*Alanis Morissette is actually playing on the radio as I started write this…*

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have been making movies since I was a kid, I first watched Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back on my little TV in my room, surfing through channels, and after landing on these two comical characters I was entranced, wanting to know everything I could about who these two were and where they came from.

It all began with Kevin Smith making Clerks in 1994, I was four, but by the time I was thirteen, when I was old enough to discover this black and white nineties cult classic, it changed my entire life. I thought about how if this guy can make a film about guys hanging out at a convenience store talking about movies, I can make a movie about anything. I followed Jay and Silent Bob through Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma until coming full circle to fully understand the stories these two New Jersey locals had up until I first saw them in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. I was hooked not only because of the outrageous and hilarious weed smoking adventures the two had, but by also watching and listening to stories Kevin would tell in his 'An Evening with Kevin Smith,' followed by 'Evening Harder' DVDs and 'Jay and Silent Bob Get Old' podcasts. He preached his journey as a filmmaker and how he made it from being a kid who loved Star Wars, to a guy who grew up making movies with his friends, and how anyone could. Kevin Smith inspired me to be a writer/director, and I told him this personally when I finally met him in 2011 during a premiere of Red State in Toronto after a Q & A in typical 'An Evening with Kevin Smith's fashion. Then reiterated the story last night at the first Vancouver screening of the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Roadshow.

I wish there was enough time to break down my entire feels of what this movie meant to me, sentiments probably shared by a sold out theatre of ViewAskew Universe fans, many wearing Smodcast jerseys and Silent Bob trenchcoats and backwards hats, true followers of the films that culminated to this beautiful reunion of characters in what first seemed like a remake of the same Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back film, but eventually rebooted ("changing things small enough that you'd pay to see it again, with added youth and diversity"), into a film about Jay reuniting with the daughter he never knew he had.
Kevin had said as he introduced the film, how there are a few moments where Jason Mewes brings some of his best performances, even a few emotional beats, and boy he wasn't kidding, I got hit in the heartstrings by the scenes with both Harley Quinn Smith and Jason Mewes, bringing a dynamic depth you would never guess in a Jay and Silent Bob film.

For as much silliness and stoner comedy Kevin Smith has brought through these characters over the years, there was always a deep story of friendship between these unlikely heroes, but Reboot adds another element of maturity to their arcs, the two are fathers now themselves, and it really shows in their performances, especially for Jay, bringing his once duncelike idiotism and naivety to that of taking ownership for being a father who was never there, making up for lost time and instilling what he can about the life he'd live.

Kevin writes some of his best work and brings along some of his best friends to play in the sandbox to deliver sweet justice and powerful moving performances that elevate his script into the beauty of the whole. His film contains beloved characters from the ViewAskew universe as well as cameos from comedic actors at the top of their game. It was a joy to see familiar faces pop up and the applause and cheers that rang out through the sold out audience of fans. Kevin was right, it does become a wild party during the Roadshow screenings, akin to a Rocky Horror Picture kind of evening. But the one great scene and performance that luckily made it into the flick was by Ben Affleck himself. The scene showed guidance to Jay's recent fatherly inheritance, without spoiling anything, it was truly touching and became the glue that held the film together, in the same way that Silent Bob's speech did for Chasing Amy. It was beautiful to see Ben on screen with Jay and Kevin again. Kevin told the story of how after hearing an interviewer ask if he was going to be in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Ben responded by saying he wasn't asked and isn't busy. Which Kevin took as a sign to reach out and invite him to come play. The scene was wonderful and Kevin even threw in a few Batman jokes for Ben to use as well, which made the whole wink to the audience in on the joke aspect all the more fun.

The roadshow screening was an experience in itself, and the film captures the fun of his original films while poking fun at the current state of Hollywood and the remake/reboot industry diminishing cinema. But with characters this good, why not share more stories if there's an audience to laugh and listen? There's no short display of love and affection Kevin's fans have for his work, and after his announcement of Clerks 3 and Mallrats 2, it was like a new Phase of ViewAskew's Cinematic Universe we're all more than excited to experience. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes are destined to keep the journey alive and well, and it's taken a few years but I'm glad Jay and Silent Bob are back and still kicking!

Snootchie Bootchiessss!

The Jay and Silent Bob Roadshow Reboot continues it's tour, visit rebootroadshow.com for more info!