#75 - Chasing Amy

big ol' #75 - man...that's a lot of movies - (well, technically only 72 since I skipped 3 but maybe I'll go back)

I saw this when it came out probably in the late 90's - I am almost certain I was barely if at all familiar with Kevin Smith's first two films other than he shot Mallrats here in a far suburb of Minneapolis - (I thought Mall of America but no, Eden Prairie mall, according to google) - Kevin makes crazy films and I love that, especially his characters in this "View Askew" universe.

I was looking at the special features that were with this disk (which I didn't have - I got a blu-ray off netflix and it's discontinued) - and it seems that this is his first real attempt at trying to make a personal film as opposed to Clerks and Mallrats - and by this point he's starting to get the craft down.

I like Kevin Smith - I loved Dogma and Jay/Silent Bob strike back, but for some reason these earlier films don't feel the same - but it was fun to see this one again with 20 some years and soundtrack by Dave Pirner, who was riding some pretty serious career success with Soul Asylum around the time.

and Joey Lauren Adams just kills it as Amy - Jason Lee is phenomenal as well and you can see why Kevin liked using him in so many films, right?

the Criterion essay by Kevin Smith is pretty cool to and that IS on the website so def. read that if you're gonna watch this one - I guess I was just too far out of the loop at the time to realize what a success his first film was and how hard the 2nd one got hammered - reminds me of Paul Simon after he had his commercial flop in "Hearts and Bones" - you have a clean slate and no expectations for the next one and for Kevin Smith, it was this film - and for Paul Simon, it was Graceland

allrighty - maybe Netflix or the library can get me one more before Saturday night.

RB