Kevin Smith Movies (CLERKS III @ SDCC)

Rusty Cunt wrote:My situational awareness is severely lacking. LOL!

Tyger wrote:I finally watched Tusk last week. I'm not sure what I think of it. I don't hate or love it.

Kevin Smith has wrapped production on “Hollyweed,” a half-hour comedy produced by FremantleMedia North America and StarStream Media, Variety has learned.

The project, written, directed by and starring Smith, is set in a Los Angeles cannabis dispensary. It follows two potheads, played by Smith and Donnell Rawlings (“Chappelle’s Show”), who battle a neighboring cookie magnate played by Kristin Bauer van Straten (“True Blood”) and enlist the help of a charming porn star played by Frankie Shaw (“Mr. Robot”), to help them navigate the ups and downs of managing a small business in their quest for profits and the perfect bud.

The half-hour episode was shot on spec with financing from FremantleMedia and five firms with ties to the booming cannabis industry: Weedmaps.com, a social media community for medicinal marijuana users; G-Pen (Grenco Science), a manufacturer of portable vaporizers; DNA Genetics, a pot seed company; ACME Elixirs, an organic cannabis oil company; and RAW, maker of RAW Natural Rolling Papers.

Smith and FremantleMedia opted to shoot the project on spec because there are a number of pot-based projects in the works at present. The partners intend to shop the completed episode to TV buyers in the near future. It may be sold as a one-off or as a pilot for a potential series, depending on the level of interest. The sponsor financing gives FremantleMedia some flexibility in that regard. It’s not entirely clear how active the cannabis firms will be in the production going forward should the project land a mainstream TV home as a series.

The unconventional path to production for “Hollyweed” is in keeping with Smith’s reputation as a showbiz maverick.

“When I wrote ‘Clerks,’ I wrote the role of Randal to play myself. But as we got close to shooting, I got scared and chickened out of trying to act with dialogue, opting to play Silent Bob instead,” Smith said. “Two decades later, the universe, StarStream and FremantleMedia are giving me the chance to play a clerk with dialogue that I wrote. The fact that it’s a dispensary instead of a convenience store makes it even better.”

The show also features appearances by Adam Brody, Chloe Dworkin, Jason Mewes, Hina Abdullah, Ralph Garman and Pete Pietrangeli, as well as Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, who plays his character’s daughter.

“Hollyweed” exec producers include Smith, StarStream’s Pietrangeli, Kim Leadford and Dan McCarney, as well as Jana Edelbaum and Rachel Cohen. Liz Destro and Jordan Monsanto headed up production.

AMC said today that it has ordered a late-night talk show to be hosted by filmmaker/fanboy Kevin Smith and Heroes alum and Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor Greg Grunberg. The 30-minute Geeking Out (working title) will take a timely look at pop culture through a fanboy lens and feature talk, clips, celebrity interviews and out-of-the-studio segments.

The show is expected to premiere with a special episode covering San Diego’s Comic-Con in late July, with eight more episodes to run weekly starting in late summer. Matador Content and The Weinstein Company are producing in association with Bandwagon Media.

“Kevin and Greg are both true fans of this content and share a deep passion for talking about it and engaging other fans about it,” said Joel Stillerman, President of Original Programming and Development for AMC and SundanceTV. “But it is their natural chemistry as hosts that really brings this idea together. As part of our growing non-fiction slate, we wanted to create a broadly entertaining venue for hardcore fans and general viewers where we can break down all things fanboy on a weekly basis, and we wanted to bring those fans great interviews and exclusive looks into the world of fanboy culture.”

“AMC has been my TV family for five seasons of ‘Comic Book Men’ now, so I know that ‘Geeking Out’ is in the perfect, fan-friendly network hands,” said Smith, who also praised Grunberg’s nerd bonafides. “And to make it even more of a family affair, ‘Geeking Out’ lets me work with the Weinsteins again – the two guys who started my career 22 years ago! I’m lucky to be working at all, let alone working with friends and family on a dream show where all we do is talk about all the media that makes us moist!”

Grunberg similarly lauded the show’s friends and family connections. “I get all my work from my friends. Now it’s time for me to take advantage of those relationships even more,” said Grunberg. “I am going to get every single genre-based writer, director and actor I know to come on our show and geek out with us. And they’re going to thank me for it. I love how Kevin Smith smells and we fit together like two hibernating fan-bears.”

