When Kevin Smith announced that he was making a final View Askewniverse film, the fans started to speculate – Would it be one of his previous, unfilmed scripts? Or perhaps a sequel to Clerks or Mallrats? The possibilities were endless. Smith began to drop clues via the official website, and the excitement grew as I began to realize that this final film would, in fact, be a sequel to ALL FOUR previous films, bringing in previously seen characters, wrapping up storylines and, best of all, using Jay & Silent Bob to drive it along. Jay & Bob would, in fact, be the leads for the first time, as Kevin announced the title: “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back”.

Smith promised an incredibly low-brow comedy on the level of Mallrats, putting aside some of the serious tones and themes in his last two flicks, Dogma and Chasing Amy, and used the flick to get it all out of his system – For the present time, anyway (this is said to be the last appearance of Jay & Bob onscreen in live form). The flick delivers just what he promised – It never takes itself seriously, moves fast, and takes stabs at Hollywood, the Internet, classic television shows, and a lot more.

So, how’s it look? Well, we’re happy to report that this transfer is another top-notch one. The picture is in its original 2.35:1 widescreen format, enhanced for widescreen TVs (so it looks great on the review set). J&SBSB is esaily the most visually active of the View Askew films, so this transfer demanded the most. Edges are crisp, colors are sharp, and everything looks fantastic. In fact, I haven’t watched Dogma recently, but this is likely the best transfer of a View Askew production yet. I’ll leave the really technical stuff up to the expert reviewers, but trust me when I say you will be incredibly pleased with how well this looks. A five star transfer in my opinion.

COMMENTARY (DISC 1)

It’s tough to say anything but good things about a commentary track in which you’re so kindly mentioned (thanks Kev), but I’ll do the best to summarize things. Kevin, Scott, and Jay actually take a lot of time of this track to point out the incredible amount of cameo appearances, and the flick moves so fast that a lot of the stories get left untold, which is a bit frustrating to the guys (who obviously have a lot more stories to tell). So, this commentary moves along at a VERY brisk pace, but is considerably less lively than the crazy Mallrats, Amy, and Dogma tracks when the likes of Affleck and Lee were involved.


Taking a more subdued route, this track plays similar to the second Dogma SE track, with Smith, Mosier, and Mewes at the helm. Mewes is more active in this track than any previous commentary, adding some stories and comments of his own throughout (except for the moment he leaves to urinate). Coincidentally, this is the first commentary track we’ve seen that includes a warning disclaimer before it, absolving Dimension from responsibility of anything that’s said — A testament to the honesty of the participants, for sure. Sadly, they didn’t have any cameras covering this commentary session, unlike the Mallrats and Dogma discs, where occasionally the viewer could watch the participants in the corner of their screen.


We do learn theat the film originally got an NC-17, which took 3 submissions to the MPAA to get an R. Thankfully, all the stuff that had to be trimmed from the flick is explained and shown on the second disc’s deleted scenes section. Mark Hamill actually did the Scooby-like dog’s voice in the film. Kevin and Scott admit that, though the film was marketed as a stand-alone film, seeing all the other VA flicks is WAY important to following along. Of course, there’s also LOTS of plugging the merchandise of View Askew and the comic shop in Red Bank. Kevin and Jay relate some information about a few on-set incidents, such as a story about a conflict with Carrie Fisher on the set, and the difficulty that Shannon Elizabeth’s insisting on those glasses she wears causing a major reflections nightmare for the cinematographers. There’s lots more, including some discussion of the GLAAD situation, working with Ben & Matt, and complimenting Mewes on his outstanding performance.


As far as commentary tracks go, it’s another fun one from View Askew productions, with nonstop chatting and information. Since the film speaks for itself mostly, don’t expect to learn a ton of new information, aside from all the cameo appearances, but definitely listen to it. Even though they never present any new information and end up being about 10 voices at once, I did miss that larger cast commentary this time around though. The track recorded for the upcoming Clerks Special Edition DVD will likely be more along those lines, though.

TRAILERS (DISC 1)

This section of the disc surprised me a bit, as I expected to perhaps find a Jay & Bob trailer, and that was it. However, all of the Jay and Bob promotional material has been placed on the second disc, so they’ve instead included trailers for Clerks, Chasing Amy & Clerks: Uncensored, all in Dolby Digital 5.1! Good stuff, and a nice addition. I watched them all. I wish they could have gotten the rights to the Mallrats and Dogma trailers, as well.


