World Famous Comics: My Boring Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith
My Boring Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith
By: Kevin Smith Publisher: Titan Books Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Titan Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 480 Publication Date: September 25, 2007 Release Date: September 25, 2007
Product Description: Anything but boring, the creator of Jay and Silent Bob shares his x-rated thoughts in his diary, telling all in his usual candid, heartfelt and irreverent way!
Lewd, crude and hilariously rude, Kevin Smith pulls no punches in this hard-hitting, in-your-face exposé of, er, his rather dull and uneventful life… well, not always dull. In between watching his TiVo, he manages to make and release Clerks II, relate the story of his partner-in-crime Jason Mewes’ heroin addiction, get a tattoo, serve on a jury... and get caught stealing donuts from Burt Reynolds
Thrown in are his views on the perils of strip clubs, the drawback of threesomes, the pain of anal fissures, his love-affair with Star Wars and so much more! Adults Only!
Interesting View of a Not-So-Boring Life I'm not completely finished with this yet, but from what I've read so far, it's definitely interesting. The title isn't very accurate in my view, and I'm sure many would agree- his life isn't all that boring. He does a bunch of mundane stuff, and he writes about that mundane stuff in a fairly matter-of-fact way, but still- there's something interesting about it.
I loved Clerks (didn't like Clerks 2 all that much), and I've seen a few of his other films. I'm not a mega-fan, but I like the guy in general, and I've enjoyed his work. He had a lot of interesting stories in An Evening with Kevin Smith, and this book is much like that. The stories are much shorter and not as interesting reading them on paper, but still- it works.
There are laughs, some really moving parts when it gets serious, some neat inside info. about his business (to a small degree). Uber fans will surely love it, and those like me who have enjoyed a few of his films will probably find it a good read as well. I'd give it a 4, but most of the stuff written about is just so mundane that I'd have to give it a solid 3.5
A year-and-a-half in the life At this point in his career, it would be hard to put Kevin Smith in the top tier of directors, in the same league as folks like Eastwood, Spielberg, Scorcese or the Coen Brothers; he does, however, have a real cult following, of which I am a part. Besides the fact that he makes really good movies, he also has a just-one-of-the-guys aura, developed through his "Evening With..." DVDs of his speaking engagements and his film commentaries. My Boring-A$$ Life also promotes that reality (or very well-constructed image).
My Boring-A$$ Life is subtitled The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith, which is pretty honest. Starting on March 20, 2005, the book begins as a daily chronicle of Smith's activities. Not just the movie-related items, not even just the extraordinary events, but even the most mundane activities, including bathroom trips and sexual acts. Admittedly, some of this wears thin in the early going, but the book changes as it goes along.
As the book evolves from pure diary to more interesting tales, it gets stronger. We follow Smith's first real acting role (in Catch and Release) and the lessons he takes from working for another director. We get the story of Smith's acting in the fourth Die Hard movie, and details of his work on Clerks II. There is a lot that's funny, but when necessary, he can be serious. This is most evident in his "Me and My Shadow" entries, which describe Jason (Jay of Jay and Silent Bob) Mewes's coping with drug addiction.
Overall, Smith seems to have a pretty good life: he makes decent money, he spends a lot of time goofing off, watching movies, having sex or hanging out with friends. Fortunately, he doesn't really crow about his good life but presents it matter-of-factly. It also helps that he is quick to point out his own shortcomings, most notably about his weight.
This is a great read, especially for Kevin Smith fans. It is, not, however, a really fast read (it is too densely packed with detail), but fortunately, it is structured in a way that allows easy breaks when necessary. If you have enjoyed films like Clerks, Chasing Amy or Dogma, here is your chance to learn more about the man behind these movies and have fun in the process.
great read for avid fans I am a huge Kevin Smith fan so I loved this book. The diary style can get a little boring as Smith describes daily life but a true fan will enjoy the insight. The section chronicaling Jason Mewes struggle with drugs (Me and My Shadow) is a great read. Very touching.
Best Read i loved this book so much. if you are a fan of Kevin Smith you will love it too. He makes it impossible to put the book down and goes into detail about his far from boring life. i would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good and sometimes intense read.
Voyeurism for the View Askew fan ... This book is a great read. I'll assume that if you're interested in this book in the first place, that you are already a Kevin Smith / View Askew fan. Clearly, that's who this book is really for. And if you are that kind of person, the kind of person who owns all the DVD's, has watched all the commentaries, reads the boards, listens to smodcast, and in some crazy way thinks of these people as some bizarre one-way extension of your own circle of friends, then you will love this book.