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.

Steven Moffat. Time travelings master.

you know the phrase somebody is born to the part?

I always found that phrase to be utter bullshit, I have been in acting all my life, amateur and even had paid professional parts from a very young age, due to my upbringing in a theatre family.
I really believe it is very much bullshit, of cause after a brilliant actor have taken on a part which suits him perfectly it's hard to picture anyone else in the part, but it's possibility. and no one is to say the movie would have lost from it.
When a actor have gotten a part, he is just getting something somebody else who might as well could didn't. Doctor is an most excellent example of that when looking at the now 11 different actors playing the same character, yet their fortay is that they are all so brilliantly unique.

I am not about to talk about actors though. so it might be a weird way to start this article.
The thing just is, last Saturday the last episode of this season doctor who ended, the first season with Matt Smith at the doctor, and the first season with Steven Moffat as executive producer and head writer.
Steven Moffat said in an interview that he had been waiting 4o years, his entire adult life, at being able to call himself the head writer of doctor who.

What I am honestly wondering is whether Steven Moffat have waited for Doctor who, or Doctor who have waited it's entire life for Moffat.

Moffat have been in love with Doctor who apparently since he was a little child, then when they finally officially met back in 2005 they became very much engaged as Steven Moffat wrote what every body agreed was the best two parter in the season. "Empty child" "The doctor dances"
Only to take their relationship further and further the next 3 years with outstanding inventive episodes, using the tool of time travel like no other show nor writer. and now finally, after a life time and waiting and 5 years engagement. finally they got married. and the waiting paid off.

This was the high point of doctor who's incredible long legacy. people will remember this for a very long time, and I know people are complaining right now and says it's not as good as the old tom baker stuff.
I am willing to bet all I know, in 3, 4 or 10 years time. people will look back and say "Why can't they make stuff like that any more? this sci-fi I am watching is not nearly as good as Matt smith's first season"
Mark my words. that is how it's going to happen. it's that good.


Steven Moffat what kind of great toy he have been handed when playing when having such a device as time travel. He took a show that was always about time travelling and made it into the ultimate time travel show, instead of just using the time machine to travel into back to the ancient Greece, and then go to the future with space ships and monster.
And't that's very well and nice, but Steven Moffat turned the time travel into a clever plot device, a mean of strange situations that is not possible without time travel, like meeting people who you have never met but spend a life time with you.
See our main character captured in a time pocket as a character on the outside crows older and is on different points in her life between mere minutes or even seconds.
To having a episode taking place in the past, but future a new character who is actually from the future.
Everything is possible in Steven Moffats Doctor who.
Finally doctor who found it's right made. only thing saddens me is that like the doctor, doctor who will probably go on and on, Moffat will probably not. this was a high point.
Moffat gave his all here, he probably spend years just writing that. he isn't even going to write the opening episode for the next season, he probably need to rest a bit. and I don't think there is any topping this.
Though that's okay. cause it's there, and it's brilliant.

If I should categorise this season in a specific genre, this was a fairy tale. from day one with little Amy looking up in the stars waiting to go on adventure (god I had that exact image going through my head constantly throughout my childhood, just with me in Amy's place, it's almost creepy how accurate that was) It's a fairy tale, and it's should be judged as a fairytale and having a good time show, not a social drama... well there is social drama in it, but it is not a social drama show.

And god was this well thought through, even stuff that isn't exactly obvious unless you go really close.
Amy now bringing the doctor back by believing in him, in a clear opposite to the first episode where she did not believe in him.
Auton Rory which is a clear mirror story to the professor in the Dalek episode, you know the guy who was also a robot, but won his humanity through love.
That crack that along time ago was established to eat away anything it touches ate away Amy's life. which obviously on purpose was left unexplained until now (btw, that was so totally Amy's mom and dad, I can totally see it) And it's the only show I have seen embracing the silliness of it's own origins. I have never ever seen it done before, rather than embracing such things modern movie and tely makers are going out of the way to avoid it, Britten is the only country left to embrace silly, And i say keep it up.
They had Rory come one board so they could kill him so Amy could bring him back so it could be some what believable she could bring her parent's back, so she could bring the doctor back..... god
A show can only be truly sad if they have the happiness in a clear opposite, you know that little speech about sad thing not out ruling happy things? That is bullshit, if you have a happy moment it will enticify the sad moments by a hundred.


In a long time my brain have evolved to become a highly analytical brain when regarding fiction, whether it's theatre, movies, books or tely shows.
And that have proven itself to be bad thing when I am trying to be an audience, I analyse things almost without thinking about while watching, I can pick out what follows the traditional formula, how the stuff fits together and how the writer have been thinking while writing, who obviously wrote the end first and made the rest fitt in, and who it's just writing as they go along. I to often know the ending after the first 10 minutes of watching a movie, and when I watch a good movie, my mind is rather in a analysing mood than in a enjoy yourself mode.

after quite some time I really started getting bored with that way of thinking, and I was left to ask myself "Is this all there is to the medium of story telling today? the modern mainstream art?"
So I began to make another parameter for myself when watching a show, if a movie is well written and makes perfect sense, then it's okay.
If a movie or tely show manage to switch that analyse mode in my head off, and make me completely unaware of what is going on in the room while my heart is thumping and I am just left to sit in anticipation, I will find it excellent, I will find it to be true art.

It's true, if I were to judge this by the first kind of parameter, it is meh. if you want to make any sense of the sciense fiction in it, you should never have watched to begin with, this never even tried to have the ficiction make sense, all it ever used the fiction for is a back drop to the human story. The vincent and the doctor being a very good example where the monster was to say the least stupid and flat, but the human story left my in tears.

If I judge by the other parameter, it's the best show I have ever seen. for me it truly fells like I have witnessed something very special in the making, this show have made me cry and smile and gasp in horror, it made me leave my living room and I was completely unaware of what was going on around me, for a matter of fact, I didn't eve care what was going on around me. The show constantly tricked me, either I had no idea where it was going next, or after a couple of days thought I thought I had it down and the next episode would take me completely by surprise.

The season finale is a compilation of all this I have just talked about, on good and bad. but in my case, I fell its truly unique and the good being pure emotion out ruling the bad which is odd science fiction by a hundred percent. btw a reason why it is called science "fiction" you are allowed for it not to make sense if it's for a back drop to the human journey.

Doctor who is a very special show for me, it changed my way of thinking as an analysing maniac and a writer.
The Russel Saga shown me something about bringing old things back, and how to do it right, that changed my look on re-boots and new starts, it's god damn possible, because they did it, the show didn't last for so long and gained such a great fan-base without reason.
This season changed my view of how it is possible to write stuff, this took what David T russel already did, but took it deeper and further, concentrating on the right things, the humans. and is in every way superiors. it brings the oldest and most magically way of story telling "Fairy tales" together with modern space ships adventures.

You can say what you like with muh and meh. but these were my honest deepest thoughts.
this was very special to me.