WTF Happened to KEVIN SMITH? 

Kevin Smith's latter career can be summed up as: What's funny to you and your friends when you're stoned does not always translate to film.

He’s lived in L.A. far too long, it happens to most celebrities that live out there far too long.

During the 90s if felt like Smith could do no wrong. I really feel like Zach and Miri kinda broke him when that movie flopped.

Being from New Jersey myself you have no idea how well Kevin Smith captured the jersey culture. I’ll always check it out his stuff.

Clerks 2 is one of my favorites movies because it addresses the real world crisis of when a male friend gets married and tends to lose his male friendships. Maybe Diner addresses it, but I can't really think of another movie that is basically about that issue.

A lot of us can say that a celebrity is a nice person based on anecdotal evidence, but I can tell you first hand that Kevin is a really, really nice guy who loves his fans. At a book signing in New York City, he not only signed every single book but took as much time as each fan wanted to have a conversation. He was also posing for pictures and, most importantly, was thoroughly enjoying meeting everyone. Of course, the bookstore had to stay open way past it's closing hours.... But everybody left very happy. I will never forget that night. The book was great by the way!

His live show really was hilarious, he even took the time to answer our questions. Huge fan of his earlier works.

I actually liked his logic with not selling Red State, if not his method. He said that he doesn't want to make a movie for $4M (may not be the exact number), sell it to a studio that will sink $5 into marketing it, have it make $6M and be told his movie lost money. He thought he did enough marketing on his own with his live shows and podcasts and I was really pulling for him to be a success with it. Whatever he's become now I just don't have any interest in. If he's happy, that's great. He owes me nothing and I don't owe him anything either.

I had high hopes for Smith when he started, but, sadly, he never realized his potential.

'Like many people of our age, generation, we've had a long and complicated history with Kevin Smith'. -Jay Bauman

I've met Kevin and Jay many times over the years, going back to the 90s. He's a good dude with a fantastic memory. I've never had to introduce myself, even running into him at the airport. Him and his friends have earned a lot of my money over the years.

Kevin was the ultimate outsider. He built his brand by making fun of the Hollywood system. At some point he flipped and became the complete opposite. There is no way to sugar coat this.. Kevin sold out and became a cog in the studio marketing machine.

Kevin was the underdog, he showed what could be done with talent and determination. It's truly a shame what he's turned into. A serious downfall in talent and direction.

Big fan of Mallrats here. The problem I have is that Kevin Smith now seems to be the go-to guy when a studio release needs "geek cred." They kiss his ring, get his blessing, and somehow assume they're in good with the rest of us nerds.

Kevin's recent youtube video on dealing with trauma left a profound impact on me and is an incredibly well spoken and emotive watch. Regardless of the size and nature of your trauma, or if you are close to someone who has experienced trauma, it should be a must watch.

Kevin Smith's appeal was he was one of us. A huge fan of pop culture, comics, and movies. But then he changed. Was it the heart attack? Was it the podcast? Who knows? Suddenly Kevin was arguing against the same fans that had made his career. Fans like me. Instead of mocking studio execs like he did when he trolled those film buyers, he started punching down on the fanbase. I don't have enough time to list all the bad takes that he had during this time, but it was a lot. And it paid off for him. Next thing I know he's redoing He-man for Netflix. I didn't remember Kevin ever mentioning He-man before and questioned whether he was the right person for that job. It turns out I was right that he was wrong. Kevin's Masters of the Universe Redemption or whatever was a nice looking piece of crap. The story was the problem. Kevin doesn't get He-man. He sidelined the MC to make it a modern feminist story when the girlboss can do it all and all the men are weak and stupid. Pure garbage. I expected better from the Kevin Smith, but that Kevin Smith is dead and this woke POC is walking around in his place.

Dogma and Red State are my favorite KS movies. I miss him. He may have survived but he was never the same and who he's become is not someone I trust or believe in any more.

Like they said in the Batman Dark Knight movie you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain

Kevin Smith's later comedies really sucked, but I still have a soft spot for the original Clerks and Dogma.

I sincerely like all of his stuff. Clerks III made me cry. Everyone's a critic, but sometimes you should just enjoy the ride. I found Kevin Smith with Mallrats.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was the, IMO, the last time we saw the Askewniverse characters as they originally were. By Clerks II, everyone was grown up, and very different while still being the same mostly. And so were we, it's a stark realization that nothing can stay the same forever. And that's not to discredit it, or say it's bad. It's just noticeable. And it lends itself to a feeling age mixed with nostalgia.

