Rating: 
Summary: Great for the Kevin Smith fan
Review: Fans of Kevin Smith have long known he does some of the most entertaining, informative commentaries you can get on a DVD. Well, look at this new two-disc set as being all commentary, and you won't be disappointed.Last year, film crews followed Smith as he made a tour of several college campuses, conducting his now-famous Q&A lectures. Over the course of the two discs, Smith talks for two hours about his adventures in the film industry, his friendships, his marriage, his family -- you name it, he dishes the dirt. Have you ever wondered what happened to the script he wrote for a Superman movie some years ago? The story is here. Heard about the documentary he was going to make for Prince? It's here. Wonder how he met and fell in love with his wife? It's here too. And every minute of it is as entertaining as anything you've ever seen on DVD. Smith doesn't try to hog the spotlight -- Jason "Jay" Mewes joins him at one point, and he frequently engages audience members in conversations that elevate them almost to the level of co-stars. Smith isn't worried about burning bridges, either -- he dishes the dirt on a few people, but it's a few people he clearly never wants to deal with again. (Now if we could just get everybody else in Hollywood to make DVDs where they badmouth Producer Jon Peters, the world of film would be a better place.) As far as extras go... there's not much. (What did you expect, a commentary?) There are a few Easter Eggs spotlighting bonus moments from the tour. They're nice, but one wonders why they couldn't have just been included in the film itself. You get a few "bonus trailers" as well. My favorite "extra" though, such as it is, is the menus. Before you start the film on each disc, just watch the menus for a few minutes. They're hysterical. All in all, a really good DVD for fans of Kevin Smith. The rest of you probably won't get it anyway -- but you should. Check out his movies, then come back and watch this.
Rating: 
Summary: 4 hours of great Stories! A must buy
Review: Each disc contains 2 hours (4 hours total) of straight Q&A between the students and Kevin. Kevin "whity satirical dialog" often leads into hilarious stories of his personal and professional experiences. His stories about Prince, Superman reborn, meeting his wife, meeting Jay for the first time, PTA, protesting Dogma, and Jay's porn career are classics. The editing did a good job of cutting out many of the questions that have been answered in Kevin's many interviews. Parts of these stories have been heard before but here they are presented with much more depth and detail. The lack of dvd extras was a let down. And only 1 Easter egg found so far. Unlike Kevin's movies this disc may not lead repeat viewing for most viewers. This DVD is a must for Kevin Smith fans.
Rating:
Summary: Funy Funny Funny
Review: I liked this spotlight on Kevin Smith. There are some things that I didn't like about it. Lets start with the positive first ....... This is a very open and far spread interview (from his fans)with Kevin Smith which made a very funny a personal film. This also had some very witty views on his films (coming from Kevin and the fans that ask the questions). Everything that would be expected from Kevin and everything that wouldn't be expected. The story telling was simply great. I could not stop laughing !!!!!!!
The negative is the editing job on this was horrid. It drove me nuts!!!! They skipped from college to college with no segways.The audio and camera work was even kind of shotty in places but not enough to kill the mood. I think that Sony/Columbia could have found a better team to put this together. It seemed the J.M. Kenny was way over his head with this project or just didn't know what what to do as far as directing. The last thing is that they left the ending of the first DVD open. What happened after being asked to leave the stage? They never go back to that on the second DVD.
It is worth the money but you may want to watch a few of his films first to understand what is being talked about(in some places). It is truely a must have for a View Askew fan.
Rating:
Summary: An Evening Well-Spent
Review: This peek into the View Askewniverse and mind of Kevin Smith is one wild ride. If you find Smith's movies funny, you'll find yourself with side pains during this. Sure, there are few bonus features on the 2-disc set, but that's because all the bonus features were already included in the program itself. Whatever happened to the Superman script Kevin was working on? What's up with Magnolia Fan? Does Kevin think he's going to go to Hell for writing Dogma? Is Jason Mewes gay? All these questions and more (much more) are answered in this candid look at Q&A sessions from several different colleges with the master himself. Any Kevin Smith fan will thrill to the hilarious back stories shared about the creation of the five movies that have reshaped modern cinema. Also, be sure to watch the fun Kevin has with people who leave the Main Menu on for a prolonged period of time. It's nearly four hours of the best look into an artist's mind since Stephen King wrote "On Writing." Kevin, if you see this, thanks for the fun and for five of the best movies I've ever seen. Oh, and I need some money....you know what you can get for $5!
