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Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
7 best Kevin Smith movies, ranked
When I first saw Kevin Smith's 'Clerks' as an impressionable teenager, I was blown away. His smart-stupid sense of humor, laced with references to all the geeky pop culture I loved, made me feel like I was hearing from a particularly witty, unfiltered friend. While my movie taste expanded as I got older, Smith's sensibility has largely remained the same, and his subsequent filmography is full of insular efforts to recapture past glory. There are many worthwhile gems in there, too, and Smith has built up a substantial fan base catering to the same viewers who never stopped loving 'Clerks.' That fervent following will be eager to see the new restoration of Smith's 1999 religious comedy 'Dogma,' which hits theaters on June 5 after decades of disputes over distribution rights. Here are my picks for the seven best Kevin Smith movies, ranked. In some ways, Smith's second movie is a watered-down, bigger-budget rehash of his indie debut 'Clerks.' "Mallrats" has its own charms, though, including a top-notch alt-rock soundtrack that makes it a perfect 1990s time capsule. Jeremy London and Jason Lee star as a pair of slacker best friends who spend their day wandering around a New Jersey shopping mall, scheming to get back together with their respective girlfriends, played by Claire Forlani and Shannen Doherty. Smith uses his expanded resources to score an extended cameo from Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee and stage some goofy set pieces related to a TV game show, and the movie has a good-natured, laid-back tone. The jokes (especially from Smith's signature Jay and Silent Bob characters) are hit and miss, but the characters are endearing, and the mall setting now has a warm, nostalgic feel. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Watch on Prime Video Smith's religious epic has grown in reputation, in part thanks to its unavailability for nearly 25 years, and seeing the restored version is a reminder that it's more ambitious than brilliant. There's plenty of ambition, though, along with plenty of Smith's trademark vulgar humor (including a monster literally made out of excrement). Linda Fiorentino brings a grounded, edgy quality to her role as unwitting savior Bethany Sloane, an abortion clinic worker who is recruited to stop a pair of rogue angels (played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) from exploiting a loophole in Catholic dogma and thus inadvertently ending all of existence. The controversy surrounding the movie's release seems quaint now, and its theological debates are relatively tame, although Smith delivers the material with the conviction of a lifelong religious seeker. It's the same conviction he applies to the dick jokes, of course. Smith's first foray into horror looks even better now in light of his later slapdash efforts in the genre. There's almost no juvenile humor in this tense thriller about a standoff at a religious compound, with outstanding performances from John Goodman as a morally compromised ATF agent and Michael Parks as a creepy cult leader. The story begins with a trio of naïve teens getting lured into the fortress-like Five Points Trinity Church, where they're set to be tortured and killed as examples of worldly sin. Smith shifts gears multiple times, leading up to a lengthy siege between Five Points and the ATF, once a local cop starts asking too many questions. As in 'Dogma,' Smith explores some major religious ideas within the framework of a heightened narrative, leaving both Goodman's frazzled agent and the audience with as many questions as answers. Watch on Prime Video After a series of self-indulgent disappointments, Smith's most recent film is his best in years, a sweet coming-of-age story inspired by his own teenage experiences movie-hopping at a local theater. Shot mostly at the New Jersey theater that Smith himself co-owns, 'The 4:30 Movie' is set on a single day in May 1986, when high schooler Brian David (Austin Zajur) finally asks his crush Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong) out on a date. Their plan to see a movie at 4:30 is derailed by various misadventures as Brian and his two best friends spend hours sneaking from one movie into another, while attempting to avoid the tyrannical theater manager (Ken Jeong). The young actors — including Reed Northrup and Nicholas Cirillo as Brian's friends — have relaxed, winning chemistry, the romance is cute without becoming cloying, and the cameos from Smith's famous friends are smoothly integrated. Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon Smith's big swing to become a mainstream comedy kingpin like Judd Apatow was a box-office failure, but it's probably his most accessible, crowd-pleasing film, even if it does feature a porn star defecating on someone's face. Seth Rogen turns out to be perfect for a Smith film, and he and Elizabeth Banks make for an appealing couple as the best friends who need to have sex on camera in order to realize that they're in love with each other. Smith earns every beat of the predictable rom-com plot, so that it means something when the characters finally get together. Smith also offers a twisted tribute to indie filmmaking, via the inept but heartfelt amateur adult film that Zack and Miri create. No one would actually want to watch their movie, but more people should check out Smith's underrated one. Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon Pretty much all Smith movies (even the weirdest ones) are personal movies, but 'Chasing Amy' feels like Smith's most emotionally raw act of self-expression. Many aspects of its depiction of queer culture haven't aged well, but it was also ahead of its time in its honesty about sexual fluidity. Ben Affleck gives the best of his many Smith performances as comic-book creator Holden McNeil, who falls desperately in love with fellow artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). The only problem is that Alyssa is gay, although that proves to be less of an obstacle to their romance than it first appears. While the story could be regarded as a male wish-fulfillment fantasy, Smith doesn't take the easy way out, making Alyssa into a complex character and challenging Holden's often sexist assumptions, along with the homophobia of his best friend, Banky (Jason Lee). Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon Smith's first movie is still his best, capturing a kind of unvarnished enthusiasm that he's never quite been able to replicate. Produced on a tiny budget, shot in the convenience store where Smith actually worked, and cast mostly with his friends, 'Clerks' is a clever and engaging tribute to working a dead-end job and trying to find meaning in a seemingly empty existence. Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are unpolished and sometimes awkward as the title characters, but that makes their interactions feel more authentic, as they deal with a parade of awful customers over the course of a single workday. Although it's more of a collection of subplots than a cohesive story, 'Clerks' never feels aimless or unfocused, always coming back to the theme of taking back a small bit of control over everyday life. It's a landmark of the 1990s indie cinema boom, and a genuine classic. Watch on Paramount Plus
