Director Kevin Smith on Selling Out and Salty Language

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. - 1 Corinthians 13:11

I'm upstairs at Kevin Smith's house, putting a fresh videotape into my camcorder. We've already shot an hour of interview footage and Smith is attempting to hold a thought in his head while I'm doing the tape swap.

"You know, you caught me at an interesting moment", he says. "I don't have anything to promote and I have a lot on my mind." Even though he's one of the most self-deprecating people you're ever likely to meet, Smith isn't exaggerating. The dude has a lot on his mind.

Thirty-eight years old and admittedly already successful on his own terms beyond his wildest dreams, Kevin Smith is at a crossroads. News leaked last week that he's on tap to direct his first major studio release - Warner Brother's upcoming Bruce Willis / Tracy Morgan starrer A Couple Of Cops. It's also the first film that Smith didn't write the script for, which has already started conjecture among his intense, talkative fan base that it might not count as a 'real' Kevin Smith movie.

That very fan base, forged on Smith's own ViewAskew.com message boards going back to the mid-1990s, is also very much on Smith's mind lately. Smith has made himself uniquely available to his fans for a long time, which has also made him available to his detractors. He read it all and often would engage, answer and sometimes argue.

Sometime right after the theatrical release last year of Smith's Seth Rogen starrer Zack And Miri Make A Porno, the back and forth with Smith lovers and haters became too much for him. He went through a 'weird period' where he stopped blogging, stopped reading the endless stream of opinion about himself, and dropped 30 pounds.

Then a few weeks ago, Smith resurfaced for a Toronto film festival devoted to his 'Askewiverse" films; the six interconnected movies with interweaving characters and plotlines that includes Smith classics like Clerks and Chasing Amy. Rewatching and discussing the films with an audience seems to have provided Smith with an odd sort of serenity about his decision to move past his comfort zone as a filmmaker and try new things.

So, when word got out last week that Smith was going to be directing what appeared to be to a buddy cop movie with Diehard's Willis and 30 Rock's Morgan, it set small, predictable choruses into motion, with questions about whether he'd sold out, given up, or had run out of ideas. Never mind that the Robb and Marc Cullen script (originally titled A Couple Of Dicks) had been on the infamous 'Black List' of great unproduced screenplays or that Smith had already started stretching last year by directing the pilot for the CW network TV show Reaper or that Smith has worked with both Willis and Morgan before.

As this short excerpt from my interview with Smith shows, even at an early stage of development, Smith is bringing his indie film education at the feet of Miramax's Bob and Harvey Weinstein to the game with him.

Click here to watch the full 12 minute interview segment.

Warning: Kevin Smith sometimes uses curse words!

To see more segments from the Kevin Smith interview, subscribe to Lee Stranahan's YouTube channel

Comments

[SillyGit]

Thank you Lee, excellent interview with Kevin.

I look forward to this film since I'm certain it will be a blast. It's a shame they couldn't keep the original title.

[avraamjack]

If Jay shows up with chronic, it will be a good movie.
.

[IronValkyrie]

Perhaps Mr. Smith simply wants to take a break from his own work and do something fresh, that didn't come from his brain. I know a couple writers who often jump into the others fictional worlds for a break from their own to clear their heads.

Before people accuse Mr. Smith of selling out, perhaps they should remember why they are his fans to begin with. For myself, it's because I've always enjoyed his directorial style, and his enjoyable scripting.

As entertainers go, he at least still remembers what it means to actually focus on entertaining.

Good to have you back with us, Mr. Smith.

[3fingerbrown]

Good post. Nice combo of words and video. My takeaway: The ratings system is infantile; and, I'd never fault an artist like Smith for wanting to make some good money--the people quickest to yell "sell out!" are usually the ones with nothing to sell.

[icastico]

It seems to me, once an artist has decided to make a living with their art, they have "sold out."

After that, it is all a matter of degree and arbitrary.

Many many artists fund their art with work as a "craftsman." My favorite example of this is John Sayles. Taking a job to make some money that allows you to do another project is not "selling out." I mean do struggling artists who take a day need to be admonished for "selling out?"

[Turtleposer]

Absolutely. I'm never going to begrudge a person a paycheck. He's proven himself as a director, he can do what he wants.