He lost touch


His movies went downhill when he stopped using life experiences to format his stories. Clerks was about being in a dead end job with no future prospects. Chasing Amy was about his experience dating a woman who was a lesbian. His movies got worse after that.

reply

I can't argue that. I liked his movies up until Clerks II and maybe Zach and Miri, anything after that sucked.


--------------------------------
dies ist meine unterschrift

reply

Out of touch is a good term, I feel like his audience grew up but he never did. He keeps pushing the same ideas as he did 20 years ago.


Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

reply

His life experiences now consist of smoking pot, eating his wife's ass and podcasting. Hard to make a full movie out of that.

You who wish to conquer pain, you must learn to serve me well.

reply

Maybe he just ran out of ideas. Or like you said, maybe he lost touch. That happens to a lot of filmmakers. But I'll give him credit for Clerks, Clerks 2, Red State, and even that Zach and Miri film to a certain extent. I would give him credit for Mall Rats, but it's been such a long time since I've watched it, that I'd have to give it another viewing for an honest review. And as in for Chasing Amy, for whatever reason, I never really got into that film. And I never understood the praise about Dogma. The Jay and Silent Bob movie had some idiotically funny moments...but it was mostly mindless humor and a forgettable film. But his career isn't over yet. Maybe he'll make another classic some day. But still, even if he doesn't, I'll still give him credit for some of his films.

reply

I think making and breaking of him was Clerks, it pretty much made his career but it also was the downfall of his career. He can't ever escape that film's shadow, the only films that even after his debut that get any love are the films involving any characters from View Askewniverse. But he's at his strongest for me when he's writing within that universe. To be honest I think when Jersey Girl, was battered critically and flopped. I think that knocked him for two and he hasn't quite returned to any sort of form since.

I think Clerks is his best film, even if the acting and photography are not great. The writing is fantastic. It's a massive statement in America independent cinema. Even if he didn't ever do another film after that, he still have a place in cinema history for that film alone. After Mallrats, was always going to have a hard time following it. It didn't help Smith had a hard time with the studios and a large chunk of the film was cut out. But it's good film and well worth checking out again. I agree with Chasing Amy, I just can't warm to it and never quite got the hype with it. But I disagree with you on Dogma, for me it's his second best film and the last film he showed a bit of balls in his writing. Even though I think Jersey Girl knocked him for two, I definitely think the backlash of Dogma was when the rot set in.

Jay and Silent Bob strike back, was definitely a cash in but it has some good moments and it's basically a film for his fans. Jersey Girl isn't that bad of a film, he's made a lot worse films since imo. But as i said take him away from the View Askewniverse and just doesnt have much to say, maybe if he co wrote with someone he could be able to spread his wings a bit but his ego doesn't seem to let him. Clerks 2, even though I like it a lot and I think it's his last good film, just feels like a step back into his comfort zone

After that, I don't anything he's done since and his last film Yoga Hosers is a definite low point.

reply

Too long. Stopped reading.

reply

Need to dumb it down for you. Me don't likely Smith.

reply

No, you need to write more concisely. It was already dumbed down as much as possible. As Mark Twain wrote in a famous Post Script, “I’m sorry this letter is so long. I didn’t have much time.”

reply

Dogma and J&SB SB are great.

reply

Me and K Smith were kindred spirits. Then we all got sucked into a hell dimension. He did the best he could.

He got a lot of shit for not stepping up to the big leagues despite offered opportunities. But I gotta say from somebody who "knows" him. We ain't the stuff. Trust us. We know who we are.

And all you people who think Quintin Tarantinos's new movies are great, they ain't. He ain't the stuff either. We're all clowns.

Waiting for that next Soundgarden single to drop that ain't ever gonna fucking happen.

reply

Smith has always been very hit or miss. He’s incredibly ballsy and isn’t afraid to take chances or risks, which is mostly why I love him as a filmmaker. Most directors will admit they wont make a certain movie because it may potentially ruin their “good movie” streak. Smith hears that idea and goes “fuck yeah, let’s do it!” And does the absolute best he can with it.

Of course, because he takes extreme risks also means not all of his movies are good. Cop Out and Yoga Hosers are absolute trainwrecks, though Cop Out isn’t necessarily his fault since he didn’t write it and couldn’t change the script. But people say Clerks II is great even thougj it’s a bland rehash of his older stuff, but people don’t care because it’s Smith “back to form”. Red State and Zack & Miri are among two of his best films but people don’t like them because it’s not typical Smith (I guess? I honestly dont get what people could hate about these two films). It’s the same way people dislike new Tarantino films because they want to see him go back to making crime thrillers. Who cares! A good movie is a good movie.

reply

KS was always on the fringe I gotta admit I liked Mallrats, Clerks, and especially Chasing Amy but really nothing since. I just don't think he ever grew up and thus his films didn't either. Dude definitely is loquacious that's for sure.

reply