That was nice to hear. In the past I've had the impression Kevin Smith kind of disliked Joss (there was that interview where he kept referring to Joss as 'Buffy'), but he has some nice things to say here (as mentioned, from Roseanne to AXM). Cool.

jam2 | March 02, 23:00 CET

jam2: TOTALLY. He had actually done that in many interviews across several media. It was really uncool.

Chirp | March 02, 23:12 CET

Well he calls Eliza Dushku "Duck shoot" so maybe he has a problem with names...

zz9 | March 02, 23:27 CET

Kevin Smith just has a snarky way of talking, but always seemed like a nice guy in interviews and stuff. I'm trying to think of a better way to say that but nothing is coming to mind.

Like I bet he knows Joss's name is Joss Whedon but calls him Buffy to be funny/sarcastic with no disrespect to Joss.

[ edited by Odysseus on 2006-03-02 22:03 ]

Odysseus | March 03, 00:02 CET

He started calling Eliza Duck Shoot when they worked together on J&SBSB, they are friends.

zeitgeist | March 03, 00:22 CET

I once saw Kevin Smith beat a newborn kitten with a frying pan and then serve its fried innards to the kitten's mother, all the while chanting "JOSH WHEATON!!!"

Chirp | March 03, 01:11 CET

Lemme clarify.

Kev had given interviews in the last 12 months saying he was wholly unfamiliar with Joss' work. That he hadn't had a chance to read/see AXM or Firefly or much Buffy.

Chirp | March 03, 01:14 CET

I only read one interview where Kevin Smith called Joss Buffy but it seemed like a momentary brain slip. Sort of like "Oh god I can't remember his name, the Buffy guy."

war_machine | March 03, 01:15 CET

Chirp - that sounded like a Bill Brasky comment. Speaking of which, I heard he once scissor-kicked Angela Lansbury, to Bill Brasky!

RIPWesley | March 03, 01:15 CET

Kevin Smith is probably second to Joss to me, in that I'll watch anything he does, knowing I'll almost definitely enjoy it (even liked Jersey Girl, but thought his Degrassi episodes were pretty bad (only episodes of the show I've ever seen, so that's probably why, the Jay & Bob bits were funny though)).

Think it's in either An Evening With (excellent DVD) or J&SBSB where he mentions that he's not familiar with Buffy, but that Jason Mewes is, and has come up to him more than once excitedly saying "Did you see Buffy last night!"

He's a busy guy, so if he didn't watch the shows while they were on it's hardly surprising he hasn't yet tried to catch up, take a while to watch 11 1/2 seasons.

Unless the Spike movie sees release this year, where 2005 was the year of Serenity for me, 2006 will be the year of Clerks 2.

Ghost Spike | March 03, 02:35 CET

Ghost Spike - It must be J&SBSB where he mentions that. I've practically memorized every story in An Evening With I've seen it so often, but I haven't listened to the commentary on J&SBSB, and this was a new factoid for me.

Ditto on the love of KS, as well. He does guest spots on a S.F. morning show when he's in the area, and he's just as funny over the radio as he is at cons :)

Arielle | March 03, 02:52 CET

Chirp that was hella funny man.

nixygirl | March 03, 03:15 CET

Chirp - that made me laugh.

I saw an advert online to buy uniforms worn in Clerks 2 the other day. Kevin has sold out. Good on him.

gossi | March 03, 03:52 CET

I don't mean to sound mean, just dumb - but what's the difference between "good on him" and "good for him?" I'm not trying to sound like a smart-buttox but would be curious to know. Thanks in advance!

RIPWesley | March 03, 04:02 CET

RIPWesley, I think the difference is your continent. Yanks say "for." Civilized people say "on." (and yes, I am an American myself, so not so much with the hitting me, please) ;-)

billz | March 03, 04:07 CET

I love watching Kevin Smith's films but only that very first time. I find that NONE of his films live up to repeat viewing. Smith films are just too flawed in general and my irritation level with the dialogue he writes increases exponentially with each viewing until, ultimately, I hear a rake dragging across a chalkboard. His characters all sound like verbose pseudo-intellectuals to me.

I value Kevin Smith more for his industry wisdom than for what he actually creates himself.

I'd love it if the dude quit smoking cigarettes. Do it for your kids, Kev!

Hjermsted | March 03, 04:35 CET

hmm.. I've always liked Kevin Smith for one reason... I love anyone who is able to make their dreams a reality out of very little. Same reason I admire Robert Rodriguez.
They both share that I WILL DO IT NO MATTER WHAT THE INDUSTRY TELLS ME I CAN OR CAN'T DO attitude.

That is a remarkable quality that I admire.

Besides... Dogma is classic. If only for it's humility in dealing with how Catholics (like me) deal with Dogma as kids (ultimately it's infantile..but it's still fun)

hbojo | March 03, 04:43 CET

Yanks say "for." Civilized people say "on."

