Kevin Smith has been talking a lot lately. Mostly defending his last film (the atrocious Cop Out) as well as calling for the ridding of film critics as we know them. But also, actually talking about projects.
He spoke to The Boston Phoenix and said "Red State is done. Next step is the hockey movie, Hit Somebody. Then I’m done. There’s possibly a Clerks 3. If I have something to say in my late 40s about being in my late 40s, I’ll think of (Clerks') Dante and Randal. Shy of that, I don’t have any more movies I want to make." Needless to say this quote shook fanboys to their very core, as rumours spread of Smith's retirement. But the director responded to Slashfilm.com in his usual, wordy manner: "I’ve always said (since CLERKS, even) that I’ve got about ten films in me (that info might even be on my Wikipedia page). And COP OUT notwithstanding (solely because I didn’t write it), HIT SOMEBODY is the 10th film I’ve got in me. At this moment in time, I’ve got no other flicks I wanna make. The musing about a possible return visit to the View Askewniverse with a third CLERKS is something I’ve been doing since CLERKS II, but I’ve always opened said musings with the disclaimer "If I ever wanna make a flick about being in my 40′s, I’ll think of Dante and Randal first." There are no concrete plans for a CLERKS III." He also took another shot at journalists, describing the retirement quote as "Not news so much as another sad example of how f**king lazy movie press has become: they cannibalize stories by other writers just to have something to post on their own blogs."
I have genuinely liked every one of Kevin Smith's films - up until Cop Out. I think he's a smart, funny writer and a solid director of actors. But his response to criticism, however harsh, is nothing short of petty. I hate hardcore fanboys as much as the next non-virgin, but c'mon, Kev, stick to what you're good at. Speaking of which, Smith is planning on selling Red State "auction style" at Sundance.
Follow Mike on Twitter
