Jay and Silent Bob go Animated

Kevin Smith is my god. He is a master storyteller and funnier than Nagy fucking Vegetables. Which is a conflict of interest considering I am opposed to the glamorization of smoking pot and much of his works involve that as a theme. But my favourite of Smith’s Askewniverse characters are Jay and Silent Bob. Such a great character study of contrast.

So when I heard that the Clerks animated feature was shot down with little hope of revival, I was a little disappointed. Then like the rising sun a glimmer of hope as Kevin Smith sets his sights on another franchise to get animated.

MTVMoviesBlog quotes Kevin Smith:

“I own the characters Jay and Silent Bob so, conceivably, we could do it straight-to-DVD animated Bluntman and Chronic or something like that,” he enthused. “I would write it, turn it over to guys that do animation. I wouldn’t be against that at all.”

Either as Jay and Silent Bob or Bluntman and Chronic, I would be buying that day one. I would love to see more of the Bluntman and Chronic world being fleshed out as they mostly just appear as a backstory concept to revolve around in Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and a handful of Trade collections to promote the film. And seeing a big screen animated Cock-Knocker would be beyond funny.

Either way we will be treated to an animated Jay making exaggerated cuss filled tirades of nonsense until that cherry moment when Silent Bob cannot just punctuate the statement with a facial expression that speaks more than words. In that lies the genius of Jay and Silent Bob

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20 thoughts on “Jay and Silent Bob go Animated

  1. nbakid2000, what is it about Smith movies that you are defending? If you personally like them, fine. But why are any of his films since CHASING AMY worth paying any more attention to than all of the other crap comedies churned out by the studios?

  2. EXACTLY but some people apparently need Tarantino style movies every time they view a movie. Every director has his own style – Kevin’s style (as he’s stated) is that he has no style.

  3. If you are debating Kevin Smith’s camera usage skills, perhaps you are missing the point in his movies…

    He makes enjoyable Dick and Fart Joke Comedies, usually with some heart. If you are looking for films with deeper meaning, more power to you, but I (like many people) go to the movies to shut off my brain and be entertained. I get enough reading between the lines following the daily news…

    Even Freud realized that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

  4. That would ACTUALLY be: “there is if you’re a good/great filmmaker”. Expecting anything more from someone who’s shit would be expecting unrealistic things.

    I happen to be sucked into every scene Kevin Smith does, so I don’t consider him what you do – I happen to LOVE his stuff.

    I’m not sure what else you could do with the “37” scene in Clerks besides have a camera filming two people behind a counter.

  5. @nbakid2000
    “there is nothing wrong with taking a camera and fixing it on two people talking”

    there is if you’re a shite filmmaker. I’m not saying KSmith is a shite filmmaker, just that he doesn’t know how to shoot a scene. David Gordon Green nailed it when he called Smith the special olympics of film making. He finishes the race slower but for some reason you clap harder.
    I love An Evening With Kevin Smith part I and really enjoyed Clerks Animated.

  6. It’s not about looking pretty or exciting, it’s about knowing how suck your audience into your scene.
    Tarrantino *cough* Resevior Dogs, opening scene *cough*, people sitting around tables talking about sex. That scene is classic for reasons that go way beyond a circling camera. Tarrantino knows how to block his shots and give his actors elbow room. Check out the films of Howard Hawks.
    There’s a cinematic punch to anything Tarantino shoots, yup Death Proof too.
    So in review; flashy michael bay style camera work in every scene? unnecessary.
    the touch of a great director? always necessary.

  7. It’s nice to have a visual enhancer to the dialogue, I’m not debating that. I totally agree. But in Smith’s movies it’s people sitting around discussing sex. Do we NEED revolving camera shots and what have you? No.

    BTW, he did have that that very nice shot in Clerks II with Dante and Randall arguing (the revolving shot, which VERY MUCH enhanced the scene). But that wasn’t a typical scene either. But no one’s mentioned that yet, have they?

    When I’m watching a scene of two people talking I’m more focusing on the dialogue than whether or not the shot looks pretty and exciting.

  8. No one is debating whether or not Smith is a great director – he’s even said himself he’s not a good one, he just does whatever. But he doesn’t NEED to be. There is nothing wrong with taking a camera and fixing it on two people talking (which is what he does). That is the point this whole thing is about, is whether or not it matters. It doesn’t. What matters in the scene is the dialogue.

    Oh and I love how you brought up Tarantino *cough* Death Proof *cough* Sure it looked nice but did it hold my attention? No. In his other films, sure they looked great, and yes they had great dialogue. But the looking great wasn’t what made the scene good.

  9. @nbakid2000
    “Also, his movies don’t NEED to have great direction, all they are is TALKING. You don’t need great directors for scenes of people sitting at tables talking.”

    You’re way way off dude. Check out Richard Linklater’s work, especially Tape. Check out any Tarrantino flick for that matter. Or Sydney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men. A great director is someone with a sense for great cinema, and they bring it to whatever they shoot.

    Smith is a filmmaker of modest talents.

  10. He IS branching out, he’s doing Red State. Look it up.

    Also, his movies don’t NEED to have great direction, all they are is TALKING. You don’t need great directors for scenes of people sitting at tables talking.

    He’s actually becoming more popular, what with all the TV gigs he’s been getting. Also, if you don’t like him “on the stage” then why don’t you just ignore it. The reason he’s “on the stage” is because people apparently LIKE him and want more of him.

    When you actually know what you’re talking about, then come back and debate whether Kevin deserves what he has or doesn’t.

  11. “Dont see where all the love comes from tho, Clerks 2 was horribly overrated and he’s a decent director at best.”

    I agree that Clerks 2 was horribly overrated, one of the my most disappointing movies in the past few years but I do think that he’s a really good director- But I think that in a lot of ways he caught (willingly or unwillingly) in a kind of character directing (as in character actors) where he’s kind of stuck always doing on kind of movie. Well- one or two, there’s the crude nerd comedy or the odd romance. Anyway I like him as a director- I do wish he would branch and/or hollywood would give him more of a chance, whatever the case may be.

  12. Yeah, that’s about what I said. What, again? Look, Smith had his shot at animated glee but network meddling took him down a peg. Frankly, I’ve had enough Kevin Smith. His glory days are long since past and it’s about damn time he shut up and got off the stage. Look, back when “Mallrats” was just hitting theatres and it was actually “cool” to know who the hell he was, that was one thing. But he’s been banging this same drum for the last ten years or more and it’s a wonder it hasn’t broken in the middle yet. Get me something ORIGINAL from Smith and I’ll be prepared to give him a chance.

  13. Brodie: Oh my God. Don’t tell me you have no idea there’s a movie being made of the comic you two were the basis for.
    Jay: What? Since when?
    Brodie: See, here’s the pulse. And this is your finger, far away from the pulse, jammed straight up your ass. Say, would you like a chocolate covered pretzel?

    Kevin Smith has to be on of my favorite directors. This brings a big smile to my face.

  14. LOL!! I actually bought the CLERKS animated tv series on dvd. IN my opinion the best thing smith did. Dont see where all the love comes from tho, Clerks 2 was horribly overrated and he’s a decent director at best.

    But Jay and Silent Bob are cool characters and I wouldnt be against buyin a Bluntman and Chronic animated movie. Its something funny to watch while high….but genius…..not so much. Nothin better than Jay smokin pot and cursin and whole lot, Jason Mewes is hilarious. The “jungle love” song he did in Strikes Back was funny.

  15. Personally, I really enjoyed the short-lived animated tv show. The one where Judge Reainhold kept dreaming that Eddie Murphy came for him and they kept putting bannanas in tailpipes was classic.

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