Across The View Askewniverse: Jay And Silent Bob Reboot (2019) Review
There’s little point in denying that “Jay And Silent Bob Reboot” is Smith’s most self-referential work to date. If “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back” was Smith’s first greatest hits album, this is the remastered re-release with all the old hits and a few tracks from the more recent releases, wrapped up in deliberately nostalgic…
Across The View Askewniverse: Yoga Hosers (2016) Review
The general consensus appears to be that “Yoga Hosers” is the point at which Kevin Smith irrevocably jumped his own proverbial shark but, for me, it’s the point at which he fully actualised as an artist, having no fucks left to give in pursuit of bringing his unique vision to the screen. Now, if that…
Across The View Askewniverse: Tusk (2014) Review
Having entered a new phase of defiantly independent filmmaking, Smith followed up “Red State” with a bolder step into horror with an off-the-wall body horror that feels as much Cronenberg – and even Lars Von Trier – as it does Kevin Smith and while it pushes further into pure horror than his previous film, it’s…
Across The View Askewniverse: Jay And Silent Bob’s Groovy Cartoon Movie (2014) Review
Something of a sidestep in our journey ‘Across The View Askewniverse’, it’s still a worthwhile stop en route as, although it’s not directed by Smith himself, he did write it (based on his ‘Bluntman & Chronic’ comic book spin-off from “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back”) and he stars in it as the ‘voice’ of…
Across The View Askewniverse: Red State (2011) Review
A year after “Cop Out”, Smith returned to the big screen with a deliberately pared-down, low budget production, something very new for him and potentially very jarring for his fans – a deliberately nasty and bleak horror movie as Smith turns his thoughts to those whose faith takes their beliefs to dangerous extremes. Amusingly, it…
Across The View Askewniverse: Cop Out (2010) Review
In retrospect, “Cop Out” can be seen as a pivotal and hugely influential film in Smith’s directing career. Easily his unhappiest production, and most underwhelming end product, the fact that it remains his highest-grossing movie to date provoked a significant change in Smith as a filmmaker – a change for the better. But before we…
Across The View Askewniverse: Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008) Review
Having returned to his ‘homeworld’ of the New Jersey Quick Stop to refresh himself, Smith set course once more for mainstream success – a success that once again would elude him for deeply unfair reasons. The deliberately provocative title and raunchy subject matter ended up overshadowing a movie which delivers not only a sweet romantic…
Across The View Askewniverse: Clerks II (2006) Review
Paraphrasing French poet Paul Valéry, George Lucas once said ‘films are never completed, they are only abandoned’ (which he said before going back and making said films wish they had been abandoned) but the same must hold true for film universes because, five years after “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back” figuratively and literally closed…
Across The View Askewniverse: Jersey Girl (2004) Review
With the View Askewniverse closed off, Kevin Smith turned a fresh page and moved back towards the more conventional storytelling of “Chasing Amy” and if “Die Hard” qualifies as a Christmas movie then so does “Jersey Girl”. Yes – it’s a Christmas movie! Starring Ben Affleck! Now, Affleck and Christmas Movies haven’t historically been the…
Across The View Askewniverse: Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) Review
There’s a lot to love about zany caper movie “Jay And Silent Bob Stike Back” and not just because it pays off a joke from the very last scene of “Mallrats”. Something of a cinematic ‘greatest hits’ album, it sees Smith at his most Puckish and playful, revisiting and lampooning not just his own back…
Across The View Askewniverse: Dogma (1999) Review
His confidence and box office credibility restored, 1999 saw Smith take his most ambitious and provocative step ever with a free-wheelingly blasphemous road trip which dives deep into Catholic lore and expands the View Askewniverse to a positively cosmic scale. “Dogma” is a high concept ecumenical caper which simultaneously satirises and reaffirms faith. In amongst…
Across The View Askewniverse: Chasing Amy (1997) Review
Perhaps stung by the initial reaction to “Mallrats”, “Chasing Amy” sees Smith hew much closer to the down-to-earth authenticity of “Clerks”, this time wrapping his profane pop-culture infused dialogue around a romantic comedy with a twist, the twist being a more expansive view of sexuality than was around in mainstream cinema at the time, and…
Across The View Askewniverse: Mallrats (1995) Review
“Mallrats” has a reputation as one of those ‘difficult’ second movies and is regarded as something of a disappointment after the blistering debut of “Clerks”. Not by me, though. It’s one of my favourite View Askew offerings and holds a special place in my heart because it was through “Mallrats” that I was first introduced…
Across The View Askewniverse: Clerks (1994) Review
“Clerks” wasn’t my own entry point into the View Askewniverse, way back when. I’ll get to that later in the series, but I came to it later – and it was even later that I came to understand how incredible the film’s creation was. The story of “Clerks” is a story of passion, determination, risk…
