Kevin Smith seems to have had a go at everything. Obviously there’s his seminal “Jersey Trilogy” of Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy. He’s done independent flicks, and most recently worked as a director for hire over at Warner Bros. with Cop Out. Then there’s the television, producer of the Clerks animated series, actor in the unsuccessful pilot of HBO’s Manchild. He’s got a podcast network (the infamous SModcast). And there’s comics. He’s written for Jay and Silent Bob yes, but he’s had his hand in reinventing Daredevil for Marvel, Green Arrow for DC, and had his hand in both Spider-Man and Batman.
That’s what officially brought Kevin Smith to two nights at the Sydney Opera House during the recent run of “Graphic”; a series of events focused on the artform of comics and graphic novels. Fittingly, his first show in Sydney was opened by Neil Gaimen. Yes, that Neil Gaimen. Pretty swank, eh?
Now I’ve been a Kevin Smith fan since I saw Mallrats when I was about 14. Seeing Clerks around that time was a pretty massive moment, as it really opened my eyes to a broader definition of what cinema can be. I was lucky enough to head over for both shows, and to be honest, I think this might be what Kevin Smith does best; telling stories. If you haven’t seen any of his “Evening With…” series of DVDs, you’re missing out. He’s a gifted storyteller, and having a large amount of odd adventures both in and out of the business leads to some pretty damn funny tales. Search YouTube for “Kevin Smith Jon Peters”. You’ll get an idea of what I experienced for a total of eight solid hours over two fantastic nights in one of Australia’s most iconic locations.
If you’re unaware of the format of “An Evening With…”, it goes something like this. People queue up to ask questions, to which Kevin masterfully turns the answer towards some of his material. Part genuine question and answer session, part stand up. Over the two nights we heard stories about documentarian Malcolm Ingram collecting Kevin Smith from the Cop Out set in a prom bus (complete with bright lights and disco ball) in order to drive up to Canada for a charity hockey event after a night shoot rang long, the difficulties of working with major Hollywood stars (we won’t name names, but that somebody may or may not have cut a record titled “The Return of Bruno”…), the casting process of his upcoming film Red State (revealed at San Diego Comic-Con to be starring Michael Parks as Abin Cooper, based on Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church) and how a simple question of “Who’s Michael Parks?” from your wife can turn into a full scale police event, trying to prove that the young girl in your house is indeed your daughter and that you do indeed live there while uniformed officers believe that your residence is the location of a kidnapping. It’s Smith’s ability to spin a yarn, deliver it effortlessly, and somehow make it seem like it was the question you asked that leave “An Evening With…” as a pretty unique experience.
As I mentioned, Kevin’s about to hit pre-production on Red State (those commitments were the reason that the Australia jaunt was so short) before they shoot in a few weeks time. Longtime producing partner Scott Mosier is again absent from this one (developing an animated series for Disney with cult street/comic artist Jim Mahfood does take up some time apparently), but former Miramax-er Jon Gordon is in the producer’s chair. It’s not a View Askew film, it’s from “The Harvey Boys” (a nice nod to the man who gave both men careers). It’s not a comedy. It’s independently financed. It doesn’t have a distributor yet.
And it’s these things that have me excited about Red State.
Kevin Smith will tentatively be returning to Australia in March 2011. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of his films, as long as you don’t mind some colourful language and have a few hours set aside, “An Evening With…” is certainly unforgettable. In the meantime, check out the three DVDs available already.
