKING ABOUT THE GIANT SPIDER COMES FROM
Watch the whole Evening With Kevin Smith. The Prince story is also really good. If you enjoy it, the Evening Harder sequel is worth it just for the follow-ups to those two stories.
@@digitaljanus this. Kevin Smith has some excellent fucking stories.
Thank you for acknowledging the greatness of Clerks: The Animated Series. I still use the phrase "That's cold, Obi-Wan" to this day!
Red State is great. I'd personally be more interested if he'd return to original, more darkly sincere & disturbing horror/exploitation thrillers like that. I also had some intrigue or mild interest in the, at the time, upcoming Jay & Bob Reboot . . . I couldn't even finish it. I'd bet Yoga Ho's is even better, but haven't made that attempt yet. I truly believe almost anything can be accessed & appreciated properly given the right attention and correct timing or attitudes going in . . . But there's only so many hours left in an individual's life and so many other films worth getting to.
Dogma still deeply affects me. The train scene where Bethany and Bartleby open up to each other without realizing who the other is is phenomenal and the best thing Smith ever did. "I'd give anything to feel that way again."
Side Note: Linda Fiorentino is fantastic in that movie and should have had a way bigger career.
Fiorentino got a reputation for being difficult to work with at the height of her career in the '90s. Smith called her out for being difficult during Dogma and said he wished he'd cast Janeane Garofalo instead (though the two of them have made up since then) and rumors say she also wasn't a pleasant person to work with during Men in Black. She was supposed to come back for the sequel but apparently one of Tommy Lee Jones's conditions for returning was that she not come back.
I've wondered recently whether she was a victim of harassment or abuse in the industry at that time and that maybe her attitude reflected her frustrations about wanting to speak out against the toxic behavior she experienced but was forced to keep quiet because of possibly harming the reputation of certain people in the industry, Smith and others might not have been aware of this (Smith only found out about Harvey Weinstein when the reports went out, he knew Harvey wasn't a great guy but still) and only judged her on her attitude which made things worse for her career-wise. If that's the case then she definitely deserves a comeback of sorts.
@@colealbinder2980 Thanks for having such a nuanced perspective.
Same, reminds me of Gina from Bojack Horseman
Despite being a few years older than Patrick, I had exactly the same relationship with smith and his movies. Once again the video is amazing. Bravo 👍
despite being a decent bit younger than Patrick, I also pretty much had the same relationship with Smith's movies except I watched all the way up to Tusk (except for Cop Out) and listened to the podcasts for a while
@@crispysteve42 cop out is... something.
The one dent in your thesis: "Red State" was actually a pretty impressive movie, and I honestly think it would have been a major hit if he had done it with a conventional distribution deal.
I must admit... I really wish they'd reported his original, insane ending.
The thing that I remember is he pretty much quit after Cop Out and than when he came back he decided to stay small. I didn't know he pulled that deal at Sundance. He still makes lower budget movies starting with Red State and than there was Tusk which is kind of a fucked up weird movie.
Red State is my last full movie of Smith’s I have watched. I couldn’t tell you much about it nowadays. Was there a twist ending to it? I think I pretty much hate watched it because I had paid to stream it.
Agreed, amazing movie because of its constants twists. Even if you hate the script, Michael Parks and John Goodman will make this film worth watching.
it's an above average indie with a stupid ending, that thing was never making bank.
I always think about Kevin Smith as a pre-UA-cam UA-camr whose output was moulded to the available industry. As soon as he could break free of movies, he did. What “doesn't work” in a lot of his movies (ie references as writing) is standard in UA-cam’s better output.
I see Reboot as equivalent to Metallica’s Through The Never. An experiment more in giving something to be received than for actually making it.
I mostly agree they aren't "good" movies and didn't "age well". That's comedies in general. Kevin Smith movies are snapshots in time and I still enjoy observing those snapshots. While some of the dialogue is uncomfortable by today's standards, I appreciate the unfiltered content.
I disagree about the growth in Clerks II. Maybe I'm thinking too small, but I think there's a huge difference in ambition between working a convenience store and owning a convenience store. He grew into a business owner who can't deny that his best friend will always be his best friend.
When you recognize Robert Rodriguez because he directed spy kids
As someone who ADORED Clerks: The Animated Series, but am lukewarm at best on literally everything else that Kevin Smith has made, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
*urp* "exquisite"
Meet me in the pit, boss
Kevin Smith; the 90's promise that was never fullfilled.... He's like the Lemonheads of cinema.
Edith: Patrick's dad knows His shit, i'd love to talk about music with that old man
Rudderless is still amazing and I wish they did more songs like it
The lead singer actually went on to direct a bunch of episodes of the HBO series, Girls.
my brother (18) and I (21, big film fan) watched all the View Askewniverse films for the first time this summer when we were both home over lockdown and honestly we really had a great time, even going back within a couple of weeks to rewatch the ones we hadn't really got the first time because we watched out of order. maybe it was being stuck back at home that just really made them click but I think there's still something genuine there and I'm very glad we did. (Dogma is the best one imo)