Silent Bob Speaks: The Collected Writings of Kevin Smith

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Here, at last, is the book his legions of fans have been waiting for. Kevin Smith, the legendary independent film-maker, columnist and cultural commentator, launches himself on an unsuspecting world with a series of hilarious rants on the absurdity of just about everything. Unlike his unforthcoming screen alter-ego Silent Bob, Smith is ready to let rip at maximum volume, whether it be on the madness of Hollywood, 'The Unholy Tale of Greasy Reese Witherspoon', his bloodcurdling hatred of Britney Spears or the highly-sexed comics industry. Along the way we get a shocking insight into the making of Smith's movies, and learn far more than is necessary about his bathroom habits.

Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Don't read this review - just buy the book! March 29, 2005
14 out of 18 found this review helpful

It's a quick read, primarily made up of articles that Kevin wrote for Arena magazine. Definitely worth the $10 Amazon's charging for it. The bit where Kevin interviews Tom Cruise is one of my favorites. Pretty funny stuff - caught my self laughing out loud at just about every story. Oh man, when Ben is telling Kevin's daughter that he's her real father.....

4 out of 5 stars

A Jersey Boy in L.A.... August 16, 2005
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

OK, there are pros and cons to this book. Lets do the cons first. There is no new material in this book - it is a collection of articles that Smith had written for the Internet a number of years ago. The result is that most of the information is hopelessly out-of-date. The reader will not find any new gossip - just old gossip. Also, I don't know if any movie's production needs so much documentation - let alone Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It is unlikely that this book will make it into the annals of Great Literature.

However, on the good side, Kevin Smith is a surprisingly good prose writer. I know from his movies that he can be funny and turn a good phrase through dialogue when he really wants to, but these essays show that, not only does he have the ability to be funny on the printed page, but that he is quite a skilled narrative writer as well - conjuring a scene with a few lines of economic, effective description. Even when describing what he does in the bathroom, Smith is a master of finding le mot juste.

Also - like the nonfiction works of William Goldman - this book provides a look inside Hollywood from a "regular guy's" perspective. Kevin Smith will always view himself as some jerk from New Jersey who got incredibly lucky and fell in with the beautiful people. I can certainly relate to his preference for living in the Garden State and his aversion to life in L.A. - having lived in both places. He is quite willing to dish the dirt like an old lady on Hollywood phonies such as Reese Witherspoon - whom he refers to as "Greasy Reese Witherspoon."

I don't think that this book is for everyone. As in his movies, Smith's basic flaw is his lack of confidence in himself as a writer. It's obvious that he is talented - if he were only more disciplined, or had better editors, he would produce better product. When Smith is desperate to be funny, he will simply be as crude as possible. Still, I like his movies and - as Smith himself acknowledges - many people like HIM, and hence pay money for his stuff. If you are one of the fans of Kevin Smith as a character unto himself, this book is just the thing for you.

5 out of 5 stars

If You "Get" Kevin Smith, Than Get the Book July 10, 2005
8 out of 11 found this review helpful

"Silent Bob Speaks" is a book that any Kevin Smith fan will appreciate. Like his movies, you have to "get" Keven Smith to appreciate "Silent Bob Speaks." Smith is the first to know that Silent Bob's humor doesn't speak to everyone, so he doesn't try to change his ways to appease the masses. Smith is happy conveying his special brand of humor uncensored for those who like it the way it comes out. I highly recommend "Silent Bob Speaks" to fans of Smith's movies. I also recommend "A Long Way Down" and "My Fractured Life."

4 out of 5 stars

Like his movies, mostly hits and few bad jokes... April 24, 2005
6 out of 10 found this review helpful

This not a serious book and Smith himself makes no bones about that. It is filled with the same kind lol jokes that his films are--some dumb--but mostly hilarious. The pieces cover much of his career the last 8 years or so. They are from various sources. With the except of his piece defending Star Wars and his final piece on ComicCon, the book is a great look at Smith. I happen to be big fan of all of his work (even liked Jersey Girl) and the man himself. He is humble, self-effacing, and just damned happy to be where he is. His take on Cruise and Affleck is rare in this media age--he loves these guys and tells us why. He is still a fan. He is also a husband and a father--some of the best stuff in here is about that. And, his essay on New Jersey and his friend Walt was just awesome. No need to nitpick over the few things don't work--the book is great for any big KS fan. Even one like me, who doesn't read comics.

2 out of 5 stars

IT'S JUST OKAY!!!! October 8, 2005
5 out of 11 found this review helpful

I am a huge Kevin Smith fan! I have seen all the films multiple times. The commentary tracks and the documentary materials are often as funny as the movies themselves, as Smith riffs on his cast and his own skills as writer and director. I also own "An Evening With Kevin Smith," a collection of his appearances on college campuses where he talks about his experience in the movie business and answers questions from the audience. That DVD truly showcases Smith's wit and improvisational skills. You would expect that a guy who is so naturally funny and capable of such extemporaneous clever banter with an audience would put out a book which would be a laugh a minute. Not so. First, the book is not truly "new" material. It is a collection of essays he wrote for some magazine years ago. Second, the presentation in this format of collected essays makes this an often disjointed read, as he skips to different subjects of varying interest. Some essays, like casting info on Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back has its humorous moments, as does a funny rant against Reese Witherspoon. At the other end of the spectrum, for example, there is an essay in which he defends the sincerity of the Lopez-Affleck relationship against critics, which only reinforces how clueless he was then about something everyone, not just the jaded critics, knew. I hope in a few years, Smith will release a book similar to Howard Stern's "Private Parts" which will demonstrate how funny he is. Until then, this is a middling effort.

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