Kevin Smith: Fab Four

Since Kevin James burst into our hearts in 1994 with his cult classic Clerks he has grown into a well respected director. His consistent casting of close friends has led to a family feel throughout his pictures which have audiences laughing for nearly twenty years. Through good and bad Smith has always remained faithful to his beloved cast, as well as his unique writing style, which has more often than not resulted in success. A brilliantly funny man who's work I am definitely a fan of. Here are my fab four (yes it's a Beatles reference) Kevin Smith flicks:

1) Clerks (1994)
Not only is this my favourite Kevin Smith film, but it's probably one of my favourite comedy films of all time. Smith's directorial debut has been a resounding success throughout the cinematic world, gaining legendary status as a cult classic. Set in a small convenience store this film shows us a day in the life of two of it's employees. A low budget movie, shot completely in black and white, using almost all amateur actors yet somehow it manages to be amazing. The script is perfect, the acting fits the feel of the film, and it introduces one of the most memorable duo's since Batman and Robin. I am of course talking about Jay and Silent Bob. They're raw yet always hilarious first outing as the infamous double act is the cherry on top of this epic indie legend.

2) Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Possibly his most popular film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back exchanges the clever and satirical humour of Clerks for plain, simple silliness and it works. The ridiculous nature of the comedy is forgivable because of the emotional investment you have made into the two most lovable characters Kevin Smith has ever written. The concept is funny and the constant homages and links to his previous works always bring a smile to the face and give you the feeling like you're "in on the joke". However, there is one man who takes this film from being a pretty decent silly comedy into a hilariously quotable classic goofy film - Will Ferrell. One of the most popular comic actors in Hollywood puts in a massively underrated performance in this movie. Playing inept Federal Wildlife Marshall Wilenholly Ferrell, not for the first time in his career, absolutely steals the show. Almost every line he has in the film had me in stitches and have become irresistibly quotable to me an my friends. An absolutely outstanding performance in a really good film.

3) Clerks 2 (2006)
It's not often that sequels are actually any good, especially when they're sequels to cult classics, and even more so when they go through a massive stylistic change from the original everyone loved so much. Surely then a follow up to Clerks could only end badly for Kevin Smith? Amazingly not. I find myself reiterating the phrase "somehow it works" so many times whenever I talk about Kevin Smith films and this is another perfect example of why. Everything points towards this film being a terrible idea, yet it's not. It's actually incredibly funny. Clearly it was never going to be as good as Clerks, a very tall order by anyone's standards, yet by changing the approach of the film, as well as maturing the characters, but still keeping the same fundamental reasons of why we fell in love with them in the first place Smith manages to create a fantastic follow up to his debut picture. It features some classic Jay and Silent Bob moments, a whole host of hilarious new characters, and has a really decent story behind it. I was genuinely surprised at just how much I enjoyed this film, it's great.

4) Dogma (1999)
An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and re-enter Heaven. Doesn't really sound the best does it? Usually you'd assume a film with that plot line to either be overly complicated and hard hitting, or just plain silly. Amazingly enough Dogma manages to avoid falling into either of these tracks whilst managing to remain clever, interesting, and continually funny. It also heavily features my beloved combo of Jay and Silent Bob (a common theme among most liked Kevin Smith films) along with many other thoroughly enjoyable characters, my personal favourite being Alan Rickman's fantastic performance as a particularly grump angel. A good film with a sprinkling of Religious Education.