Strangely enough, the teaser trailer for the new Miramax theatrical release “40 Days & 40 Nights” has also been included, which I assume was a decision of the studio. The film hits theaters at the same time this disc hits the street, so they’re obviously hoping that folks who buy this set will discover the trailer. Having this on here isn’t really a negative, though. It certainly doesn’t fit with everything else, but it’s not like you hafta watch it, either (Same with their preview for other Dimension titles).

DELETED & EXTENDED SCENES (DISC 2)

An extensive collection of deleted scenes has always been a View Askew trademark, so Jay & Silent Bob is no exception. These are definitely the centerpiece of this set, and worth the purchase price by themselves. Each of the 42 (yes, you read that right, FOURTY-TWO) deleted scenes has an introduction recorded by Kevin Smith along with special guests Jason Mewes, Scott Mosier, Jen Schwalback, and even his daughter, Harley (who, as you may know, appears in the film’s opening sequence). All these introductions are yet again recorded in Smith’s comic shop, Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank, NJ.


The deleted material itself is presented in standard 2.35 widescreen, not enhanced for 16:9 (unlike the film, which is). The scenes themselves look excellent in picture quality (much better than the snafu that happened with the Dogma SE’s deleted material). None of the scenes are fully produced, as the decisions for cuts were made mostly during the film’s production. Thus, you’ll see some boom mics (especially in the mock TV newscast with Jon Stewart and Will Ferrell), there’s no music or sound effects, and some visual F/X are missing. This doesn’t detract at all from the enjoyment of the scenes, though, as they still look and sound excellent, just about on par with the quality of the final product.


Best of all, the disc includes an option that I’ve always cried foul on the previous discs for not having: A “Play All” feature! That’s right, just hit one button, put down the remote control, and watch everything unfold. For those of you that aren’t interested in the introductions, however, you will need to use the next chapter button to skip right to the scenes, as each scene is made up of 2 chapters, Kevin’s into and then the material itself.








There’s the classic stuff here, including stuff like Jason Lee (as Brodie) dumbing down the explanation of what Jay & Bob need to do to get paid for the Bluntman & Chronic, the “kid in the helmet” sequence which takes place on the bus (and the ongoing “little kid” joke with Mewes), Mewes’ full CLIT speech, Willenholly’s introduction scene (with a great line read, “Yeah, Bobcat”), the NC-17 rated prostitute sequence, a funny Silent Bob line, and a real crowd favorite at the Vulgarthon, Diedrich Bader’s line to Shannon Doherty on the “Scream” set – A classic homage to Mallrats.


Yet again, they’ve included pretty much every bit of deleted material they could dig up on this one, and it’s way cool to see just how all of this stuff fits into the film. Watching this stuff next to the final product, most of the cuts were warranted, though some of the scenes were definitely a real loss (the list above being some personal favorites). The way the scenes are faded out nicely, with actual film dialogue at the start or the end of them, you could probably even put together your own “full cut” of the flick yourself.

SECRET STASH (DISC 2)

These scenes are sort of a hybrid between the gag reel and the deleted stuff, so I can see why they were given their own section on the DVD. Kevin, Jay, and Scott are again on hand to introduce 4 scenes, which feature something never before allowed in a Kevin Smith film – Ad libbing. The first scene is a personal favorite, and features alternate lines by Judd Nelson, titled “Let’s Go Back to the Stationhouse”. Hearing Nelson deliver the line “Let’s go back to the stationhouse, and blow each other” with such a deadpan is hilarious.





Three other sequences are also featured, including one Kevin is particularly proud of, an edited together newscast about the CLIT featuring John Stewart and Will Ferrell. The two ad-lib the newscast for a full 3 minutes. Only short pieces of this scene were used in the final film. A 3rd scene, “Affleck the Ham”, is another example of Affleck being Affleck, attempting to drag a scene out with his own dialogue but failing miserably. And finally, a fun sequence with Will doing different line reads about the lack of jets on the police force.


This material is all great, and the fact that they’ve got introductions is also a nice touch. I’m giving this one 4 stars only because of a slight error in disorganization. However, I wish they’d have listed the scenes in the correct order as Kevin introduced them. The “Play All” function (also wisely included here) does work, but plays the scenes in the wrong chronological order. Kevin introduces the Will Ferrell clip first, but the clip listing and the play all fuction play Will’s clip 3rd, putting Judd Nelson and the CLIT stuff ahead of it. A minor quibble, though. By the way, if you watch these one at a time, the menu wisely moves you to the following scene after one completes. This is a nice convenient little touch that often gets overlooked.