The newly launched Invincible Pictures has landed the distribution rights for the horror/comedy Yoga Hosers (review, the latest film from writer/director/actor Kevin Smith. They will be releasing the film in theaters on July 29th, although a few cities will see the movie in advance via a tour with Smith. The dates for that can be seen below, courtesy of Variety.

This news comes just after Smith found out that the film, originally rated R, had been bumped down to a PG-13 rating for unknown reasons.

The description of the film is rather…interesting. The site writes that Harley Quinn Smith and Lily Rose-Depp, “…play 15-year-old yoga enthusiasts who hate their after-school jobs at a Manitoba convenience store. They team with Depp’s manhunter character to battle an ancient evil.”

The movie additionally stars Austin Butler, Tyler Posey, Ralph Garman, Jason Mewes and Johnny Depp, who reprises his role as “Guy Lapointe” from 2014’s Tusk.


Tour dates:

6/1 – New Orleans, LA at the Joy Theater
6/2 – Ponte Vedra, FL at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
6/6 – Houston, TX at The Houston Improv
6/12 – Columbus, OH at Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse
7/8 – Durham, NC at The Carolina Theatre
7/12 – San Jose, CA at The Improv
7/17 – San Francisco, CA at Cobbs Comedy Club

Rusty Cunt wrote:So I finally got around to watching Yoga Hosers. Well, the first 60 minutes so far.

Very hard to watch. Much like Tusk, the idea was better than the execution.

WyldeMan wrote:

Nothing about this trilogy reminds me of a Kevin Smith movie, nor do they have any replayablity.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I hated Tusk so there was no way I was gonna check this out. The trailer was enough. Whatever this trilogy is, it's not for me.

Rusty Cunt wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:I hated Tusk so there was no way I was gonna check this out. The trailer was enough. Whatever this trilogy is, it's not for me.

It's his "True North" trilogy. Essentially 3 films set in Canada.

The third film is why I'm here. It's called Moose Jaws. It's Jaws, but with a moose

UltimateMarvel wrote:This shit makes no sense. If it's better than Tusk and Yoga Hosers though, I'll check it out.

WyldeMan wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:This shit makes no sense. If it's better than Tusk and Yoga Hosers though, I'll check it out.

Better? They're intentionally made to be very shitty movies.

Rusty wrote:I posted that in the TV Watched Recently thread the other day.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has confirmed that the upcoming “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” film is scheduled to begin shooting in November.

The film sees the titular duo (played by Jason Mewes and Smith) learning that “Bluntman and Chronic,” the film made about them in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” is set to be rebooted. They drive across country to stop filming once again, just like they did in the first film.

Smith, speaking during his annual ‘An Evening With Kevin Smith’ panel at Comic-Con, says fans should expect similar cameos from the first film and has confirmed three regulars from “The Flash” – actors Grant Gustin, Carlos Valdes, and Tom Cavanagh – will all appear.

WyldeMan wrote:Maybe it's Jay and Silent Bob Get a Reboot.

I don't think it will be a superhero movie, he already directs Flash and Supergirl on tv and he's said multiple times that he loves going to superhero movies but he's not talented enough to make them himself but then again Kevin's word isn't reallt worth all that much in regards to his projects so I'm skeptical at best.

Whatever happened to Hit Somebody, Moose Jaws or the Mallrats series? I know Anderson tanked Clerks III but dammit, so many broken dreams already.

It was one of the most creatively satisfying experiences of my life.”

Five years ago, Kevin Smith ventured into the body-horror genre with Tusk, a wacky (and kinda wonderful) film wherein the late Michael Parks turns Justin Long into…well, a walrus.

Love it or hate it, Tusk was the film that reignited Smith’s passion for filmmaking, allowing him to take off any creative shackles and let his wildest (and highest) impulses fly free. In celebration of the 5-year anniversary of the film’s release, Smith has taken to YouTube to share a brand new making-of documentary, packed with never-seen behind the scenes footage.

