Posted by Mr. Killmonkey at 198.109.1.30 on July 07, 2000 at 15:16:14:
Hi Kevin (and everyone else on the board):
I'm new to the whole posting thing, so I thought I'd start with a question that I've been wondering about for a while. (By the way, lovely place you've got here.)
Kevin, I loved Clerks and Amy and I thought Mallrats was great fun and a fantastic showcase for Lee. However, although I admired the script and some of the acting, I was not a huge fan of Dogma. (To each their own.)
The main flaws I saw in Dogma (and again, one man's opinion) had to do with the film's direction. The shot composition, the editing, the action sequences, the pacing - none of those elements came together for me. I realize that in the other Jersey films, you had a very unobstrusive, almost static camera style and I think it worked well for the subject matter. (I think I recall some critic saying that your style helped highten the "ennui" in Clerks.) But with the size and scale of Dogma, I really think this style hurt the picture. (And again, what the hell do I know?)
And now you're getting ready to move away from the VA flicks and start work on "Fletch Won" - a totally different kind of film than you've done in the past. So, I was wondering if you had any plans to work on your skills as a director? Maybe working with a different DP or working with a veteran editor might help you move away from the style I so readily associate with Red Bank and its deniziens?
I hope you don't take these comments as an insult. I'm a big fan of your work, I support the Stash, and I couldn't stand Magnolia. And I know that the last thing you need is gripes from the armchair film directors of the world. I'm just interested to see how your career is going to evolve once you leave Jay and Bob behind.
Anyway, thanks for your time and give my best to Harley and Jen.
A fan,
Fred