So, this movie, or whatever you call it, was on Starz last night and I caught the last hour or so at about 3AM. (The thing runs close to 4 hours long). I was so captivated listening to this guy tell stories, banter with the audence, and just basically be hilarious I was forced to stay up until after sunrise watching the replay of it on Starz West to catch the middle 2 hours or so. (Missed like the first 45 minutes since it’s so long they replay overlapped the first showing)
The movie appears to be about 3 years old and I’m guessing that many of you saw it and commented on it when it first came out. Even though I’m a Kevin Smith fan, though certainly not rabid, this went by without notice by me.
The stories he told about the filming with Prince and his encounter over the Superman script were two highlights that had me in stitches. I’m pretty sure it was funny, and not just me being punchy after watching around 3 hours of him between 4 and 7 AM.
All in all this was too original to not come here and share and get opinions on from you guys. What’d everyone think. Was anyone else up into the wee hours watching with me?
Anyone know what the whole point of the college speaking tour was? It’s not like he was really giving advice or doing a routine, it was just him and a mike taking questions. I always knew that he was a dialogue wiz from watching his movies, but damn he can think on his feet and could probably have made a career as a stand up comic. Just brilliant stuff.
If you’re a Kevin Smith fan, I urge you to hop over to his blog. Even if you’re not. I’ve never seen anyone talk frankly about his bodily functions, his birthday BJ, hiring lesbian strippers with his wife and playing online poker. (Hmmm, except maybe Howard Stern).
As for what Kevin was doing, he was making money doing the college lecture circuit. After reading his diary, I believe that he’s a very hyper individual. He HAS to be doing something, all the time, and the tour made him money, got him out before an audience, and burned off the energy.
That’s interesting. Didn’t feel like it was a “for profit” engagement. I’m sure he’s getting paid, but the Q&A style seemed to be more or less intended to at least be loosely educational. It seemed to be in lecture halls and never arenas, but I guess that’s probably more or less logistical.
Anyone surprised that other directors decided to back off the concept after seeing Smith have at it? No one could hope to follow that up from a comedy/entertainment standpoint and most take themselves far too seriously to be lumped in the same group. Had the first one been Ron Howard or something, others probably would have jumped on board the series.
Really hope to see the sequel sometime sooner than later. It doesn’t look like this one is rescheduled to be shown on Starz this month, might have to rent or buyit to see those first 45 minutes.
I’d be interested in seeing this sometime. I saw Kevin Smith speak at my college in January 1999 and it was great (it was so long ago that he showed us the as-yet-unseen trailers for “Dogma”). He did a lot of what I gather to be his standard material (i.e. the Superman script) and also did a lot of Q&A with the audience that was a lot of fun, as well.
From what I have heard of Smith, the college circuit would be right up his alley.
I friend of mine workedc in a comic shop in NYC a few years back and said Smith came in once and just stoot around, perusing books but watching everyone around him to see who would recognize him.
He’s an egocentric gloryhound in real life and college folk would certainly fall within his largest fan base.
Like interface2x said, he’s been doing this forever, and telling a lot of the same stories. They’re good stories though, so no harm. I saw him speak when I was in college at Rutgers way back in 1997. It was an awesome time, and free.
[brags]The hubby and I attended one of the lectures.[/brags]
IIRC, the tickets were either free, or a very nominal charge.
This leads to the sordid story of How We Accidentally Jumped the Line for Kevin Smith Tickets. Okay, it’s not that exciting. We got to the building where the ticket offices was located about an hour early. The parking was in back, so we walked into the back door instead of the front door, located the ticket office, and observed that it was locked and dark, no signs of life inside, and there was no line. So we wandered off to a cafe in the same building and got some coffee and kept checking back. About ten minutes before the tickets were officially to be offered, there was a line of about five people. So we got in line. The ticket office opened, we went in, and we got our tickets. Then the ticket guy shouted back, “Okay, let in the next batch.” And a guy standing by the front door opened it, revealing a line that stretched allll the way down the block.
Uh . . . oops?
Of course we slinked back out the back door!
What I can’t figure out is why nobody said anything! We didn’t sneak in or anything, just waltzed up and went to the back of the “line.” If you’d waited in line for hours (or possibly overnight!) and were finally admitted to the building, and some idiot you never saw before moseyed up and got in line behind you, slurping at a frappuchino, wouldn’t you say, “Hey, retard, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” And what about the guy at the door?
It all makes so little sense that I refuse to feel guilty about it. So there.
Anyway, it was a fantastic evening, and I laughed 'till it hurt. Then we got the DVD and watched it at home and laughed until it hurt again.