You left out the whole debacle where he dove into comic book territory, claimed to be a purist, turned Masters of the Universe into woke garbage, then attacked the fans for its failure... He's a woke Hollywood douche now. Oh yeah, SPOILER ALERT: Killing off the character that was the focus of the arc of Clerks 2, AND the main character is a good way to alienate what fans you had left. Clerks 3 felt like a slap in the face. I felt like it destroyed something that I held dear for literally decades.

I'll never forget Jay and Silent Bob's cameo in Scream 3.

Renting Mallrats at the video store as an 11 year old boy was the perfect time to be exposed to MallRats. I've been a fan ever since. Used to watch and rewatch MallRats, and the rest of the view askew movies countless times.

I do love Kevin’s Smith “An Evening With”… stuff ,Dogma and Clerks. Mall rats will always have a special place in my heart. Tusk was a trip, though .

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was - IMO - the high water mark.

"Jersey Girl" was such a very charming and cute movie, never get it why people didnt liked it. It was a nice movie and Ben Affleck wasnt so bad in it. Most underrated flick of his career

I would highly suggest listening to his book on Audible. He reads it so it feels extremely personal. Don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the end made me uncontrollably sob.

who would have figured that He-man would have been his downfall. What a sellout.

I blame Seth Rogen. After doing Zach and Miri with him everything else was downhill from there

Catch and Release is one of my favorite movies and Kevin's performance in the film is part of the reason why I love it.

What made Kevin Smith a God to Gen Xers like me is that he was the only guy making movies for US. While I've kinda outgrown some of his older films, but they still hold a special place for me.

He lived long enough to become the villain.

Clerks II also has a great soundtrack.

I met Kevin and Mewes in Dallas at Fan Expo and they were really funny and really nice. Would meet them again! 😊

No mention of his "Masters of the Universe" reboot I see. Uh-huh.

what about the he man series? That was a pretty big deal in his timeline. I mean he kinda f that up then lied about it before the show came out.

Makes me proud to be from Jersey. We are an eclectic and dirty bunch but never boring.

Then he made He-Man...and because a company shill...

You forgot to include that he ruin Masters of the Universe

Jay and Bob strike back was also my first Kevin Smith film. The language. 😂😂😂

Dogma is one of my favorite movies ever! For those of us who grew up in the 60s, Kevin brings that heart-warming undercurrent into his movies (okay, except Tusk which was so deep into the horror genre, I can't ever watch it again - LOL!). His characters, while they frequently act juvenile, still have this basic heart which is the goodness in people. While Jay and Silent Bob themselves might seem like simple stoners, they do interact with all kinds of creatives, intelligent people, and just a plethora of different and wild characters that I love experiencing. I grew up in the suburbs of DC in the 60s. When I don't have different kinds and types of people around me I feel like I'm living in a Stepford Wives existence. Perhaps that's why I love his movies so. He's not afraid to paint with all the types of people in the world we live in. I look forward to the Fatman Beyond episodes on RU-vid. He brings his storyteller vibe and mixes it with Marc Bernardin's intelligent takes on not only entertainment but life and the things we all have to deal with; and the things Marc himself has to deal with. Even Marc admits to being much more out there and open to doing things outside of his profession (like making his own movie) after being influenced by Kevin's belief that anyone can make a movie. The Blackman Beyond episodes (which occur when Kevin is working on a project that keeps him away from Fatman Beyond for a long stretch of time) have been incredibly interesting as Marc brings in guests from the industry to discuss their work. He also did one with Katee Sackhoff which was hilarious! People may hate the d*** and fart joke genre many of Kevin's movies have been labeled as, but when you look a little deeper, even at Zack and Miri Make A Porno, there is that heart-warming message under it all and a belief that somewhere in the mess of this world we live in, there is always a chance things can turn out better than we ever hoped. That's the message I appreciate the most. 😊

Just watched mallrats for the first time last week and I definitely loved it. So much so I just bought it on DVD

I owe allot of my dedication to my dream to Kevin Smith. He might be the biggest reason i even started a band.

I saw Clerks and Dazed and Confused for the first time at a friends house one weekend in 1995. I was 13, and these movies defined how I wanted my life to be like as a teenager.

