Tag Archives: Kevin Smith

Zack and Miri Make a Porno + Mother!

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Alice Thirteen
Zack and Miri Make a Porno + Mother!

A sexy Double Feature, courtesy of Kevin Smith and Darren Aronofsky, so strap in and strap on. What’s the opposite of a reward? Hatefucking? The stages and trajectory of Kevin Smith’s film career and audiences. The end of Phase 1 Kevin Smith via Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The impact of a film bombing. One man, one woman, and a porno. Does sex + a camera = porn? Coming down on the wrong side of questions. Snipping and tossing title phrases. Film title punctuation! Mother! Metaphorical actors, metaphorically fucking. Darren Aronofsky has sex with the Earth. Films that cannot work on a literal level. There is no sky pig. Beating Catholics. And beating the audience over the head to differing effects. Aronofsky’s film career trajectory.

Yoga Hosers + Theater of Blood

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Alice Thirteen
Yoga Hosers + Theater of Blood

Fuck the critics! Films resist the people who watch them, and get off on tormenting the people who judge them. First: Two teenage yoga enthusiasts team up with a legendary man-hunter to battle with an ancient evil presence that is threatening their major party plans. Kevin Smith will do anything he fucking wants. What was that? A convenience store? For the true fans? Oh totally, not a problem at all. Actually, what about three of them? Great, three convenience store movies. Wait, you guys were asking about these Degrassi movies, right? Then: A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition! I mean, probably a Shakespearean actor. Vincent Price in sandwhich-face-face. Continue reading →

Windy City Heat + Tusk

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Alice Thirteen
Windy City Heat + Tusk

Fantasy collides head first with reality. Watch Windy City Heat on YouTube. Who is Perry Caravello, really? Attempting to disassemble a single aspect of a film while determining if that aspect is even worth disassembling. Likability in reality. Roman Polanski’s demotion to hack comedian. Who’s in on it? That stupid summary thing film reviews do. Kevin Smith takes over the world with Tusk. How did we get here? Further proof of the all powerful low-brow director turned super villain. Podcasts are making films now. How Tusk’s very existence argues for a golden age of independent film making. Continue reading →

Clerks + Super 8

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Alice Thirteen
Clerks + Super 8

Two writer/directors return on Double Feature. Clerks as the beginning of the Kevin Smith catalogue. The Jersey films. Dante Hicks: some man’s every man. The independence…oh god, the independence. Dante’s terrible day gets worse. One hundred thousand films worth of dialogue. Unnatural chats with natural characters. The Smith writing style. Punk rock film making. Thirty seven dicks…in a row? The immense power of a filmmaker. Earned power, and what you can use it for. Clerks the Animated series. John Dahl, JJ Abrams, and Super 8. The long history of JJ Abrams. The television landscape. Where does the star power come from? The magic of childhood filmmaking. The magnificent train wreck. Watching kids make films. Production values! The tiny quiet performance. The alternate reality game. Spielberg, production, and the inevitable comparison. A short short film called “The Case.” Continue reading →

Red State + Stake Land

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Alice Thirteen
Red State + Stake Land

No one expects these two movies to be this good. Dangerous places, even more dangerous directors! What does the Double Feature studio look like? Religious crazies shot on Red One cameras. Red State isn’t even Kevin Smith’s second chance. Popculture out, Waco and Fred Phelps in. A very Kevin Smith movie is also a very good movie! Charismatic characters. Rolling Shutter put to use! Kevin Pollack, Anna Gunn, John Goodman. What was so great about the TV show Roseanne? Michael Parks. Not just dabbling in horror, but adding to it. The charm and demeanor of Michael Parks as Reverend Cooper. Crazy religious nut jobs. Executions. Personalizing death. Why Red State has the best of possible endings. Another surprize, Stake Land! Written by it’s director Jim Mickle, but also it’s star Nick Damici. The ultimate apocalypse weapon: a pistol-grip sawed off shotgun with a shoulder strap. Finding subtlety in a place you don’t expect it. Color palette between day and night. Danielle Harris. Building an apocalypse film. Voiceover narration performance. Chin-up fiddle score! How is this movie doing this?! Continue reading →

Chasing Amy + DOA: Dead or Alive

Posted on August 7, 2008 by Alice Thirteen
Chasing Amy + DOA: Dead or Alive

Michael has full faith. The shortest Double Feature segment ever. Acupuncture doesn’t work. A confusing distribution release. Gaming history. An advertising hook. Modern day exploitation – what it is, what it should be. The movie roadmap. When montages are acceptable. Marketing mystery. Being along for the ride. Alice does a flip then punches Michael. Sound and attitude. Time bombs are lame. The Fargo checklist: When a film is just a film. Alice thins out his film library. Kevin Smith dialogue. Where does the demand for bad films come from? Just when we were about to excuse montages. Writing a film around a scene. Popular culture dates your movie. The creation of the slasher marathon. Continue reading →