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Last week I ordered two US DVDs, Requiem for a Dream and Clerks. They both arrived this morning. Requiem was recommended by people in this forum and I enjoyed Darren Aranofsky's last movie Pi so I thought it was worth getting.
The other DVD, Clerks, was written and directed by Kevin Smith and again came highly reccommended. However, I watched the film this morning and I have to say it was a big disappointment.
I recently saw Mallrats which I thought was really excellent, so I had a look at reviews of some of Kevin Smith's other films. The general opinion seems to be that Mallrats is Smith's worst film and Clerks is his best. So I went and ordered the special edition DVD of Clerks.
Smith's directing style is pretty much just point and shoot. He often uses single shots that last for two or three minutes without moving or even cutting away. This slowed down the film and certainly made me feel less involved with the characters.
Clerks was made on a budget of $27,000 and really shows it. One of my favourite films is Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi which was made for just $7,000 but due to Rodriguez's directing ability it never looks it. But Clerks looks very, very cheap -from the wobling camera work to the grainy black and white 16mm print.
The acting is also pretty shoddy in places. Due to the extremely lengthy shots the non-actors are expected to memorise vast amounts of dialogue which they just can't pull off. If Smith had cut away more often then the actors would have coped better.
Clerks contains some fantastic jokes (I would probably be banned if I repeated them here) but the plot is almost non-existant. I like films that are focused and plot based but Clerks was little more than a collection of loosly related sketches that vary from the occassionaly hilarious to the usually terrible.
As well as rave reviews for the film I also read that the DVD presentation was excellent but again, I disagree. The picture is grainy and muddy and the sound is nothing special. The deleted scenes were just extended versions of already boring ones, the alternate ending was OK but added little and the commentary, which everyone said was great, was dull. I expected Kevin Smith to discuss how he made such a low budget film but instead he babbled on about continuity errors and which of the actors are his friends.
All in all I thought this was the second worst DVD I have purchased so far (the worst being Final Destination). I just hope that Requiem for a Dream is better!
Has anyone here seen any of Kevin Smith's more recent films? Are they worth seeing? Chasing Amy sounds like a good film, is it worth getting? Maybe I'm just missing something with Clerks but I really can't see how it got such good reviews.
The other DVD, Clerks, was written and directed by Kevin Smith and again came highly reccommended. However, I watched the film this morning and I have to say it was a big disappointment.
I recently saw Mallrats which I thought was really excellent, so I had a look at reviews of some of Kevin Smith's other films. The general opinion seems to be that Mallrats is Smith's worst film and Clerks is his best. So I went and ordered the special edition DVD of Clerks.
Smith's directing style is pretty much just point and shoot. He often uses single shots that last for two or three minutes without moving or even cutting away. This slowed down the film and certainly made me feel less involved with the characters.
Clerks was made on a budget of $27,000 and really shows it. One of my favourite films is Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi which was made for just $7,000 but due to Rodriguez's directing ability it never looks it. But Clerks looks very, very cheap -from the wobling camera work to the grainy black and white 16mm print.
The acting is also pretty shoddy in places. Due to the extremely lengthy shots the non-actors are expected to memorise vast amounts of dialogue which they just can't pull off. If Smith had cut away more often then the actors would have coped better.
Clerks contains some fantastic jokes (I would probably be banned if I repeated them here) but the plot is almost non-existant. I like films that are focused and plot based but Clerks was little more than a collection of loosly related sketches that vary from the occassionaly hilarious to the usually terrible.
As well as rave reviews for the film I also read that the DVD presentation was excellent but again, I disagree. The picture is grainy and muddy and the sound is nothing special. The deleted scenes were just extended versions of already boring ones, the alternate ending was OK but added little and the commentary, which everyone said was great, was dull. I expected Kevin Smith to discuss how he made such a low budget film but instead he babbled on about continuity errors and which of the actors are his friends.
All in all I thought this was the second worst DVD I have purchased so far (the worst being Final Destination). I just hope that Requiem for a Dream is better!
