I have a bad habit of commenting real time as I listen, so forgive me. But I spit out my coffee at Kristen Stewart dressing like ever grunge girl ever 30 years ago but thinks she’s Edgy™️
When I was in film school in the mid-2000s Clerks was unofficially part of the curriculum hahaha. 1) how to make a film on an extremely tight budget 2) look! It's possible for film students to make a whole ass indie film! 3) Did you KNOW that the reason the shutter didn't open was because they were only allowed to shoot inside was at night ?!?! Wow!!! Creative ways around restrictions!And it was shot on 16mm, YOU GUYS ARE SHOOTING ON 16MM TOO WOWIEEEE!!!
So, Kevin Smith and Tarantino were (and probably still are) gods amongst film students
Smith and Tarantino have a similar trajectory. Both made it big off of their first low budget independent movie and were given bigger and bigger budgets and freedom. Tarantino managed to get two more great movies out of it, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown(his best movie) before spiraling into irreverent shit that needed a heavy hand with editing. Smith tried to make Clerks a few more times before spiriling into geek culture stupidity.
From a technical standpoint, Kevin Smith is not a good director, and I know it's uncool to say so these days, but I have always loved his 90's movies. Mallrats is one of my favorite comedies, and I find Clerks and Chasing Amy to be hilarious and poignant. I do think he became overexposed and, for lack of a better term, too mainstream in the early-mid 2000's. Most of his output in the last 20 or so years has been severely lacking. Though, I must say that Clerks 3 did hit me right in the feels.
I agree that they're both very much movies of their time (Chasing Amy especially), but once I've decided I like/dislike something, it's virtually (though not always) impossible to get me to change my mind.
Good stuff, nice to put some voices to these Substacks.
I remember as a kid being ‘into’ but not part of the scene around supposedly transgressive music; I went and saw Marilyn Manson a bunch of time, Ministry, all the heavy quasi-industrial shit available to an awkward ex-urban teenager.
Some of that stuff stood the test of time, most did not; and here I am 11 years out since my last trip to Burning Man and feeling exactly the same way about that. It was fun at the time, but what now?
Will being a reactionary *now* look cringe to my 55 year old self in a decade?
... sounds like a rebrading of 70's fake "contemporary art" bohemia which was proudly progressive and leftist... getting that ball rolling again by calling it "right wing".
About a quarter of the way through this. What a great conversation thus far. I always get a good laugh at the "Conservatives can't make good art 😠" hysterics from people who orgasm over dogshit like Night Country and The Last Jedi.
I have a bad habit of commenting real time as I listen, so forgive me. But I spit out my coffee at Kristen Stewart dressing like ever grunge girl ever 30 years ago but thinks she’s Edgy™️
I love your play by play comments. Also, I couldn't remember her name.
I hate that I know her name. Also, couldn’t agree more about Kevin Smith.
Excellent discussion of how transgressives changed. “Pride flag at a bank.” Exactly.
"Pride Flag at a Bank" is the A-side of Punk Rock Only Fan's first 45. (The B-side is a cover of "TV Party.")
I take it back. Side B is "That Shitty Game the Retards Like."
Punk Rock Only Fans. There it is. The next band I'm starting.
"I want to piss all you guys off"
3000% correct and I'm here for it
You do a good job of it yourself.
This is the way!
Really enjoyed recording this with you. Finally!
When I was in film school in the mid-2000s Clerks was unofficially part of the curriculum hahaha. 1) how to make a film on an extremely tight budget 2) look! It's possible for film students to make a whole ass indie film! 3) Did you KNOW that the reason the shutter didn't open was because they were only allowed to shoot inside was at night ?!?! Wow!!! Creative ways around restrictions!And it was shot on 16mm, YOU GUYS ARE SHOOTING ON 16MM TOO WOWIEEEE!!!
So, Kevin Smith and Tarantino were (and probably still are) gods amongst film students
Smith and Tarantino have a similar trajectory. Both made it big off of their first low budget independent movie and were given bigger and bigger budgets and freedom. Tarantino managed to get two more great movies out of it, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown(his best movie) before spiraling into irreverent shit that needed a heavy hand with editing. Smith tried to make Clerks a few more times before spiriling into geek culture stupidity.
From a technical standpoint, Kevin Smith is not a good director, and I know it's uncool to say so these days, but I have always loved his 90's movies. Mallrats is one of my favorite comedies, and I find Clerks and Chasing Amy to be hilarious and poignant. I do think he became overexposed and, for lack of a better term, too mainstream in the early-mid 2000's. Most of his output in the last 20 or so years has been severely lacking. Though, I must say that Clerks 3 did hit me right in the feels.
Look, not gonna lie, I do love Clerks, and Clerks 2, but the others are either downright crap or aged poorly, in the case of Mallrats and Chasing Amy.
I agree that they're both very much movies of their time (Chasing Amy especially), but once I've decided I like/dislike something, it's virtually (though not always) impossible to get me to change my mind.
Good stuff, nice to put some voices to these Substacks.
I remember as a kid being ‘into’ but not part of the scene around supposedly transgressive music; I went and saw Marilyn Manson a bunch of time, Ministry, all the heavy quasi-industrial shit available to an awkward ex-urban teenager.
Some of that stuff stood the test of time, most did not; and here I am 11 years out since my last trip to Burning Man and feeling exactly the same way about that. It was fun at the time, but what now?
Will being a reactionary *now* look cringe to my 55 year old self in a decade?
... sounds like a rebrading of 70's fake "contemporary art" bohemia which was proudly progressive and leftist... getting that ball rolling again by calling it "right wing".
About a quarter of the way through this. What a great conversation thus far. I always get a good laugh at the "Conservatives can't make good art 😠" hysterics from people who orgasm over dogshit like Night Country and The Last Jedi.
Also, I am now 100% convinced that I am nowhere near philosophical or intellectual enough to ever be on this podcast.
Not true. I wanna talk about all sorts of stuff with you.
Also, have you visited Nevermore Books in downtown yet?
I have not! In fact, I was just walking by the other night and thinking back to our previous conversation about it. I do need to make that happen.
Singles is the film with pearl jam, soundgarden & c. Cameron crowe, maybe the least cool director of all time, did that one
Dazed and confused is set in the bicentennial year. Very shmoody film--Matthew mcconaughey had some great lines.
I too see much more in zoomers than in most millennials. In some I detect an insurrectionary spirit.
Yes Singles. All I remember about it is that Eddie Vedder was the drummer.