Kevin Smith for the first 10-15 years of his career was Punk Rock, man. Then, around 2014-2016, right around the same time we entered into this alternate reality, he became a Beta-Beetch. Still love him. 4-life.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is one of the greatest stoner comedies ever. That movie, Grandma's Boy, Scott Pilgrim, And others will be around for a long time. Im glad Jason Mews is doing better now. As an addict, he's an inspiration in a "You can get clean and make a comeback" sense

He fooled everyone into believing he was a good writer and director just because some of his early stuff was fairly decent. Very similar to JJ Abrams.

i enjoy his films. my favorite are the comedy duo of Jay and Silent Bob and every film they stared in. They are funny and don't forget the funny cameo they did in scream 3 . i hope there is a Mall Rats 2 and have a 3rd Jay and Silent bob movie hope it happens .

Kevin Smith could be summed up as a one trick pony with a motor mouth and fairly good luck. His social abilities and warm character opened to him more doors than he actually deserved as a creator. He made Clerks a nice little quirky movie that stood out when compared to the over-produced Hollywood movies the public was used to in US mainly, cause in Europe that type of Indy movie was common place. Then he proceeded to make the same movie over and over again but with more budget, bigger stars and less heart. Kevin Smith is the type that normally would become a good critic or he would become famous as a tour manager/friend of a big band, posing in the pics with them, getting some fame rub off to him, being able to talk behind the scenes stuff for hours, but never being much of a musician himself.

It's so funny that he's one of the most important people for the independent film industry and I just knew him as that guy who was in Degrassi a few times for a long time.

Billy West voiced Kevin Smith in Superhero Roommate. They would later voice in TMNT 2007.

what the hell happened to kevin smith? he got full of himself and its the kevin show. watching people say on their youtube videos what working with him is like seems like a child crying out for attention all the time. and his writing tanked. he sucks now. yes i will die on the he man hill. i love he man and he disrespected an ip for his own paycheck. seriously man what the hell.

Be Well Kevin Smith 😀

This video didn't mention his He-Man reboot Netflix series "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" (2021) or did I miss it's mention?

He lost his mojo with his weight. I’m glad he’s alive but he’s a shadow of his former self in more ways than one.

I had no idea Red State was a Kevin Smith movie. I watched years ago on a wim when picked up a bargain bin dvd. Only watched it the once but it was a bat shit crazy watch Nice evasion of his He-Man Reboot like, I don’t think it really needed bringing up lol 😅

When I was growing up, being a Kevin Smith fan was an obscure club to be in. We would host private screenings of Clerks from bootlegged VHS and this was considered "high profile subversive entertainment." ;) Then....all of the sudden in the mid to late 90s, it ballooned and suddenly everyone knew who Kevin Smith was and being a fan was no longer eclectic but in fact was a social norm. I have just about all his movies on home format, in one form or another. It's shame we'll never see a truly remastered Dogma, since the Winsteins are holding it hostage.

I think Red State was the last one of his films that I liked. Reboot completely turned me off to his movies. It's also funny that there was no mention of his infamous take on the Masters of the Universe. To quote Charles Barkley "It was TURRIBLE!!!"

Money and bigger opportunities change people… it happens all the time. I’ve seen it happen to people that I used to know, regard as friends and work with. The change creates a chasm so large that they’re no longer the person you used to know and the story you shared ends right there.

Couldn't help but notice that you glossed over the disaster that was Kevin Smith's involvement with the Masters of the Universe cartoon. 🙄

Haters are gojng to hate. I get that. I have known Kevin Smith since before Clerks, having met him when I got stationed in New Jersey while in the Navy. Like his movies or not, Kevin is a genuinely nice guy. And his wife Jennifer is one of the nicest friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

My first exposure to Kevin Smith was going over to someones house and they were watching Dogma. I wasn't a fan. Then, when I was older, I saw his speaking tours, and became a fan of him. Then, after getting to know him, I actually liked his films. Except for Tusk. That one doesn't exist. That was just a fever dream.

and then he did Masters of the Universe Revelation and become enemy number 1 of the fans, great job Kevin.

John Favreus show where celebrities ate meals and talked was legendary when Kevin was on smoking a pack of cigarettes. That's my Kevin Smith. That guy would beat the shit out of and make fun of who he is today

Back when movie rental stores were a thing, I rented Mallrats on a whim and ended up being a Kevin Smith fan.

I love this show. I remember watching it every day after school on the sifi channel. And on network TV after Highway To Heaven. My favorite episode is the one where David's face is bandage up and he has to survive in the wilderness with Jack MaGee.

Another good one

I think people just got tired of hearing Kevin Smith talk about his favorite topic, Kevin Smith.