Has anyone here seen any of Kevin Smith's more recent films? Are they worth seeing? Chasing Amy sounds like a good film, is it worth getting? Maybe I'm just missing something with Clerks but I really can't see how it got such good reviews.
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Yeah.
It's at "some point this month" although they havent said anything yet.
Shame really.
"Clarky-Cat? I want to get totally bluto"
It's at "some point this month" although they havent said anything yet.
Shame really.
"Clarky-Cat? I want to get totally bluto"
I just got the trailer off their site. Wow. The entire View Askew universe in one movie!
If it's half as silly as Mallrats (and it looks twice as silly as Mallrats) I'll love it.
P.S. Has anyone seen any funny taglines recently? Someone come up with a good Kevin Smith or Chris Morris tagline and see your name up in lights (well nearly...)
P.P.S. Talking of Chris Morris, does anyone know what's going on with the new Brass Eye Special - I've tuned in to watch it twice now and the schedule has changed twice. Are the Channel 4 lawyers getting nervous?
If it's half as silly as Mallrats (and it looks twice as silly as Mallrats) I'll love it.
P.S. Has anyone seen any funny taglines recently? Someone come up with a good Kevin Smith or Chris Morris tagline and see your name up in lights (well nearly...)
P.P.S. Talking of Chris Morris, does anyone know what's going on with the new Brass Eye Special - I've tuned in to watch it twice now and the schedule has changed twice. Are the Channel 4 lawyers getting nervous?
I haven't heard the DVD commentary, yet to arrive from the website, but in an email, Smith explained that it was a John Huges "Act without consequence" thing.
So we're both right
So we're both right
I've just noticed your other post aboput Mallrats and the outside the mall stuff etc.
Watch the DVD - running gag on the "Smart Porkys" comments and the studio's undying desire to get some flesh in the film i.e. the pointless Joey Lauren Addams getting changed in the buff (well, waist up) shot.
Watch the DVD - running gag on the "Smart Porkys" comments and the studio's undying desire to get some flesh in the film i.e. the pointless Joey Lauren Addams getting changed in the buff (well, waist up) shot.
Your posts just sounded a lot like someone that got banned for being a totally offensive person.
If you're not, then I apologise, but it's still a tad harsh to refer to people as "vapid masses".
Just because you think you're better, dont make it so.
However, I'm not one to flame people, so this ends here with me.
If you're not, then I apologise, but it's still a tad harsh to refer to people as "vapid masses".
Just because you think you're better, dont make it so.
However, I'm not one to flame people, so this ends here with me.
Uh-huh.
Pet hate - still am part of a formally rather large forum (Future Gamer Clan - Daily Radar Clan - Video Gamers Journal... ermmmm... people) and I hate how other regualrs act like idiots around new people, and even worse how they just accept it.
And the Hitler thing was a joke - but glad you've dropped the veil of insanity. Thanks... I guess.
And the Hitler thing was a joke - but glad you've dropped the veil of insanity. Thanks... I guess.
asrogktjusaetg wrote:
Oh, and Goatboy - want to get down off your little high
> horse? Think I might have to start accusing you to be Hitler or
> something - same IPs you see.
Dude, you came back over things posted at 1am this morning?
Let it go, and start with the Hitler crap and see how fast you get removed from here.
Oh, and Goatboy - want to get down off your little high
> horse? Think I might have to start accusing you to be Hitler or
> something - same IPs you see.
Dude, you came back over things posted at 1am this morning?
Let it go, and start with the Hitler crap and see how fast you get removed from here.
I agree with you on Mallrats though I think Jason Lee's responsibility for its success should be noted. Just as Jay is an impossible to hate B-character, Lee is a magnatic lead (something despretly needed when the awful Jeremy London is his "sidekick"). Simply unbelievable that Mallrats was Lee's first role.
