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Disney tried to adapt Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks’ into a PG sitcom (and it was soooooo bad)
07.30.2015
09:54 am
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Kevin Smith has caught a lot of hell for not “maturing” as an artist, but if you go back and watch Clerks, it’s pretty obvious that his strengths have always been juvenile humor with a shot of modern neurosis. And, while Clerks is certainly a product of its time, I maintain that it holds up as a really charming little film about youth, relationships and the absurdity of alienated wage labor under capitalism. Or maybe it’s just about snowballing (hey, six of one...). Highly sexualized semi-intellectual gross-out comedy is arguably the trademark of Smith’s indie opus, which is why it’s so weird that Disney tried to adapt the film for a PG audience. (Spoiler: it is bad.)

It makes sense that Disney would try to capitalize off Gen-X disaffection I suppose, but did they really think Clerks could stand the Mickey Mouse treatment? You’ll notice the 1995 pilot bears no resemblance whatsoever to its source material—Smith wasn’t even told about its development until the actors that played Dante and Randal auditioned for (and didn’t get) their original roles. Smith even tried to help the project by writing a script, but Disney ultimately went with… this. You’ll see no Jay or Silent Bob, just a cast of suspiciously good-looking members of the strip mall proletariat. (They even added a sexy girl who works at the tanning salon next door played by a pre-Felicity Keri Russell).

Needless to say, Smith was not pleased with the end result. Check it out below, if you dare.
 

 
Via A.V. Club

Posted by Amber Frost
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07.30.2015
09:54 am
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Toke N’ Tusk: Kevin Smith’s new horror comedy aimed at stoners
09.17.2014
06:08 pm
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Kevin Smith is a productive stoner. He learned the trait from Seth Rogen, and it is most evident if you have ever listened to his weekly smodcast where you can often hear the pull of a joint mixed in with endless ideas and frequent laughter. On one such episode, Smodcast #259 “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” Smith created—from what turned out to be a fabricated British rental listing—the entire plot and premise for his daring new film Tusk, out in theaters September 19th.

Billed as a “transformational tale” where a man is involuntarily changed into a Walrus, Tusk gets about as far out of the normal as possible for a marketable motion picture. And the marketing department took that wildness as inspiration when developing their plan for Tusk, creating a side-project called Toke N’ Tusk which includes the first-ever marijuana tie-in for a movie. Two strains of “Tusk-inspired” weed, “Mr. Tusk” and “White Walrus,” are being packaged and sold in contrasting canisters at Buds & Roses in Los Angeles, California through September 26th. The idea for this promotion being that sometimes seeing a film through a different lens can produce dramatic results.
 

 
Starring Justin Long as Wallace Bryton, a rising star in the podcast world who heads off on his own to Canada to interview an overnight YouTube sensation, Tusk begins as a bright and comedic movie. In the opening minutes you’re momentarily convinced into thinking that you are watching a classic Kevin Smith film. The laughter is brief however, and the tale quickly turns dark after unforeseen circumstances require Bryton to change his plans, salvaging his journey to the Great White North by following a promising lead deep into the heart of Manitoba. It is there inside a grand house tucked away in the woods, that the audience is introduced to the curious and uncomfortable world of Howard Howe, brilliantly played by Michael Parks.

Over the course of an evening and a long cup of tea, Bryton is regaled with stories from this old seasoned traveler, who he learns he had lived alone on an island for three years with only a walrus who saved his life to keep him company. Affectionately referred to as “Mr. Tusk,” this walrus had quite an impact on Howe, and he yearns to be reunited with his old friend. Eventually Bryton passes out due to a heavy drugging from Howard Howe, and upon finally waking up becomes a clueless hostage in misery. This moment is when real story begins. With an awesome surprise performance by Johnny Depp as Inspector Guy LaPointe, and generous support by the striking Genesis Rodriguez and grown-up Haley Joel Osment, Tusk crosses the line between horror and comedy again and again. Similar to the effects of a very strong strain of pot that one perceived as weak, Tusk leaves its viewer unsure as to whether they should lean back and laugh or just sit slightly forward in shock, uncomfortable in their seat. This up-down trajectory is what makes Kevin Smith’s return to film outstanding. It’s totally unexpected.

Tusk is in theaters this Friday, September 19th
 

Posted by Sponsored Post
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09.17.2014
06:08 pm
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Trailer for Kevin Smith’s controversial new film ‘Red State’
07.28.2011
04:00 pm
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If this out-of-control trailer is any indication, then Kevin Smith’s new independently-produced horror film, Red State, really takes the whole Deliverance , crazy Christian, Westoboro Baptist, David Koresh-thing to a whole new level. The title alone piqued my curiosity and for sure, this trailer had the intended effect (on me at least). If horror films function as some sort of pop culture marker or indicator of mass fears and nightmares, it’s fascinating to consider how fanatical Christians are rapidly becoming archetypal Hollywood bad guys in the new century. (Of course Red State’s release is rather well-timed with the recent tragedy in Norway…)

Kevin Smith has been self-distributing Red State in a traveling roadshow, appearing himself as part of the attraction before the film premieres on pay-per-view on September 1. Smith will be attending a slate of screenings next month Los Angeles:

Kevin Smith and SModcast Pictures are proud to announce a one week exclusive Academy Award qualifying run of Red State beginning Friday, August 19th at Quentin Tarantino’s legendary New Beverly Cinema. Each screening of Red State will be followed by a live Q&A with writer - director Kevin Smith.

Red State had its controversial and much talked about debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where Smith bought the distribution rights for $20.

Smith decided to self distribute the film and immediately set up 15 special screenings throughout the U.S. as part of the “Red State U.S.A. Tour”. The tour began at the historic Radio City Music Hall in New York on March 5th and finished one month later at the infamous Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

More information at the Red State website
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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07.28.2011
04:00 pm
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SMart: Kevin Smith-Themed Art Show
10.25.2009
06:58 pm
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image
“Brokeback Island” by Dave MacDowell
 
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“Fat Kenickie” by Danielle Rizzolo
 
Here’s an amusing look at a Kevin Smith-themed art show held at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in Los Angeles. More paintings here.
 
(via Nerdcore)

 

Posted by Tara McGinley
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10.25.2009
06:58 pm
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