Fans of Kevin Smith's films know he's enough of a fan himself to
include more extras with his films than actual film. Dialogue's his
strongest point, and his commentary tracks show that his humour isn't
just the product of fanatical rewrites - he's just as funny when
talking spontaneously.
With this puerile yet good natured humour in mind, it's nice to see
him finally dispense with the whole pretense of actually writing a
film and just ramble in front of live audiences for a few hours. I
don't mean to use the term ramble as an insult, either - this is
rambling of the highest order, right up there with Eddie Izzard's.
An Evening With Kevin Smith is billed as an insightful look into his
writing process and directing techniques. While you do get to hear
about a few of his influences, like his gay brother and his Catholic
upbringing, this video is much closer to stand-up comedy. While
this probably won't please the parents of the students who attended
the Q&A sessions, it makes for good entertainment.
Amongst the better parts of this video are Smith's anecdotes about
various people in the industry, from producer John Peters and his
fixation with giant spiders to Prince and his video to promote
Jehovah's Witnesses.
Considering that this seems to have ended up in bargain bins, it
really shouldn't be missed if you like his films - it's three and a
half hours' worth of what essentially amounts to Kevin Smith dialogue
without the restraint of having to be wrapped around a plot. If you
like his juvenile humour, watch this. If not, don't.