Interview: Kevin Smith

The Hollywood Reporter had this interview with screenwriter, actor, and director Kevin Smith coinciding with the release of his latest movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Despite mixed reviews, the movie has grossed $37M worldwide. With a modest $24M budget, after all the ancillary revenues are counted, the movie will make a tidy profit, proof again that Kevin Smith has a loyal audience.

Some of Smith’s other writing credits include Clerks (1994), >Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).

In this interview, Smith talks about indie films. Here’s an excerpt:

THR: Do you worry that, in general, the indie film is dying?

Smith: I still follow the boxoffice charts on the art house flicks, and it seems like lately they’re not doing what they did 10–15 years ago. “Clerks” made $3 million, and that was very cool, and then the next year’s “Brothers McMullen” did $10 million and suddenly “Clerks’ “ $3 million looked stupid. And then guys who did “Blair Witch” made a hundred million bucks, so all of us looked retarded.

UPDATE: In the interview, there’s this interchange:

The Hollywood Reporter: The movie’s premise seems like a preposterous notion, but I imagine it’s rooted in some reality for you?

 Kevin Smith: The funny thing about the movie is when I first wrote it, it seemed pretty outrageous. But with the economy going in the direction it’s headed, it now seems kind of plausible that someone would do this for the cash.

And now in a case of life imitating art, Bloomberg is reporting “Film, Porn Shoots Sought by Los Angeles Homeowners Hit by Slump.” Now you can add “prophet” to Kevin Smith’s resume.