- Kevin’s Smith’s two-day siege of Red Bank culminated Tuesday night in Marine Park, where he delighted 2,000 fans (the official number, based on wristbands distributed) with liberal doses of naughty language. The crowd ate up every scatological reference, from Lois Lane and sex with Superman to the correct definition of ‘ass to mouth.’ Red Bank Green has a story and photos (as you see above) on the whole thing. An excerpt:
Coming off a 13-hour marathon that had him signing geek memorabilia almost until dawn at his Broad Street comic book store, filmmaker Kevin Smith entertained 2,000 fans in Marine Park last night with a mixture of endless approachability and profanity.
Local politicians, including Mayor Ed McKenna and mayoral candidate Pat Menna, all but kissed Smith at the start of his open-air Q&A and rocked with laughter at his early answers. But they grew increasingly rigid of jowl and then vanished from stage right as the director of the recently-released ‘Clerks II’ worked his way through an hour of audience questions with dozens if not hundreds of graphic references to sex.
Until a host finally interceded, many of the questions came from self-described aspiring filmmakers asking for jobs, advice or an opportunity to have picture taken with Smith. Increasingly, such requests elicited groans from the audience.
But as he had at Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash on Monday, when he stayed past 4a to greet every fan who turned out seeking an autograph, Smith indulged most questions and requests, no matter how inspired or insipid. Twice he spoke by cell phone to friends of audience members, and agreed to sign one man’s penis after the event.
Read the complete story HERE.
Yahoo/Reuters also has a nice story on the event:
“Clerks” director Smith applauded on NJ home turf
RED BANK, New Jersey (Reuters) – Indie film director Kevin Smith chatted with fans, dispensed wry career advice to aspiring filmmakers and flat-out refused to sign a woman’s rear end on Tuesday night when he came home to New Jersey for an outdoor screening of his breakthrough film “Clerks.”
The show, part of mail-order DVD rental service Netflix’ “Rolling Roadshow” free summer screenings series, drew some 2,000 enthusiastic fans of both the film, shot mostly in nearby Leonardo as well as Red Bank, and Smith, born in a hospital across the street from the suburban New Jersey waterside park where his fans gathered.
In a question-and-answer session before the screening, Smith was alternately respectful and engaged, self-deprecating, profane and good-naturedly abusive of his fans and their questions.
“I don’t wanna’ read your script dude,” he told one of several would-be directors, writers, actors and producers who made brazen bids for everything from career advice to jobs. “I don’t even wanna’ read my own scripts.”
When a young woman told Smith, known for other films including “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma” and “Jersey Girl”: “I need you to sign my ass” so she could have it tattooed later, he demurred, saying “I don’t sign body parts ma’am.”
On a more reflective note, Smith said his hit 1994 film “Clerks,” about the vacuous if amusing existence of a couple of slacker convenience and video store workers in New Jersey, was a product of writing from his experience — which he noted was about the only advice he could offer.
“Part of the reason I do what I do is, I grew up fat, and I grew up in New Jersey,” he said to applause from the crowd, many of whom closely resembled the characters in his films.
“So you tend to try harder” and to develop a sense of humor, he said.
The film’s success and resonance with young adults caught Smith by surprise. “It was meant as a calling-card film, and it ended up launching a career,” he said.
The sequel, far-less well-received “Clerks II,” was released this summer. Smith also made a few references to one of his worst-reviewed films, the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez bomb “Jersey Girl.”
“I’m going to do a horror movie next,” he said. “It’s called ‘Jersey Girl II.”‘
“It’s time to do a slasher movie — no comedy, just blood and gore. And boobies,” he added. “But man boobies,” he said in the kind of joke that are his films’ stock-in-trade.
Between jests, Smith obligingly spoke via cell phone to several fans’ friends who were not able to be there.
“This is such a weird job,” Smith said, almost to himself. “Write on my ass. Talk to my friend … ”
The Rolling Roadshow series stages free outdoor screenings of popular films in areas where they were shot or set. Recent events included “Jaws” on Martha’s Vineyard and “The Warriors” in Coney Island.
Finally, click here to check out streaming video of some fan interviews from outside of the Quick Stop and at the Netflix Rolling roadshow, as well as some live Q&A footage from the event courtesy the awesome Asbury Park Press.
