Filmmaker Kevin Smith is the subject of an upcoming feature documentary about his life and career.
Smith, of course, brought us legendary films such as Clerks (and its sequel), Mallrats Chasing Amy, Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He also brought us Jersey Girl, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, but we forgive him for that (it was still better than Gigli, after all).
Fittingly, the documentary is titled Clerk, and its digital release on November 23, 2021 comes as Smith is hard at work on Clerks III, and as he celebrates his 51st birthday. All of the major cast members from the original Clerks films will be returning for the latest sequel, including Jeff Anderson, Brian O’Halloran, Jay Mewes and Smith as Silent Bob, along with Rosario Dawson.
Directed by Malcolm Ingram, Clerk features interviews with Smith’s friends and collaborators (including Mewes) who weigh in on the highs and lows of Smith’s career and personal life, including a near-fatal heart attack in 2018. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Justin Long and Richard Linklater all appear, and the film also includes never-before-seen footage including of George Carlin and Stan Lee.
Smith expressed his excitement at the impending release of the doco after it was picked up by 1091 Pictures. “I’m legit thrilled that 1091 snapped up Malcolm’s masterpiece, Clerk. To say I love this deep-dive documentary into my favourite subject matter is a gross understatement,” he said in a statement.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to assist in distributing this self-promotional piece of propaganda that tells the unlikely Cinder-fella story about a Jersey boy who made that one good movie back in the ’90s – including touring with Malcolm and his movie wherever they’ll welcome the two of us and Clerk. (which is a lot like Clerks, except you leave the S off for Savings)!”
Much of Smith’s early work was financed by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is currently serving 23 years in prison after being convicted of criminal sex acts and rape.
Smith addresses his relationship with Weinstein in the film, explaining that he never would have worked with him had he known that he was a sexual predator.
Speaking to Variety about why he chose to include working with Weinstein in the doco, Smith said, “The Harvey part of the doc was one of the last things that made it into the movie.
“I remember the first pass of the movie. It was wonderful. But there was no mention of him. And there was an idea that maybe the story will be over at that point and does it need to be part of your story? But having watched the doc without any mention of him in it, it felt like — well, whitewashing. It felt like something was missing.
“You can’t tell this fairy tale story without mentioning the monster. And so that interview came afterwards. I think it would be weird if we didn’t mention him.”
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