I say "good for him" not "good on him" and I have NEVER rooted for the New York Yankees. =P

Would love to see Smith & Whedon do some kinda dueling directors thing. That'd be funny. See Smith direct a parody of Serenity and Whedon do a send up of Dogma. With sock puppets!

...by the way, being called "That Buffy Guy" by Smith would be a better compliment then Whedon calling Smith "That Daredevil Guy" before rolling his eyes and spitting at the dirt. I'm really hoping Wonder Woman kicks major ass if nothing more than so Whedon could browbeat Kevin Smith. "IN YOUR FACE DAREDEVIL GUY! HA-HA!"

[ edited by ZachsMind on 2006-03-03 04:35 ]

ZachsMind | March 03, 05:25 CET

Regarding the apparent unkind things Kevin Smith said before about Joss, was he serious or just joking around? Because he often jokes around and pokes fun at actors, directors and friends that he really likes and admires.

That said, with how Kevin Smith really likes character driven movies and tv shows, I think he would really like Firefly/Serenity, Buffy and Angel if he had a chance to watch it.

Matt_Fabb | March 03, 08:04 CET

ZachsMind - Daredevil? Wasn't he just a minor actor part in that, I don't believe her wrote, directed, or anything else but acted a minor role... Am I wrong? I checked IMDB and couldn't find anything on there that ties him to Daredevil, and he certainly didn't create the character. I agree its a compliment for Joss to be the Buffy guy, but I think you'd have to call Kevin Smith the Clerks guy or something. His superhero movie stated for 2008, although it sounds like he's no longer doing, is Green Hornet slated for 2008. But calling him the daredevil guy would be like calling Joss the Numfar guy from his little acting stint in Angel. Although a cool tid-bit of info. is that both Kevin Smith and Joss have guest starred in minor roles in a Veronica Mars episode each. And nobody can argue against VM, or can they...?

RIPWesley | March 03, 08:58 CET

I had been under the impression that Smith was instrumental in the writing process of Daredevil but in the end they scrapped his treatment and gave him the cameo as a pacifier to keep him from bitching about how they butchered it. I recall him talking about it in that DVD of his college lectures... or maybe I'm thinking about his stint with the failed Superman project? Okay you may be right. Can't call him "The Clerks Guy" insultingly though. That was actually GOOD.

I'd call him "The Mallrats Guy" insultingly, cuz I didn't really like that one. Juvenile to the core, and except for the Star Wars references I found myself wincing more than laughing. Also just can't appreciate Shannen Doherty as an actress I don't care what anybody says.

Didn't like "Chasing Amy" either but for different reasons. Damn good film. Cut too close to the bone for me. Let's just say I've dated and loved my fair share of lesbians. I admire the work of Chasing Amy but will probably never see it again, for the same reason survivors of sinking boats will probably never watch The Poseidon Adventure.

If Smith and Whedon have any bad blood between them, it's probably in a similar manner to how those two winter Olympics American speed skaters were bitter. It's a rivalry. Smith & Whedon are pretty much contemporaries and maybe even peers in the world of directing right now. They appeal to similar demographics and have equally energized cult followings. They also both purposefully flaunt attempts at biting the hand that feeds them. Whedon's just a bit more mature about it. Their humor though is remarkably different in calibre and taste. Whedon uses humor in drama like wine in gourmet cooking. Smith pours juvenile humor on his work like tobasco on scrambled eggs.

Not that I'm dissing it. I like tobasco on scrambled eggs. I'm just sayin'...

ZachsMind | March 03, 09:51 CET

I suddenly have a picture of Smith & Whedon on IFC's "Dinner for Five" with Jon Favreau, Quentin Tarantino and Mike Binder -- writer-directors who also appear onscreen in their work. That would be the greatest ever. Or maybe Sam Raimi in the group instead of Mr. Binder, just because Mr. Raimi *rocks*! ;-)

billz | March 03, 11:31 CET

ZachsMind: I had never heard Smith had written a Daredevil movie treatment, but regardless, I don't think they gave him a cameo to "pacify" him. There were plenty of other reasons to give him a cameo.

1. He had written a very well received 8 issue run on the Daredevil comic that really revitalized the character/comic. Mark Stephen Johnson was clearly a fan, as there were a couple of direct visual homages to that story in the Daredevil film.

2. The Affleck factor. Obviously, Smith and Affleck are buddies and work together often.

3. I assume Smith and Mark Stephen Johnson, the director of Daredevil, are friendly. In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (made two years before Daredevil), there is a scene where the title characters run through a film shoot on a studio lot and it's in fact a Daredevil movie being made. Mark Stephen Johnson actually appears in that sequence as the director of this fictional Daredevil movie. In real life, he was already attached to write/direct the Daredevil film and Smith put him in as an extra in-joke.

Eric G | March 03, 11:50 CET

Smith's run on Daredevil was one of the highlights of the series for me. I'd always enjoyed the character prior to the Marvel Knights relaunch but it was only when Smith came onboard that Daredevil became must-read for me. Definitely worth a read for anyone who even remotely likes Daredevil.

Buffysmglover | March 03, 18:43 CET