An Evening with Kevin Smith

I had no idea what this was going to be when I first watched this documentary on the Starz network. Then I sat, and the very first thing you hear the Jersey filmmaker say is, "Wow! This makes up for all the times girls told me I had a small d**k." Stand-up comedy, though, this is not. It's a wonderful compilation of Kevin Smith's visit to several colleges, each having its own Q&A gig.I've always admired Smith's storytelling (references to pop culture and his own movies, and his blunt way of getting his ideas across), but here he's infinitely better without a script. There are some deep and insightful questions he gives serious responses to (religious influence---sexual experiences), and there are some downright wacky ones (does he want to hang out afterwards---can somebody suck his d**k).The real strength of this program are the pop culture questions. Smith talks about his hellacious experience (for 30 minutes!) filming a documentary for Prince. He also goes into detail about his attempts to writing a "Superman" script, plus some tension with Tim Burton.The only drawback to "An Evening With Kevin SMith" is not the nearly 4-hour length (I'd actually like more...but I'm forgiving). No, it's actually the biographical questions. When he details details like how he met producer Scott Mosier, or his friendship with Jason Mewes, he always throws in some funny one-liners and tidbits of funny info. But the overall answers don't work for me. I understand that 4 hours leaves a lot of room for a little error, so those few sore questions aren't enough to write this one off.The DVD features are scarce, but this DVD is for Kevin Smith fans anyway. I'd even recommend a borrow or rental of this DVD for people interested in one of the current generation's filmmakers ideas. We always hear about the beauty and drama of classical directors (Scorsese, Spielberg, Lean, Altman...etc), but hearing a Gen-X writer-director speak bluntly about what today's culture and his own life means to him is a wonderful experience.Highly recommended!

Fans of Kevin Smith have long known he does some of the most entertaining, informative commentaries you can get on a DVD. Well, look at this new two-disc set as being all commentary, and you won't be disappointed.Last year, film crews followed Smith as he made a tour of several college campuses, conducting his now-famous Q&A lectures. Over the course of the two discs, Smith talks for two hours about his adventures in the film industry, his friendships, his marriage, his family -- you name it, he dishes the dirt. Have you ever wondered what happened to the script he wrote for a Superman movie some years ago? The story is here. Heard about the documentary he was going to make for Prince? It's here. Wonder how he met and fell in love with his wife? It's here too. And every minute of it is as entertaining as anything you've ever seen on DVD.Smith doesn't try to hog the spotlight -- Jason "Jay" Mewes joins him at one point, and he frequently engages audience members in conversations that elevate them almost to the level of co-stars. Smith isn't worried about burning bridges, either -- he dishes the dirt on a few people, but it's a few people he clearly never wants to deal with again. (Now if we could just get everybody else in Hollywood to make DVDs where they badmouth Producer Jon Peters, the world of film would be a better place.)As far as extras go... there's not much. (What did you expect, a commentary?) There are a few Easter Eggs spotlighting bonus moments from the tour. They're nice, but one wonders why they couldn't have just been included in the film itself. You get a few "bonus trailers" as well. My favorite "extra" though, such as it is, is the menus. Before you start the film on each disc, just watch the menus for a few minutes. They're hysterical.All in all, a really good DVD for fans of Kevin Smith. The rest of you probably won't get it anyway -- but you should. Check out his movies, then come back and watch this.

In "An Evening with Kevin Smith," the writer and director of "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" gives an interesting behind-the-scenes insight into movie making, as well as his outrageous views on pop culture.The film is comprised of clips from seminars at universities across the country. In addition to a surprise appearance by his on-screen "hetero life-mate" Jason Mewes, Smith takes questions from the audience consisting of not only university students, but also fans of his movies. The huge size of the audience (some are in the thousands) is a testament to how large the cult following of Kevin Smith actually is.Throughout "Evening" Smith gives the audience a laugh a minute, displaying his natural sense of humor that can be seen in all of his movies. Among the subjects covered are: how he chose Mewes for the part of Jay, and why Smith's character "Silent Bob" is silent? He also discusses how "hurtful" it was when he met his wife, and his appearance on the cover of the pot-legalization magazine "High Times."On a more serious note, Smith talks about his controversial religious film "Dogma", and reveals, among other things, how many death threats he received because of it.Probably the most fascinating parts of "Evening" are when Smith talks about some of the unusual movie projects he has been asked to contribute to. He reveals at great lengths the inside stories on: writing the script for a new "Superman" movie; and the documentary he filmed on pop star Prince that will probably never be seen. He says he did them because he is, in his own words, a "press whore."Finally, he answers the question he gets from his fans probably more than any other: will there be another "Jay and Silent Bob" movie?In conclusion, if you're like me and you are a fan of Kevin Smith's five films, this video is well worth the price. Smith is just as entertaining answering questions as he is in his movies.

Let me make this very clear: if you like Kevin Smith's films, you will really love this DVD. If you don't, I wouldn't recommend it unless you are willing to let a lot of material fly over your head. Kevin spends loads of time talking about the characters and plots of his various films - all of which is interesting and funny - but there's also other stuff which is just gold-dust. His account of how he was drafted in to write a script for a new Superman film is just brilliant: the producer tells him that he must follow these rules: 1) Superman cannot fly, 2) Superman cannot wear his costume, and 3) At some point Superman must fight a giant spider. I challenge anybody not to find this section of the DVD worth its price alone! Almost as good is when he recalls his production of a DVD with the music artist Prince... In fact, forget what I said at the beginning of this review: you HAVE to buy this DVD, whether you're a fan or not.

Brilliant dvd add to my collection.

Bought as gift

Excellent seller, highly recommended! A++++

When you watch this I would advise you to wear some kind of adult diaper as you will pee yourself laughing.