Kevin Smith, once a counter Clerk always a counter clerk

in 1994 Kevin Smith as a no name borrowed 27,575$ from the bank, and from these money made a movie with his best buddies. And that became the underground cult phenomena "Clerks" About the two counter clerks "Jeff and Dante" and there to say the least fucked up renting store and all the fucked up people who visit it, everyone is on weed in this movie and it's filled to the brim with disgusting, disturbing and vulgare jokes and most of the comedy lays in the dialogue.


And the dialouge is perfectly written! that would later proof to be Kevin smith's all time strongest point and a feed no one else can copy, perfect over the top funny dialogue.
Tons and tons of comedy film have since tried to copy Kevin smith's obscure vulgar style, and they all fail horrible as they think just because you write "dick" and "pussy" in the dialogue, it's funny. it is not, but Kevin smith can pull it off, and this movie is genuinely funny. disturbing... but funny.

Already in 1995 in cause of the box office hit Clerks had, despite only being showed in few underground special theaters, he made the comedy "Mallrats"


This is by many ways one of his weaker movies, but there is a lot of things excusing this, this was the first time Kevin Smith had to direct while a studio was constantly watching his neck and demanding changes in his on purpose Vulgar and obscure writing, and as a newby he complied and let the studio have to much influenced, and it can be felt in the movie as it seems to be a tamer affair than should have been. There are some few laugh here and there, but what should have been two hours of hilarity is just moderately funny.





In 1997, his widely critically acclaimed movie "Chasing Amy" had its release.
This is one of the two of my personal favorite Kevin smith films. I think this movie is wonderful, it's sad, it's genuinely funny, it's something I can relate to and it have so much heart in it. and you can really fell that.


This movie the kevin smith that have been attempted copies on the most, and they all fail because they miss the heart this story have. The story and the big end dilemma is as obscure and odd as ever, but it fells like a natural evolving of characters from the dialogue, and the dialogue is really beautiful. Kevin Smith's own character "Silent bob" probably makes the best little speech in all of Kevin smith's carrier, and this film is a no brainer and must watch for any film geek who want to trace the latest tendencies of trashy film makers who make trashy pretentious movies. this movie however is not pretentious, it is just very true.





In 1999 the very geekly acclaimed movie "Dogma" came out.

And I tell you why I say geekly acclaimed, it's because critically it was only acclaimed sort of moderately, but all geeks in the universe who knows Kevin Smith and have seen this seems to worship this movies to the sky's. Geeks everywhere is still praising this movie and acclaiming it's mighty awesomeness.
.... I don't get it...
Seriously, I don't. I mean, not to say that I dislike the movie, I do kind of like it and it have lots of cheap laughs in it, but ingenious? I really don't think so, as far as I am concerned it's two hours of harmless fun and no more. If Kevin Smith really wanted to, it could have been a lot more, I do see a lot of potential in the story, but it seems to me Kevin Smith did not even want to make it more than innocent fun, and so it isn't.


For crying out loud it has a "poop monster" in it which is defeated by an deodorant which silent bob carries around with him so he doesn't have to smell to Jay's farts.

And that's this movie, because it's Kevin Smith he can pull it off, other film makers can't, but it's really not that ingenious piece of worship geeks are making it out to be.

"Jay and silent bob strikes back" from 2001.
If people are in any doubt how much Dogma is a piece of unpretentious fun, then you would have to be dim not to realize that that is exactly what his movie is.


two hours of unpretentious fun.
I don't even have anything more to say about this movie, it's just a little snack for the Kevin Smith fan base with reference to earlier work and featuring his two arch type characters of the totally wasted and doped Jay and himself as silent bob who is, as the name indicates, silent.
I got no more, it's just a package of jokes, laughter and fun. I'm empty, it's not a bad movie but there is just nothing more to it. god.

on the other hand "jersey girl" from 2004 is worthy hours of talking and analyzing.
It was a miss step for Kevin smith, the movie is not very good even though it really tries it's very best. When watching this, I do believe Kevin Smith was very honest in his intentions and I see what he tries to do. it just doesn't work.

Kevin Smith is an ever growing artist, and you can fell that in his work as he grows in life, his works grow with him, he had just done two pieces of mindless fun and now wanted to do something with steady ground in it. it just falls short and flat but it's a very forgivable miss step and when a movie creator makes a miss step, after only having done good movies, what really do count is how he decides to get back on his feet's?

2004 DVD special release called. "And evening with Kevin Smith"
This is sort of cheating, as the DVD is just a collection of videos of Kevin Smith answering questions and telling stories to his fans on stages around the US, but it is so hilarious to watch, Kevin smith is the born story teller and standup comedian, he is interesting to listen to and most of all, absolutely hilarious, this video can be seen legally for free on Google videos, and I would very much recommend it, and it does not matter if you have seen his movies or not, he is comedy gold. and if for nothing else, he makes the best Tim Burton impersonations I have ever seen.

