The new film from director Kevin Smith, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” is the final installment in Smith’s “Askewniverse series” (named after his production company, View Askew Productions). It is a film for his fans, and virtually every scene is full of references to previous installments in the series. That said, this handy guide to Kevin Smith’s genius will help navigate you through “Jay and Silent Bob,” but it is no substitution for seeing the real thing.
THE FILMS:
1) “Clerks” was Smith’s first film in the series. Released in 1994, this homage to store clerks was inspired by Smith’s own experience as one. Taking place in the real-life Quick Stop convenience store in Leonardo, N.J., the film is almost entirely filmed by black-and-white security cameras.
2) “Mallrats,” the second film in the series, was released in 1995. This installment follows the adventures of a group of characters that hang out at the local shopping mall every day.
3) “Chasing Amy,” released in 1997, is the story of a comic book creator who falls in love with a lesbian.
4) “Dogma,” the 1999 installment, follows two renegade angels who are banished to Wisconsin but hell-bent on escaping to heaven.
5) “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” the final installment. follows the two pothead lead characters as they journey to Los Angeles to try to stop the production of a film based on a comic book based on them.
*The fictional chronological order is as follows: “Mallrats” happens on Friday, “Clerks” happens on Saturday, “Chasing Amy” happens two years after “Clerks,” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” happens seven years to the day after “Clerks.” “Dogma” exists on a temporal plane not congruent with the other films.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS:
(Note: None of the characters from “Dogma” actually make it into “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” so they are not mentioned here.)
Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) — First introduced in: “Clerks” —
Bio: perpetually unhappy and unlucky counter clerk at the Quick Stop. — Catchphrase: “I’m not even supposed to be here today!”
Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) —
First introduced in: “Clerks”
— Bio: the witty yet offensive video clerk at the video store next to the Quick Stop.
Jay (Jason Mewes)
— First introduced in: “Clerks”
— Bio: the always offensive, constantly talking, stoner slacker who spends all of his time outside of the Quick Stop harassing others.
— Catchphrase: “Snoochieboochies,” “Snoogins.”
Silent Bob (Kevin Smith)
— First introduced in: “Clerks”
— Bio: the silent sidekick (“hetero lifemate”) to Jay.
— Catchphrase: “… … …”
Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee)
— First introduced in: “Mallrats”
— Bio: A comic-book fanatic who lives at home with his parents five years after graduating from high school and possesses a brilliant wit but no aspirations for the future.
— Catchphrase: “Would you like a chocolate-covered pretzel?”
Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck)
— First introduced in: “Chasing Amy”
— Bio: Co-creator of the “Bluntman and Chronic” comic book based on the lives of Jay and Silent Bob.
Banky Edwards (Jason Lee)
— First introduced in: “Chasing Amy”
— Bio: Closeted homosexual inker (“tracer”) for “Bluntman and Chronic.”
— Catchphrase: “It’s not my fu**ing concern!”
Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams)
— First introduced in: “Chasing Amy”
— Bio: Comic book creator and object of Holden McNeil’s affection.
THE REFERENCES:
“Good Will Hunting” is parodied in “Jay and Silent Bob” because Kevin Smith acted as executive producer of that film.
Miramax is mercilessly skewered throughout the film. This is, of course, all in good fun, as Miramax acted as the production company and distributor of “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”
The comic-book store from the beginning of the film is called Brodie’s Secret Stash. In actuality, it is a real comic-book store in Red Bank, N.J., owned by Kevin Smith and called Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
