Kevin Smith is one of my favorite writers. His flicks are the type of films that stick with you for years after the first viewing. Sure, Smith isn’t know for his visual flair, but I’d argue that the dialogue and pitch perfect timing make him a director that knows how to use his strengths to his advantage. With the Kevin Smith 3-Movie Collection we get the chance to see a few of his flicks on blu-ray with some pretty solid extras tagged on for good measure.

Clerks

The Flick:

I remember the first time I saw Clerks, my buddy Charles invited me over to check out this indie flick that he had rented. Somehow or another he had seen the flick on the big screen (Lafayette, La is a small town), and decided that everyone he knew had to see it as soon as possible. He kept telling us that the characters in the movie were exactly like us, but with thick Jersey accents instead of thick Cajun accents. So I decided to head over to his apartment to check out this flick that had clearly affected my friend deeply, also I was broke and figured he’d have beer in the fridge. Once I got to his place, and everyone settled in to watch this movie that was supposedly going to change our lives, I soon realized that Charles was right. These characters were just like us. They spoke like us (mostly), they talked about Star Wars frequently (I still do this), but most of all they spoke to us. To the generation of slackers that had embraced the grunge era, but hadn’t completely given up on 80s metal either. The generation of miscreants that worked dead-end jobs because it was easier than actually deciding to do something.

When the movie was over and the credits rolled, I couldn’t get it out of my head. The next morning I got dressed, called in sick for work, headed out to Home Video, and rented Clerks. I watched it twice back to back, and then at least 4 more times before bringing the tape back to the video store. I couldn’t believe that a black and white movie that I had never heard of was having such an affect on me. I was majoring in English at the time while working a dead-end job, but wasn’t really taking it seriously. So I decided to take a few art classes, and then changed my major to Media (we didn’t have a film school). I did this because for the first time in my life I realized that it was possible to make movies that spoke to people, real people, people that I knew, and that not all movies needed to be grand statements or blow up buildings in order to truly connect with an audience. I was a film fanatic before Clerks, but because of Clerks my life now revolves around film (don’t worry; I etch out a little time for the wife).

The

Blu-ray:

Audio/Video

The audio was clear, but it’s nothing special, which is fine because I don’t think anyone is watching this flick for it’s amazing sound. Clerks isn’t the most amazing looking movie, but that’s part of it’s charm. So while it doesn’t look amazing on blu-ray, it still looks better than ever, and that’s a good thing for any fan of the flick.

Special Features

Theatrical Version: This version of the flick features the commentary circa ‘95 featuring Smith, Mewes, Mos, and more! This is my favorite cut of the flick and the commentary track is totally worth listening to.

The First Cut: This cut of the flick is the raw and original one that smith first showed the world. It’s fun to watch and while I have seen it more than once I still prefer the theatrical cut. The commentary on here is also equally as good as on the theatrical cut.

Oh, What A Lovely Tea Party: The Making Of Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back: A new feature specific only to the blu-ray, this behind-the-scenes documentary is a lot of fun. I don’t know why it’s on the Clerks disc but I don’t care because it was pretty darn funny.

Introduction By Kevin Smith: A new introduction was recorded specifically for the blu-ray disc and it’s done in typical Smith fashion.

There are a slew of other features on here, but all of them were previously released.

The Flick: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating:

Chasing Amy

The Flick:

I didn’t think that another film could affect me the way that Kevin Smith’s film Clerks did. Clerks showed me that anyone could make a film, even with limited funds, and a cast of unknown actors. Chasing Amy showed me that a filmmaker could make a film with a soul of its own that speaks fan to boys/girls as well as people that know nothing about comic books. Chasing Amy was the first romantic comedy (can I call it that?) that I caught in the theater no less than 5 times, and that’s not counting the numerous times I’ve seen it on DVD.

