It is an irony lost on no one that Kevin Smith, who has appeared almost exclusively on the big screen as Silent Bob, has spent the second act of his career talking. And anyone who has seen the man speak—An Evening with Kevin Smith, his Smodcast, his yearly appearances at Comic-Con—knows that there is a good reason for that. The filmmaker has just made a deal with Shout! Factory to release his special Too Fat for 40, which aired on the premium channel EPIX last year. The DVD will have hours of bonus footage that didn’t fit in the on-air special. Smith took the stage in his hometown of Redbank, New Jersey to film Too Fat for 40, in which he discussed his many successes, failures and how becoming a self-proclaimed pothead late in life changed him for the better. He shares stories about nearly getting busted by both Canadian and American policemen as well as the familiar, if still quite entertaining cannabis stories of lost time, revelations and overeating.
Smith also took the stage at Comic-Con a few weeks ago—where the filmmaker got a standing reservation—to talk about his new projects, his recent business and life decisions and his new line of shoes called “Smeakers.” The title, which is also used in his immensely popular Smodcast, is taken from the first letter of his last name as well as that of his long-time producing partner Scott Mosier. Smith has, over the last decade, become less of a director and more of a brand. He has become an entrepreneur, first pioneering film websites in the early days of the Internet and now through talks at colleges, Smodcast and ubiquitous merchandising. And it seems to be working well for Smith. He has mentioned in several interviews that he is thrilled he has found a way to be paid for being himself.
This is not to say that Smith is still not toiling away behind the camera. Red State, a passion project of Smith’s involving homicidal religious fundamentalists, is a substantial departure from his pervious work. He has been adamant about refusing critics’ screenings, certain the film will find its audience. (Kevin Longrie)
