Following his highly popular one man show format, director/writer/podcaster Kevin Smith took over the big screen with Kevin Smith: Live From Behind Featuring “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old,” a one-night-only in-theater event. Broadcast to select movie theaters nationwide live from the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, this special three-hour event will begin with Smith and frequent co-star and long-time friend, Jason “Jay” Mewes, hosting their highly rated podcast, “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old.”
Guest writer Elizabeth Ann, fresh from covering the Spartacus: Vengeance red carpet, checked this out for us too. (Wonder if he talked about us or our friends again…or discussed his upcoming AMC “reality series” Comic Book Men?)
by Elizabeth Ann:
I’m going to start off admitting that I am a big fan of Kevin Smith’s films. His work changed a generation of independent films; he told a story, gave a message, and managed to piss off huge groups by asking the questions we all wanted to ask. So the opportunity to spend an evening in the presence- well, not quite since I was in Los Angeles and he was streaming from Toronto, but you know what I mean- could not be passed.
Presented by NCM Fathom, Smith and frequent collaborator Jason Mewes, streamed live to more than 300 movie theatres across the United States and Canada. The event promised fans a chance to be a part of the Q & A via twitter, while those in the Toronto audience could ask questions in person. For three hours the pair told stories, jokes, and answered questions in their own off-color, but deeply honest way.
The evening was broken not quite into half with the first portion being a live podcast of “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old”. Prior to the start Smith touted this as “mostly about Mewes’ life”, but the bulk of this time was used discussing the sex lives of Smith’s tortoises and Mewes explaining the soundtrack to oral sex. Don’t get me wrong, I laughed. A lot. I enjoy the pair and their off-color remarks. But after being told it was Mewes’ life, I would’ve liked to hear more from Mewes. Smith did make a point of supporting Mewes’ sobriety and pushing how proud he is of his friend- a deeply emotional moment in the evening. The pair joked about their friendship throughout the evening- referring to themselves as friends, as having a father/son relationship, and once even saying they were a “bear and his cub” without the sex. The bond was obvious and the pride Smith showed when Mewes announced 675 days of sobriety was palpable. Smith even praises the podcasts and their fans for helping Mewes stay sober.
To take it back to the lighter more humorous place, the latter two hours of the show were a Q&A. They bounced back and forth between questions posed on twitter and questions from their live audience. Prior to the Q & A, trailers for AMC’s upcoming “reality show” Comic Book Men ran. This was of interest to me because I have only recently heard about the show and the drama surrounding there not being any women involved. I’ve read a few blog posts regarding this and generally, they bother me because the standard answer seems to be- there aren’t any women in comic book stores. The preview showed a female customer who is selling a box of comics; I didn’t think she was treated very well. The guys in the store did not inspire me to shop there. Boggles my mind- I was particularly interested to see what was said about CBM during the Q & A but other than throwing the name out every now and then, the topic was never brought up.
Some of the highlights of the Q & A included a question regarding Smith’s thoughts on SOPA/PIPA. Smith responded that “this is a generation that tries before they buy”, meaning that fans watch and then go buy if they like it. The “audience has a lot more power, a lot more options.” Finally stating that the industry needed to adapt to what the audience wants. Smith was asked about the difference in working for Marvel and DC to which he responded there wasn’t really a difference but that he is more a fan of DC so if it was a life or death situation, he’d choose to work with DC. It was “nice writing for Batman and knowing that it’s out there”. Building on the Batman comments, a fan asked who or what Smith would like to see Batman fight- “I’d like to see Batman fight indifference and apathy, at the same time. Bulimia and eating disorders. Spider-Man.”
After he completes his current project, Hit Somebody, Smith intends to retire from filmmaking but says he’ll still be out there doing the podcasts and Q & As. A future planned project, Smodcast Pictures, launched earlier this month- roughly 3 years ahead of schedule; wherein the group plans to distribute projects that have been turned down by other studios. Smith says that it’s his opportunity to give that chance to filmmakers that are just starting out. Another project in the works is being produced and run by Mewes- Jay and Silent Bob’s Groovy Movie. Look to see the boys suit up as their alter egos for the project.
Overall, a fun and entertaining evening. I’d recommend checking out future events or even picking up the past Q & As on DVD to anyone who is a fan of Smith’s films, Mewes foul-mouthed “Jay”, or has an interest in filmmaking.
Check out Seesmod.com for future events.
