An Askew View 2: The Films of Kevin Smith

An Askew View #1

by John Kenneth Muir

In the year 2002, An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith was the first book to gaze at the cinema of one of New Jersey's favorite sons, the independent and controversial auteur of Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). Now, a full decade after that successful original edition, award-winning author John Kenneth Muir returns to the View Askewniverse to consider Kevin Smith's second controversial decade as a film director, social gadfly, and beloved media "talker." From Jersey Girl (2004) to the controversial Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), from the critically derided Cop-Out (2010) to the incendiary and provocative horror film Red State (2011), An Askew View 2 studies the Kevin Smith movie equation as it exists today, almost two full decades after Smith maxed out his credit card, made Clerks with his friends, shopped it at Sundance, and commenced his Hollywood journey. In addition to Kevin Smith's films, An Askew View 2 remembers the short-lived Clerks cartoon (2000) and diagrams the colorful Smith Lexicon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film, Biography

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

John Kenneth Muir (born 1969) is an American literary critic. He has written as of 2023 thirty two books, many in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres. He has been described as one of the horror genre's "most widely read critics", and as an "accomplished film journalist". He is the creator of the 2023 audio drama Enter the House Between, as well as the new novellas based on the series.

Reviews

[Matthew Pennell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting insights into the making of Kevin Smith's first few movies, although on occasion the author lets his own fanboy-ism get the better of him.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great overview of Kevin Smith's movies, up to Jersey Girl.

[Rathan Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many info. A little snobbish at some very small sections but whatevs. It stops with "Jersey Girl" being in production but the enormous amount of info with the "Clerks II" DVD makes up for that.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too much unnecessary info. Also, the author has a hard time finding anything bad to say.,