Kevin Smith Isn't Afraid to Admit to "Desperation"

Kevin Smith, the creator of cult films such as Clerks, Mallrats and Dogma, is back where he’s happiest: on stage. The filmmaker will be at Comedy Works for a two-night run from Friday, November 22, to Saturday, November 23, with two sets each night.

"These gigs aren't just the way to pay the bills; they carry with them memories, and, at this point, sentimental memories," Smith tells Westword. "I've been doing it so long, so being able to hang out in Denver and try to make people laugh over the course of four shows is my idea of a good time, and hopefully the audience's, as well."

Smith’s relationship with Colorado goes back decades, making this tour stop feel like a homecoming. “Colorado, for the longest time, was where me and Jason Mewes [Jay of Jay and Silent Bob] used to do our last shows of the season pre-Christmas," Smith reminisces. "We stopped touring that hard-core with Jason becoming a father of two; when he was a father of one, it was a bit more manageable to do. Colorado has always welcomed us, and we love the weed connection, as well as the fact that it's a real college state, which has always made it a fantastic place to refine our craft."
One of Smith's favorite aspects of visiting the Mile High City is the apartment that the Comedy Works team provides to touring comedians. Inside, there is equipment that allows you to paint if you want, which Smith says he's taken advantage of several times. One of his creations even still hangs on the wall, he notes.

"I painted a Bullwinkle ten or twelve years ago that still hangs there," Smith says. "I remember being in that apartment when you all got hit with six feet of snow or something, and I could not even open the door to the balcony, so I have very vivid memories of spending time in Denver before Christmas. This year, it's been moved up by about a month. I've been doing theater tours, so I asked my agent, 'Can you put me back in comedy clubs for a while?' There's something nice about doing two shows a night and, honestly, staying at the apartment in Denver was also a motivating factor."

Reflecting on his career, Smith remains deeply connected to the film that started it all: Clerks. Shot in black and white at the New Jersey convenience store where he worked, Clerks became a cult phenomenon upon its release in 1994 and launched his career.

"It's nuts to me that three decades later, Clerks has any relevance whatsoever, but I'm grateful beyond measure that it does," Smith marvels. "I have no problem living off past glory, but I never imagined we’d get as far as we have with that movie, let alone for it to spawn a couple of sequels and the View Askewniverse. This is a movie that the Library of Congress put on the National Film Registry with a bunch of important films like Citizen Kane, so that still blows my mind."
Despite the many films he’s made since, that flick is still central to Smith’s identity as a filmmaker. "Clerks has given me an entire career, so, ironically, I never had to go back to work at the same convenience store where we shot the film," Smith says. "But I've spent so much time in my career going back to that convenience store with story after story, so clearly, I didn't dislike it as much as I might have said."

Beyond nostalgia, Smith’s current tour stems from a deeper place. “I think that all my work comes from a desperation to be relevant to somebody," he admits candidly. "Everything over thirty years is me pleading to strangers like, ‘Tell me I'm good.’ For whatever reason, I can’t do that internally myself, so I rely on the kindness or cruelty of the strangers who interact with my quote-unquote art."

Smith’s health journey has also become a defining aspect of his storytelling. In 2018, he suffered a near-fatal heart attack that altered his perspective on life and creativity. “The heart attack was a real wake-up call,” he says. “I’m living on borrowed time, and that’s informed everything I do now."
Sharing his story has resonated with fans, and he often hears from people who credit him with saving their lives by spreading awareness of heart attack symptoms. For example, a doctor stopped Smith at Runyon Canyon Park recently to explain that people were name-checking him when they entered the emergency room.

"Or, I guess he said one person knew my name; one guy called me 'Silent Bob' and another called me 'that guy who doesn’t talk,'" Smith says. "But whatever they call me, sharing my story about the heart attack has informed a bunch of people who then go into the emergency room as opposed to dying because they now recognize the symptoms."

He is open about mental health struggles, too. Smith, who says he is a "co-dependent people pleaser," has been open about his experiences in a mental health treatment facility.

"Some people have heart trouble, but everyone has mental health issues," Smith says. "I don't give a fuck who you are. We all suffer trauma at some point in life, so by talking about this, I hope it will help someone get help. We're all in this together, and this is the kind of shit I can do for the rest of the world."

Smith’s latest film, The 4:30 Movie, is a return to deeply personal storytelling, inspired by his childhood movie theater, Smodcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, which he helped save from demolition. "If you own a location like that, you'd be remiss if you don't fucking set a picture there," Smith says. "Naturally, because of Clerks, you would imagine the movie would be about the workers and how much it sucks to work there, but I couldn't do that. I worked in a convenience store; I've never worked at a movie theater, so if I made Ushers or something, that would feel like stolen valor. However, I spent my childhood in that exact movie theater, so I decided to make a movie about going to the movies and whatnot, which is something I’m very familiar with."
When he’s not creating films, Smith keeps a close eye on contemporary projects. Recent favorites include Deadpool & Wolverine, the Rosemary's Baby prequel, Apartment 7A, Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance. He also heaped praise on The Penguin, arguing the television series "is better than the movie [The Batman] that spawned it" and hopes that "the Emmys give it a nod" for its writing, acting and overall direction.

As Smith prepares for his Denver shows, he looks forward to simple pleasures. “When we’re there for multiple days, it’s about walking around, shopping and spending time with my wife, Jennifer,” he shares. “She absolutely loves Colorado, so when I'm not on stage, I'm desperately going to be trying to court this woman I've been with for 25 years now. We've been married a quarter of a century now, but it's nice to still be into one another enough. I'm like, ‘Hey, you want to go to Denver and fuck around — both under the sheets and around town?’ It'll be a good time."

He also always makes time to visit Mile High Comics when he is in town, as he has since his first visit to Denver decades ago. And then it's all about Comedy Works, where he will share his blend of trademark humor with raw honesty, exploring both his successes and struggles.

“I’ll be talking about going nuts, but don’t be scared of any of the mental health stuff,” Smith says. “I still try to make it fun.”

Kevin Smith, Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th Street. Tickets are $30 to $40. Learn more at comedyworks.com.