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kevin Smith wants to bring 'Mallrats' back to Eden Prairie for its 30th anniversary
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Director Kevin Smith was in town last week, celebrating the long-awaited re-release of his 1999 comedy Dogma. The film has been notoriously hard to find due to conflicts with the Weinstein Company, which held the rights and prevented it from arriving on streaming services or in a home video rerelease. However, when Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape, he sold the rights to another company, from which Smith regained the rights. Smith appeared at AMC Southdale for a pair of screenings of the film on Thursday. During a post-movie Q&A, he was asked why the screening didn't take place at the AMC theater in Eden Prairie, where he shot Mallrats in the mid-'90s, per FOX 9. 'Mallrats'Gramercy Pictures/View Askew Pictures Smith cited the larger capacity of Southdale but said he had a similar thought and is considering bringing Mallrats back to Eden Prairie Center for a 30th anniversary screening this year, FOX 9 reports. Mallrats took place almost entirely inside the Eden Prairie mall, following T.S. Quint (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee) as they slack around the mall after they were both dumped by their girlfriends. It also featured Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Ben Affleck, Ethan Suplee, and a cameo from Stan Lee. It was also the second film to feature Smith and Jason Mewes as their recurring characters, Jay and Silent Bob. Kevin SmithGage Skidmore/Flickr While the idea of bringing Mallrats home is just an idea for the moment, the Clerks director is still out on his Dogma tour, which started on Easter Sunday. For anyone who missed the Thursday screenings, Dogma will be resurrected later this year when it gets a wide theatrical re-release, which begins on June 6. Smith will be back in Minnesota with Mewes on June 19 for their "Jay & Silent Bob's Aural Sects Tour," which will make a stop at The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Related: Jay & Silent Bob's road trip will bring them to St. Paul
Buzz Feed
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
"Young People Today Would Find This Deeply Problematic": 19 Things Kids Used To Do That You'd Never Do Now
Recently, redditor @clumsypandaaaa asked, "What's something people did for fun that would totally confuse younger generations today?" The responses are a fascinating look at how technology, health and safety rules, and culture have altered how kids spend their free time. Here are 19 responses that stood out: 1. "My friend's dad used to take them to the airport to give their mother a break once a month. They'd go into departures and look at planes taking off and landing. This was way before security went super tight and flying was a luxury most people couldn't afford." 3. "Lay outside with lemon juice in my hair, Tropicana oil smeared all over my body, and a book. My neighbor also surrounded herself with a foil reflector." 5. "You had to organize a trip to a certain location with a group of friends. Like driving to a concert with five friends, let's say. None of you has a cellphone. Somehow, it all comes together, and everybody shows up at the right time at the right place. It often involved sitting around waiting for a phone call or someone to just show up. I think many young people today would find this deeply problematic." 6. "Prank calling people. I don't imagine too many kids wanting to pick up the phone to call a stranger and put themselves in an awkward situation. They're too awkward these days, and they would rather go online to annoy people." — Adriano-Capitano 7. "I was just watching Mallrats this weekend and remembered how great and fun hanging at the mall was. Especially when you could run into your different friend groups without planning ahead of time." 8. "My dad would throw coins into the backyard and tell us to go look for them to keep us busy. We'd be out there searching for the coins and feeling rich when we found them. Then we'd walk up to the gas station to buy candy with what we found. I tried this game with my niece and nephew, but they just weren't motivated by coins. Maybe it should have been a Roblox or Amazon gift card." — Inevitable_Tone3021 9. "Playing on an 8-bit computer and waiting 10 minutes for a cassette tape with a game on it to load." 10. "We would watch home movies and show slides from a slide projector. Almost all American homes had a portable screen, a slide projector, and an 8-millimeter projector. People would come over to see your home movies and slides." — PedalSteelBill 11. "Going to see Rocky Horror every Friday night and running around the theater." 13. "Arrange your entire day around a TV show that was on at a specific time and would probably never be shown again." 14. "Driving up and down the main drag of town. You and your friends would all hop in the car, just drive up and down the street, and stop when you see someone you knew. You'd hang out for a bit and maybe go get something to eat. And then you'd just keep driving around." — erinn1986 15. "Having a paper route before school or after. One summer, I did both. My morning route was three miles from home. I rode my bike there in the dark, collected my papers from the drop off, delivered, and then rode home. On Sunday, I had over 100 papers. I was 13 that year." 17. "Building treehouses and forts in the woods. We would get scraps from nearby construction areas and scrounge for things all the time to build them. My first kiss was way up in a high treehouse we built." 19. Finally, "We (all the neighbor kids) played 'guns'. Lots of kids had toy guns, and we'd chase each other all over the neighborhood pretending to shoot each other, sometimes cutting through yards and hopping fences. Some kids who didn't have toy guns (my family) used pieces of wood. I had a 2x4 piece of wood that was roughly rifle-shaped. No idea who thought of it. It was pretty much tag but yelling at each other, 'You're dead', and 'No, you're dead!' In retrospect, this was a pretty grim game." Have another example of a childhood activity that kids today could never understand? Let us know in the comments or anonymous form below!