3 CLERKS! Thanks to the good folks at @leeloomultiprops, I got to see Randal! #JeffAnderson, @jaymewes, and I spent Saturday signing stuff and catching up, seeing so much movie merch that’s been made over the last 25 years (hit the Leloo site for sweet signed skateboards)! But even better than that? We talked about making a movie together. It’ll be a movie that concludes a saga. It’ll be a movie about how you’re never too old to completely change your life. It’ll be a movie about how a decades-spanning friendship finally confronts the future. It’ll be a movie that brings us back to the beginning - a return to the cradle of civilization in the great state of #newjersey. It’ll be a movie that stars Jeff and @briancohalloran, with me and Jay in supporting roles. And it’ll be a movie called CLERKS III! To be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return. And we’re all gonna return to the scene of the crime! This won’t be the old script we almost made a few years back: this is a completely new screenplay that I just started writing last night! And so far, it’s like a dream come true! After mending fences with @benaffleck earlier this year, I was hoping for a chance to do the same with Jeff - so huge thanks to Leeloo Multiprops for getting us all in the same room. But the biggest thanks ever go to Jeff, for being receptive to the idea at all. This means I’m gonna get to play with my two favorite inaction figures again: Dante & Randal! Two weeks from the debut of @jayandsilentbob Reboot (on @fathomevents screens 10/15 & 10/17, link in my bio), I’m ecstatic to announce our imminent return to Quick Stop! So I assure you: we’re open!

Rusty wrote:Clerks III is back on. For now. Kevin patched things up with Jeff (Randall) over the weekend, and he's agreed to do it. Kev's writing a new script.

CLERKS III SHOOTS NEXT MONTH!!!
There is a line in the Tao that goes...
“To be great is to go on.
To go on is to go far.
To go far is to return.”
My birthday is August 2. And @lionsgate just gave me the best gift I could ever ask for: the money to make another sequel to my debut film! Dante! Randal! Jay! Silent Bob! Becky! Elias! Veronica! Emma! The characters from both Clerks and Clerks II return with me to the scene of the crime at the little store that started it all: Leonardo’s legendary @quickstopgroceries! @briancohalloran, #jeffanderson, @jaymewes, @rosariodawson, @marilynghigliotti, @jenschwalbach, and #trevorfehrman are ready to remind folks that just because they serve you, doesn’t mean they like you. In the story this time, I give Randal the heart attack that almost killed me. But rather than succumb to the reality of middle age, Randal rages against the dying light by telling the story of his life in an indie film he shoots with his fellow clerks at Quick Stop! 27 years ago, I made a movie about Dante and Randal that made my dreams come true and changed my life - so now I get to return the favor! Big thanks to producers @jordanmonsanto and @destrofilms for putting it all together, and to #lionsgate for believing in the flick! Wanna wear your excitement for Clerks III on your chest? We’re selling t-shirts to commemorate the big occasion at @jayandsilentbobstash! Join us over at #thatkevinsmithclub to see exclusive behind-the-scenes, making-of videos all summer long! It took awhile to get here and oftentimes it felt like we’d never enjoy this moment. Passion is key to any creative endeavor, but patience and persistence are just as essential. And now, for the first time since the first time I ever made a movie in 1993, I’ll be shooting an entire feature film in the cradle of civilization - the great state of #newjersey! This is dream-come-true country, Kids! In 2019, we revisited the #viewaskewniverse with @jayandsilentbob Reboot; but in 2022, I assure you, the #askewniverse is reopened for business! #KevinSmith #clerks3 #lionsgatefilms.

Rusty wrote:Clerks III as a go. He now has funding.

EXCLUSIVE: 1091 Pictures has acquired rights to Clerk, the Malcolm Ingram-directed feature documentary about the life and career of filmmaker (and many other things) Kevin Smith. The pic, which had its premiere in March at SXSW, will now get a digital release November 23.

The news comes as Smith celebrates his 51st birthday Monday, which happens to be the same day he begins production on Clerks III, the long-in-the-works sequel to his self-funded 1994 indie smash that launched his career as a writer-director, actor, comic book guru, podcaster, producer and TV host. As Deadline broke last month, Lionsgate has worldwide rights to Clerks III, which includes all of the major cast member from the original including Jeff Anderson, Brian O’Halloran, Jay Mewes and Smith as Silent Bob, along with Rosario Dawson.

As for Clerk, Mewes is among those interviewed to weigh in on the peaks and pitfalls of Smith’s career, joined by fellow collaborators and friends including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Justin Long and Richard Linklater and including never-before-seen footage including of George Carlin and Stan Lee.

“I’m legit thrilled that 1091 snapped up Malcolm’s masterpiece, Clerk. To say I love this deep-dive documentary into my favorite subject matter is a gross understatement,” Smith said. “And I’m stoked that this inspirational little flick has been 1091’ed! Clerk couldn’t have found a better home than with the same folks who made The Last Blockbuster such an undeniable success. I’ll be doing everything I can to assist in distributing this self-promotional piece of propaganda that tells the unlikely Cinder-fella story about a Jersey boy who made that one good movie back in the ’90s – including touring with Malcolm and his movie wherever they’ll welcome the two of us and Clerk. (which is a lot like Clerks, except you leave the S off for Savings)!”

