An Evening with Kevin Smith

An Evening with Kevin Smith gives fans of the filmmaker precisely what they want and makes no apologies for it. Here we have not much more than the youthful and enjoyably profane writer/ director captured during a college tour. At each stop along the way, Smith just bounds up on stage, talks a little bit, and then fields questions from the students on a variety of subjects... only some of which are movie-related.

This two-disc DVD compendium runs well over three hours and features back-and-forth between Smith and students from Kent State, Clark University, Cornell, Indiana and the University of Wyoming. Obviously, the best stuff was culled from each visit and edited for inclusion in the main program, although several deleted sequences can be found in the DVD special features area.

What makes Kevin Smith’s ravings more fascinating than those of a Martin Scorsese or a Tom Shadyac? (Trying to hit both ends of the spectrum there, folks.) Say what you will about Kevin Smith and his movies, but nobody could accurately label the guy as evasive or anything less than stunningly honest. One extended rant touches upon Smith’s one-time participation in a new Superman movie for Warner Brothers. Movie nuts will have an absolute ball listening to Smith explain the depths of producer Jon Peters’ lunacy while they silently applaud Smith’s alarming candour.

Perhaps much of the audience is a bit too enamoured with the eponymous “Jay and Silent Bob” characters or overly reliant on offering some ‘shock humour’ in an effort to faze the well-admired filmmaker, but that’s okay. We are talking about a bunch of enthusiastic college kids who get to talk movies with one of their idols, so a little lunacy seems more than appropriate.

Many of the questions offered to Smith are half-hearted and a bit flimsy, yet nearly every retort by the admirably self-deprecating filmmaker smacks of honesty and bemusement. Smith comes across a lot like what you or I would be like if we were suddenly transformed into an Indie Movie God. He mocks himself and his friends (particularly Ben Affleck) mercilessly, he lovingly berates his fans, and he tells nasty stories about his adorable wife.

Heck, we could knock down the podium and bring in a barbecue and Smith would just keep on pouring out the fascinating stories. Just don’t let the little kiddies listen in, because Smith is as enjoyably vulgar as he is verbose.

If it’s Kevin Smith’s uncanny knack for witty wordplay and memorable dialogue that made you a fan, odds are you’ll find a whole lot to enjoy in this unique film. Even casual fans may find themselves converted after listening to the filmmaker’s extensive candid anecdotes. And to see him react to the intensity of his adoring fans is just priceless. This guy still can’t believe he’s famous, which is one of the main reasons we love the big lug so much.