With regards to Rock - I quite liked him in Dogma. I think it was probably a very hard role for him as Kevin Smith has a pretty much zero tollerance level on improv - something Rock would naturally lean into to. He also has a couple of very hard speachs - watch the extended fire side sequence on the DVD for a ludicrously long monologue coped with admaribly.
Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back looks great - have you seen the trailer? Get over to www.viewaskew.com if not - it is defenitly worth the download. It's out in the States in mid-August, goodness knows when it is getting over here. The only European dates mentioned so far are Spain and that's not until October. Here's hoping we don't have to wait that long.
Oh, and Goatboy - want to get down off your little high horse? Think I might have to start accusing you to be Hitler or something - same IPs you see.
With regards to Rock - I quite liked him in Dogma. I think it was probably a very hard role for him as Kevin Smith has a pretty much zero tollerance level on improv - something Rock would naturally lean into to. He also has a couple of very hard speachs - watch the extended fire side sequence on the DVD for a ludicrously long monologue coped with admaribly.
Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back looks great - have you seen the trailer? Get over to www.viewaskew.com if not - it is defenitly worth the download. It's out in the States in mid-August, goodness knows when it is getting over here. The only European dates mentioned so far are Spain and that's not until October. Here's hoping we don't have to wait that long.
Oh, and Goatboy - want to get down off your little high horse? Think I might have to start accusing you to be Hitler or something - same IPs you see.
Although Kevin Smith is one of my favoutite film-makers he does suck as a director. Dogma particularly was a shambles which needed a more skilled director to give it a bit more direction. I sometimes get the feeling Smith should stick to what he does best, scriptwriting.
At other times I watch Mallrats again and realise that it's haphazard nature is part of its charm. I think in many ways Mallrats is Smaith's worst film but, conversely, it is the film I've watched more often than the others. It makes perfect comfort viewing if you're feeling down.
In my opinion:
Clerks is still his best movie simply, as the first Smith film I saw, it seems appeared as breath of fresh air with great characters and unsurpassed jokes.
Mallrats is silly, messy and fantastically enjoyable.
Chasing Amy is his most polished movie, very Hollywood style romance format (although the dialogue puts it on another, more obscene, level) and some great moments. My only doubt about this film is its slightly dubious 'all lesbians need is a good...' approach to sexuality. But that one is open to debate.
Dogma has some great ideas but there it needed a lot of polishing and it sometimes veers into the ridiculous. And I really don't find Chris Rock funny. As a sideswipe at dogmatic, organised religion it doesn't come close to The Life Of Brian. (P.S. the word Dogma (from the greek) originally meant an internal, personal understanding and contact with the divine which went beyond simple ritual - ironic huh?)
I am looking forward to the next film quite a lot. I've got the talking Jay and Bob dolls on my desk at work and the idea of a film devoted to these greatest of bit part players fills me with joy. Anyone know when its out?
At other times I watch Mallrats again and realise that it's haphazard nature is part of its charm. I think in many ways Mallrats is Smaith's worst film but, conversely, it is the film I've watched more often than the others. It makes perfect comfort viewing if you're feeling down.
In my opinion:
Clerks is still his best movie simply, as the first Smith film I saw, it seems appeared as breath of fresh air with great characters and unsurpassed jokes.
Mallrats is silly, messy and fantastically enjoyable.
Chasing Amy is his most polished movie, very Hollywood style romance format (although the dialogue puts it on another, more obscene, level) and some great moments. My only doubt about this film is its slightly dubious 'all lesbians need is a good...' approach to sexuality. But that one is open to debate.
Dogma has some great ideas but there it needed a lot of polishing and it sometimes veers into the ridiculous. And I really don't find Chris Rock funny. As a sideswipe at dogmatic, organised religion it doesn't come close to The Life Of Brian. (P.S. the word Dogma (from the greek) originally meant an internal, personal understanding and contact with the divine which went beyond simple ritual - ironic huh?)
I am looking forward to the next film quite a lot. I've got the talking Jay and Bob dolls on my desk at work and the idea of a film devoted to these greatest of bit part players fills me with joy. Anyone know when its out?
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