Thank god for "Clerks II" which was released in 2006, precisely twelve years after "Clerks" it's the perfect way for Kevin Smith to get back on track, because this movie is brilliant. with "Chasing Amy" this is my favorite Kevin Smith movie, I really love it.
As the title might suggest, it's a direct sequel to Clerks. ten years have passed for the two main characters, and yet more importantly, ten years have passed for Kevin Smith as well. "Clerks II" have the obscure vulgar humor from the first "Clerks" film, but also the sophisticated growth of it's creator. it's again a very honest movie with lots of hearts, which makes it so good and unpretentious despite it's quirkiness.

For me, it does not matter if the viewer have seen "Clerks" or not, because this movie stands so well on it's own that anyone can watch it, and they should, because it's a very unique and fresh experience, again the dialogue is just perfect and the characters their own and obscure. a wonderful little piece of movie.

oh crap.. this year 2010 Kevin Smiths latest movie "Cop out" came out. I don't know how the describe the experience of this movie, but I am gonna try.

Anyone remember when Tim Burtons "planet of the apes" came out? well first of all it weren't a good movie, but in my mind more importantly, it did not fell like a Tim Burton movie at all. it was a weird head scratching experience where you just sat there and waited for a little sign of "Burtoniness" and as the Credits came on you tipped your head to make sure Tim Burton really is in the credits and thereby involved in the movie, and when his name did role up you furry your brows and ask yourself... where the bloody hell is Tim Burton is in this movie? I don't see any trace of him nor his still, this just doesn't fell like a Tim Burton film.


That is "Cop out" and Kevin Smith.. I know Kevin Smith directed it, and it is plainly obvious that he didn't write it, as the only film he ever directed he didn't write. but there is no trace of the uniqness of Kevin Smith anywhere in the movie, he is untraceable, and the movie is not very good either. it's pretty bad and is the same kind of movie that we have seen thousands of times before in cop movies, so I am not even going to talk about.

"Jersy girl" was a miss step, but it was clearly a Kevin smith movie, this was not. and it doesn't seem like his next movie will go in his old style either, though at least he wrote it himself, I dunno.

But at least he showed after doing his first real miss step with "Jersy Girl" that he knows how to bounce back stronger than ever with "Clerks II"

Maybe white this major miss step of "Cop out" he is gonna bounce back with the best movie he ever created widely to be acclaimed as a master piece, only the future will tell.

Kevin Smith have stated that there will be no more movies with Jay and Silent bob, and there are many devided thoughts upon that among fans.

Personally, I find it to be a good thing. Kevin Smith have grown as a story teller and a director, he have become older and having two guys in their mid thirties hanging in front of a wall aint as cool or fun as them in their early twenties, the creators and faces of Jay and silent bob have grown away from the characters, it's wisely of Kevin smith to put them to rest, and Clerks II was the perfect way to do it.

Robin Hood, from then to now.

As I mentioned before, Doctor who is far from being the oldest Franchise I could mention, even though it's older than Star Trek.

nope, I am talking much older than that.

robin Hood may very well be the oldest adventure franchise I could mention, it is so old. ...
That I have no idea where it came from. But neither does the world, Robin Hood was originally folk lore, it's that old.

though as fascinating as Folk lore might be, that is not what we like to talk about, well sometimes, but as you might have noticed in my two previous "From then to now" articles, I have the edit heavy done on information to have it even be an article.
Though as I said before, I would be more than happy to elaborate something specific.






The oldest on screen incarnation of Robin Hood I have seen, is the Douglas Fairbanks silent black and white movie from 1922.
Douglas Fairbanks is a fun figure in film history, he is actually the worlds first and oldest film action hero, but looking at him he looks nothing like and action hero, his fighting stile even often comes across as silly. what makes up for it however, and made him what he was is his physical stunts, acrobatics and physical humours. to watch Douglas Fairbanks doing his thing is like watching a monkey on steroids.
This movie have a lot of fun elements to it, and plot wise future interpretations would actually borrow more from this than the actual folk lore.
Like, King Richard being the real king, but gone on crusade while his evil brother Prince John tries to steal the throne, is never ever mentioned in folk lore, but see the light of day in this movie. Robin getting actually married with Lady Marion was also a total invention of this movie, as well as Robin Hood being a nobel of heritage.
It's a fun little movie, with grant sets of fun stunt work, all done by Douglas Fairbanks the man himself.






The 1938 movie "Adventures of Robin Hood" is by many considered the definitive Robin Hood movie, and the definitive action movie of the late 30's and 40's.
Well, I kind of have to disagree on both accounts. but lets that be that.
This is a charming movie, and it's so very bright. you can just see at the picture I inserted of bright it is, fortunately it is also funny and charming, and that's where it wins. the fighting is fun, the adventure is fun. It is totally a shameless re-make of the Douglas Fairbanks silent movie as the story is completely the same, but who cares. it got sound, brigtness and colours, so it's not the same.