GAG REEL (DISC 2)

I’m always a sucker for a good gag reel. Kevin and Jay introduce this section of blown takes titled “Why Movies Costs So Much”. The segment runs around 8 minutes, with a light tune from composer Jim Venable in the background.



Some of the highlights:













• Several different instances where Jason Lee just can’t stop laughing.

  
  

  
  
  

• Jay Mewes attmepting to get the lyrics straight to his new (eventually cut) ultra-profane song outside of the new
  convenience store.

  
  

  
  
  

• Kevin losing it during Affleck’s excellent delivery of the “Affleck was the BOMB in Phantoms” line.

  
  

  
  
  

• Walt & Steve-Dave appearing in one of their funniest on-screen moments yet.

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

• Finally, several takes of Affleck and Damon attempting to get through the “I don’t like the sound of them apples, Will” line without breaking up laughing themselves. Though we know they eventually do, we never see it here.
  


By the end of that last sequence, I couldn’t help but find myself laughing with the guys myself. It’s contagious. That’s what watching a gag reel is really all about. An excellent inclusion on the disc, too bad it couldn’t have ran even longer. I was sad when it ended.

REEL COMEDY: JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (DISC 2)

This represents the first time that a View Askew DVD has actually brought in some externally aired material and included it on the disc. Comedy Central puts together a very nice special here, with tons of candid interviews, clips, and more. It flows nicely, and is a very nice inclusion on the set. It’s not something you’ll likely find yourself watching over and over again, but it’s very nice to have on this disc.

BEHIND THE SCENES (DISC 2)

This is what looks to be a first-look at some of the extensive behind-the-scenes footage that Malcolm Ingram filmed for what will be the huge Jay & Silent Bob documentary (currently set to be included as part of the Clerks 10 year anniversary DVD due out in a couple of years). This footage is just a general batch of some of the behind the scenes antics, along with bits of the cast interviews, many of which were conducted by Jennifer Schwalbach (though Schwalbach herself is not seen asking the questions). Clips of never before seen interviews with, to list a few: Jason Mewes, Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Jennifer Schwalbach, Sean William Scott, Chris Rock, Mark Hamill, Judd Nelson, and more.


Everything moves on at a fairly fast pace, and it’s fully narrated using interview clips (no voiceovers). Some great bits of information are revealed, including the fact that Mewes had to “run to the nearest guy” on set and strike up a conversation after his scenes kissing Shannon Elizabeth, due to his shyness. Also, did you know that the real-life Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s parts (for the Good Will Hunting II scene) were originally going to be played by Vince Vaughn and John Favreau or the Wayans borthers? There’s even a “Kevin Smith Love Fest”, featuring some clips of folks just verbally kissing ass (sorta like those clips you always hear them making fun of during the news on the Howard Stern radio show). They handle it all in a fun, self-mocking sort of way. Best of all, this is all uncut, so the expletives on the set and in the interviews are free to fly. We’re sure that the full length documentary will be presented in a similar fashion.


Personally, this was one of my favorite sections of this disc. It’s only a taste of the incredible amount of footage that was filmed as this movie was made, and it’s obvious that the access Malcolm had on the set was unlimited (we noticed this during our set visits; Malc was right on top of things). The full-length Jay & Bob documentary can’t come soon enough. This piece runs around twelve minutes, and I could have watched it for hours more.

LEARNIN’ THE MOVES WITH MORRIS DAY & THE TIME (DISC 2)

This footage again looks like the stuff that Malcolm Ingram filmed for the documentary. Here we’re treated to a few clips of Kevin and Jay as they work with Morris Day to learn the moves for the “Jungle Love” sequence at the end of the film. The guys ended up looking quite natural in the final product, so it’s interesting to see them fumble through the steps a few times. This is a relatively short clip without voiceover or narration, but a neat little inclusion. I’d have loved a bit more insight on this, though, such as if Morris Day was intended for the film all along (as Purple Rain is a big fave of Kev’s) or if it was something that happened later on in the writing process.


Also included on page two of the extra disc is a text description of The Time, taking you from the origins of the band all the way to the state of the band today. Not much to say here, just some interesting stuff on the band’s start with Prince, controversy, the break-ups, and the reforming years later. If you’re into the band, or just curious, you might want to take 15 minutes or so to give it a read. Keep in mind these are just static text pages on the disc, no audio or moving video for this portion.

