Reviewing the Askewniverse (part 3 of 7)

In the last edition, I mentioned that in 1995 when "Mallrats" was released, View Askew was only *working towards* perfection. In 1997, though some would disagree, I believe that they achieved it with the emotional roller coaster known as "Chasing Amy."


Out of the six movies in the Askewniverse series (this being the one film that doesn't comfortably fit the banner of 'the Jay and Silent Bob movies'), "Amy" is noteworthy for being the only entry that isn't a straight comedy; rather, it starts as a romantic comedy, and takes a complete turn into drama. Like its five counterparts, though, it's not a film for everyone - but this time, its somewhat limited appeal lies in the fact that it's probably the most sexually intense film ever made that does not actually include a sex scene. In typical Smith fashion, the substance is all in the dialogue. While other directors would have shown the graphic events of Alyssa's sexual past (as the Japanese manga adaptation apparently did, to Joey Lauren Adams' disgust), we only hear about them, in frank, realistic language that most wide-release movies would avoid. In fact, one did - "Mallrats," which was released by Universal Pictures, originally included a scene very similar to the moment in which Alyssa and Banky discuss their oral sex misadventures; but Universal insisted that the scene be removed.

At this point, Kevin's writing ability has become almost an artform; conversations are completely natural, arguments are wrenchingly realistic, and tearjerker moments (such as Ben Affleck's famed speech in the car) inflict the exact emotions that they're intended to. The only real fault of the film, though it doesn't actually cause as much harm to the story as people have claimed, lies in its major turning point - a supposed hardcore lesbian shifts her preference after a night of sex with Holden. Unbelievable, yes, but I actually don't find it as incredibly unbelievable as many people claim - despite the controversy, Alyssa does not just magically become straight, as it is made especially clear that she is a bisexual. Well, bisexual and then some - for those seeking to add more unique Smith terms to their daily lexicon, this movie did for the term 'fingercuffs' what "Clerks" did for 'snowball.'

Interestingly, despite the core cast of Affleck, Adams, and Lee appearing together in the core cast of the previous film, they manage to completely trick the viewer into forgetting that Shannon, Gwen and Brodie ever existed. While this is obviously very much in the same world as "Mallrats" (Banky slept with Brandi Svenning, for instance), these three obviously talented actors don't even show a glimpse of their previous personas. Jason Lee in particular should be commended, as it would have been *extremely* easy to get hooked into Brodie and Banky's equal appreciation for comic books and thus play the same character this time around; but other than that, the two have nothing in common in terms of personality. Jason's performance is actually a highlight of the high-drama confrontation between Banky, Alyssa and Holden towards the end - he is meant to be portraying someone who we are led to believe could be struggling with his sexuality (and, indeed, his homosexuality was to be revealed in a scene cut from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"), and his angst is clearly transmitted to the viewer. This scene is in fact one of the reasons I am so willing to call the film an emotional roller coaster, because by this point, we have been grasped by the characters on so many occasions that we can feel what they feel. We can understand Holden's logic in his outlandish idea, yet we can also understand exactly why Alyssa is opposed. That is a level of viewer indulgence that a lot of dramatic films simply do not offer.

All that said, there was only one aspect of the movie that I personally did not care for - Jay and Bob. While their very brief appearance served its purpose (with Kevin stealing the movie via his legendary speech that explained the film's title), it seemed rather awkwardly placed and much too lighthearted after the intense scene at the hockey rink. While it's true that their appearances are characteristically tenuous (I refer you to my review of "Clerks"), this one just seemed totally unnecessary, and left me wondering why the 'chasing Amy' speech couldn't have been reassigned to, for instance, Banky.

To wrap up, there is no doubt in my mind that "Chasing Amy" deserves the accolades it has received. It is Kevin Smith at his most mature, offering a funny, heartfelt, emotional, and brutally honest love story that fearlessly breaks the chains of cliched Hollywood romance in favor of a gripping story that is not afraid to crush the viewer's heart or deliver them a slap in the face. This is also a unique movie to be cherished, because none of Kevin's later films to date have ever dared blend comedy with such high drama. I can only hope that we will be given the opportunity to see this side of his abilities again.

Reviewing the Askewniverse (part 2 of 7)

Directly after "Clerks," I decided to move right into its higher budget followup, "Mallrats." This time around, we're in color and on location; but those aren't the only reasons why "Mallrats" was a landmark movie for Kevin Smith. This movie also introduced cornerstone members of what would become the recurring View Askew family - Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee; and on top of that, those two wall-leaning slackers from "Clerks" were now refined into their more familiar personalities.

At the time of its original release, "Mallrats" was a theatrical failure, bringing in very little money during its very brief silver screen life. However, as Kevin started to develop his notorious cult following (the same cult following that currently hounds their hero's online forum on a minute-by-minute basis), the film was given a second chance. Nowadays, people who see "Mallrats" seem strongly divided between loving it and hating it, because it certainly isn't a movie for everyone; it's a comedy that mainly offers exactly what the title promises - a couple twenty-somethings who wander aimlessly through a mall and talk at length about trivial topics such as whether or not Mrs. Fields is considered part of the food court. Personally. I sympathize with the "loving it" group, because circa May of 2008, seeing "Mallrats" on the bus coming home from a school field trip singlehandedly spawned my huge fascination with Kevin's work that obviously continues to this day.

