STARRING Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Lee, Ben Affleck

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? The Director of Clerks closes up shop.

A scourge to catholics (DOGMA), Smith may soon irk yet another group with his fifth flick: his fans. With Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the indie auteur is retiring the cast of slackers and mallrats who have populated his films since 1994’s Clerks. “I’m going to be 31 in August,” Smith says. ” I’d like to afford myself a shred of dignity before my kid’s old enough to notice her old man’s a walking, non-talking cartoon.” Mewes is bummed to see it end: “I wanted to be doing Jay until I was 40.” At least he’ll go out with a semi-bang. “I’ve kissed on screen before,” he says of his encounter with American Pie’s Shannon Elizabeth, “but never any tongue action.”

This Dimension comedy has the dubious duo trying to sabatoge a Miramax movie inspired by a comic book based on them. Backed by a $20 million dollar budget, Smith is promising slick visuals from Small Soldiers’ cinematographer Jamie Anderson and 220 digital effects. Jokes Smith, who has perhaps moved his camera total of two feet in four films: “You can’t mock hollywood with a static two-shot.” (Aug 10)