The Clerk deal was negotiated by Marc H. Simon of Fox Rothschild LLP on behalf of the filmmakers and 1091 manager of film distribution Emma Manfredi.

“We are big fans of Kevin’s work, so we couldn’t be more excited to play a part in telling his story through Clerk,” Manfredi said. “Malcolm’s film has something for everyone to enjoy.”

First ‘Clerks 3’ Image Shows the Cast Back at the Register of the Quick Stop

In the recent issue of Vanity Fair, fans of Kevin Smith's Clerks franchise got to see a first look image of the third movie in the series. It's appropriately identical to the first look image from Clerks 2, featuring the four main characters from the second movie — Elias (Trevor Fehrman), Dante (Brian O'Halloran), Becky (Rosario Dawson), and Randall (Jeff Anderson) — standing shoulder-to-shoulder. While the image for Clerks 2 showed the group at the Mooby's restaurant, this new image shows the four in front of the counter at the Quick Stop that they now own. The three men are wearing Quick Stop uniforms, while Dawson is seen modeling a zip-up Mooby's track top and a blue tank top underneath.

Clerks 3 will be going to be an emotional journey for fans of the original movie - not just for its nostalgia, but for the fact that it shows the main characters they fell in love with 27 years ago taking a huge step forward in life. Not only are they the masters of their own destiny as owners of the business that they work in, but the movie will take a meta turn.

The plot centers around Randall instead of Dante this time, and focuses on his desire to pursue his dream of making a movie about the day-to-day experiences of the Quick Stop employees. All of this comes about after Randall experiences a life-threatening heart attack - similar to the heart attack that Smith experienced in real life back in 2018. In speaking to Vanity Fair, Smith said, "We take Randal, a motherfucker who wears cynicism on his sleeve, and we turn him into a dreamer.”

In talking with Vanity Fair, Smith said, “The film is predicated on the idea that Randal survives a heart attack, a massive heart attack, quite like I did, and then winds up, you know, deciding that he’s wasted his life.” Smith continues, “But before he dies he wants to memorialize himself. He wants to make a movie. So our boys essentially wind up making Clerks.” Despite Clerks 3 being in color, Randall's movie will be in black-and-white, just like the original Clerks. Smith says, “That allows us to reshoot so many of the key moments from Clerks in their movie. Randal’s movie is called Inconvenience.”

By following the usually carefree Randall, we see a character who is now worried that life isn't what he wanted it to be. “Suddenly, you know, Peter Pan realizes that he ain’t gonna live forever,” Smith says. “Life is short, and time is short, and he’s not guaranteed much of that anymore.”

Smith also talked about how Clerks 3 follows up the supposedly ideal ending of Clerks 2:

   “In the last shot they’re in the store that they now own, masters of their own destiny, and as we pull back, it goes from color back to black and white because, you know, you have to be careful what you wish for. Those dudes are like, ‘Yeah, man, now we own the store!’ But they’re still at the store. And when we pick up 15 years later, they’re still at the store…. It’s all disrupted with the heart attack.”

Yet like Randall, it seems that Smith also has regrets, as he wishes he had made even more Clerks movies over the years. “I wish this was Clerks 19. I wish I’d been doing this the whole fucking time, man,” Smith says. “These characters are so close to my heart, and finally letting them take the journey that they sent me on is a big deal for me. Without Dante and Randal, I’m not where I am.”

Smith also says of the series so far, “I love it so much, but the problem with Clerks II is it’s pure artifice to a large degree." Smith continued, “Clerks was based solely on reality. I woke up, I went to that store; crazy people came in; kids hung out outside and sold drugs; I had a friend who worked next door. All of it was very autobiographical. Clerks II is completely fabricated, right down to the fact that I never even worked in fast food." Yet after Clerks II, Smith states that Clerks III is a "return to form."

Clerks 3 is currently filming, although no word when Smith's latest trip down memory lane will be released.

1091 Pictures has debuted a trailer for “Clerk”, an immersive behind-the-scenes documentary examining the life and career of indie filmmaking and cultural icon Kevin Smith.

Featuring never before seen interviews with friends, family, filmmaking peers, and icons of the film, comedy, and comic worlds, the November 23 digital release features Smith, Scott Mosier, Jason Mewes, Stan Lee, Justin Long, Penn Jillette, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and more.