The movie Kevin Smith watched stoned with Quentin Tarantino
There is no filmmaker that better bridges the gap between fan and filmmaker than the American creative, Kevin Smith, a beloved cult director who rose to fame in the industry working alongside the very best in 1990s cinema. A close friend and collaborator of Quentin Tarantino, the two filmmakers often take inspiration from each others’ work, sharing a similar fondness for sharp, candid dialogue and eccentric, violent concepts.
A filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster, Smith is now prominent across social media and beyond, becoming something of a flagbearer of innovation for comic-book fans across the globe. It all started back in the mid-1990s when his low-budget comedy buddy film Clerks struck a chord with critics and audiences alike, taking home two awards at Cannes Film Festival in 1994.
The film sparked the creation of his Silent Bob character, who would regularly re-appear throughout his filmography, appearing in 1995s Mallrats, 1997s Chasing Amy and 1999s Dogma before their cult fandom forced a feature film of their own in 2001 with Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
After this period of Silent Bob movies that each shared a strange inter-connected universe, Smith switched up gears, making the Hollywood comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno in 2008, followed by the curious horror flicks, Red State and Tusk in 2011 and 2014 respectively. The latter achieved cult-status at the time for its bizarre plot that saw the protagonist be transformed into a walrus through surgical operation, with fans of the horror surely happy to hear of a recently rumoured sequel.
Smith was asked about this sequel, as well as his brand new movie Clerks III, in an interview with Jake’s Takes on YouTube, where the director also revealed a hilarious private screening he had with Quentin Tarantino back in 2011.
Asked for the “coolest screening” he has ever been to in his life, Smith replied without hesitation, recalling that he attended a showing of one of his own films at Tarantino’s own private theatre with the leading star of his film. “I watched Red State with Quentin and Michael Parks in Quentin’s theatre,” the director recalled, adding, “man, if you ever want to feel good about anything you’ve ever made in life, watch it with a stoned Quentin Tarantino”.
Smith’s 2011 film tells the story of three teenagers in Middle America who go on a road trip after an online invitation for sex. Though, just when they think they have found the host of the private orgy, they find themselves embroiled in a far more sinister agenda that sees them victim to religious fundamentalists. The film sees young stars Nicholas Braun and Michael Angarano, as well as classic actors, Michael Parks and John Goodman, the latter of which is an icon of 20th century cinema.
Speaking bluntly about the joy of the screening, as well as the influence of Tarantino on the makeup of the film itself, Smith adds, “It was fantastic he was just so into that movie because when you watch it you could see his influence all over it, number one, and number two it’s a Michael Parks tour to force performance, and Quentin was a massive Michael Parks fan”.
Closing out his memory of events, Smith hilariously recalls Tarantino’s visceral reaction to the movie, “I’ll never forget looking over at him, and him like with very excited eyes and delivery going like, ‘it’s like you made this movie for me, man!’. And I was like ‘yes, very very much so’”.
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