TV SPOTS (DISC 2)

Six quick-edit televsion spots are presented here. The motive of these was clearly to market the profane nature of the film, taking a lot of dialogue and quick-cutting away to other scenes to imply things but not actually SAY then. The first four spots are the “Warning” spots, starting with a warning to the viewer to grab attention. The final two are the commercials that were recorded just before the film’s release, with Jay & Bob in character promoting the flick (I liked when Jay urged folks to see the film because “Chris Rock yells at white people”). The cut scene featuring the hookers is also a key clip in all of the “Warning” spots (Which may be why these ads were pulled so soon).


Strangely, the TV spot that I recall seeing the most around the time of release isn’t included here. The good news is that all of these spots are MUCH better than the ones I saw on the tube. It’s a shame that this campaign wasn’t marketed more strongly, as I feel the “Warning” spots were all very well exectued, and better than the ads that MTV kept airing. The Jay & Bob ads were also quite good, but never seemed to air much as they came in so late in the game. The spots are all quite short, too, so you can see that there was never a very extended attempt to market the film (no 45 second or one minute ads here).


A very cool addition here would have been an introduction or a scene where Kevin and Scott discussed their thoughts on the marketing of the film. When the commercials began to air, there was quite a bit of discussion online on whether they were a good representation of the flick. I’m still curious if the folks who made the flick had a hand in the ad campaign, and if they were happy with how it was all handled. Maybe this will be addressed in the Jay & Bob documentary.

INTERNET TRAILERS (DISC 2)

Jay & Silent Bob’s internet-only trailers were the first for a View Askew production, and a trend that’s sure to catch on with other filmmakers. Both trailers were edited very quickly while the film was still in production, and cut together in a fun way to show the hardcore fans just enough to have them wanting more. These trailers are included here in their original 2.35 widescreen format (but of course much larger than when they played on your computer screen last year). It’s fun to watch these again after seeing the film, and amazing just how much of the film was included. Best of all, since they didn’t need to submit the trailers to the ratings board (as Kevin explains to Jay), these trailers aren’t censored in any way. So, bonus points here go to the fact that not only did Kevin include the 2 internet trailers here, but also recorded a special introduction to these to explain their origins (and the fact that their popularity was enough to crash our servers here when they were first placed online).

MUSIC VIDEOS (DISC 2)

The two music videos created for the film, Afroman’s “Because I Got High” and Stroke 9’s “Kick Some Ass”, are both included on the disc in their original, uncut formats. This is a first, especially for the Afroman video, which was heavily edited for television due to all the drug references in the song. Jay & Silent Bob appear in both videos, as they were filmed in the Red Bank, New Jersey area. It’s nice to have the videos on the disc, though I was never a big fan of either of them. Neither of them are nearly as good as the “Can’t Even Tell” video from Clerks or the classic “Build Me Up Buttercup” video from Mallrats. It should be noted though that Kevin and View Askew really had nothing to do with the videos themselves, other than the cameos they make in them. Worth watching once, though chances are you won’t spin them up again anytime soon.

EASTER EGGS? (DISC 2)

I will say that the DVD does contain one single easter egg, which isn’t too tough to find if you dig around a bit, though a fair word of warning – You might be sorry that you found it! It’s cleverly but logically hidden. Happy hunting.

Of course, being a huge fan (obviously) of View Askew flicks, I couldn’t help but LOVE this disc. Not only is Jay & Bob a film MADE for the hardcore fans, Buena Vista takes an excellent transfer of the flick and packs on a TON of extra material to again make this a title truly worthy of the Collector’s Series logo. This disc gets an outstanding rating because I found it to be incredibly well done – The easy to navigate layout, the deleted scenes, the extra documentary spots, gag reel, trailers, and another insightful commentary…It’s all there and of top-notch quality. The only reason I can’t give this disc a full five stars is because Malcolm and Jen’s full-length documentary isn’t included, though the disc itself would probably have been delayed at least another year to allow that puppy to be edited.

This is another outstanding release from View Askew Productions, continuing to prove that their DVDs are among the best in the business. Kudos to everyone from the producers, filmmakers, as well as Dimension and Buena Vista for their cooperation, allowing this title to be the most content-rich View Askew DVD yet. Buy it, and look for this disc on the end of the year Top DVD awards lists for 2002.