Posted by hudson99 at dtg-10.216-16-38.dtgnet.com on August 25, 2001 at 00:59:05:
This is my first post so I thought I'd introduce myself a bit. I'm a 38 year old divorced music writer/record store clerk/DJ/bookkeeper who has been a fan since I saw Clerks at a film festival in the mid-90's. Thanks to the recent DVD releases, I've turned my 13 year old son onto Kevin's great body of work...particularly Dogma, which has brought on some great discussions about religion.
But that's not why I'm writing. My son and I went to a sneak preview of the movie last weekend, and we were nothing less than impressed. Finally, a "silly" movie with great wit and commentary. The jokes about the internet really hit home. Here's why. One of my favorite bands right now is Wilco, and I'm a member of Postcard, the email listserv devoted to Uncle Tupelo and their spinoffs, Son Volt and Wilco. They are going through a bit of a trying time right now. They recently recorded what could be the album of their careers, but the corporate mentality of their record label, Reprise, requested that they go back and re-record it. This has led to their being dropped from the label. Just a few days later, their lead guitarist left to persue a solo deal.
What does this have to do with J&SBSB? The experimental nature of their unreleased album and the Jay Bennett's departure has led to a plethora of some of the most inane postings that you could ever imagine. Without knowing any of the facts, these "fans" have spent the last few weeks condemning their "hero", saying he should drop the Wilco name and regress to the musical style of their debut, along with various lies and theories about Bennett's reasons for leaving the band. What kinds of fans are these?
It's refreshing to see a director that cares about his characters, his fans, and the integrity of his work. I can't forsee a time where I don't rush to the theater to see Kevin's latest project. I'm realistic enough to know that there will be projects that I don't get, but, similar to the highs and lows of my favorite bands, there will be elements of every movie that I find enthralling.