EVENT OF THE WEEK: An Evening With Kevin Smith

So, it was the story about Superman fighting the giant spider that turned me into a full bore Kevin Smith fan (see the video below). Up until then, I really liked his movies... well, let's be honest, except for Chasing Amy (which I loved) I liked the ideas behind his movies more than movies themselves. Yeah, there were always more than a few hilarious jokes, but their low rent, let's-put-on-a-f*@K'in-show sensibility took me a little time to warm to.

After watching the first An Evening With Kevin Smith, however, I was sold. The man is seriously funny, seriously smart and an all-round decent dude. In other words, he's a Hollywood success that still manages to keep his soul intact. Or put more simply, he didn't become a self-important douche.

I think about Michigan's new film incentive (I'm a supporter and if you've got a problem with that, well, we should have a beer and chat ...you're buying) and I can't help but wonder if we'll produce the next Kevin Smith. After all, his first flick, Clerks, was made for less than 28 grand, and mostly on credit cards. Technology today has made movie-making a whole helluva lot cheaper, and so it's only a matter of time before the next out-of-nowhere film sensation hits. With all the young people interested in becoming part of the industry and sticking around, I'm hoping it's here in Ann Arbor. Or maybe Ypsilanti.

Which brings me to news that the city of Ann Arbor has enacted a permit process for would-be filmmakers. On a gut level this strikes me as a very shortsighted move. I know it's tempting, in this cash-strapped times, to squeeze a few bucks out of Hollywood, but the last thing the film industry needs is more road blocks. It's just finding its feet. More importantly, it's convincing some Millennials to stick around, something Michigan desperately needs to do.

I have, admittedly, been slow to dig into the permit process (so little time, so  much to do) but I will soon. In the meantime, I pray it doesn't inhibit local and amateur filmmakers from having free reign to shoot whenever and wherever they like (within reason, of course). I understand the need to set up a process for, say, closing down a street. But if it gets in the way of young filmmakers shooting their own $28 thousand masterpiece of profanity then I am whole-heartedly against it. I mean, do we really want Michigan's next film auteur coming from Brighton?

In the meantime, this week's filterD events are, as usual, top heavy with music events. In fact, it's a bit of a trip down 80s and 90s memory lane. That's why I'm singling out Kevin Smith as top dog. Not because he's a celebrity, but because he's a celebrity who delivers a damn good show. Read my full take here. Check out the Superman story below.

And remember to consume your culture locally.


-Jeff Meyers, Editor
"If it's not fun, you're not doing it right."

Press Releases for upcoming events in the Ann Arbor area should be sent by the Sunday before to jeff@concentratemedia.com. Please include high res jpg images that are at least 500 pixels wide.