Clerks III: The Screenplay by Kevin Smith

 

(pb; 2022: screenplay)

 

From the back cover

“After suffering a massive heart attack, Randal enlists friends and fellow clerks Dante, Elias, Jay and Silent Bob to help him make a movie about life at the Quick Stop.

“This limited-edition version of the Clerks III screenplay was made for VIPs of The Convenience Tour—Fall 2022.”

 

Review

Clerks III, screenplay and 2022 film, made me laugh a lot and (almost) cry just as much—the latter, in an ultimately great way, because it meant that not only had Smith penned and directed one of his best films, maturity-wise, but he created a oeuvre- and mortality-acknowledging work that flows in a natural-feel pace, showing you can have characterization, humor and heart in equal, effective measure, one that doesn’t feel like it was a written in genre-unbalanced, ham-fisted and talking down to the audience manner. This is how you do it right, sans sappy b.s. scoring, too-cute puppies and players, while throwing in some Star Wars, rude humor and playful takes on religion.

If you like Smith’s overall Clerks and/or Jay and Silent Bob franchises, chances are you’ll find something to like about Clerk III, even if you’re put out by its underlying seriousness. Great work, worth owning.

Preacher: Until the End of the World by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon and others

(pb; 1995, 1996: graphic novel, collecting comic book issues of Preacher #8 - 17. "Foreword" by Kevin Smith. Second entry in the Preacher graphic novel series.) 

From the back cover:

"Small-town Texas minister Jesse Custer had all but lost the faith when he merged with a bizarre spiritual force called Genesis and acquired peculiar powers and newfound purpose. Hitting the road with his sidekicks -- his trigger-happy girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire -- Jesse embarks on a frequently violent, often-hilarious, always-disturbing road trip from the heart of Texas through the nastier side of America."


Review:

This second entry in the Preacher graphic novel series builds on the hyper-violent, excellent, heartfelt and pitch-black funny tale begun in Gone to Texas. Jesse Custer and his girlfriend, Tulip, at the start of this continuation volume, have been taken prisoner by his murderous kin (his evil grandmother and his rape-happy cousins) and must escape them; all the while, the history and aims of the Grail (with all its internecinic intrigues) are further revealed.

This is worth purchasing if you enjoy books with the above tonal qualities.

Followed by Preacher: Proud Americans.

Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good, by Kevin Smith

(hb; 2012: nonfiction)

From the inside flap:

"Kevin Smith is full of sh*t.

"That Kevin Smith. The guy who did Clerks a million years ago? Didn't they bounce his fat ass off a plane once? What could you possibly learn from the director of Cop Out? How about this: He changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-three, and since then he's done whatever the hell he wants. He makes movies, writes comics, owns a store, and now he's built a podcasting empire with his friends and family, including a wife who's way out of his league. So here's some tough sh*t: Kevin Smith has cracked the code. Or he's just cracked.

"Tough Sh*t is the dirty business that Kevin has been digesting for forty-one years, and now he's ready to put it in your hands. . . Kev takes you through some big moments in his life to help you live your days in as Gretzky a fashion as you can - going where your puck is gonna be. Read all about how a zero like Smith managed to make ten movies with no discernible talent and how when he had everything he though he'd ever want he decided to blow up his own career. Alog the way he shares stories about folks who inspired him (like George Carlin), folks who befuddled him (like Bruce Willis), and folks who let him jerk off onto their legs (like his beloved wife). . ."


Review:

Potty mouthed, funny, smart, self-deprecating (in a healthy, charming way), no-nonsense and often inspiring (for those like myself, who are geeky, creative and average-looking), this is an excellent, earthy read.

His life- and filmmaking-based lessons and observations are spot-on, and, as I mentioned before, often inspiring. And his stories about those who have inspired awe and respect in him - George Carlin, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Parks and Tracy Morgan - are also interesting, as is his chapter about working with Bruce Willis, whose job description is movie star, but who, on the film set of Cop Out, acted like a film director as well: a less than flattering but respectful and honest recounting.

"Tough Sh*t is worth owning, if you're a Kevin Smith (check), and buy film/pop culture books (I generally don't).