An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith

An Askew View #1

by John Kenneth Muir

(Applause Books). When Clerks opened at cinemas across the country in 1994, it took everyone, especially the film industry, by surprise. Filmed on a shoestring budget after hours at a convenience store, it was crude (in technique and language), realistic and, above all, hilarious. The movie's nationwide success helped launch the indepedent film boom of the 1990s and catapulted its director, Kevin Smith, to full-fledged stardom. Smith's work is explored in An Askew View , the first ever study of his films. John Kenneth Muir examines all of Smith's movies. including Mallrats , Chasing Amy , and the hugely controversial and variously interpreted Dogma . Muir discusses Smith's themes and obsessions in his New Jersey boosterism, the cast of characters that pop in and out of all of his films, and the references to Star Wars and other icons of pop culture. An Askew View is a fascinating and detailed history of the art of this visionary filmmaker, New Jersey's favorite local-boy-makes-good since Bruce Springsteen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film, Biography

242 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.,