Rating:
Summary: A must have for any Askew-niverse fan
Review: This 2 disc DVD compiles nearly four hours worth of footage from Kevin Smith's (director of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and the upcoming Jersey Girl) Q&A tour in various colleges across America. Smith's stories range from his tales of his first meetings with a teenage Jason Mewes (who, as if most of you don't know, plays Jay in Smith's first five films) to his first meeting with View Askew partner Scott Mosier, and to his painfully funny encounter with a then USA Today interviewer who would eventually become his wife. Smith also tells some tales about his misadventures inside the insanity of Hollywood; including the story behind his ill-fated screenplay for the canned Superman Reborn film and the money grubbing producers behind it. Audience participation during the Q&A is almost as equally hilarious; including one fan who lost his job just to be there and Kevin calling the kid's boss on his cell phone to try to smooth it over. My only gripes about this package are that there are really no extras on the DVD besides some bonus trailers for Columbia films, and some other extras would have been more than welcome. Also, I remember on the Dogma commentary Smith commented on never wanting to work with actress Linda Fiorentino again. I for one would have loved to hear Smith give more insight on why, but oh well. All in all, An Evening With Kevin Smith is a must have for any and all fans of the View Askew-niverse.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest dvd entertainer of all time.
Review: For people who tell it like it is. Kevin Smith is one of the greatest speakers of our time. There is no P.C. babble restrictions here. An Evening with Kevin Smith is a fantastic stand-up, door opener that allows people to get a taste of Kevin as he tells some stories and answers questions to the history of his movies, family, friends, likes and dislikes. A must see, non-bubblegum ride into the View Askew world.
Rating: 
Summary: He was not fit to write Superman....
Review: I have read the draft of the Superman script that he wrote and oh, he was so wrong to do it. He treated Superman like some horney teenager, even Tim Burton who later passed on the project and can be strange as well, even he said "No, I am not doing this." All Smith does is insult people who do not agree with him. He has no class, he has no room for patience for other people's viewpoints, and he's just a sleeze. As for me, I'm going to watch a Tim Burton movie now.
Rating:
Summary: Better at standup than directing
Review: I found Kevin incredibly funny in these shows. I class him from a directing point of view much like Quentin Tarantino, great dialogue but not necessarly a great director. However, this is far superior to his movies. Very quick and lots of entertaining stories, the whole thing had me in stitches. I have watched most of kevin's movies since watching this and have found them to be somewhat of a disapointment. However this series of lectures/spoken word shows gives you an hilarious insight into the movie industry and hollywood in general. Well worth the money IMHO.
Rating:
Summary: Wished the DVD had no ending!!
Review: Received the DVD as a Christmas gift, by far the best gift you could give to anyone that enjoyed Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, or Jay and Silent Bob SB. This four hour two-disc collection of college visits includes hilarious celebrity stories, behind the scenes insight along with some great student body interaction. You can tell Kevin Smith is a regular guy like you and I, and he conveys that down to earth personality in this great collection. Without much fanfare this disc would be easy to pass on at your local electronics store or Amazon, but this is a must for all Smith fans!!
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME! TOTALLY AWESOME
Review: If you're like me and you own the collections of the movies and cartoons that Kevin Smith & Jason Mewes have done, this is a needed addition. When I first saw it on the shelves at the store, I wondered. When I came home and listened and watched the first 30 minutes of it, I was hooked. I have watched this set of DVDs almost as many times as I saw the first StarWars, and that was 65 times! Way to go KEVIN! Thanks again for a great DVD. Now, if you can do this again next year, or actually do the space adventure you mentioned (sitting on a rocket, someone said lunch...) that would be great. Jay & Silent Bob in Space! Best regards, Michael Murdock
|