I think that most comic book fans dream of creating their own comic book. Comics are similar to films because both are visual mediums used to tell a story, only filmmakers seem to get laid a little more often than comic book creators. So the fact that Smith based a whole movie around indie comic creators Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) was a sign that not only did this director really care about comic books, he cared enough to base an entire movie around two comic book creators. Also, he was able to snag the godfather of comics, Stan Lee to appear in the flick as himself. An unforgettable role for Stan Lee, it allowed him to stretch his acting muscles as apposed to just making a brief cameo as a door man or some other such character. Kevin Smith understands the fan boy culture because he’s a fan himself, a fan that cares deeply about the subject matter he’s writing about. And just when you think you know what’s coming up next, he throws a beautiful love story into the mix, and does it in a way that I personally had never seen done before. His characters talk about the same kinds of things that real people talk about; they have faults, fears, and are always memorable down to the smallest role in the movie. There is no better example of this than in Chasing Amy.

I remember watching the credits roll after my first viewing of the flick. I sat there in the seat trying to take in all that I had just seen. Had I just watched a date movie that I could relate to, that didn’t take the easy way out the way most movies in this genre do? A movie that my girlfriend could enjoy, but had enough stuff in there that only a geek like me would catch? I remember asking myself these questions. The next night I rushed to the theater to get another look at this film, and it played better on the second viewing than it did on the first, so when I was leaving the multiplex and met up with a friend of mine that was going to see it for the first time, I decided to catch it for a third time. Once again, after the credits rolled I was just as excited as I was after the first viewing. In fact, I enjoyed Chasing Amy so much that I caught it at least two more times before it ended its run at the multiplex.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video

Like Clerks the audio on this flick isn’t jaw dropping, but it does sound better than it ever has before. Unlike Clerks, Chasing Amy looks quite a bit better on blu-ray than it did on my standard definition DVD. The colors popped off the screen. There are a few spots with a little bit of grain in them, but for the most part the transfer is solid.

Special Features

Commentary: Smith and Mos provide an interesting track that as always is a pleasure to listen to.

Tracing Amy: A documentary that chronicles the making of the flick. Totally worth checking out.

Was It Something I Said: This is a conversation between Kevin and Joey that is really cool. I enjoyed listening to them talk about that time in their lives. Another feature worth watching.

10 Years Later Q&A: The cast gets together and answers questions about the flick. This was one of my favorite features on the disc.

Everything else on the disc has been previously released on other versions of the flick.

The Flick: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating:

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

The Flick:

You can never have to much Jay and Silent Bob.  One of the main reasons I love Smith’s work so much is because of these two characters.  No matter how colorful their language gets, or how mischievous they get, their hearts are always in the right place.  These are bad-boy characters that can connect with both the rebel in all of us as well as the geek.  So the fact that these two got their own movie put a huge smile on my face.  Also, pretty much every character in View Askew universe is in the flick.  How cool is that?

This is a film that plays just as well the after the tenth viewing as it does the first, maybe even better, and that to me is the test.  If I can watch a movie multiple times without it getting old the filmmaker has done his/her job right.  Another huge contributing factor to the re-watch-ability of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is the fact that Jason Mewes is front and center.  It’s hard to not love Mewes, he is comfortable on screen, easy to relate to, and really fucking funny.  I can’t wait until Smith decides to put his old pal back into a leading-man position.  I’m extremely happy about Smith’s decision to cast Seth Rogen in his comedy Zack and Miri Make A Porno, but at the same time I’d have loved to have seen Mewes in another title role.  I think both Mewes and Rogen have that everyman quality that works in their favor, plus both of them have impeccable timing.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that in my humble opinion Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a love letter to the movie geek, and one of the most exciting comedies made by Smith.  In todays market of throwaway films Smith’s flicks are a breath of fresh air.  So if you haven’t already seen Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or any of Smith’s other flicks, then do yourself a favor and check them out ASAP.  On the other hand if your a fan of Smith’s work, then hurry up, and watch them all again.  Oh, and they say the F-word a lot in this flick, I’m just saying.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video

The audio on this disc is pretty solid. There’s a little more action than in the previous two flicks and it shows in the audio track. The video transfer looks pretty good as well on this disc, it’s not the most amazing blu-ray in my collection, but it sure does look better than on my old copy of the flick. The colors are brighter and scenes like the one where the hotties are jumping through the laser beams look phenomenal.

Special Features

Besides the Commentary Track there isn’t a singe feature worth checking out on this disc. Bare bones folks, WTF?

The Flick: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating:

Tags: Chasing Amy, Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith 3-Movie Collection