I never really got into Smiths earlier work but i LOVED Dogma, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back and Red State. Dogma in particular is such a well written and hilarious movie. But.......my biggest regret regarding Smiths work was watching the Jay And Silent Bob Reboot! It was utterly horrendous, i watched it with my son (who loves Strike Back and Dogma) and neither of us laughed even once! It was so bad that i literally deeply regretted even watching it, like it was a permanent stain on my love for Jay and Bob. All Smith seems to do now is churn out minimal effort sequel shite to wring every last penny from his loyal following, the complete opposite of what he once stood for. Very sad!

can you do wtf happened to seth rogen next?

My first Kevin Smith experience was renting "Mallrats" when it came out on VHS. I then rented "Clerks" and kept it turned down VERY low with my face up against the screen, because I knew what to expect in terms of language and my dad was in the next room. I remember then buying "Mallrats" after finding it in the checkout line at a Loblaws in Ottawa, and debating with the clerk (which I just now see as funny) over which of the two movies was better -- I sided with "Mallrats" because it was the first one I saw, but I now agree "Clerks" is better. My biggest regret is not seeing him live on his Q&A shows. I bought tickets to see him three different times in Edmonton, but either due to work conflicts or him being denied boarding by a certain airline due to his weight, it never panned out.

Kevin Smith's top 3 best written, directed and produced. 1 - Dogma 2 - Chasing Amy 3 - Clerks That said my favorite 3. 1- Mall Rats 2 - Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back 3 - Dogma

Amazing video about Kevin Smith,fantastic job.

Oh man how I loved the first Clerks movie! Truly had an impact on me. I remember the first time I watched Clerks on TV back in the days. And I knew to watch the movie just because being (and still today) a big fanatic of the band Bad Religion - which song Leaders and Followers was featured briefly in the movie (car scene after the funeral), and in full on the soundtrack (which I had of course to buy as a hard fan of Bad Religion🤣). Still love Clerks, and also it's great sequels made later on. Big fan also of the Jay n Silent Bob movies (especially the ..Strike Back), as also Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma.. But many other K.Smith movies been pretty bummed out by...sadly..

I used to like the way, when he was on the Big Band Theory, kept trying to get Penny to appear in his films and Wil Wheaton telling her not too......

Met him and jason mewes. Love them

I'm not even supposed to be here today 😭❤️

I'm sure Kevin is happy and fulfilled as Mayor of Nerdtown with his podcast and hosting gigs.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back came out 22 years ago? Holy hell.

Not even Spielberg had a hit every single time.

No mention of the He-Man series???

I love how the cubs were completely un-phased by the whole thing while the cardinals just about fell a part

Zack and Miri flopped and he had a nervous breakdown

Dogma was my first Kev flick, and I saw Clerks II before I went back and watched clerks (I had an erroneous issue with black and white flicks for the longest LOL)

Interesting fact: Kevin has since said that the reshoots on Cop Out were vastly different than making the original movie. He doesn't know what happened with Bruce, but Willis was a delight to work with on the few days of said reshoots. (It's like someone took Bruce aside and told him to be nice to "the fat little director boy".)

I miss the Fat kevin that appreciated his fans and wasn't a Hollywood shill.

I love the View Askew Universe, especially Mallrats. I kinda lost interest in his films after Cop Out except Jay and Silent Bob 2.

The fact that Kevin Smith and Eddie Murphy's brother will never get to do a joint speaking tour is so, SO very sad!

Clerks 3 had potential to actually be good,.. but he doesn’t know how to dial himself back in some areas. I’ll always give his movies a chance,.. but he needs to do some deep analysis of his earlier films to realize what’s wrong with his newer work.

What is The Music At 19:16?

Kevin Smith might actually see this. Not sure if it'll upset him being lumped in with all the other WTFers. It is a nice tribute otherwise

Forgot about his He-Man meltdown.

Should have won an Oscar just for naming a character Lester the Molester

Kevin Smith was a very sexy and handsome chubby bear sex symbol when he was young, but now he changed so much.

The last movie I watched of his was the jay and silent bob reboot and I was disappointed... I haven't watched clerks 3 yet, but I have it recorded

This is a GOOD FUCKING question. The dude is coming to my local con this weekend along with the cast of clerks. The guy was only gonna appear on Saturday but now he’s appearing on Saturday and Sunday. I ain’t going, but I wanted to spread this information to everyone. Btw, after clerks 2 Kevin smith has been a horrible director

Clerks III ruined nearly the entire franchise for me. He kills off Becky and the baby a few months after they are just about to start their lives together and then he kills off Dante I mean what the actual F 😡

Kevin is watching this and crying.

Whatever happened to his movie Killroy Was Here? Last I’ve heard he was selling it as an NFT but didn’t know if anyone bought it.