While the movie seems slightly dated by today's standards (it's increasingly difficult to sympathize with a character who gave up his relationship in favor of Sega Genesis), it still manages to seem fresh and identifiable. I'm sure someone watching still knows how it feels to have a friend obsessed with Spiderman, or an ex-girlfriend they just can't let go, or a girlfriend's parent that absolutely despises their existence. Besides that, it's still extremely quotable - hell, you can get Jason Lee's quote about the kid on the escalator on a bumper sticker now. More than anything though, the jokes are still funny, and on the whole, the movie still manages to be entertaining throughout. Well, if not just a tad gratuitous... but on the other hand, throwing in something like a topless fortune teller fits right into the cinema sensibility of the Nineties, doesn't it? :-)

But the fact that it *is* entertaining enough to maintain a loyal fan base all these years later gives it enough worth to sit at a proverbial table alongside Kevin's more successful films. Sure, it's not a perfect movie, but it greatly defined the style that Kevin prefers. A viewing of one of the "Evening With Kevin Smith" films will reveal that this is the style he feels he excels at - a movie where people hang around and talk. Some people might shy away from a movie described as being like that, because it could turn out to be boring; but those that are willing to give his movies a chance usually aren't disappointed. His characters, in this case T.S. and Brodie, are interesting people that we enjoy seeing, because for some of us, they are just like real people. We actually *have* conversations about trivial bullshit like the cookie store at the mall, so we know exactly how they feel. This sense of realism is, I believe, why Kevin excels so often. He injects his movies with just the right amount of realism; some directors, like Judd Apatow, don't have a handle on this, and their productions (like Judd's "Freaks and Geeks" series for example) become SO realistic that they're uncomfortable to watch. Kevin wisely avoids this issue.

Of course though, it's silly to look too deeply into a light comedy, so I should bring this to a close; but before I do, I want to mention Michael Rooker's performance as Brandi's dad - because he's meant to be a miserable son of a bitch, and he PERFECTLY captures what it takes to come off as a miserable son of a bitch. It's just a shame that this character never made a reappearance. (Unless, of course, you count his two second long, silhouetted cameo in "Chasing Amy.")

So all in all, "Mallrats" is rough around the edges, but it's a funny movie that deserves at least one viewing by someone interested in Kevin's work, or at the least, someone who likes Jay and Bob. The Askewniverse series had yet to peak, and although "Mallrats" has its flaws, this is a significant enough step on the way to perfection.

Reviewing the Askewniverse (part 1 of 7)

Today, whilst trying to stay awake as I piece together my 3D Design project, I decided to revisit a couple old friends - Jay and Silent Bob.

While I originally intended to pass a couple hours with a repeat viewing of "Clerks," I thought it would be better to make my way through the whole series once more, and write a review after each stop. This'll be a seven part series... one for each movie, and then a final one (or two, if I decide I can't pile in everything at once) covering the odds and ends such as the cartoon series and the shorts. But, I have a lot of ground to cover, so let's get this underway...


First off, "Clerks" - Kevin Smith's first feature film, from 1994. Though not my favorite of the View Askewniverse series, this film should be a big inspiration for anyone (like myself) working on a low budget independent movie. Although it managed to look surprisingly professional in the end, "Clerks" was strictly a product of the environment it depicts. Kevin Smith actually did work at the Quick Stop, and decided to base his first full-length project around the occupation he knew best. The production was paid for out of his own pocket, which meant he had to go for a cheaper, black and white film stock. This amateur look certainly doesn't do anything to downgrade the visual appearance of the movie; in fact, it fits the setting perfectly. Imagine "Clerks" as a sleek, shiny, full color Hollywood movie (and I don't mean "Clerks 2", that was a whole different entity altogether), and it just doesn't realistically put across the appearance of a small, dingy convenience store. This movie is what nature intended it to be - dark, black and white, and grainy.

As for the acting, the faults of the cast are understandable given the miniscule scale of the production; but at some points, these faults actually become a little distracting. I almost hate to say this, because he was completely inexperienced and basically playing a scripted version of himself, but the weakest link seems to be Jason Mewes - his crucial speech at the end of the movie is marred by a slip-up and a character break. But thankfully, this movie proved to be Jason's only weak performance in a Smith film, as his ability improved quite a bit by "Mallrats." Jay aside, I find Marilyn Ghigliotti (Veronica) rather stilted, with numerous awkward pauses throughout her first scenes. Unfortunately, I haven't seen her in anything else, so I can't comment on whether or not she improved. The acting isn't all bad, however; Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran fall instantly into the characters of Randal and Dante, and have no trouble carrying the movie on their shoulders.

Incidentally, the fact that this was the first appearance of Jay and Silent Bob is interesting, because unlike later movies (such as the aforementioned "Mallrats", where they began their mainstay as Kevin's most important recurring faces), they have almost no purpose whatsoever until the very end. Here, they mainly serve as a reason to cut away from the monotony of the Quick Stop interior; and aren't yet the Jay and Bob we would later grow to love. At this stage, Jay isn't particularly likeable, being overly crass and sarcastic; and Silent Bob is just... there. From what I understand, the changes in their personalities (particularly on Jason's part) in "Mallrats" were due to the fact that the company did not want such unpleasant, drug peddling characters in a big budget movie; and though this was their idea and not necessarily Kevin's, I think it was for the better. I doubt the rougher-edges versions seen in "Clerks" would have become the legendary characters that the revised versions became.

Overall, I think "Clerks" was a great start for Kevin, and a groundbreaking independent movie - every indie filmmaker dreams of making a smash hit and spawning a highly popular series, but Kevin was one of the few to actually accomplish that. Personally, it's not my favorite of his films, as I find it a little dull and slow-moving, but it still holds up as an interesting and very intelligently written movie fourteen years later.