Friday, June 08, 2007

Shocker: Kevin Smith's talking about sex

Apparently, Harvey Weinstein just loves to throw money at directors that he (and I) like, and for that at least you have to respect him.

According to the L.A. Times, he tossed $15 million at Kevin Smith's latest project after only hearing this title: "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." As the L.A. Times also rather condescendingly put it, "for a certain moviegoer, that's a sure thing."

Well, I guess I'm that "certain moviegoer," because I'll always like raunchy comedies with both brains and heart, which Kevin Smith can (but certainly doesn't always) deliver.

According to the newspaper, "Zack and Miri" is about two friends who have managed to trudge into their 30s with a satisfying lack of accomplishment. But a 15-year high school reunion and dire rent problems spark the novel moneymaking idea of pulling together an amateur porn enterprise.

"It's ... dirty, with nudity," Smith told the paper. "But funny nudity, not gratuitous nudity." Thanks for clearing that up.

Much to the chagrin of my brother, who just thinks (and many people agree with him) that Mr. Smith is a tremendous tool, this one will be shot in Minnesota in February, my brother's adapted home, instead of Smith's regular Jersey haunts.

In the meantime, Smith said he hopes to squeeze in filming of his low-budget ($3 million) horror script, "Red State," by the end of the year. This one sounds a lot more dubious to me. Mr. Smith has certainly shown he can tackle hot-button stuff with humor, but I can't see why he needs to give any publicity at all to the simply sickening Fred Phelps.

Shocker 2: Black people like to see people who look like them on TV

I thought the first two episodes of Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" were just plain awful, but then again I'm not exactly the target audience. Many of those who are apparently tuned in, and probably enjoyed it a lot more than me.

The show, which premiered Wednesday night, averaged 5.2 million total viewers at 9 p.m. and 5.8 million at 9:30 p.m., and did very well with the 18-49 set. It even managed to beat one network show, a new episode of "One Tree Hill" on the CW (if you can really call that a network, those "Veronica Mars"-hating bastards.)

Reading this made me wonder why there aren't more sitcoms with black stars on network TV. There's only one I regularly tuned in for, the very funny "Everybody Hates Chris" (I say "tuned" because I'm now boycotting the CW.)

It's all about the money, of course, but clearly the audience is out there and hungry to be entertained.

What to see this weekend?

Well, as anyone who's been here earlier this week knows, it won't be "Hostel: Part II." Simply not my bucket of blood. I'm gonna try to see "Surf's Up" Saturday and maybe "Ocean's Thirteen" Sunday. If you have seen either, please feel free to let me know what you thought about them, and have an entirely nonsucky weekend.

17 comments:

Chalupa said...

Thanks for the Silent Bob heads-up. I'm a huge fan of Smith, and like you, will watch anything he's done. I don't always love it, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Reel Fanatic said...

I can that I've liked every Kevin Smith I've ever seen at least a little bit, Chalupa, and the only one I've skipped completely was Jersey Girl

Chris Marie Green/Crystal Green said...

I like Kevin Smith, too--a lot, and when he's not making movies, I find him just as hilarious. I love his "A Night with Kevin Smith" appearances. No one can handle a heckler like that man!

I'll be checking out CineVegas. How many films I end up seeing depends on how much work I manage to get done before it starts each day. Darn work!

Anonymous said...

I like Kevin Smith 'cause he comes accross as such a regular joe. I like that about him.

As for the weekend, "Ocean's 13" is the one that will get my money. I like Eli Roth but I'm not a huge fan of his films.

Bobby D. said...
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Bobby D. said...

think You have inspired me to go to the movies next week-- I have a day off and haven't been in awhile. I read your review of knocked up--and I liked the cast of 40 year old Virgin (and the cast of Anchorman) so i would probably enjoy Knocked. glad i found your blog

oceans 13 is another possibility. to see ellen barkin will be interesting.

Reel Fanatic said...

I'm insanely jealous that you get to attend Cinevegas, Crystal ... The best film event I've ever managed to attend was the Rehoboth Beach (Del.) Film Festival, and while that's a fun little event, it's rather lacking in star power

And I'm glad if I can convince anyone to go see "Knocked Up," D. Chedwick .. As long as you know going in that much of the humor is gonna be pretty crude, I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it

Terence Towles Canote said...

I first heard about Zack and Miri Make a Porno on Smith's blog at MySpace (one of the few things MySpace is good for). It sounds like it'll be good, although I am with you on Red States.

As to House of Payne, not being a Tyler Perry fan I didn't tune in. It still shocks me that, insofar as I know, the networks have never done an African American family drama. That makes a sad statement about American television.

Reel Fanatic said...

It truly does, Mercurie ... Although it's hard to call it a "black" show, "The Wire" on HBO and now BET is the best drama I've seen on TV in many, many years ... Admittedly, many of the black characters are drug dealers, but all of the characters, be they cop, criminal or in between, are just extremely well-drawn roles

Terence Towles Canote said...

I love The Wire. And what is great about it is that it also features black detectives. In fact, my favourite character on the show Detective Freamon (played wonderfully by Clarke Peters).

Divinity said...

Sorry, Keith, we'll be eschewing the blockbusters this weekend in favour of "Once".

Reel Fanatic said...

No need to apologize about that, Divinity ... with all the good things I've been hearing about "Once", I won't mind hearing more ... I would definitely have gone to see that one, but they simply don't play movies that good on first run in my rather redneck little corner of the world

Jonathan said...

Check out Oceans 13 if you get a chance. Just as fun as the first one, and if it wasn't for the freshness factor of the original, I might even put it a nudge above that one. The worker's strike at the dice factory in Mexico is comedy gold; it has to be seen to be believed.

Reel Fanatic said...

Sounds like I definitely made the wrong choice so far this weekend, Jonathan ... I'm still not sure what made me think "Surf's Up" would be a winner, but it sure wasn't

Chalupa said...
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Chalupa said...

Have you seen some of Kevin Smith's stuff not related to the Jersey Chronicles like Vulgar or Drawing Flies? I think he produced those.

I did see Jersey Girl and enjoyed that one.

Reel Fanatic said...

I can't say I have, Chalupa, but I definitely should ... They just look extremely juvenile, but I've been know to enjoy that kind of fare quite a bit, as long at isn't just stupid