Disney's Robin hood from 1973
Yeas I am sorry, I really am. That is the Robin Hood I grew up with and saw over and over as a child, I can't say anything mean towards it, I just can't.
I know this movie is supposed to be from the dark, bland and unimaginative days of Disney, and even should be a prime example of that. but I just don't see it, maybe I am blinded by childhood nostalgia? I really don't know.
I just know as far as I am concerned, this is fun, vibrant and even is really really sad and emotional in the beginning of the third act.
I know lots of people hate how Prince John is potrayed in this, but I bloody love it. and it just have the good old kind of Disney Charm from when it's best. I'm sorry, I can't say anything bad about this.




Robin And Marion from 1976 is on the other hand a rather unknown movie.
And it is also quite different from any other Robin Hood movie, both Robin Hood and Marion are deliberately older than we are used to, and they are in another place in life. Robin have been on the crusade for a very long time with King Richard, and Lady Marion choose to go into the convent after Robin left her and seemingly after a long wait didn't come back. And when he do come back their common history and old feelings of cause starts to show.
The movie can seem a bit messy once in a while, as if it's not really sure if it want to be a deep sentimental movie or an adventure movie, and rather than having the to side complicating each other, that is not always the case. though the movie safe it self with a brilliant star cast and brilliant directing. and it's a cute little movie that is fun watching once or twice.





Oh boy, I really meant it when I said I couldn't speak badly about the disney movie.
But this Kevin Coster movie from 1991, I can't speak good about. well maybe Alan Rickman as the sheriff was pretty cool. but this movie kind of suck. it really is boring and bland and makes little sense.
Kevin Coster is horrible miss cast as Robin Hood, his accent is so obviouse country american that it's and insult to british folk lore. but that's the least of this movies problems, it just keeps stepping on itself and have no idea what it's doing.
this is a bad bad Robin Hood movie, and a bad bad action movie.
A directors cut have even been released of this movie so it's even longer, really not necesarry, it fells quite long as it is when your stuck with it.

in another mention, it must be somewhere around here in the timeline the television series I watched as a kid came out, it was an american life action television series, I know it's Robin hood, but I have no idea what it's called, nor who any of the actors were, I just remember watching it. I know Robin Hood died at one point in the series and we actually see his journey of being death from his point of view, he even get to shortly be in an enemy's body.
As I said, I have no idea if this series is any good... thinking about what I just wrote chances are that it isn't. but if it rings a bell for anyone, answers would be much appreciated.





oh boy, Mel Brook's "Robin Hood men in tights" from 1993.

There are a lot of shared opinions about this one, some people think it fails as a spoof, comedy and adventure movie, some really thinks this sucks.
And others don't.

I am a Mel Brooks fan, and I have seen most of his movies. this is not the best movie he ever did, but I like it. I think its a good entertaining and fun movie.
One thing I gotta say when talking comedy, what people think is funny is often objective, and you are all right to disagree with me on that point. but one thing is for sure, this is a tons better Robin Hood movie than the Coster movie.
I just personally like it, and find it to be a nice and appropriate tribute to Robin Hood.
Also, compare this to the usual insufferable spoof we are given in cinema, this is miles better.




Yay! a BBC show! an interpretation of Robin Hood that is actually British.
This BBC one show from 2006 never made it far beyond the British borders, and that's a shame. because this is a good series.
I love British television culture, it's all about quality above quantity, plus the writing is usual about human emotions mixed with silly British humour. and this show is just that.
And for once, the merry men of Robin Hood, all have personalities and purpose, one of the story arcs of the show even goes by one of his men becoming and traitor, and after he became a traitor he had to deal with it.
Prince John never makes an appearance before the third and last season, so the stage is left to the sheriff, and he is one crazy and creepy mother fucker.
It only have the budget and action of a television show, but that's okay. They didn't have to travel for for a good traditional British forest and a old castle, plus the writing is really good for a television show. it's a show that takes itself seriously, and thereby distance itself from the Errol flynn fluffy Robin hood, but not to seriously as it can still make you smile.



Then only a couple of months ago, another hollywood robin hood film was released.
Ridley Scotts Robin Hood. well, when I first heard about his movie, the concept was majorely different from what we ended up with and I was exited, it was going to be sort of a reverse Robin Hood where the sheriff was the good guy and Robin hood the bad, I was pretty excited.
Then several changes was annoynced and finally it was officially Ridley Scott who was handed the project, and I just stopped being exited.
now, I am not a Ridley Scott fan, I mean his movies are very nice and big and beautifull and all that, and I can see why some people love them. personally they just bore me.
And this movie is very a Ridley Scott pr Usual movie, and far from being a Robin Hood pr usual movie, and that is not what I personally wanted.
bottom line, if you like Kingdom of heaven and Gladiator, you probably like this. if Kingdom and heaven dosn't really appeal to you, like it's the case with me, this probably wont either, it's very far from being anything like a traditionel Robin hood film, and it's just a bit boring and dissapointing to me.

But then it's a good thing this is yet another franchise which is far from being dead, it's only a matter of them before somebody else will give it a shot with a new movie and tely show, and actually. Robin Hood had quite a lot of television shows, and I only covered one single one. but that's because I think it stands out and is really good. so I just go and watch that instead of the Ridley Scott thing, no problem.