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Wasn’t able to catch the show, but good to hear it was a fun time.
Sweet, tortoise talk! Kevin Smith and Walt Flannigan are great conversationalists, being in a room with just one of them can be indescribable. Kevin has always been highly perceptive and responsive to his audience. I’d love to hear more from Jason Mewes too. Committing to sobriety is not easy, especially im California. lol Cheers to Jason, and Kevin is a good man to stand by him. Was the oral sex soundtrack a lot like the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack? What can I say except it really eats up the miles! Oh, and no injuries. Woo!
So is Comic Book Men taking place in the Secret Stash? I haven’t really checked it out much, but I will and should recognize it unless Walt’s done some serious remodelling. It was pretty perfect before, they just needed more women’s apparel. Granted, I was there solely for Askewniverse merchandise. Yeah, my second shirt was a William Black… it’s pretty much my “I don’t give a fuck” go to. Nobody ever gets close enough to read the other one.
I’ve been to comic book stores across the country and I have to admit that every time I can remember checking out at the register, it has been with a man. This is not to say that I have not seen women in a comic book shop – but highly out-ratioed and rarely solo, and bear in mind that my days in a comic book shop peaked ten years ago, and I was behind the counter. Unless you’re in a metropolis, your comic book shopping can be extremely limited by region or even more simply by merchandise and other tastes. I think this is partially why so many more women increasingly show up for comic conventions (along with the popularity of movies and TV shows, of course.) Personally a decade of being a mildly attractive female mostly in the company of males in the majority of my comic book and pop culture experiences has taken its toll – but then again I’ve never truly experienced this cultural phenomenon for myself. I feel a bit like George Lucas not really experiencing Star Wars for goodness sakes, something I intend to rectify somewhat when TPM comes out this week. I understand why Kevin Smith or others might hold back from including women in their show – first it’s not realistic if they have had similar observations as I have and if they’ve never hired a woman (probably one has never applied), and second who wants to watch a chick zone out on the arcade/Galactic Battlegrounds, reorganize the shop twenty times… or really know if there are those crying in the bathroom moments? Easier to remain a mystery, some things are.
Personally I’m also more of a Marvel girl, but I wonder what Kevin Smith thinks of ‘Before Watchmen.’ Like many Watchmen fans I am cautiously optimistic for this. Haha, is he just saying that so he’ll never have to finish Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target?
It’s a little sad for the filmmaking industry and moviegoers to hear of George Lucas and Kevin Smith retiring around the same time. When Clerks II came out I wondered about this – it definitely wasn’t what I had anticipated and I enjoyed it, but the change was a bit more than from black and white to full living color. I am sure another Jay and Silent Bob movie will bring back nostalgia, so I don’t know yet whether or not to root for an end to the New Jersey Trilogy or take a hike.
Thanks everyone for your comments!
Tristaturtle~ Yes, I’ve also had the experience of walking into a comic shop as a female and being stared at with a, “what is that?” confused look. But I also grew up- in a small city (at the time, it’s mid-size now)- shopping in a store that was owned by a woman. So maybe I am a little biased. But in regards to what I’ve actually seen about the show and their attitudes towards women- I don’t think it’d help if there was one on the show, she’d probably kill Walt. He appears to just be a rude pig. Going only on observations from the clips I’ve seen, though. Anyways… CBM is set in the Secret Stash, so that should at least be interesting. And I was moved by the support Smith shows Mewes- been there myself for people and it is a difficult place to be. So the fact that it was palpable says a lot. 🙂
Dee2~ thx lady!
Stewart M~ mwah! 🙂
You’re welcome ~ Elizabeth Ann.
I like being the invisible woman in a comic book store. I can usually manage not to cause much tension or anxiety, but I still remember one person who made me somewhat uncomfortable because he felt so awkward around me. How interesting, I would love to shop at a woman’s store and see if there are any perceptible differences. I love hearing random stories store owners have to tell, this alone is enough for me to hang around at comic book stores, or check out CBM because I basically drew a blank from the preview I watched awhile back, it was late I wasn’t into it and mego. I look forward to it because I have some idea but really no idea what to expect. Yeah hard times aren’t easy from any perspective. I really hope he stays on the right track, for their sake and the sake of another Jay and Silent Bob movie, etc. Thanks for sharing your experiences and putting it all into further perspective.
it like pawn
stars but with comic books and more withy host…..
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