Last Trip to Jersey

I saw two movies on Saturday, Ghost World and Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back. A very bizarre combination, but neither of them were disappointing. This is just a short break from the script reviews, which we'll be back with shortly.

My Review of Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back

I hate to admit it, but I only became a Kevin Smith fan on video. I had never seen one of his movie on the big screen till last night. In what's going to be a controversial issue I'm sure, my favorite View Askew flick is Mallrats. I loved Clerks and Chasing Amy. As for Dogma, forget it. But Mallrats has always had a special place in my heart. I have seen it over ten times and still makes me laugh hysterically.

We begin the last movie with a flashback to the first meeting between the two leads Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Cut to the present, where Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are still working their CLERKS job. After catching the duo selling drugs to kids and insulting the clerks, Randal decides to have them busted and put on a restraining order. With them banned from their usual spot, the duo decides to crash at Brodie's (Jason Lee) Comic-Book shop. He tells them the shocking news that a movie based on their fictional characters of Bluntman and Chronic will be made into a movie by Miramax. Having not seen a dime of the money from the movie rights, they find Holden (Ben Affleck) and ask him why. He apparently sold the rights to the comic-book to his partner Banky (Jason Lee from Chasing Amy). He also shows the internet to the guys, where a movie news website and their 'Talk-Back' members are blasting the upcoming production. Being pissed off by that, the duo embarks on a cross-country road trip to stop the production.

Where to begin? This movie is extremely hilarious, much funnier then American Pie 2 or Rat Race. Probably the funniest picture of the Jersey films. Once again, Kevin Smith wrote a great script with his typical pop-culture references. The film spoofs Hollywood so much, that I fear that regular moviegoers might not understand all the jokes. As for his direction, Smith showed great skills and surprising good style for the first time. Let's hope he continues on that way with his next project.

Jason Mewes steals this movie from the opening scene. The loud-mouth teenage wannabe is so funny it hurts. Kevin Smith has very few dialogs, as one would expect but his comedic timing is perfect. It sucks to think, that is the last time we'll see these two guys together. Will Ferrell as the imbecile wildlife marshal is okay. I saw The Ladies Man a few weeks back and he was much funnier in that one then in this film. A shame, cause this guy kills me every Saturday night. A goddess among men, Shannon Elizabeth was a delight. How HOT is this woman? From her cameo in American Pie 2 to this, it's like night and day. She's going to become the next Cameron Diaz, remember that.

Let's talk about the cameos, so I'm yelling SPOILERS: Very funny stuff from Dante and Randal at the beginning. Very weird to see the Clerks in color after the black and white movie and the cartoon series. Jason Lee is very funny in his three cameo appearances. His first one as Brodie was my favorite. He offers chocolate covered pretzels to the boys and blast them for not reading Wizard Magazine. Vintage MallRats moment! As Banky later in the film, he's okay nothing very funny. George Carlin is disgusting. It setup a few hundreds gay jokes that are half funny, half boring. Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill have very good appearances. The girls (Ali Larter, Eliza Dushku and Kevin Smith's wife) are allright. Larter and Dushku are mean bitches (to quote Jay) but Shannon Elizabeth saves the Charlie's Angels wannabe group. An unrecognizable Judd Nelson makes a weird/funny turn as the Utah Sheriff. I had no idea it was him till the credits at the end. Here's the list of fake movies being made: Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season, Scream 4? and Daredevil. The rehab Affleck is insane as Holden in the beginning of the film. The mocked GWH2 shoot was the best scene of the movie. 'Think of the money.' Van Sant counting his money, Damon and Affleck ripping each other's film choices. Finally, James Van Der Beek and Jason Biggs put the icing on the cake. I won't spoil that one... END SPOILERS

If you like Kevin Smith films, you're crazy if you miss this one. If you don't, get the hell out of this column.

Stay tuned...

That's all folks...

Jean-François Allaire (aka DeadPool)

Questions, comments, praises etc. Email me at deadpool@tnmc.org

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Jean-François Allaire is TNMC's first columnist. At only 24 years old he has become a respected entertainment journalist, with his columns appearing in such major websites as Corona's Coming Attractions and Scr(i)pt magazine. Hailing from Montreal this young writer is determined to dig up all the details on the movies before they hit your local theater. If you're part of a movie production then you really need to be talking to him.